Softwr

Construction · head to head

Foundation Software vs PlanGrid

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
PlanGrid logo

PlanGrid

Construction

Construction productivity software for the field

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; PlanGrid autodesk states PlanGrid is no longer available for purchase by net-new customers, with new buyers directed to Forma Build
  • They diverge on capability: Foundation Software covers Job costing, PlanGrid covers Blueprint management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Foundation Software and PlanGrid differ
AttributeFoundation SoftwarePlanGrid
Starting priceOn request$39/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown1982

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 Foundation Software

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

Only in PlanGrid

  • Blueprint management
  • Issue tracking
  • Photo documentation
  • Punch lists
  • RFI management
  • Autodesk BIM 360
  • Procore
  • Box

What people use each for

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

Foundation Software

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

PlanGrid

  • Giving field crews real-time access to construction plans, issues and photosnot Foundation Software
  • Capturing site forms and photos from a tablet on a job sitenot Foundation Software
  • Managing organization licences for a construction document appnot Foundation Software

Where each one falls short

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

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.

PlanGrid

  • Autodesk states PlanGrid is no longer available for purchase by net-new customers, with new buyers directed to Forma Build
  • PlanGrid access is now sold only through Forma Build, so pricing is set by the Forma Build subscription rather than PlanGrid itself
  • Mobile users must access PlanGrid projects through the Autodesk Forma mobile app rather than a standalone PlanGrid app
  • The PlanGrid desktop app requires Windows 10 or higher
  • The Admin Console for managing users and licences is a separate site restricted to designated organization admins

Pricing, plan by plan

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

PlanGrid

$39/month
  • Build$39/month
    • Sheet management
    • Issue tracking
    • RFIs
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced analytics
    • Custom integrations
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Foundation Software if

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

Choose PlanGrid if

  • You need blueprint management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want issue tracking.
PlanGrid review

Questions people ask

Is Foundation Software or PlanGrid better?
Neither clearly leads. Foundation Software starts at On request and PlanGrid at $39/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Foundation Software or PlanGrid?
Foundation Software starts at On request and PlanGrid at $39/month.
Does Foundation Software or PlanGrid run on more platforms?
Foundation Software runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. PlanGrid runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Foundation Software best used for?
Foundation Software is most often used for a union electrical or mechanical contractor whose payroll spans several trades and fringe schedules in the same week, a general contractor bidding federally funded work that requires weekly certified payroll filings, a contractor whose quickbooks file has outgrown job costing and who is reconciling work in progress in spreadsheets, a firm with owned plant that needs equipment hours costed back to jobs to see true contract margin. Of those, a union electrical or mechanical contractor whose payroll spans several trades and fringe schedules in the same week and a general contractor bidding federally funded work that requires weekly certified payroll filings are not what PlanGrid is typically brought in for.
What can Foundation Software do that PlanGrid cannot?
Foundation Software covers Job costing, Certified payroll, Union payroll, AIA billing. PlanGrid covers Blueprint management, Issue tracking, Photo documentation, Punch lists.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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.

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.

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.

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