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Construction · head to head

Billd vs Topcon MAGNET

Billd logo

Billd

Construction

Material financing and pay application advances for commercial subcontractors

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Topcon MAGNET logo

Topcon MAGNET

Construction

Field, office and cloud software for surveying and civil construction, built around Topcon instruments

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Billd the contractor carries the fee rather than the supplier, so unless the cost is bid into the job or offset by a negotiated supplier cash discount, financed material is simply more expensive material.; Topcon MAGNET mAGNET is built around Topcon and Sokkia hardware, so a firm running mixed instrument brands will not get the field workflows it expects and is better served by manufacturer-independent field software.
  • They diverge on capability: Billd covers Material financing, Topcon MAGNET covers MAGNET Field.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Billd and Topcon MAGNET actually diverge.

Attributes where Billd and Topcon MAGNET differ
AttributeBilldTopcon MAGNET
PlatformsWebWindows, Android, Web

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 Billd

  • Material financing
  • Pay App Advance
  • Same-day supplier funding
  • Supplier network terms
  • Credit line for materials
  • Online account portal

Only in Topcon MAGNET

  • MAGNET Field
  • MAGNET Office
  • MAGNET Enterprise
  • Machine control model preparation
  • Mass haul and earthwork
  • Point layout and stakeout
  • Live field to office link
  • Standard format exchange

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Billd

  • An electrical subcontractor that has won a job larger than its cash position can carry through the first three material buysnot Topcon MAGNET
  • A concrete contractor whose general contractor pays at 75 days while the supplier expects 30not Topcon MAGNET
  • A growing mechanical firm that wants to negotiate a supplier cash discount by paying immediately, funded by Billdnot Topcon MAGNET
  • A subcontractor with a signed pay application sitting unpaid that needs payroll covered before the cheque landsnot Topcon MAGNET

Topcon MAGNET

  • A civil contractor running Topcon grade control that needs design models prepared and pushed to machines from one environmentnot Billd
  • A survey crew doing construction layout with Topcon total stations and wanting field data to reach the office without a memory cardnot Billd
  • An earthworks estimator producing takeoff quantities and mass haul plans from engineering drawingsnot Billd
  • A firm standardising on one manufacturer end to end to reduce the number of software packages its crews have to learnnot Billd

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Billd

  • The contractor carries the fee rather than the supplier, so unless the cost is bid into the job or offset by a negotiated supplier cash discount, financed material is simply more expensive material.
  • No rate card is published, so the effective annualised cost is only visible after underwriting and cannot be compared against a bank line or a card facility before you apply.
  • A 120 day term assumes the general contractor pays roughly on time; if the GC drags past that, the subcontractor owes Billd on schedule regardless of whether it has been paid.
  • This is credit, not construction software, so it adds a debt obligation and a covenant relationship to a business that a surety and a bonding agent will look at when setting bonding capacity.
  • Coverage is US commercial construction, so contractors outside that market or working residential get little from it, and eligibility depends on project type and the creditworthiness of the paying party.

Topcon MAGNET

  • MAGNET is built around Topcon and Sokkia hardware, so a firm running mixed instrument brands will not get the field workflows it expects and is better served by manufacturer-independent field software.
  • Topcon does not publish a rate card and sells through dealers, so two customers can pay materially different prices for the same licences depending on region and negotiation.
  • Cloud connectivity through MAGNET Enterprise is commonly bundled for the first year and then charged, which surprises firms that budgeted only for the licence.
  • Office capability is spread across modules and disciplines rather than sold as one product, so getting from data collection to machine control model preparation can require more than one purchase.
  • The office desktop software is Windows only and the wider line has been reorganised more than once, so buyers should confirm which specific product name their dealer is quoting and how long it will be supported.

Pricing, plan by plan

Billd

On request
  • Material Financing$undefined/year
    • Supplier paid upfront
    • Repayment up to 120 days
    • Fee set per draw after underwriting
  • Pay App Advance$undefined/year
    • Advance against billed and uncollected work
    • Purchase fee deducted from the advance
    • Terms set per contractor

Topcon MAGNET

On request
  • MAGNET Field$undefined/year
    • Data collector licence
    • Sold through Topcon dealers
    • Annual service plan renewals available
  • MAGNET Office$undefined/year
    • Desktop licence with modules by discipline
    • Includes cloud connectivity for a first year
    • Renewal quoted separately
  • MAGNET Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Cloud project storage and field to office exchange
    • Subscription renewed annually
    • Bundled initially with Office licences

Which should you pick?

Choose Billd if

  • You need material financing.
  • You also want pay app advance.
Billd review

Choose Topcon MAGNET if

  • You need magnet field.
  • You work on Windows, Android, Web.
  • You also want magnet office.
Topcon MAGNET review

Questions people ask

Is Billd or Topcon MAGNET better?
Neither clearly leads. Billd starts at On request and Topcon MAGNET at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Billd or Topcon MAGNET?
Billd starts at On request and Topcon MAGNET at On request.
Does Billd or Topcon MAGNET run on more platforms?
Billd runs on Web. Topcon MAGNET runs on Windows, Android, Web.
What is Billd best used for?
Billd is most often used for an electrical subcontractor that has won a job larger than its cash position can carry through the first three material buys, a concrete contractor whose general contractor pays at 75 days while the supplier expects 30, a growing mechanical firm that wants to negotiate a supplier cash discount by paying immediately, funded by billd, a subcontractor with a signed pay application sitting unpaid that needs payroll covered before the cheque lands. Of those, an electrical subcontractor that has won a job larger than its cash position can carry through the first three material buys and a concrete contractor whose general contractor pays at 75 days while the supplier expects 30 are not what Topcon MAGNET is typically brought in for.
What can Billd do that Topcon MAGNET cannot?
Billd covers Material financing, Pay App Advance, Same-day supplier funding, Supplier network terms. Topcon MAGNET covers MAGNET Field, MAGNET Office, MAGNET Enterprise, Machine control model preparation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Billd: Who pays Billd's fee, the contractor or the supplier?

The contractor. The supplier is paid upfront in full and carries no credit risk.

Topcon MAGNET: Does MAGNET work with Trimble or Leica instruments?

Not as a practical daily workflow. It exchanges standard file formats but the field software is designed for Topcon and Sokkia hardware.

Billd: Does Billd publish rates?

No. Cost depends on term, product and underwriting outcome and is disclosed in the offer.

Topcon MAGNET: Is pricing published?

No. MAGNET is sold through Topcon dealers with quotes varying by region and configuration.

Billd: What happens if my general contractor pays late?

You still owe Billd on the agreed schedule. The 120 day term is designed to cover a normal pay cycle, not a dispute.

Topcon MAGNET: Is the cloud service included?

Typically for a first year with a licence, then renewable as a paid subscription.

Billd: Does using Billd affect bonding capacity?

It is a debt facility, so a surety will consider it. Discuss it with your bonding agent before drawing heavily.

Topcon MAGNET: Can I get my data out at project closeout?

Yes, through LandXML, DXF and standard survey exchange formats, though field-specific configuration does not transfer to a competitor.

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