Buildertrend vs PlanHub

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Our analysts compared Buildertrend vs PlanHub based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Construction Bidding Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Buildertrend is a construction ERP that streamlines business practices and assists builders, contractors and clients. Leverage bid requests, email marketing and leads in one centralized pre-sales process module. Initiates budgets, invoices, lien waivers and time clocks. Maintain various activities in daily logs, to-do lists, schedules and messages. It’s also available as a mobile app for iOS and Android devices.

Master project management, client relationship management, financial management, estimates and change orders are some notable features.
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PlanHub is a cloud-based software that helps suppliers, subcontractors and general contractors streamline their bidding process. It lets general contractors send invitations to over 25,000 suppliers, commercial contractors and preferred subcontractors. It allows contractors to add unlimited members to the dashboard, post unlimited projects, track progress and activity status and view contractor databases by expertise and locale. It also provides unlimited space to store projects and an instant messaging service.

Subcontractors can filter, sort and search projects by requirements, receive information about upcoming projects, bid on unlimited projects, meet other contractors and more. Suppliers can upload estimates, view material takeoffs and search for projects. It also integrates with Stack, Raken, Databid and eSUB to provide bidding services.
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$99 Monthly
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$1,199 Annually
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Android
Chromebook
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Mac
Linux
Android
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Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
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Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
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24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Establish Effective Communications: Deliver notifications with project updates to teams, subcontractors and clients with daily logs, so everyone is on the same page consistently. Users may also record weather changes automatically and make notes with voice-to-text technology to ensure their teams always work in good weather and are prepared for surprises. 
  • Organize Documents and Photos: Leverage infinite file sharing, reducing unnecessary treks to the office. Teams can access files from mobile devices at any location to review plans, budgets and other necessary paperwork at the worksite swiftly. Users may also share videos, photos and documents with several other users and arrange them in folders for easy navigation. 
  • Efficient Invoice Changes: Produce line-item bills and invoices from estimates, change orders or customer selection sheets by integrating with QuickBooks or Xero, which keeps bookkeeping tasks in one centralized hub. Users may also accept online payments and establish payment reminders, so they receive their transactions on time. 
  • Simple Time Tracking: Manage time for office workers and field teams with a time clock that enables employees to clock in and out from the mobile app so users will always know how many hours each employee accrues at any given time. It can track who's clocked in or out during a specific period, generate payroll reports and exhibit a crew worker's exact location on a virtual map. 
  • Client Collaboration: Enable customers to track projects' progress with unique customer logins for effective contractor/client collaboration. Users can also upload photos and send messages about project updates. 
  • Allocate Surveys: Deliver online surveys to clients automatically after finishing projects to leave reviews. Users may also review and post positive responses to reviews via their websites to establish and maintain positive customer relationships. 
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  • Streamline Workflows: Add unlimited members to the dashboard to track project and bid statuses. Scan digital blueprints to view trade-specific details using OCR reader technology. Search projects by construction and project types and locations for quick access. 
  • Win Bids: Simplify bidding operations by using the bid navigator. Evaluate bids by types, locations and coverages. Attach relevant project files to bids to help subcontractors understand plans and drawings in detail. 
  • Build Meaningful Relationships: Subcontractors can connect with contractors and suppliers via instant messaging functionality. 
  • Gain Competitive Edge: Generate reports to view who received ITBs, accessed and downloaded documents and submitted bids to prioritize bidding efforts and produce professional proposals. 
  • Boost Productivity: Access project posting, forecasting and networking modules to streamline work processes and spend more time on important projects. 
  • Deploy in the Cloud: Store documents in a centralized database to keep everyone on the same page and promote transparency. 
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  • Selections: Approve product pricing, keep patrons in the loop about running totals, receive electronic client signatures and access selection decisions and their associated product warranties in a centralized location. 
  • Communication: Manage messages, comments, emails and task-specific data in one place automatically. This module also offers push notifications on mobile devices and utilizes current email accounts. 
  • Bid Requests: Develop, compare, distribute and save bids in one hub. Users may define deadlines and receive reminders, accept offers and incorporate them in contracts. 
  • Estimates and Proposals: Construct estimates, allocate personalized proposals and close sales. Users may work with pre-set templates, obtain digital signatures and import information into Excel and other solutions. 
  • To-Dos: Create and designate responsibilities to teams and subcontractors and send reminders to patrons. Users can add items to lists with voice-to-text capabilities, attach documents and photos and send prompt alerts. 
  • Work-In-Progress (WIP) Reports: Produce WIP reports for maintaining projects in real time; obtain data for total billings, profit margins and costs to complete specific or all jobs; and receive current views of over or under billing for clients. 
  • Payment Processing: Obtain check or credit card payments online, modify invoices through QuickBooks and Xero when a payment is received automatically and acquire safe and secure processing. 
  • Budget: Track labor costs, billing, purchase orders and change orders in real time. Make adjustments as necessary, compare proposed to actual expenditures and work with multiple software integrations. 
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  • Bid Management: Filter project files by trades and service areas to access bids. View and track bids via centralized dashboards. Receive bids from a pre-approved network of subcontractors using private project functionality. Find, evaluate and compare bids to make strategic decisions. 
  • Instant Messaging: Check activity status of subcontractors and vendors to communicate important information immediately. 
  • RFI Center: Respond privately or publicly to subcontractors’ queries. Change notification settings to receive RFI alerts through email. 
  • Bid Navigator: Streamline bidding processes to help save time. 
    • PDF Bluetooth Scanner: Search for trade-specific keywords in documents to determine project relevancy for bidding. 
    • Customized Notifications: Save keywords relevant to business requirements to receive alerts about recently posted project plans via email. 
    • Calendar: Track bid deadlines and project invites by integrating the bid calendar with existing calendar systems. 
    • Analytics: View detailed reports of subcontractors who received bid invitations, viewed and downloaded project files and submitted bids. 
  • Subcontractor Database: Select subcontractors from existing databases to help streamline bidding processes. 
  • File Sharing: Store, organize and share project files among workers. 
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Product Ranking

#2

among all
Construction Bidding Software

#7

among all
Construction Bidding Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

71
59
82
25
75
59
79
71
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General Contractor Functionalities
General Contractor Functionalities
Planroom & Document Management

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Buildertrend
PlanHub
+ Add Product + Add Product
Analytics & Reporting Bid Invitation & Closing Management Bid Request Management General Contractor Functionalities Planroom & Document Management Subcontractor Functionalities Subcontractor Prequalification 82 75 79 100 83 54 26 25 59 71 100 100 78 46 0 25 50 75 100
83%
0%
17%
25%
0%
75%
73%
0%
27%
59%
0%
41%
82%
0%
18%
75%
0%
25%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
86%
0%
14%
100%
0%
0%
56%
0%
44%
78%
0%
22%
25%
0%
75%
50%
0%
50%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

64%
0%
36%
29%
0%
71%

Analyst Ratings for Vendor Qualification Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
100%

User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 1577 reviews
Great User Sentiment 422 reviews
90%
of users recommend this product

Buildertrend has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 90% when considering 1577 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

85%
of users recommend this product

PlanHub has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 85% when considering 422 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

4.1 (14)
n/a
4.0 (38)
4.0 (1)
n/a
4.19 (229)
4.5 (1517)
4.3 (192)
4.5 (8)
n/a

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Buildertrend and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Analytics & Reporting and General Contractor Functionalities. Buildertrend stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Analytics & Reporting Award
General Contractor Functionalities Award

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated PlanHub and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for General Contractor Functionalities.

General Contractor Functionalities Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Comprehensive Tool: The system comes loaded with rich functionalities that simplify production and streamline workflows, as mentioned by all users who referred to functionality.
User Friendly: Offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to manage and navigate, as noted by all reviewers who mentioned ease of use.
Support: More than 92% of reviewers referring to customer support noted that included professional services were helpful and responsive, taking time to walk them through an issue.
Track: All users who specified tracking liked that it helps teams and managers keep track of progress, logs, expenses, payrolls, bid requests, receipts and more.
Communication: All reviewers liked that it simplifies the process of communication and keeping teams up to date.
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User-Friendly About 81% of users who mentioned this pro said the platform’s UI is intuitive.
Bid Management: The solution’s bid listing, inviting and tracking features simplify bidding processes, according to 70% of users.
Subcontractor Functionalities: According to 80% of users who reviewed this pro, it’s easy to contact subs via subcontractor databases.
Project Posting: Regarding this feature, approximately 80% of users said that publishing projects out to bid isn’t a daunting task.
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Learning Curve: All reviewers who mentioned the learning curve said it took time to get used to the tools during initial setup due to the many options available.
Quickbooks Integration: Around 60% of users noted that integration with Quickbooks took some time and effort.
Customization: It could provide more flexibility in customization, as observed by 83% of reviewers who referred to customization.
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Document Management: Sometimes project files are labeled incorrectly, according to 75% of users.
Scope of Work: According to 90% of users who reviewed this con, the platform doesn’t categorize items according to cost codes or CSI divisions.
Communication: About 73% of users who mentioned this con said the product doesn’t offer a robust messaging system.
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Buildertrend has an intuitive interface that is easy to use and navigate. It requires some time to get used to its tools because of the rich features available. Users can make proposals for bids, schedule, send invoices, collect payments, conduct surveys and more. It offers a portal where employees can conveniently view their running hours and corresponding pay. It streamlines coordination with clients, including sharing daily updates on the progress of building completion. It helps teams maintain better communication and keep track of progress. Some reviewers have noted that integration with Quickbooks requires a significant time investment. A few users wished for more customization options. Customer representatives respond quickly and provide answers that will effectively solve problems.

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PlanHub is a cloud-based software that helps subcontractors, suppliers and contractors streamline bidding operations and win jobs. Several users noted, the product provides a user-friendly interface that helps reduce administrative burdens and save time. Many users were satisfied with the product’s subcontractor management functionalities, However, many observed, communicating with subcontractors can be challenging. Overall, the software’s a good fit for companies looking for basic bidding and lead-generating functionalities.

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Screenshots

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