Construction · head to head
Adaptive vs Fieldwire
Adaptive
Construction
AI-assisted project accounting, job costing and payments for construction contractors
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Fieldwire
Construction
Field management software for construction teams
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Fieldwire has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Adaptive revenue-band pricing means a company with high turnover and thin margins, such as a materials-heavy trade, pays as if it were far more profitable than it is, and there is no seat-count lever to bring the cost down.; Fieldwire free tier limited to 5 team members and 3 projects maximum
- They diverge on capability: Adaptive covers AI invoice capture, Fieldwire covers Task management.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Adaptive and Fieldwire actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Construction).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Adaptive
- AI invoice capture
- Job costing
- Approval routing
- Lien waiver collection
- Outbound payments
- Owner billing
- WIP reporting
- Accounting sync
Only in Fieldwire
- Task management
- Digital blueprints
- Punch lists
- Inspections
- Photo documentation
- Procore
- Autodesk BIM 360
- Box
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Adaptive
- A specialty contractor drowning in vendor invoices that need coding to cost codes, where the bookkeeper is the bottleneck on closing the monthnot Fieldwire
- A general contractor with dozens of project managers who all need to approve costs, and for whom per-seat construction ERP pricing is the reason field approval never got rolled outnot Fieldwire
- A company that has outgrown QuickBooks for job costing but is not ready to spend a year implementing Sage 300 or Viewpointnot Fieldwire
- A contractor whose lender or bonding agent wants a monthly WIP schedule that reconciles to the ledger without a two-day spreadsheet exercisenot Fieldwire
Fieldwire
- Construction task tracking and field coordinationnot Adaptive
- Punch list management on mobile devicesnot Adaptive
- Project documentation organisationnot Adaptive
- Field team communicationnot Adaptive
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Adaptive
- Revenue-band pricing means a company with high turnover and thin margins, such as a materials-heavy trade, pays as if it were far more profitable than it is, and there is no seat-count lever to bring the cost down.
- Back charge handling is a recurring complaint; contractors that routinely back charge subcontractors find the workflow does not model it cleanly and end up tracking it outside the system.
- Budget structures are rigid relative to a full construction ERP, so companies that need to restructure cost codes mid-project or run multiple budget versions hit walls.
- The QuickBooks sync has documented gaps, and because Adaptive sits alongside rather than replaces the ledger, any sync failure produces two sets of numbers that someone has to reconcile by hand.
- It is a young company on a month-to-month contract with a Series A behind it, which cuts both ways: easy to leave, but the buyer carries the risk that a core accounting dependency changes ownership or direction.
Fieldwire
- Free tier limited to 5 team members and 3 projects maximum
- Basic plan limited to 100 sheets
- Advanced features (RFIs, submittals, change orders, budget management) restricted to higher tiers
- BIM viewer availability gated to Business tier and above
Pricing, plan by plan
Adaptive
On request- Adaptive$undefined/month
- Priced by annual revenue band and workflow scope
- Unlimited users included
- Month-to-month billing
Fieldwire
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Fieldwire review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Adaptive if
- You need ai invoice capture.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want job costing.
Choose Fieldwire if
- You need task management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android.
- You also want digital blueprints.
Questions people ask
- Is Adaptive or Fieldwire better?
- Neither clearly leads. Adaptive starts at On request and Fieldwire at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Adaptive or Fieldwire?
- Fieldwire has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Adaptive and Free for Fieldwire.
- Does Adaptive or Fieldwire run on more platforms?
- Adaptive runs on Web, iOS, Android. Fieldwire runs on iOS, Android.
- Can I use Fieldwire for free?
- Yes. Fieldwire has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adaptive starts at On request.
- What is Adaptive best used for?
- Adaptive is most often used for a specialty contractor drowning in vendor invoices that need coding to cost codes, where the bookkeeper is the bottleneck on closing the month, a general contractor with dozens of project managers who all need to approve costs, and for whom per-seat construction erp pricing is the reason field approval never got rolled out, a company that has outgrown quickbooks for job costing but is not ready to spend a year implementing sage 300 or viewpoint, a contractor whose lender or bonding agent wants a monthly wip schedule that reconciles to the ledger without a two-day spreadsheet exercise. Of those, a specialty contractor drowning in vendor invoices that need coding to cost codes, where the bookkeeper is the bottleneck on closing the month and a general contractor with dozens of project managers who all need to approve costs, and for whom per-seat construction erp pricing is the reason field approval never got rolled out are not what Fieldwire is typically brought in for.
- What can Adaptive do that Fieldwire cannot?
- Adaptive covers AI invoice capture, Job costing, Approval routing, Lien waiver collection. Fieldwire covers Task management, Digital blueprints, Punch lists, Inspections.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Adaptive: How is Adaptive priced?
By annual revenue band and the scope of workflows automated, billed monthly, with unlimited users. Adaptive does not publish a rate card; third-party listings have quoted entry points in the several hundred to one thousand dollars a month range, but the figure is negotiated.
Fieldwire: Is there a free version of Fieldwire?
Yes. Fieldwire's Basic plan is free for up to 5 users, 3 projects, and 100 sheets. It includes core features like plan viewing, task management, specifications, files, photos, and checklists.
SourceAdaptive: Does it replace QuickBooks or Sage?
No. It sits on top of your general ledger and syncs to it. You keep the accounting system you have.
Fieldwire: What are the per-user costs for paid Fieldwire plans?
Pro costs $39 per user per month (annual billing), Business costs $64 per user per month, and Business Plus costs $89 per user per month. All paid plans include unlimited sheets and unlimited projects regardless of plan tier.
SourceAdaptive: Is it a full construction ERP?
No. There is no payroll, equipment costing or inventory. It targets accounts payable, job costing, billing and payments.
Fieldwire: How many users can I have on a free Fieldwire account?
The Basic plan (free) supports up to 5 users with 3 projects. Pro and higher plans scale without hard user limits; you pay per user added.
SourceAdaptive: Who is it aimed at?
Construction companies roughly between $5m and $1bn in annual revenue, both general and specialty contractors.
Fieldwire: Does Fieldwire offer discounts for annual billing?
The pricing page lists annual billing rates for the standard plans shown. Custom contracts are available through sales with options for unlimited users, tailored training, dedicated success teams, API access, and single sign-on.
SourceAdaptive: What happens to our data if we leave?
Adaptive syncs to your ledger, so the accounting record persists there. Extract documents and approval history before cancelling; month-to-month terms mean access ends quickly.
Fieldwire: What is included in the Business Plus plan that isn't in lower tiers?
Business Plus ($89/user/month) adds RFIs, submittals, change orders, and budget management features compared to the Business tier. Business itself adds custom forms, app integrations, BIM viewer, and custom task fields compared to Pro.
SourceRelated pages
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