Softwr

Construction · head to head

Buildots vs Trimble Pay

Buildots logo

Buildots

Construction

Hard hat mounted 360 cameras and computer vision that score build progress against the BIM model

From
On request
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: Buildots tracking depends on a BIM model maintained at construction level of detail; on a job where the model is stale or was never built for coordination, the comparison degrades and much of the value disappears.; 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: Buildots covers Hard hat 360 capture, 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 Buildots and Trimble Pay actually diverge.

Attributes where Buildots and Trimble Pay differ
AttributeBuildotsTrimble Pay

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Buildots

  • Hard hat 360 capture
  • Model to as-built comparison
  • Per activity progress scoring
  • Programme deviation alerts
  • Delay forecasting
  • Visual evidence trail
  • Subcontractor performance reporting

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.

Buildots

  • A residential tower where the same fit-out sequence repeats on forty floors and the contractor wants an objective read on cycle timenot Trimble Pay
  • A hospital or data centre fit-out where MEP first fix progress is disputed between the main contractor and trades every monthnot Trimble Pay
  • A developer that wants independent progress evidence before certifying an interim payment applicationnot Trimble Pay
  • A contractor building a production rate history across projects so future programmes are based on measured output rather than assumptionnot Trimble Pay

Trimble Pay

  • A general contractor whose accounts payable team rejects a third of subcontractor billings each month for arithmetic or form errorsnot Buildots
  • A contractor working across several states that needs the right statutory waiver language selected automatically rather than from a shared template foldernot Buildots
  • 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 Buildots
  • 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 Buildots

Where each one falls short

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

Buildots

  • Tracking depends on a BIM model maintained at construction level of detail; on a job where the model is stale or was never built for coordination, the comparison degrades and much of the value disappears.
  • The data only arrives if someone walks the site every week with the camera, so coverage decays quietly when the site team is under pressure, exactly when the reporting is most needed.
  • Pricing is per project rather than per seat and includes hardware, so a contractor cannot roll it out cheaply across a portfolio of small jobs and it is uneconomic below a certain project value.
  • It reads interior fit-out and repetitive vertical work far better than structure, groundworks or external envelope, so a large fraction of a project's programme is outside what it can score.
  • Making progress objective creates commercial friction with subcontractors whose valuations have historically been negotiated, and contractors who deploy it without addressing that in the subcontract get pushback rather than adoption.

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

Buildots

On request
  • Buildots$undefined/year
    • Priced per project by size and duration
    • Camera hardware included in the engagement
    • Model onboarding and setup quoted separately

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 Buildots if

  • You need hard hat 360 capture.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want model to as-built comparison.
Buildots 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 Buildots or Trimble Pay better?
Neither clearly leads. Buildots starts at On request and Trimble Pay at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buildots or Trimble Pay?
Buildots starts at On request and Trimble Pay at On request.
Does Buildots or Trimble Pay run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Buildots best used for?
Buildots is most often used for a residential tower where the same fit-out sequence repeats on forty floors and the contractor wants an objective read on cycle time, a hospital or data centre fit-out where mep first fix progress is disputed between the main contractor and trades every month, a developer that wants independent progress evidence before certifying an interim payment application, a contractor building a production rate history across projects so future programmes are based on measured output rather than assumption. Of those, a residential tower where the same fit-out sequence repeats on forty floors and the contractor wants an objective read on cycle time and a hospital or data centre fit-out where mep first fix progress is disputed between the main contractor and trades every month are not what Trimble Pay is typically brought in for.
What can Buildots do that Trimble Pay cannot?
Buildots covers Hard hat 360 capture, Model to as-built comparison, Per activity progress scoring, Programme deviation alerts. Trimble Pay covers Automated pay applications, State-specific lien waivers, Waiver release on payment, Compliance tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Buildots: What does Buildots cost?

It is quoted per project based on size, duration and scope, with camera hardware included. Nothing is published.

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.

Buildots: Do I need a BIM model?

Yes. The system scores progress by comparing captured conditions against model objects, so the model quality sets the ceiling on accuracy.

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.

Buildots: What kind of projects suit it?

Repetitive vertical work with heavy interior fit-out. Civil, groundworks and external envelope are poorly covered.

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.

Buildots: Who does the site walks?

Your own site team, typically once or twice a week. There is no Buildots operator on site.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Buildots

More on Trimble Pay

Keep looking

Other head to heads