Buildertrend
Buildertrend is a construction management software that coordinates your entire building process by combining project scheduling, financial tracking, customer communication, and document management into one centralized digital platform.
Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a flexible work management platform that combines the familiar interface of a spreadsheet with powerful project management features to help you automate workflows and track complex projects.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Buildertrend | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Website | buildertrend.com | smartsheet.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Freemium |
| Starting Price | $499/month | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✓ 30 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2006 | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Omaha, USA | Bellevue, USA |
Overview
Buildertrend
Buildertrend is a comprehensive construction management platform designed to help you run your building business more efficiently from the initial bid to the final warranty. You can move away from scattered spreadsheets and paper trails by centralizing your schedules, daily logs, and change orders in one place. It bridges the gap between the field and the office, ensuring your entire team stays synchronized on project timelines and budget updates in real-time.
You can manage your financial health with built-in tools for estimating, invoicing, and online payments while keeping your clients happy through a dedicated portal. The software is specifically built for home builders, remodelers, and specialty contractors who need to scale their operations without losing control of project details. By using the mobile app, you can capture photos and update logs directly from the job site, keeping everyone informed instantly.
Smartsheet
Smartsheet gives you a dynamic workspace where you can manage projects, automate workflows, and build new solutions without writing code. You can switch between grid, card, Gantt, and calendar views to visualize your work exactly how you want. It bridges the gap between simple spreadsheets and complex project tools, allowing you to track individual tasks or manage massive enterprise portfolios in one centralized location.
You can eliminate manual data entry by setting up automated alerts, status updates, and approval requests. The platform scales with your needs, whether you are a small team organizing a launch or a large corporation managing global operations. It helps you increase transparency across your organization by sharing real-time dashboards and reports with stakeholders, ensuring everyone stays aligned on key goals and deadlines.
Overview
Buildertrend Features
- Daily Logs Record progress and share weather updates or site photos from the field so your team stays informed every day.
- Project Scheduling Map out your entire project timeline with Gantt charts and notify subcontractors automatically when schedules shift or change.
- Customer Portal Give your clients a private login to view progress photos, sign documents, and make selections without constant phone calls.
- Financial Tracking Manage your budget by tracking expenses, creating purchase orders, and processing online payments to keep your cash flow steady.
- Bid Management Send out bid requests to your subcontractors and compare quotes side-by-side to ensure you get the best project pricing.
- Change Orders Create and send change orders for digital signature so you can get approvals and payments before the extra work begins.
Smartsheet Features
- Flexible Work Views. Switch instantly between Grid, Gantt, Card, and Calendar views to manage your tasks from any perspective you prefer.
- Automated Workflows. Create visual automated actions to send alerts, request approvals, and update sheet rows without manual intervention.
- Real-time Dashboards. Build custom widgets and charts to give your team and executives a live look at project health and performance.
- Dynamic Reports. Consolidate information from multiple sheets into a single report to identify trends and risks across different departments.
- Proofing and Approvals. Streamline content reviews by uploading files directly to rows and collecting feedback through dedicated proofing workflows.
- Resource Management. Track team availability and allocate hours effectively to ensure your projects stay on schedule and under budget.
Pricing Comparison
Buildertrend Pricing
- Project scheduling
- Daily logs and photos
- Customer portal
- Document storage
- Messages and comments
- Standard integrations
- Everything in Essential, plus:
- Estimating tools
- Change orders
- Purchase orders
- Bid management
- QuickBooks & Xero integration
Smartsheet Pricing
- 1 user and 2 editors
- Up to 2 sheets
- Gantt, Grid, Card views
- 500MB attachment storage
- 100 automations per month
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Unlimited viewers
- Up to 10 sheets
- Unlimited reports and dashboards
- 20GB attachment storage
- Forms and branding
Pros & Cons
Buildertrend
Pros
- Centralizes all communication and documents in one place
- Excellent mobile app for real-time field updates
- Professional customer portal improves the client experience
- Strong scheduling tools with automated subcontractor notifications
Cons
- Significant learning curve for non-technical team members
- Higher price point compared to basic generic tools
- Initial setup requires a heavy time investment
Smartsheet
Pros
- Familiar spreadsheet interface reduces the initial learning curve
- Highly customizable views for different project management styles
- Powerful automation engine saves hours of manual work
- Excellent reporting capabilities across multiple different sheets
- Strong mobile app for managing tasks while traveling
Cons
- Advanced features require a significant time investment
- Real-time collaboration lacks the speed of Google Sheets
- Pricing can become expensive as you add more members