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Construction · head to head

eSUB vs Foundation Software

eSUB logo

eSUB

Construction

Cloud-based mobile construction management platform

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Foundation Software logo

Foundation Software

Construction

Job cost accounting and construction payroll for contractors running certified and union jobs

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: eSUB limited to commercial subcontractors; not suitable for general contractors or non-construction industries; Foundation Software no pricing is published anywhere, so shortlisting requires sitting through a sales process before you know whether the product is within budget at all.
  • They diverge on capability: eSUB covers Mobile task management, Foundation Software covers Certified payroll.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which eSUB and Foundation Software actually diverge.

Attributes where eSUB and Foundation Software differ
AttributeeSUBFoundation Software
Starting price$49/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWindows, Web, iOS, Android
Founded2010Unknown

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 eSUB

  • Mobile task management
  • Timesheet tracking
  • Photo documentation
  • Field notes
  • QuickBooks
  • Sage
  • Procore
  • Box

Only in Foundation Software

  • Certified payroll
  • Union payroll
  • AIA billing
  • Equipment costing
  • Service dispatch
  • Mobile time entry
  • Executive dashboards

Both cover

  • Job costing

What people use each for

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

eSUB

  • Project management for commercial construction subcontractorsnot Foundation Software
  • Daily reports, RFIs, submittals and change orders from the fieldnot Foundation Software
  • Crew time capture on mobile devicesnot Foundation Software
  • Labour, job cost, equipment and material reportingnot Foundation Software
  • Centralised drawing and document managementnot Foundation Software

Foundation Software

  • A union electrical or mechanical contractor whose payroll spans several trades and fringe schedules in the same weeknot eSUB
  • A general contractor bidding federally funded work that requires weekly certified payroll filingsnot eSUB
  • A contractor whose QuickBooks file has outgrown job costing and who is reconciling work in progress in spreadsheetsnot eSUB
  • A firm with owned plant that needs equipment hours costed back to jobs to see true contract marginnot eSUB

Where each one falls short

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

eSUB

  • Limited to commercial subcontractors; not suitable for general contractors or non-construction industries
  • Custom pricing with no transparent public pricing makes budget planning difficult for prospective customers
  • Narrow candidate list with only one direct competitor (Procore) in the space
  • May have smaller feature set compared to enterprise construction platforms

Foundation Software

  • No pricing is published anywhere, so shortlisting requires sitting through a sales process before you know whether the product is within budget at all.
  • Implementation, data conversion and training are billed separately from the licence and routinely run into five figures, which buyers comparing monthly software subscriptions do not budget for.
  • The payroll compliance engine is built for United States federal and state law, so the product has essentially no value to contractors outside the US.
  • The interface is a long-lived Windows-style application, and staff hired from cloud-native tools find it slow to learn compared with Buildertrend or Procore.
  • Project management, document control and field collaboration are weaker than the dedicated construction platforms, so most sites end up running Foundation for money and something else for the job, and paying twice.

Pricing, plan by plan

eSUB

$49/month
  • Starter$49/month
    • Mobile task management
    • Timesheet tracking
    • Document management
  • Professional$99/month
    • Advanced scheduling
    • Accounting integration
    • Custom workflows

Foundation Software

On request
  • FOUNDATION$undefined/year
    • Modular licensing, priced by modules and user count
    • Cloud hosted or installed on your own server
    • Separate one-off implementation, data conversion and training fee

Which should you pick?

Choose eSUB if

  • You need mobile task management.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want timesheet tracking.
eSUB review

Choose Foundation Software if

  • You need certified payroll.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want union payroll.
Foundation Software review

Questions people ask

Is eSUB or Foundation Software better?
Neither clearly leads. eSUB starts at $49/month and Foundation Software at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, eSUB or Foundation Software?
eSUB starts at $49/month and Foundation Software at On request.
Does eSUB or Foundation Software run on more platforms?
eSUB runs on iOS, Android, Web. Foundation Software runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is eSUB best used for?
eSUB is most often used for project management for commercial construction subcontractors, daily reports, rfis, submittals and change orders from the field, crew time capture on mobile devices, labour, job cost, equipment and material reporting. Of those, project management for commercial construction subcontractors and daily reports, rfis, submittals and change orders from the field are not what Foundation Software is typically brought in for.
What can eSUB do that Foundation Software cannot?
eSUB covers Mobile task management, Timesheet tracking, Photo documentation, Field notes. Foundation Software covers Certified payroll, Union payroll, AIA billing, Equipment costing. Both handle Job costing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

eSUB: What is eSUB designed for and who is the primary user?

eSUB is a mobile-first construction management platform built exclusively for commercial subcontractors. It connects the field to the office through mobile apps and web interfaces for creating, tracking, and managing documents and daily activities.

Source
Foundation Software: How much does Foundation Software cost?

The vendor publishes no rates. Pricing is assembled per contractor from module selection and user count, with a separate implementation fee, and is only given after a discovery call.

eSUB: What key features does eSUB Cloud include?

eSUB includes submittals, change orders, RFIs, daily reports, mobile app functionality, email integration, field notes, time cards, project management, document management, time tracking, and job costing capabilities.

Source
Foundation Software: Does it replace Procore?

No. Foundation is the accounting and payroll system; Procore is project management. They integrate, and many contractors run both.

eSUB: Does eSUB offer a free trial?

Yes. eSUB offers a 14-day free trial as well as customized demos. The demo includes a 45-minute guided walkthrough in a staged demo project.

Source
Foundation Software: Can it handle certified payroll for multiple states?

Yes, it produces state-specific certified payroll formats as well as the federal WH-347, which is the main reason multi-state contractors buy it.

eSUB: How does eSUB pricing work?

eSUB Cloud pricing depends on user count and modules required; quotes are provided on a customized basis. No implementation fees apply for standard scopes, and no per-job charges are assessed. Updates are included in the subscription.

Source
Foundation Software: Is there a cloud version?

Yes, it is offered hosted as well as on-premise, but the hosted version is the same application delivered remotely rather than a rebuilt browser product.

eSUB: What platforms does eSUB support?

eSUB offers mobile apps for both iOS and Android, as well as a web interface. The platform is designed mobile-first with field-focused functionality.

Source
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