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Construction · head to head

Chief Architect vs Siteline

Chief Architect logo

Chief Architect

Construction

Professional home design and construction software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Siteline logo

Siteline

Construction

Pay application and billing workflow built only for speciality subcontractors

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Chief Architect has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Chief Architect no free tier after trial; Siteline it serves subcontractors only, so a general contractor evaluating it is looking at the wrong side of the transaction entirely.
  • They diverge on capability: Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, Siteline covers Pay application generation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chief Architect and Siteline actually diverge.

Attributes where Chief Architect and Siteline differ
AttributeChief ArchitectSiteline
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, MacWeb
Founded1991Unknown

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 Chief Architect

  • 2D and 3D design
  • Floor plan creation
  • Construction documentation
  • Material lists
  • Rendering
  • Revit
  • SketchUp
  • CAD

Only in Siteline

  • Pay application generation
  • Lien waiver management
  • Compliance document tracking
  • Billing status visibility
  • Accounting system integration
  • Accounts receivable reporting

What people use each for

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

Chief Architect

  • Home design and architectural planningnot Siteline
  • Kitchen and bathroom designnot Siteline
  • Interior design and remodelingnot Siteline
  • Professional building designnot Siteline

Siteline

  • A trade contractor whose billing team rebuilds the same pay application in four different general contractor formats each monthnot Chief Architect
  • A subcontractor losing a billing cycle to rejected applications over missing lien waiversnot Chief Architect
  • A finance director trying to forecast collections across dozens of general contractors and retention balancesnot Chief Architect
  • A growing subcontractor whose billing process depends entirely on one person and a spreadsheetnot Chief Architect

Where each one falls short

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

Chief Architect

  • No free tier after trial
  • Monthly subscription at $229/month is significantly higher than annual equivalent ($166.25/month)
  • Trial download available but duration and features not specified
  • No mention of team or multi-user plans

Siteline

  • It serves subcontractors only, so a general contractor evaluating it is looking at the wrong side of the transaction entirely.
  • It does not do job costing, project management or payroll, so it is an addition to your systems rather than a consolidation of them.
  • Value depends on a clean integration to your construction accounting system, and contractors with heavily customised or elderly installations should confirm the connection before signing.
  • General contractor portals and billing formats change without warning, and although the vendor absorbs that maintenance you still feel it as occasional friction in a month-end window with no slack.
  • The billing team has to adopt it fully in the first month-end or they revert to spreadsheets under deadline pressure, which makes the implementation timing more delicate than the software suggests.

Pricing, plan by plan

Chief Architect

Free
  • Monthly Subscription$229/month
    • Software upgrades
    • Premium catalog downloads
    • Priority technical support
  • Annual Subscription$1995/year
    • 27% savings vs monthly
    • All monthly benefits included
  • Legacy License Upgrade$995/year
    • 50% discount first year
    • Then $1,995/year
    • For existing Chief Architect users

Siteline

On request
  • Siteline$undefined/year
    • Pay application workflow
    • Lien waiver and compliance tracking
    • Accounting system integration

Which should you pick?

Choose Chief Architect if

  • You need 2d and 3d design.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac.
  • You also want floor plan creation.
Chief Architect review

Choose Siteline if

  • You need pay application generation.
  • You also want lien waiver management.
Siteline review

Questions people ask

Is Chief Architect or Siteline better?
Neither clearly leads. Chief Architect starts at Free and Siteline at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chief Architect or Siteline?
Chief Architect has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chief Architect and On request for Siteline.
Does Chief Architect or Siteline run on more platforms?
Chief Architect runs on Windows, Mac. Siteline runs on Web.
Can I use Chief Architect for free?
Yes. Chief Architect has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Siteline starts at On request.
What is Chief Architect best used for?
Chief Architect is most often used for home design and architectural planning, kitchen and bathroom design, interior design and remodeling, professional building design. Of those, home design and architectural planning and kitchen and bathroom design are not what Siteline is typically brought in for.
What can Chief Architect do that Siteline cannot?
Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, Floor plan creation, Construction documentation, Material lists. Siteline covers Pay application generation, Lien waiver management, Compliance document tracking, Billing status visibility.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Chief Architect: How much does Chief Architect cost?

Chief Architect costs $229/month on a monthly subscription, or $1,995/year ($166.25/month equivalent) for annual billing, representing a 27% discount.

Source
Siteline: Does it replace our accounting system?

No. It reads from Sage 300 CRE, Vista, Foundation and similar systems and handles the billing workflow those systems handle poorly.

Chief Architect: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, a free trial download is available for prospective customers to evaluate Chief Architect before purchase.

Source
Siteline: What should we measure in a trial?

Days sales outstanding and the number of rejected or delayed pay applications. The case is about cash timing, not headcount.

Chief Architect: Is there a discount for existing Chief Architect license holders?

Yes, legacy license holders can upgrade to an annual subscription for $995 the first year (50% discount), then $1,995/year thereafter.

Source
Siteline: Is it useful for general contractors?

No. It is built for the party submitting pay applications, not the party receiving them.

Chief Architect: What is included in the subscription?

Chief Architect subscription includes software upgrades, premium catalog downloads for design assets, and priority technical support.

Source
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