Buildxact Alternatives
Buildxact wins on fast, low-cost takeoff and estimating, Buildertrend on end-to-end build management, Contractor Foreman on the lowest sticker for a broad feature set — but all three run the actual books in QuickBooks or Xero, which is the gap Stairkey closes with native double-entry accounting and HST/GST built in.
Builders look for Buildxact alternatives when they need more than takeoff-and-estimating. Buildxact is estimating-first — fast digital takeoff, material price libraries, and quoting at a published flat per-plan price — but it's lighter on full project management. Buildertrend is the deep, end-to-end build-management suite (sold by quote), and Contractor Foreman is the budget all-in-one. None of the three keep your books: QuickBooks (Buildertrend and Buildxact also Xero) is a separate ledger and login.
This page is written by Stairkey, a competing tool, so we'll be straight about where each genuinely wins. Buildxact's takeoff speed and price are real; Buildertrend's depth is real; Contractor Foreman's breadth-for-the-price is real. Where Stairkey differs is that estimating with measured takeoff, invoicing, projects, AND real double-entry accounting with native HST/GST live in one flat, usage-capped workspace.
At a glance
- Buildxact
- $169/mo (Entry, annual)
- Buildertrend
- Quote-only
- Contractor Foreman
- $49/mo (Basic)
- Stairkey
- $20/mo core, capped at $100
- Buildxact
- Published per-plan tiers
- Buildertrend
- Quote-only, custom
- Contractor Foreman
- Published tiers
- Stairkey
- Published, flat, usage-capped
- Buildxact
- No — syncs to QuickBooks/Xero
- Buildertrend
- No — syncs to QuickBooks/Xero
- Contractor Foreman
- No — QBO sync (Plus tier+)
- Stairkey
- Yes — native double-entry GL
- Buildxact
- Via QuickBooks/Xero
- Buildertrend
- Via QuickBooks/Xero
- Contractor Foreman
- Via QuickBooks
- Stairkey
- Native HST/GST built in
- Buildxact
- Yes — fast digital takeoff
- Buildertrend
- Yes — budgeting/selections
- Contractor Foreman
- Yes — estimates + takeoff
- Stairkey
- Yes — measured takeoff + approvals
- Buildxact
- Yes — supplier price lists
- Buildertrend
- Yes
- Contractor Foreman
- Yes
- Stairkey
- Catalog + line items
- Buildxact
- Lighter — estimating-first
- Buildertrend
- Yes — deep, mature
- Contractor Foreman
- Yes — broad feature set
- Stairkey
- Yes
- Buildxact
- Yes
- Buildertrend
- Yes — strong homeowner portal
- Contractor Foreman
- Yes
- Stairkey
- Yes — phone-first crew portal
- Buildxact
- No
- Buildertrend
- No
- Contractor Foreman
- No
- Stairkey
- Yes — built in
- Buildxact
- No
- Buildertrend
- No
- Contractor Foreman
- No
- Stairkey
- Yes — buying, listing, deal P&L
- Buildxact
- Fast takeoff & quoting
- Buildertrend
- High-volume builders (>$500K vol.)
- Contractor Foreman
- Lowest sticker, broad features
- Stairkey
- Builders wanting one tool, books in
Who each one is for
your bottleneck is takeoff and estimating — you want fast digital takeoff, supplier price libraries, and quick quoting at a published flat price — and you don't need heavy end-to-end project management, running QuickBooks or Xero for the books.
you're an established builder running multiple jobs who wants deep, mature build management — scheduling, daily logs, selections, change orders, a polished homeowner portal — and a quote-based flat license isn't a dealbreaker.
you want the lowest sticker price for a broad all-in-one construction feature set and you'll move to the Plus tier (or higher) to unlock the QuickBooks sync for your books.
you want measured takeoff and estimating, invoicing, projects, AND real double-entry accounting with native HST/GST in one flat, usage-capped tool — without bolting on QuickBooks or Xero — plus AI photo/voice task capture.
Pricing
Prices verified June 18, 2026. Quote-gated vendors change pricing without notice — confirm before you buy.
Per-plan tiers: Entry $169, Pro $279 (2 users), Teams $439 (4 users); annual billing is roughly 15% off monthly. Books run on a separate QuickBooks or Xero subscription.
Custom, volume-based flat license with unlimited users; third-party trackers report most customers pay roughly $8,000–$10,000/year. Books run on QuickBooks or Xero.
Tier ladder: Basic $49, Standard $105, Plus $166, Pro $221, Unlimited $332. The QuickBooks Online sync is gated to the Plus tier and up (QB Desktop only on Unlimited).
Usage is capped at $100/mo so there are no surprise bills; the optional accounting add-on is +$20/mo (=$40/mo) for native double-entry books with HST/GST. First month free, no credit card.
Where the others win
Each rival beats Stairkey in real ways. Buildxact is purpose-built for takeoff and estimating and is genuinely fast at it, with supplier price libraries Stairkey doesn't replicate in depth. Buildertrend has a deeper, more mature end-to-end build-management feature set — selections, warranty tracking, document management — and dedicated onboarding coaches. Contractor Foreman packs remarkable breadth at the lowest sticker price here. Stairkey is the newer, smaller-brand product with a smaller third-party integration marketplace; it has no built-in telephony or automated SMS dispatch, no AI phone agent, no aerial roofing measurement, and it is not a full payroll system (it does contractor tax slips, year-end, and mileage, not payroll). It's strongest in North America, especially on Canadian HST/GST. Its edge isn't the fastest takeoff or the deepest project tooling — it's the integrated workspace with native accounting at a transparent, capped price.
Common questions
What's the best Buildxact alternative for full project management?
If you've outgrown Buildxact's estimating-first focus, Buildertrend is the deep end-to-end option (by quote) and Contractor Foreman is the budget all-in-one. Stairkey covers estimating with measured takeoff plus projects and invoicing — and, unlike all three, keeps your books with native double-entry accounting and HST/GST built in.
Which Buildxact alternative includes accounting?
Among these, only Stairkey keeps its own books — native double-entry accounting with HST/GST as part of the workspace. Buildxact, Buildertrend, and Contractor Foreman all sync to QuickBooks (or Xero), so the ledger is a separate subscription.
Do any of these handle Canadian HST/GST natively?
No. None ships a purpose-built Canadian HST/GST module — they push tax through the connected QuickBooks or Xero account. Stairkey handles HST/GST natively, with year-end packages and Canadian contractor tax-slip workflows built in.