The software behind Australian projects, from studio to site.
Side-by-side guides to the software design offices, builders and trades actually run on. Every price in AUD with GST shown, every fact linked to the vendor's own page, and every commission declared on the page.
Choose your side of the industry
For the studio
Architects, building designers, engineers and drafters.
- CAD & BIM 6 tools
- PDF markup 3 tools
- Rendering & visualisation 4 tools
- Practice management 6 tools
- Document control (CDE) 4 tools
For the builder
Residential and commercial builders, from the first estimate to handover.
- Estimating & takeoff 4 tools
- Project management 4 tools
- Site safety & compliance 4 tools
- Payroll, rostering & HR 4 tools
For the trade
Plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs and carpenters running jobs from a phone.
- Job apps compared 4 apps
- Plumbers & gasfitters
- Electricians
- HVAC & refrigeration
- Builders & carpenters
Four rules every guide follows
Most software reviews are written for American firms, or by the software companies themselves. These are written for Australian businesses, and you can check every line.
Prices and features come from the vendor's own Australian pages, with a source link on every fact and a date on every page.
Some vendors quote ex GST, some inc GST, some in US dollars or euros. We show which, add GST, and give foreign prices an AUD estimate at a dated Reserve Bank rate.
Most tools here pay us nothing. Where one does, the table says so on its own column, and it never moves the order.
If a vendor's page doesn't say, we don't guess. A question mark is a prompt to ask them, not a missing feature.
The full index
Pick the job you're trying to get done. Each guide starts with “which one fits my business”, then the full side-by-side.
Design offices
- The design-office stackEvery layer of software a studio needs
- CAD & BIMRevit, Archicad, Vectorworks, AutoCAD, BricsCAD, SketchUp
- PDF markupBluebeam Revu, Drawboard, Adobe Acrobat
- Rendering & visualisationEnscape, Twinmotion, Lumion, D5 Render
- Practice managementSynergy, Monograph, Projectworks and more
- Document control (CDE)Autodesk, Trimble Connect, Aconex, Newforma
- Revit vs ArchicadRVT and Windows, or Mac and a cheaper seat
- Bluebeam vs DrawboardDesk and takeoff, or pen and iPad
Builders
- The builder's stackFrom estimate to handover
- Estimating & takeoffBuildxact, Cubit, Groundplan, Databuild
- Project managementProcore, Autodesk Build, ClickHome, Fieldwire
- Site safety & complianceSafetyCulture, HammerTech, Dashpivot, Rapid Global
- Payroll, rostering & HREmployment Hero, Deputy, Xero, MYOB
- Buildxact vs CubitOne price for the business, or per estimator
Trades
- Job management appsTradify, ServiceM8, Fergus, AroFlo
- Tradify vs ServiceM8Per person or per job?
- Tradify vs FergusSimple or supplier-linked
- ServiceM8 vs FergusJob caps or per user
- Job app pricingEvery plan, GST shown
- For plumbersJob apps plus plumbing-specific tools
- For electriciansJob apps plus test & tag, cable sizing
- For HVACJob apps plus refrigerant and load tools
- For builders & carpentersJob apps for stages and variations
How we make money: a few vendors pay us a commission if you buy through our link, at no cost to you. Those links are marked, the commission is written on the comparison table, and it never changes the order. Most tools on this site pay us nothing. Full disclosure.