Stairkey vs Buildertrend
These two mostly serve different businesses. Buildertrend is the deep, quote-only suite high-volume custom builders and large remodelers grow into. Stairkey is the small-crew tool with published capped pricing and the accounting built in. If you're doing serious custom-build volume, Buildertrend earns its price; if you're a small GC balking at that quote, Stairkey is the honest alternative.
Buildertrend is the established leader in residential construction management — deep scheduling, selections, budgeting, a strong homeowner portal, and a real onboarding organization. It's sold by sales quote (reported roughly $339–$1,099/mo across tiers, often $8k–$10k+ per year all-in) and, like nearly every tool in the category, it leaves the ledger to QuickBooks or Xero. Stairkey sits at the other end: published $20/mo capped pricing, a leaner feature set aimed at small crews, and native double-entry accounting.
Bias declared: this page is written by the Stairkey team. Buildertrend's price figures below are reported ranges — it publishes no prices — and the concession section is blunt about the size of the gap in depth and ecosystem between an established suite and a newer all-in-one.
At a glance
| Buildertrend | Stairkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Quote-only — reportedly ~$339+/mo | $20/mo, capped at $100 |
| Pricing transparency | Sales quote; known to rise at renewal | Published, flat, usage-capped |
| Built-in accounting | No — syncs to QuickBooks/Xero | Yes — native double-entry GL (+$20/mo add-on) |
| Sales tax (HST/GST) | Via QuickBooks/Xero | Native HST/GST, year-end package |
| Project management | Deep — scheduling, selections, budgeting | Yes — projects, Gantt, budgets |
| Estimating & takeoff | Yes — robust | Yes — measured takeoff + approvals |
| Client portal | Yes — strong homeowner portal | Yes |
| Crew portal | Yes | Yes — phone-first, offline cache |
| AI capture (photo/voice → tasks) | No | Yes |
| Real estate / deal module | No | Yes — buying, listing, deal P&L |
| Best for | High-volume custom builders & large remodelers | Small GCs and crews wanting one tool, books included |
Who each one is for
you're a custom-home builder or large remodeler running enough volume that its depth — selections, budgeting, homeowner communication, dedicated onboarding — pays for itself, and a four-figure monthly software line doesn't decide the question.
you're a small GC or crew for whom a Buildertrend quote is a non-starter, and you'd rather have estimating, takeoff, scheduling, portals, and real double-entry books with HST/GST in one tool at $20–$40/mo, capped.
Pricing
Prices verified July 2, 2026. Quote-gated vendors change pricing without notice — confirm before you buy.
No published pricing; reported roughly $339–$1,099/mo across tiers (commonly $499/$799/$1,099), often $8k–$10k+ per year all-in — plus QuickBooks or Xero for the books.
Accounting add-on +$20/mo (=$40/mo); usage capped at $100/mo. First month free, no credit card.
Where the others win
Buildertrend is simply a deeper product for its market. Its selections and allowances workflow, homeowner portal, budgeting, and vendor/sub management have a decade-plus of refinement Stairkey doesn't pretend to match; its onboarding and support organization is real; and its ecosystem of integrations, templates, and trained consultants is something a newer tool can't conjure. For a builder doing $2M+ in custom work, the quote is usually defensible. Stairkey's limits are equally real: we're newer and smaller, our project depth targets small crews rather than 30-home pipelines, we have no dedicated selections/allowances module, no payroll, and our integration marketplace is small. If you're an established custom builder, Buildertrend is probably the right call — our lane is the small contractor it prices out.
Common questions
Why doesn't Buildertrend publish pricing?
It sells by sales quote, sized to your business — which also means the price can differ between similar companies and reportedly rises at renewal. The ranges cited here (~$339–$1,099/mo) are widely reported figures, not published tiers; confirm your own quote. Stairkey publishes flat capped pricing precisely because that opacity is the most common complaint we hear.
Is Stairkey a realistic Buildertrend replacement?
For a large custom builder — honestly, usually not; the depth gap is real. For a small GC or remodeler using a fraction of Buildertrend's modules while paying full freight, yes: estimates, takeoff, scheduling, portals, and the books cover the core loop at roughly 1/10th the reported cost.
Do either handle accounting without QuickBooks?
Buildertrend doesn't — it's built to sync with QuickBooks or Xero. Stairkey has native double-entry accounting (+$20/mo) with HST/GST, bank reconciliation, and year-end reports, so the small shops it targets can run without a separate accounting subscription.