ConstructionOnline vs. Buildertrend: Which Is Better for Your Team?

ConstructionOnline (founded in 1999) and Buildertrend (founded in 2006) have grown to become two of the industry leaders in the construction management software game for more than 20 years.

ConstructionOnline and Buildertrend are both cloud-based project management software platforms built to help construction professionals of all types centralize and streamline construction operations.

Both platforms primarily serve residential homebuilders, remodelers, and GCs, but they additionally offer software features built for commercial GCs, specialty contractors, and multifamily developers.

Although both companies have established themselves as reputable construction management platforms in the industry, there are some key distinctions, pros, and cons to each to consider when you’re deciding which software is the best investment for your business. In this article, we’ll show you a comprehensive comparison of Buildertrend and ConstructionOnline on essential metrics so you can make an informed decision before buying.

ConstructionOnline & Buildertrend by the Numbers/Stats

ConstructionOnline and Buildrtrend rep impressive stats that show how and why they’ve earned their respective long-standing reputations in the construction technology industry.

ConstructionOnline Stats:

• Consistent quality, customer satisfaction, and innovation since 1999
• 1 million users in more than 75 countries
• $85 billion project value managed
• 40+ awards earned in the last decade

Buildertrend Stats:

• Consistent quality and customer satisfaction for since 2006
• 1 million users in more than 100 countries
• 2 million+ projects completed 

Both companies have proven their reputations in the industry are well-deserved, but the core metrics that differentiate ConstructionOnline and Buildertrend are what truly show which platform is right for you.

How ConstructionOnline Compares to Buildertrend on Core Metrics

ConstructionOnline and Buildertrend both offer a software platform specifically built to help different types of construction professionals manage projects more efficiently. But there are some distinct areas where each excel at different aspects of PM management.

General Overview

Here is a general overview of ConstructionOnline and Buildertrend that highlights the key aspects of each platform (to see a complete breakdown of ConstructionOnline and Buildertrend compared to other residential platforms, visit our complete residential competitor comparison here):

Primary User Base/Best Fit for:

Both ConstructionOnline and Buildertrend are best known for serving residential homebuilders and remodelers, but both have expanded outside of the residential market into commercial, specialty, and enterprise construction sectors.

What It Costs:

• ConstructionOnline Pricing: ConstructionOnline offers 5 overarching pricing options: Residential, Commercial, Specialty and Subs, Multifamily, and Enterprise. The tiers under each option include unlimited users and unlimited access for clients and subs for clients and subs with all plans.

Every ConstructionOnline subscription is tailored to match your business, taking into account business type, annual construction volume, team size and scope, project complexity, and the tools needed. ConstructionOnline scales with your business, matching what you need today while leaving room to grow.

• Buildertrend Pricing: Buildertrend offers unlimited users, and unlimited projects with each plan. They create a custom quote based on your builder type (Residential - Homebuilder, Residential - Remodeler, Commercial General Contractor, and Specialty/Trade Contractor) and average annual construction volume.

❇️Did You Know: ConstructionOnline is consistently recognized as the best value for the money by the people actually using it:

"This software gives you the best bang for the buck. There are only a few programs on the market that will do everything that CO does, and only CO integrates everything and makes it easier for the user."

-- (Joshua H, Project Manager)

Key Strengths:

ConstructionOnline is a complete project management system that streamlines and centralizes all aspects of construction projects, earning multiple awards year after year in categories like best construction estimating software, best ease of use for construction scheduling, best customer support, and more. In addition to ConstructionOnline’s long-standing reputation as one of the best project management systems for residential construction, they have incorporated many features and updates over the years tailored for commercial, specialty, and multi-family developers and GCs.

Buildertrend is a complete project management system purpose-built for residential builders, residential remodelers, commercial GCs, and specialty contractors that centralizes all aspects of construction, earning recognition in scheduling and communication tools, and customer support. Many users have given them fairly high ratings in overall customer satisfaction.

Potential Drawbacks:

Buildertrend’s Drawbacks: According to reviews on SoftwareAdvice, the overall sentiment for the budgeting and estimating feature is only 38% positive, 45% neutral, and 17% negative due to the limited estimating capabilities, complexity in budget modules, and restricted flexibility in reporting and cost variance tracking. Many Buildertrend users note an unintuitive interface that has a steep learning curve, suggesting it’s not as user-friendly as other options.

ConstructionOnline Drawbacks: Overall, most customers think the functionality and intuitive interface of the platform make it worth the investment, but due to the depth and robust features, it can also be intimidating to some users at first when compared to a simpler or more single-purpose tool. Because of this, some users wish they had more than 10 days to get acquainted with the features before having to pay.

ConstructionOnline Pros and Cons

Buildertrend Pros and Cons

Summarized Comparison of ConstructionOnline vs. Buildertrend

Quick Comparison of Platform Highlights 

Complete Feature Set Comparison 

ConstructionOnline: A Top Pick by Construction Pros Worldwide

ConstructionOnline is an award-winning construction management software platform that helps all types of builders centralize project management with our integrated tools for residential, commercial, specialty, and multi-family builders.

The ConstructionOnline platform provides construction companies worldwide centralized tools to manage small-to-large scale and complex projects, coordinate teams, track budgets and timelines, and keep all aspects of your jobs running smoothly.

Our complete system for managing projects from planning to closeout is trusted by more than 1 million construction pros worldwide because of our integrated PM features that provide your team with a single source of truth.

Here’s what ConstructionOnline’s software can offer you:

Financials & Job Costing

Build profits, streamline costs, and maximize margins with ConstructionOnline’s financials and job costing tools:

• Estimating
• Budget tracking and job costing
• Takeoff
• Contracts and proposals
• Client selections
• Bid tracking
• Pay apps
• Purchasing and bills
• Invoicing and payments
• QuickBooks Integration
• Costbooks
• Financial reporting

Project Management Software

Connect your team and subs, avoid delays, and stay on target with ConstructionOnline’s PM tools:

• RFI tracking
• Project scheduling
• Construction calendars
• To do lists
• Time tracking
• Punch lists
• Messaging and chat
• Files & photos
  
• Client and sub portals
• Mobile app

Project Documentation Tools

Protect your profits and reduce risks with ConstructionOnline’s documentation tools:

• Daily logging
• Change orders
• Insurance and certificates
• Permit tracking
• Warranties
• Punch lists
• Contracts
• Checklists
• Signatures
• Client and sub messaging

Business Intelligence Tools

AVAILABLE WITH HIGHER TIERS

Turn project data into better decisions with ConstructionOnline’s business intelligence tools:

• TrueVision^™ Business Intelligence
• Multi-project scheduling
• Project scorecard
• Sales dashboard
• Financial dashboards
• Work-in-progress reporting
• TrueVision^™ ResourceTrak
• TrueVision^™ Project Health

In addition to our expansive feature list, hundreds of ConstructionOnline customers who made the switch from Buildertrend have expressed the vast improvements they've seen in ROI and productivity:

“Before using this application, we had a hard time keeping track of where we were in a project financially. Having such a transparent tool for change orders and selections has eliminated lost costs which we regularly had from changes getting lost.”

- Kelly L, Office Manager; Former CoConstruct and Buildertrend user

“We have demoed and used multiple softwares but CO has been the best fit for our processes and team. The value it adds way exceeds the costs of it.”

- Dillon B, Project Manager; Former user of Buildertrend and Procore

“When I decided to go to an online platform, I tried several - Contractor Foreman, JobTread, BuilderTrend - none of them had the user-friendly tools for estimating & budget tracking that ConstructionOnline does.”

- Jason, Project Manager, Residential Construction; Former user of Contractor Foreman, JobTread, and BuilderTrend

"Organization, flexibility, ease in creating catalogues, ease in entering estimates. BuilderTrend 'upgraded' their software and it became user UN-friendly, non-customizable, and impossible to work with."

- Heather W, Manager; Former Buildertrend user

"Lost without it! I have been using this software since 2015 and have been extremely satisfied. I use it on a daily basis and it helps me stay organized. Buildertrend had user-friendly scheduling, but it was too expensive to justify having both."

- Hector P, Owner; Former Buildertrend user

Want to see how ConstructionOnline can centralize project management for jobs of any size and nature, increase your profit margins, and help your team perform at peak efficiency? Click the button below to schedule a demo with one of our product specialists:

Read our other competitor comparison posts below:

• COL vs. Buildertrend
• 4 CoConstruct Alternatives for Residential Builders & Remodelers in 2026
• Why ConstructionOnline Is the Straightforward CoConstruct Alternative