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Construction · head to head

Buildertrend vs Microsoft Project

Buildertrend logo

Buildertrend

Construction

Construction project management for home builders and remodelers

From
$199/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Project logo

Microsoft Project

Construction

Keep projects organized and on track

From
$10/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Buildertrend pricing is by quote only, with no rate, plan name or minimum published on the pricing page; Microsoft Project performance degrades with large projects over 400 tasks, becoming slow and unstable
  • They diverge on capability: Buildertrend covers Project scheduling, Microsoft Project covers Gantt charts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Buildertrend and Microsoft Project actually diverge.

Attributes where Buildertrend and Microsoft Project differ
AttributeBuildertrendMicrosoft Project
Starting price$199/month$10/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Windows, macOS
Founded20061975

Identical on both: 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 Buildertrend

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

Only in Microsoft Project

  • Gantt charts
  • Resource management
  • Budget tracking
  • Timeline views
  • Task dependencies
  • Critical path
  • Earned value analysis
  • Portfolio management

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 Microsoft Project
  • Giving homeowners a client portal to approve selections and view progressnot Microsoft Project
  • Consolidating estimating, purchase orders and job costing for custom home builders and remodelersnot Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project

  • Project schedulingnot Buildertrend
  • Resource allocationnot Buildertrend
  • Portfolio managementnot Buildertrend
  • Budget trackingnot Buildertrend
  • Enterprise project managementnot 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

Microsoft Project

  • Performance degrades with large projects over 400 tasks, becoming slow and unstable
  • Limited Agile methodology support, primarily designed for waterfall project management
  • Proprietary .mpp file format creates compatibility issues on non-Windows systems
  • No offline mode, limiting users without reliable internet connectivity

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

Microsoft Project

$10/month
  • Plan 1$10/month
    • Task and project management
    • Grid views
    • Timeline features
  • Plan 3$30/month
    • Desktop client
    • Resource management
    • Advanced scheduling
  • Plan 5$55/month
    • Portfolio management
    • Demand management
    • Enterprise capabilities

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 Microsoft Project if

  • You need gantt charts.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want resource management.
Microsoft Project review

Questions people ask

Is Buildertrend or Microsoft Project better?
Neither clearly leads. Buildertrend starts at $199/month and Microsoft Project at $10/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buildertrend or Microsoft Project?
Buildertrend starts at $199/month and Microsoft Project at $10/month.
Does Buildertrend or Microsoft Project run on more platforms?
Buildertrend runs on Web, Ios, Android. Microsoft Project runs on Web, Windows, macOS.
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 Microsoft Project is typically brought in for.
What can Buildertrend do that Microsoft Project cannot?
Buildertrend covers Project scheduling, Customer management, Financial tracking, Selections management. Microsoft Project covers Gantt charts, Resource management, Budget tracking, Timeline views.

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
Microsoft Project: What are the different Microsoft Project plans and pricing?

Microsoft Project offers Plan 1 at $10/user/month for basic project management, Plan 3 at $30/user/month with desktop client and resource management, and Plan 5 at $55/user/month for enterprise portfolio management. Desktop licenses (2024) start at $679.99 for Standard and $1,129.99 for Professional.

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
Microsoft Project: Does Microsoft Project support Agile methodology?

Microsoft Project was primarily designed for traditional waterfall project management. While it has some Agile features, it is not optimized for Agile workflows compared to dedicated Agile tools like Jira or Monday.com.

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
Microsoft Project: Can multiple teams collaborate in real-time on Microsoft Project?

Yes, Microsoft Project for the Web provides real-time collaboration through cloud-based access. However, collaboration is noted as harder compared to modern cloud-native tools due to its file-based architecture.

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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