Softwr

Construction · head to head

Buildertrend vs Mari

Buildertrend logo

Buildertrend

Construction

Construction project management for home builders and remodelers

From
$199/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mari logo

Mari

CAD

3D painting for film and games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mari has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Buildertrend pricing is by quote only, with no rate, plan name or minimum published on the pricing page; Mari the full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • They diverge on capability: Buildertrend covers Project scheduling, Mari covers High-resolution painting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Buildertrend and Mari actually diverge.

Attributes where Buildertrend and Mari differ
AttributeBuildertrendMari
Starting price$199/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows, MacOS, Linux
CategoryConstructionCAD
Founded20061996

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Buildertrend

  • Project scheduling
  • Customer management
  • Financial tracking
  • Selections management
  • Change orders
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • Zillow

Only in Mari

  • High-resolution painting
  • UDIM support
  • Procedural layers
  • Baking
  • Node graph
  • Color management
  • Maya
  • Nuke

What people use each for

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

Buildertrend

  • Running scheduling, budgets, change orders and client communication for a residential construction businessnot Mari
  • Giving homeowners a client portal to approve selections and view progressnot Mari
  • Consolidating estimating, purchase orders and job costing for custom home builders and remodelersnot Mari

Mari

  • Painting textures directly onto high complexity 3D assets for film and gamesnot Buildertrend
  • Handling very large multi-UDIM texture sets in a look development pipelinenot Buildertrend

Where each one falls short

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

Buildertrend

  • Pricing is by quote only, with no rate, plan name or minimum published on the pricing page
  • Getting a price requires completing a multi-step form declaring builder type and annual construction volume, then booking a call with a sales representative
  • The only published discount is 10% off for paying annually upfront

Mari

  • The full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • The cheap $299 per year or $35 per month subscription is restricted to a single licence for people working alone or in small companies
  • Node-locked and floating are separate licence types you must choose between
  • All listed prices are before applicable taxes
  • A separate non-commercial licence exists, so commercial use requires a paid tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Buildertrend

$199/month
  • Essential$499/month
    • Unlimited projects and users
    • Schedule, to-do lists, customer portal
    • Proposals and email marketing
  • Advanced$799/month
    • All Essential features
    • Advanced estimating and change orders
    • Takeoff tool for materials
  • Complete$1099/month
    • All Advanced features
    • Selections and warranty management
    • RFI and cost inbox features
  • Buildertrend Boost$100/month
    • Dedicated setup and account managers
    • Customized onboarding and configuration
    • Personalized coaching and strategic reviews

Mari

Free
  • Individual Subscription$86/month
    • Solo artists or small companies
    • $689 per year alternative billing
  • Team Subscription$null/year
    • Node-locked or floating licenses
    • Annual payment
  • Team Rental$949/quarter
    • Short-term access
    • Node-locked or floating licenses

Which should you pick?

Choose Buildertrend if

  • You need project scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want customer management.
Buildertrend review

Choose Mari if

  • You need high-resolution painting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want udim support.
Mari review

Questions people ask

Is Buildertrend or Mari better?
Neither clearly leads. Buildertrend starts at $199/month and Mari at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buildertrend or Mari?
Mari has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $199/month for Buildertrend and Free for Mari.
Does Buildertrend or Mari run on more platforms?
Buildertrend runs on Web, Ios, Android. Mari runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use Mari for free?
Yes. Mari has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Buildertrend starts at $199/month.
What is Buildertrend best used for?
Buildertrend is most often used for running scheduling, budgets, change orders and client communication for a residential construction business, giving homeowners a client portal to approve selections and view progress, consolidating estimating, purchase orders and job costing for custom home builders and remodelers. Of those, running scheduling, budgets, change orders and client communication for a residential construction business and giving homeowners a client portal to approve selections and view progress are not what Mari is typically brought in for.
What can Buildertrend do that Mari cannot?
Buildertrend covers Project scheduling, Customer management, Financial tracking, Selections management. Mari covers High-resolution painting, UDIM support, Procedural layers, Baking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Buildertrend: What are Buildertrend's monthly subscription prices?

Buildertrend offers three plans: Essential at $499/month, Advanced at $799/month, and Complete at $1,099/month. All include first-month discounts of $300, reducing starting costs to $199, $499, and $799 respectively.

Source
Mari: What is Mari's pricing?

Individual Subscription costs $689 per year or $86 per month. Team Subscription costs $1,289 per year. Team Rental costs $949 per quarter for short-term access. Both subscriptions support node-locked or floating licenses.

Source
Buildertrend: What is Buildertrend Boost and does it cost extra?

Buildertrend Boost is an optional add-on program costing $100 per month. It includes dedicated account managers, customized setup, personalized coaching, and strategic business reviews to help you maximize the platform.

Source
Mari: Does Mari offer a free trial?

Mari offers a free 30-day trial with unrestricted access to help users evaluate the software before purchasing.

Source
Buildertrend: Does Buildertrend offer discounts for annual billing?

Yes, Buildertrend offers annual pricing discounts. For example, the Essential plan saves $1,799 per year, Advanced saves $2,159 per year, and Complete saves $2,519 per year when billed annually versus monthly.

Source
Mari: Does Mari offer student pricing?

Yes, Mari offers free or discounted access to all Foundry products for students, as well as free non-commercial licenses for learning and exploration.

Source
Buildertrend: Are there unlimited users and projects included?

Yes, all Buildertrend plans include unlimited projects and users, allowing you to add employees, subcontractors, and clients at no additional cost per user.

Source
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