Softwr

Construction · head to head

PlanGrid vs Trimble Pay

PlanGrid logo

PlanGrid

Construction

Construction productivity software for the field

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trimble Pay logo

Trimble Pay

Construction

Subcontractor billing and lien waiver automation, formerly sold as Flashtract

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PlanGrid autodesk states PlanGrid is no longer available for purchase by net-new customers, with new buyers directed to Forma Build; Trimble Pay the Flashtract name is being retired in favour of Trimble Pay, so existing documentation, comparison articles and integration listings are split across two names and buyers should confirm which contract entity and which support channel applies
  • They diverge on capability: PlanGrid covers Blueprint management, Trimble Pay covers Automated pay applications.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PlanGrid and Trimble Pay actually diverge.

Attributes where PlanGrid and Trimble Pay differ
AttributePlanGridTrimble Pay
Starting price$39/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Founded1982Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 PlanGrid

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

Only in Trimble Pay

  • Automated pay applications
  • State-specific lien waivers
  • Waiver release on payment
  • Compliance tracking
  • Lower-tier tracking
  • Payments
  • ERP posting

What people use each for

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

PlanGrid

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

Trimble Pay

  • A general contractor whose accounts payable team rejects a third of subcontractor billings each month for arithmetic or form errorsnot PlanGrid
  • A contractor working across several states that needs the right statutory waiver language selected automatically rather than from a shared template foldernot PlanGrid
  • A company that has been quoted Oracle Textura and wants to compare the total cost when the fee falls on the contractor rather than on the tradesnot PlanGrid
  • A contractor that needs the unconditional waiver to be released only after funds clear, so it is not holding a waiver that a court would treat as ineffectivenot PlanGrid

Where each one falls short

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

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

Trimble Pay

  • The Flashtract name is being retired in favour of Trimble Pay, so existing documentation, comparison articles and integration listings are split across two names and buyers should confirm which contract entity and which support channel applies
  • Pricing is not published, and because it is bought by the general contractor rather than charged to subcontractors, the whole cost lands in one budget line rather than being distributed across the supply chain
  • It is billing and compliance only, so a contractor still needs a project management system for drawings and RFIs and a construction ERP for the general ledger, and the value depends heavily on the quality of those two integrations
  • Lien waiver correctness is a legal question, and the system generates forms rather than giving advice, so a contractor operating in an unusual jurisdiction still needs counsel to confirm the templates match current statute
  • Under Trimble the product now sits alongside other Trimble construction financial assets, and buyers signing multi-year terms should ask directly how it is positioned against Viewpoint and the rest of the Trimble construction portfolio

Pricing, plan by plan

PlanGrid

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

Trimble Pay

On request
  • Trimble Pay$undefined/year
    • Bought by the general contractor, typically priced by project volume or contract value under management
    • Subcontractors are not charged a per-project usage fee
    • ERP integration and onboarding scoped separately

Which should you pick?

Choose PlanGrid if

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

Choose Trimble Pay if

  • You need automated pay applications.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want state-specific lien waivers.
Trimble Pay review

Questions people ask

Is PlanGrid or Trimble Pay better?
Neither clearly leads. PlanGrid starts at $39/month and Trimble Pay at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PlanGrid or Trimble Pay?
PlanGrid starts at $39/month and Trimble Pay at On request.
Does PlanGrid or Trimble Pay run on more platforms?
PlanGrid runs on Web, Ios, Android. Trimble Pay runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is PlanGrid best used for?
PlanGrid is most often used for giving field crews real-time access to construction plans, issues and photos, capturing site forms and photos from a tablet on a job site, managing organization licences for a construction document app. Of those, giving field crews real-time access to construction plans, issues and photos and capturing site forms and photos from a tablet on a job site are not what Trimble Pay is typically brought in for.
What can PlanGrid do that Trimble Pay cannot?
PlanGrid covers Blueprint management, Issue tracking, Photo documentation, Punch lists. Trimble Pay covers Automated pay applications, State-specific lien waivers, Waiver release on payment, Compliance tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Trimble Pay: Is Flashtract still sold under that name?

No. Trimble acquired Flashtract and now sells it as Trimble Pay. The flashtract.com content redirects into the Trimble product pages.

Trimble Pay: Do subcontractors pay to use it?

No. The general contractor buys it. This is the main commercial difference from Oracle Textura, where subcontractors are billed a percentage of their contract value per project.

Trimble Pay: Does it replace my accounting system?

No. It generates and approves the billing and the waivers, then posts to your construction ERP. You still need the ledger.

Trimble Pay: Does it handle lower-tier subcontractors?

Yes, it tracks sub-tier amounts and sworn statements against the prime commitment, which is the usual source of surprise lien exposure.

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