Comparison

AECify vs Buildertrend for small contractors

Buildertrend is built for residential home builders and remodelers — client portals, selections, and sales. AECify is built for small commercial teams that live in inspections, RFIs, submittals, and change orders. Here is an honest side-by-side.

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Feature comparison at a glance

Capability	AECify	Buildertrend
Published pricing (no sales call needed)AECify Pro $149/seat/month; Buildertrend is quote-based
Self-serve free trialAECify: 7-day free trial — no credit card required. Buildertrend: demo through sales
Unlimited users included
Homeowner client portal with selections & allowancesAECify offers free guest access for clients on shared projects, but no selections workflow
Sales CRM, lead tracking & proposals
Job costing & accounting syncAECify syncs approved pay applications to QuickBooks Online
Digital inspections + PDF reports
AI photo analysis on inspections
RFI & submittal logs for commercial projects
Change orders
Pay applications (SOV / G702-style)
AI code compliance chat (ArtI)
Gantt / task scheduling

Buildertrend capabilities vary by quote and configuration. “Partial” means the capability exists in a lighter or different form — confirm with Buildertrend for your account.

Pricing as of September 2026

Buildertrend figures are taken from Buildertrend’s own website. Prices change — check the linked sources before you buy.

AECify

Pro: $149/seat/month
Teams: $447/month for 5 seats (5 seats for the price of 3)
7-day free trial — no credit card required
Every feature on every plan — no module add-ons
Free guest access for clients on shared projects

Buildertrend

Quote-based — the pricing page asks about your business, then routes you to a sales call
Unlimited users included in the subscription
10% off when you pay annually upfront (advertised on the pricing page)
No self-serve free trial or free plan advertised

Because Buildertrend does not publish prices, compare using a written quote for your team size and construction volume — including onboarding and what renewal will cost.

Sources: Buildertrend pricing · Buildertrend client portal · Buildertrend CRM

Who should choose which

Choose AECify If you are a small commercial GC, specialty contractor, inspector, or engineering firm whose day is inspections, RFIs, submittals, change orders, bidding, punch lists, and pay applications — and you want $149/seat/month pricing you can see before talking to anyone, plus AI photo analysis and ArtI code chat.

Choose Buildertrend If you build or remodel homes and your workflow revolves around homeowners: selections and allowances, a branded client portal with online payments, lead tracking and proposals, and job costing tied to your accounting system. Buildertrend is purpose-built for that.

Comparing more tools? Read our guide: Procore alternatives for small contractors.

Where Buildertrend is stronger

Homeowner-facing client portal with selections, allowances, change order sign-off, and online payments
Built-in sales CRM with lead tracking, proposals, and email marketing
Residential financial tools — estimates, job costing, and accounting integrations (QuickBooks or Xero)
Unlimited users in the subscription, so adding office staff and subs does not change the price
Guided onboarding with a dedicated onboarding manager

Where AECify is different

Commercial construction-phase workflows first: RFIs, submittals, inspections, and pay applications
AI photo analysis during inspections and the ArtI code compliance assistant
Published per-seat pricing and a self-serve trial — no quote or demo required
Bidding and procurement with bid invitations, addenda, and digital bid submission

Explore AECify capabilities

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Frequently asked questions

Is AECify a Buildertrend alternative?

For commercial work, yes. AECify covers inspections, RFIs, submittals, change orders, bidding, punch lists, pay applications, and scheduling for small commercial teams. For residential builders who rely on homeowner selections, a sales CRM, and a client portal with payments, Buildertrend is the more complete fit.

How much does Buildertrend cost compared to AECify?

As of September 2026, Buildertrend does not publish prices; its pricing page collects details about your business and routes you to a custom quote, with unlimited users included and 10% off for paying annually upfront. AECify publishes Pro at $149 per seat per month and Teams at $447/month for 5 seats.

Does AECify have a client portal like Buildertrend?

AECify includes free guest access so clients can view the specific projects you share with them. It does not include residential selections, allowances, or homeowner payment collection. If those are central to your business, Buildertrend is built for them.

Is Buildertrend good for commercial contractors?

Buildertrend is designed around residential home building and remodeling. Commercial GCs and specialty contractors often need formal RFI and submittal logs, inspection reports, and AIA-style pay applications, which are the core of AECify.

Can I try AECify before deciding?

Yes. Start a 7-day free trial with no credit card required and run a real project through inspections, RFIs, and submittals before you choose a plan.

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7-day free trial — no credit card required. Compare workflows on a real project, then decide.

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