Contractor Software With Built-In Accounting
Knowify and Contractor Foreman win on construction depth and integrations but route the actual books to QuickBooks, and QuickBooks itself is the strongest general ledger yet isn't construction-specific — Stairkey fits the small contractor who wants the job tools and real double-entry accounting with HST in one tool, without running two subscriptions.
Most tools marketed as "contractor software with accounting" don't actually keep the books — they sync to QuickBooks. Knowify and Contractor Foreman both do their own estimating, invoicing, and job costing, but the general ledger, the trial balance, and the tax records live in a separate QuickBooks subscription you pay for and maintain. QuickBooks, for its part, is the real native double-entry system everything syncs into, but it isn't construction-specific: no takeoffs, no scheduling, no field portal. So "with accounting" usually means "connects to the accounting," not "is the accounting."
This page is written by Stairkey, a competing tool — so we'll be straight about where each of these genuinely wins. The distinction that matters here is narrow but real: Knowify and Contractor Foreman are excellent construction front-ends that delegate the books; QuickBooks is the book of record without the construction layer; and Stairkey is the small-contractor option that puts native double-entry accounting and the job tools in one workspace. Which is right depends entirely on how big you are and how much you want to run.
At a glance
- Knowify
- $99/mo billed annually, $149/mo monthly (Core, 1 user)
- QuickBooks
- $38/mo (Simple Start)
- Contractor Foreman
- $49/mo monthly, ~$49/mo billed annually (Basic)
- Stairkey
- $20/mo, capped
- Knowify
- Published tiers + per-user
- QuickBooks
- Published tiers; raised ~12-20% in 2025
- Contractor Foreman
- Published tiers, user-capped
- Stairkey
- Published, flat, usage-capped
- Knowify
- No — syncs to QuickBooks
- QuickBooks
- Yes — native double-entry GL
- Contractor Foreman
- No — syncs to QuickBooks
- Stairkey
- Yes — native double-entry GL
- Knowify
- Deferred to QuickBooks
- QuickBooks
- Native; CRA GST/HST filing
- Contractor Foreman
- App-side rates; remit via QuickBooks
- Stairkey
- Native HST/GST built in
- Knowify
- Yes — job costing, AIA billing
- QuickBooks
- No
- Contractor Foreman
- Yes — estimates, AIA G702/G703
- Stairkey
- Yes — measured takeoff
- Knowify
- Yes — budgets, daily logs
- QuickBooks
- No
- Contractor Foreman
- Yes — scheduling, time, logs
- Stairkey
- Yes
- Knowify
- Yes (Advanced tier)
- QuickBooks
- No
- Contractor Foreman
- Yes (higher tiers)
- Stairkey
- Yes
- Knowify
- Field tools, daily logs
- QuickBooks
- No
- Contractor Foreman
- Time cards w/ GPS
- Stairkey
- Yes — phone-first, offline
- Knowify
- No
- QuickBooks
- No
- Contractor Foreman
- No
- Stairkey
- Yes
- Knowify
- No
- QuickBooks
- No
- Contractor Foreman
- No
- Stairkey
- Yes
- Knowify
- Trade subs already on QuickBooks
- QuickBooks
- The book of record everyone syncs into
- Contractor Foreman
- Value buyers wanting many modules
- Stairkey
- Small contractors wanting one tool, books included
Who each one is for
you're a trade or specialty subcontractor who already runs QuickBooks Online and needs strong real-time two-way sync, deep job costing, and AIA / progress billing on top — and the $99/mo entry plus a separate QuickBooks subscription fits your budget.
you primarily need the accounting itself — a true native general ledger, bank reconciliation, and CRA-ready GST/HST filing — and you're comfortable pairing it with a separate construction tool (it's the back-end Knowify and Contractor Foreman sync into).
you want the most construction modules for the lowest sticker price ($49/mo with a price-lock), you value breadth over an integrated ledger, and you're fine running QuickBooks alongside it for the actual books.
you're a smaller contractor (or contractor-realtor) who wants estimating, projects, invoicing, and real double-entry accounting with native HST/GST in one flat-priced tool — without bolting on and reconciling QuickBooks — plus AI photo/voice capture and a built-in real estate deal module.
Pricing
Prices verified June 18, 2026. Quote-gated vendors change pricing without notice — confirm before you buy.
Core $99/mo annual ($149/mo monthly, 1 user) to Advanced $329/mo annual ($399/mo monthly, 10 users), +$29/mo per extra user; Enterprise quote-only. The actual books require a separate QuickBooks subscription.
Solopreneur Lite $20/mo through Advanced $275/mo (25 users); prices rose ~12-20% in 2025. Native accounting, but not construction-specific — usually paired with a separate PM tool.
Published tiers (Basic through Unlimited), ~10% cheaper billed annually, with a price-lock for new customers. Accounting lives in a separate QuickBooks subscription.
Optional +$20/mo accounting add-on (=$40/mo) adds extra usage allowance and the native double-entry books. First month free, no credit card.
Where the others win
QuickBooks is the most complete accounting system here, full stop — a mature native ledger, the deepest CRA GST/HST/PST filing support, and an ecosystem of integrations and accountant familiarity that a younger product can't match; if pure accounting depth is the priority, it wins. Knowify's two-way QuickBooks sync and trade-focused job costing and AIA billing are more battle-tested for commercial subs than anything Stairkey ships, and Contractor Foreman simply offers more standalone construction modules at a lower entry price. Stairkey's honest limitations: it's a newer product with a smaller brand and a much smaller third-party integration marketplace than QuickBooks or these incumbents; it ships fewer modules than Contractor Foreman; it has no built-in telephony, automated SMS dispatch, or AI phone agent, and no aerial roofing measurement; and while it handles contractor tax slips, year-end packages, and mileage, it is not a full payroll system. Its edge is the integrated workspace with native double-entry books and HST built in, at a transparent capped price — not the longest feature list.
Common questions
Does "contractor software with accounting" actually keep the books, or just sync to QuickBooks?
Usually it syncs. Knowify and Contractor Foreman do their own invoicing, estimating, and job costing, but the general ledger and tax records live in a separate QuickBooks subscription. QuickBooks is the native double-entry system everything syncs into. Stairkey is the exception here — it keeps a real double-entry ledger, trial balance, and bank reconciliation in the same tool as the job records.
Can I run a construction business without QuickBooks?
You can, if your tool has its own books. Knowify and Contractor Foreman effectively require QuickBooks for real accounting. QuickBooks on its own lacks takeoffs, scheduling, and field tools. Stairkey's optional +$20/mo accounting add-on gives you native double-entry books with HST/GST inside the workspace, so a smaller contractor can run estimating, projects, invoicing, and the ledger in one place without a second subscription.
Which is cheapest for a one-person contractor who needs the books too?
Compare total cost, not just sticker price. Knowify starts at $99/mo and Contractor Foreman at $49/mo, but both add a separate QuickBooks subscription (from $20–$38/mo) for actual accounting. Stairkey is $20/mo core, or $40/mo with the accounting add-on that includes the native books — and the first month is free with no card. For a solo operator wanting one bill, that's typically the lower all-in cost.