Job Costing Apps for Small Contractors: Clamp, busybusy, Workyard, QuickBooks and Alternatives
Six apps that say job costing, compared on what they actually cost against the estimate: labor only, labor and purchases, or the whole job, and which plan you have to be on to get it.
By Clamp ResearchReviewed by Emmanuel ForgePublished Oct 14, 2026✓ Reviewed Oct 2026
Direct answer: Clamp job costs receipts, vendor bills, time on site and labor against the estimate on every plan, from $12.50 a month billed annually. QuickBooks Online puts job costing on Plus at $140 a month list and Knowify on Advanced at $329 or $399; Contractor Foreman starts at $49 billed annually. busybusy (free) and Workyard (from $6 a user) cost labor only. Pick QuickBooks or Knowify when you need accounting behind the numbers.
Budget vs spent
Receipt against its line
Job cost in Clamp: the budget is the signed estimate, and a receipt is costed against the line it was bought for. Sample data: the published 5x8 bathroom.
At a glance
Job costing compares what a job is costing with what you said it would cost, while the job is still running. Six apps on this page say they do it. They do not mean the same thing. Two of them cost labor hours from a crew time clock and nothing else. Two are accounting products, or sit on top of QuickBooks, and put job costing on a higher tier. One is a full project management suite. One carries receipts, vendor bills, time on site and labor against the estimate on every plan, and is not accounting software.
Clamp publishes this comparison and is one of the six. Every competitor price and feature comes from that vendor's own pricing, feature or help pages, read October 14, 2026. No product was tested against another, so this page makes no accuracy or speed claim, and it does not rank the six.
Every Clamp feature, next to each alternative
Solo includes 28 of Clamp's 44 features. In full, across their plans: busybusy 4, Workyard 8, QuickBooks Online 13, Knowify 21, Contractor Foreman 21.
Compare Clamp with (pick one or more)
Clamp plan
Every Clamp feature, next to each alternative
Feature
Clamp
busybusy
Workyard
QuickBooks Online
Knowify
Contractor Foreman
CRM and leads
3 of 5
0 of 5
0 of 5
0 of 5
0 of 5
0 of 5
Email remindersEmail reminders before appointments, follow-ups, and scheduled installs, deliveries, and inspections.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not foundClock in and out reminders to employees; email not stated
Not foundClock-in reminders and schedule notifications; email not stated
Not found
PartlyUnpaid invoice and service appointment reminders; app alerts for schedule changes
PartlyPlan not stated. Crew schedule texts and emails; expiration reminders
Customer appointment remindersHomeowners get an email before an appointment, with confirm and reschedule built in.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not found
Service work onlyAutomated reminders; confirm or reschedule not described
Not foundReminders go to crews, not clients
Five-factor lead scoringA clear yes, no, or maybe on a lead before driving out.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundPlus lists Customer AI for leads; no score described
Not foundCRM pipeline stages only
Not foundLead stages and sources; custom fields only
Lead reportingClose rate, revenue won, open pipeline, close rate by lead source, and lost leads by reason, on Home and the stats screen, with CSV and PDF export. Revenue by source does not exist; see _excluded.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundNo close rate or lead source reports described
PartlyPipeline board and bid value; no close rate or source reports
PartlyPlan not stated. Lead stats by source, stage and timing; no close rate
Daily briefingOverdue invoices, detected trips, follow-ups, appointments, and open proposals in one morning view.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundDaily project reports are field reports, not a briefing; Premium
Not foundNo morning summary described
Not foundDashboards on Advanced
PartlyDashboard: today's jobs and check-ins; no overdue invoices
PartlyPlan not stated. Dashboard of widgets you pick
Estimating
7 of 7
0 of 7
0 of 7
1 of 7
2 of 7
2 of 7
Design agreementsPaid preconstruction sits in the document chain, so planning work is paid work.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundContracts and a deposit on estimates only
Not foundProposals carry terms
Not foundDocument Writer contracts and warranties
Itemized estimatesAssembly-based estimates with quantities and rates the contractor can inspect line by line.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
✓ Simple Start and upLimited on Free
✓ Every planBudget, then markup per line
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Estimates; 1build pricing not on Basic or Standard
Estimate templatesSave an estimate as a template for work done often.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundNot stated on the estimates Help article
✓ Every planBudget templates
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Estimate templates (KB title only)
Proposals with multiple package tiersGood, better, best packages in one proposal.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundOne estimate, no package tiers described
WorkaroundOptions as $0 lines; client notes choices when signing
PartlyPlan not stated. Optional items, selections and options (KB titles only)
AI estimating from a plain-language job descriptionDescribe the job in plain words and get an itemized draft: assemblies, quantities, researched baseline rates, with the contractor's own saved rates taking over once set.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundAI listed is for books, tax and leads
Not found'Knowify AI' teased; no AI estimating described
Not foundAI assistant for takeoffs only
Remodel and new-home estimatingOne estimator covers remodels and new homes and detects which one a description is. Detect is the default job type; a contractor can pick Remodel or New home per estimate, or set Kind of work to Remodeling to turn the choice off.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not found
Not foundNo job-type detection
Not foundResidential and commercial templates; no job-type detection
Labor hours on estimatesEstimated labor hours, shown as a range, on every labor line, with an allowance for setup, cleanup, and material runs (15% by default) the contractor can change in Settings or per estimate. A planning figure; it never appears on proposals, PDFs, or the portal.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundBudgets compare estimated and actual labor cost; no hours on estimate lines
Not foundOver/under budget insight by job; no hours on estimate lines
Not foundLabor cost rates, not estimated hours
Not foundLabor priced in the budget; no hour ranges described
Not foundLabor pricing in the cost database; no hour ranges
Contracts and invoicing
5 of 5
0 of 5
0 of 5
4 of 5
3 of 5
3 of 5
Payment schedulesSplit a proposal into a deposit, milestone payments, and a final payment, then invoice each one from the signed contract.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
✓ Simple Start and upProgress invoices by percent or line; online deposit
✓ Every planProgress billing, AIA G702/G703
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Schedule of values and progress invoicing; deposits not stated
Sales tax on documentsAdd a sales tax rate or a flat amount to invoices and other documents, with collected tax totaled by quarter and year. The contractor enters the rate; Clamp does not look rates up.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
✓ Simple Start and upAutomatic tax on invoices and sales receipts
PartlyTax rates sync from QuickBooks; no tax report described
PartlyPlan not stated. Tax rates by location; no tax report found
Customer credits and refundsApply a customer's credit to an open invoice, record a refund, or adjust a balance, with the history kept on the job. Recorded only; Clamp moves no money.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
✓ Credit memosApplied to open invoices; plan not stated
Not foundRetainage adjustments only
Not foundKB credit article did not load; offline payments recorded
Change orders that update the contractScope changes get written up and tied to the original contract, so verbal changes stop costing money.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundListed as a feature to look for, not described
✓ Every planE-signed, feed the billing schedule
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Contract amount updates on approval
Invoices tied to the contractEvery invoice belongs to the contract or change order it bills.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundHours and mileage feed 'your invoicing processes'; no invoices in Workyard
✓ Every planFree: 2 invoices a month
✓ Every plan
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Progress, AIA and time and material invoices
Customer portal
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2 of 6
Password-free customer portalThe homeowner opens a link. No account, no password, no app to install.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Simple Start and upEstimate link with sign and pay page; no job portal
✓ Advanced, $329 or $399No-login link; portal page says from $99, pricing page says Advanced
PartlyPlan not stated. Client Portal per contact; no-account access stated only for estimate links
Unlimited documents and photos shared to the portalShare job documents and photos to the customer portal without a count cap, subject to per-item size limits.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundPhotos on estimates only
✓ Advanced, $329 or $399Photos, invoice PDFs, shared files
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Pick files and photos to share; limits not stated
E-signing on the homeowner's phoneDocuments get signed on the homeowner's own phone, no account required.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not foundEmployees sign timecards only; no homeowner document signing
Not foundSignature capture only in the Smart Forms add-on; no homeowner document signing
✓ Simple Start and upTyped legal name
✓ Every planBids and change orders
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Estimates by link, no account; change orders
Several signers on one documentSend one document to up to five people, each signing their own line, see who has signed, and remind anyone who has not.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
NoOne recipient signs
Not found
Not foundCourtesy copies on estimate approvals only
Project updates and decisions in the portalPost project updates to the customer's portal and ask the customer to make a decision, which they answer from their phone.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not found
Advanced, $329 or $399Optional project log; no decisions
PartlyPlan not stated. Approvals of estimates, change orders, RFIs and submittals
Not delivered email handlingWhen a customer email Clamp sends bounces, the document is marked Not delivered so the contractor can fix the address and resend, or copy the link to text it.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not found
Not found
Not foundKB troubleshooting article only; body did not load
Expense tracking
5 of 5
0 of 5
3 of 5
3 of 5
3 of 5
3 of 5
Automatic GPS mileage trackingBackground trip detection, route maps, IRS rates, trips linked to the job that caused the drive.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Logged manuallyMileage listed in progress tracking; no automatic trip detection or IRS rate stated
✓ ProDriving detection from Starter; Pro assigns driving to projects; IRS rate not stated on pages read
App tracks tripsPlan and IRS rate not stated; no job link described
Not foundFleet vehicle tracking add-on from $25 a vehicle
Not foundVehicle logs record mileage for maintenance
Automatic time on siteGPS geofence tracking of hours at the jobsite.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
GPS time clock, FreeGeofence-required clock in and arrival reminders; not automatic hours
✓ AutopilotAutomatic clock in on geofence arrival; Pro has arrival detection and geofenced clock in
Workforce Elite, $134Separate QuickBooks Time product
Every planClock in with optional geofence; not detected automatically
PartlyPlan not stated. GPS and geofenced time cards; automatic clock-in not stated
Receipts and expenses on the jobReceipts logged against the job they belong to.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
ProReceipts shared as photos and notes; not coded to job cost
✓ ProStarter adds receipts to time cards; Pro codes project expenses to job and cost code
✓ Plus, $140Receipt photo on an expense; expenses go to a project
✓ Every planPurchases with receipt photo
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Expenses; receipt photos not stated
Purchase ordersCommitted costs captured between the estimate and the receipt.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
✓ Plus, $140Not stated for projects
✓ Every planPurchases; POs from the budget
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. One-click bill from a PO
Accounts payable and vendor billsVendor bills tracked and surfaced in the attention flows, with first-class vendor records.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
✓ Simple Start and upUnpaid tab; bill pay
✓ Every planBills sync both ways with QuickBooks
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Bills tied to POs and subcontracts
Job costing and reports
3 of 3
0 of 3
1 of 3
1 of 3
2 of 3
2 of 3
Job costingWhat the job actually cost, with a variance and catalog learning loop.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Labor only, FreeJob costing by project and cost code; budgets on Pro; no materials or estimate
Labor, ProLabor cost by project and cost code; materials and estimate not described
✓ Plus, $140Projects
✓ Advanced, $329 or $399Feature page says from $99; pricing page lists Advanced only
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Original and revised budgets; job costing reports
Accountant export packageA package of the business's records prepared for an accountant.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
IntegrationQuickBooks, Sage and others integrate; no export package or plan stated
StarterPayroll export to QuickBooks and others, project sync on Pro; no records package
Accountant access2 accountants; Excel sync on Advanced
QuickBooks syncSync and Accountant's View, no export package
QuickBooks syncTwo-way, Online and Desktop
Time reporting with CSV exportReported labor time with a time-tracking CSV export for payroll preparation and per-person rate decomposition.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Free, limitedActivity reports exportable and printable; CSV confirmed for Progress only
✓ StarterTimesheet reports and one-click payroll export; Excel labor cost reports on Pro
Plus, $140Timesheets by project; CSV export not stated
✓ Every planTime, labor and payroll reports; export format not stated
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Time card reports; Gusto export
Jobsites and teams
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3 of 8
3 of 8
1 of 8
6 of 8
7 of 8
Teams: up to 5 linked accountsUp to 5 accounts, including the owner, sharing one business.
✓ TeamsTeams, $83.33 a month billed annually
✓ Free, unlimited usersPer-user pricing on Pro and Premium plus $40 admin license
✓ Starter, per userPer user; no user cap stated
✓ Essentials, $853, 5 or 25 users by plan
✓ Priced per user1 user on Core, 10 on Advanced, $29 each extra
✓ Standard, $105Up to 3 users; feature pages say unlimited users
✓ Free, default positionsOwner, Admin, Manager, Supervisor, Employee; custom positions on Pro
✓ Every planWorker, Manager, Administrator; manager limits on Pro
Advanced, $340Custom user permissions
✓ Per-user permissionsAccess type plus module checkboxes; plan not stated
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Custom roles, four access levels per feature
Unlimited subcontractor linkingSubs share jobsite photos and notes into the business account without consuming a seat.
✓ TeamsTeams, $83.33 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundW-9 requests and 1099 mapping only
Paid seatsSubs who need the app are paid users; no guest access
Not foundSub project access exists; seat use not stated
Jobsites tab: jobs and schedule in one placeA Jobsites tab with Jobs and Schedule views. With Assistant each job has its own screen with its schedule, photos, and updates, and the Schedule view holds every install, delivery, inspection, appointment, and follow-up; Teams adds the crew and subs on each job, shaped by role. Subs invited to a job use it free and see their own jobs grouped by builder.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Projects, schedule on ProProjects with GPS and schedules; no job screen with updates
Projects, ProProjects with tasks and a per-project dashboard; no job screen with updates
Plus, $140Projects track income and costs, not a schedule
✓ Every planJobs, job board and calendars
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Projects
Job scheduleSchedule installs, deliveries, and inspections on each job, with the contractor, a supplier, or nobody yet on each item, and see them all in the Jobsites tab. Putting crew or subs on an item is the Teams shared schedule.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
ProCrew schedules with notifications and location pin; not installs or deliveries
ProOffice-to-field crew scheduling with notifications; not installs or deliveries
Not found
✓ Every planGantt with dependencies
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Gantt scheduling per project
Shared job scheduleOne schedule for the business: installs, deliveries, and inspections visible to the team, with clash notes when dates collide.
✓ TeamsTeams, $83.33 a month billed annually
ProSchedules visible by position; no clash notes described
ProSortable team schedules; no clash notes described
Not found
✓ Every planJob and resource boards, crew notifications
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Gantt and crew schedule; no clash alerts found
Punch listsThe small final items that close a job out, tracked per job and shareable as a text message or a PDF.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
PremiumCustom checklists in field reports; not named punch lists
ProProject checklists; not named punch lists
Not found
Not foundTasks and deficiency notes only
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Punchlists, sent as PDF
Job site photosPhotos saved to the project with full-screen viewing.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
✓ ProGeo-stamped photos searchable by project; pricing table lists photos & notes on Pro while help article shows photo permissions on Free positions
✓ ProProject photos on Pro; photos on time cards from Starter
Not foundPhotos on estimates and receipts only
✓ Mobile appPhotos uploaded to the job; plan not stated
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Files and Photos, with markup
Backup and offline
3 of 5
1 of 5
1 of 5
2 of 5
2 of 5
2 of 5
Full job workflow, offlineLeads, design agreements, estimates, proposals, change orders, and invoices on the phone, working without a connection.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Time tracking onlyOffline time entries and GPS; no leads, estimates or invoices
Clock in onlyOffline clock in, breaks and clock out; no leads, estimates or invoices
Not foundNot stated on official pages
PartlyTime check-in only; estimates and invoices not stated
Not foundOffline use not stated
Cloud backupBusiness data backed up to the cloud and restorable on a new device.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Cloud storageTime data uploaded to the cloud; no backup or restore feature named
Cloud syncTime and GPS uploaded on reconnect; no backup or restore feature named
✓ Cloud softwareData lives in your account
✓ Cloud software
✓ Cloud softwareWeb and mobile app
Business portal: read-only web viewA read-only view of the business in a browser.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
✓ Web dashboardReports and who's working on the web; plan not stated
✓ Web dashboardLive per-project dashboard on Pro; charts and map from Starter
✓ Web appMobile app not on Free
✓ Web appFull office web app
✓ Web app
Device backup, restore, CSV export, bulk importLocal backup and restore with CSV export and bulk import.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundTime tracking only; no such feature described
Not foundNot stated on official pages
PartlySpreadsheet import only; no export or backup described
PartlyCSV import and export of some records
No account required to startThe app opens to local use; an account is needed only for server features or subscribing.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Account requiredFree plan is created through Create My Account
Not foundNot stated on the pricing page; free trial offered
Not foundFree plan needs an account; no card
Not foundStarts from a 14-day trial account
Not foundStarts from a 30-day trial on the plans page
Only in busybusy
Where busybusy is ahead
Free plan with GPS time tracking
No free plan; Solo $12.50 a month billed annually
✓ Unlimited users, $0
Geofence-required clock in
Detected visits confirmed by the person, not a crew clock
✓ Clock in only inside the geofence, with GPS breadcrumbing and arrival reminders
Equipment hours and GPS
Not in Clamp
✓ Machine hours, equipment location and which site it is on
Safety and compliance
Not in Clamp
✓ Injury reports, incidents, OSHA forms 300/300A/301, daily sign-in questions
✓ Pro: unlimited geofences, clock in restricted to the site
Payroll export
Time CSV for payroll preparation
✓ One-click export to QuickBooks, ADP, Gusto and more, from Starter
ERP integrations
Not in Clamp
✓ Sage, NetSuite, Foundation on Autopilot
Expense cards and spend controls
Not in Clamp
✓ Cards with receipts and job coding, accounting sync
Smart Forms add-on
Not in Clamp
✓ Forms with photo and signature capture, CSV/Excel export
Only in QuickBooks Online
Where QuickBooks Online is ahead
Accounting: bank feeds, reconciliation, reports
Not in Clamp
✓ Every plan, one bank on Free
Payroll
Not in Clamp
✓ Add-on or bundle, from $6.50 per employee plus a base fee
Card and ACH payments on invoices
Your own payment link
✓ Cards 2.99%, ACH 1%
W-9 requests and 1099 mapping
Not in Clamp
✓ Construction page; 1099 e-filing on Advanced
Bill pay by ACH
Not in Clamp
✓ From Simple Start
Accountant seats
Export package
✓ 2 accountants, 3 on Advanced
Only in Knowify
Where Knowify is ahead
Two-way QuickBooks Online sync
Accountant export package
✓ Every plan
AIA billing, retainage and WIP reports
Residential milestones
✓ Every plan; WIP with job costing
Gantt scheduling with dependencies and a resource board
Shared job schedule (Teams)
✓ Every plan
Service dispatch board
Not in Clamp
✓ Service Pro add-on
Daily logs with automatic weather
Not in Clamp
✓ Advanced
Built-in payments
Your own payment link
✓ Card and ACH via QuickBooks Payments
Only in Contractor Foreman
Where Contractor Foreman is ahead
Plan takeoffs
Not in Clamp
✓ Measure plans and link quantities to estimates
Bid management and subcontracts
Not in Clamp
✓ Vendor bid invites, convert to a PO or subcontract
AIA G702 and G703 billing with retainage
Payment schedules, no AIA forms
✓ Schedule of values and retention tracking
Two-way QuickBooks sync
Accountant export package
✓ QuickBooks Online and Desktop
Gantt scheduling
Shared job schedule, no Gantt
✓ Dependencies, critical path, baselines
Built-in payments and client financing
Your own payment link
✓ Stripe card and ACH; SweetPay financing
Nothing here matches. Pick All or another filter.
Competitor columns from each vendor's own pricing page, feature pages and help center, checked October 14, 2026. Not found means not on those pages, not that the product can't do it another way. Partly means something narrower than the Clamp feature. No product was tested against another.
What they all do, and what each one actually costs against
All six report what a job is costing by job. They differ on what counts: labor hours from a time clock, labor plus purchases, or the whole job against a signed estimate. They also differ on which plan you need to be on to see it, and on whether the app keeps your books or expects QuickBooks beside it.
Labor only, or everything: busybusy and Workyard cost hours from the clock. Materials, subs and dump fees are more than half of a typical job; on the published 5x8 bathroom they are $6,042.30 of $11,799.17.
The tier gate: QuickBooks Online puts Projects on Plus ($140 a month list) and Knowify puts job costing on Advanced ($329 or $399). Their entry plans do not have it.
What the budget is: a labor budget you type in, a project budget, or the estimate the customer signed. Only a signed estimate tells you whether the price was right.
Accounting or not: QuickBooks Online is the books. Clamp, busybusy and Workyard are not, and Knowify and Contractor Foreman sync to QuickBooks rather than replace it.
Per user or per team: the time clocks price per user with an admin or base fee; QuickBooks, Knowify and Contractor Foreman cap users by tier; Clamp Teams is one price for up to 5 accounts, then $15 a seat a month billed yearly on a Teams office.
Six job costing apps
Not a ranking. Each entry says what the product is best for, where it is stronger and where it falls short, from its own pages.
ClampBest for a residential contractor of 1 to 10 who wants receipts, bills, time and mileage costed against the signed estimate on a phone, with the books kept elsewhere
Price
Solo $19.99 a month or $149.99 a year ($12.50 a month billed annually), free for the first month on monthly billing. Assistant $49.99 or $499.99 ($41.67) adds the customer portal, e-signatures and email reminders. Teams $99.99 or $999.99 ($83.33) for up to 5 accounts; 6 or more people are a Teams office at $15 a seat a month, billed yearly. Job costing is on every plan.
Team
One account on Solo and Assistant; up to 5 on Teams and 6 or more on a Teams office, plus unlimited free sub invites who never see your prices.
Where it is stronger
The budget is the estimate linked to the signed proposal, and only a signed change order moves it, so the job cost report answers whether the price was right.
A receipt is tied to the estimate line it was bought for, so the line shows estimated against actual while the job runs, not at closeout.
Purchase orders, vendor bills and payments are kept apart: committed, cost and paid, with each purchase counted once.
Time on site and mileage are recorded by job, with auto-detected visits and drives confirmed by the person, and land in the same job cost as the receipts.
The same app writes the estimate at direct cost with markup, the proposal, change orders and invoices, so nothing is re-keyed into a second tool to job cost it.
Teams is one price for up to 5 accounts, $83.33 a month billed annually, with no per-user or admin fee. Ten people are a Teams office at $150 a month, billed yearly.
Hours by role
Trips by job
Labor and drives by job: hours on site by role, and detected trips attached to jobs. Sample data.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
Not accounting software: no general ledger, payroll, bank feeds or tax filing. You still need QuickBooks or another accounting tool for the books.
Not a GPS crew time clock with geofencing. Auto-detected site visits are presence, not labor, and a person confirms them.
Does not pay vendors, sync with QuickBooks, or track W-9s, 1099s, insurance certificates or lien waivers.
No plan takeoff, no AIA progress billing and no Gantt schedule.
The customer portal and e-signatures start on Assistant, not Solo.
busybusyBest for a crew that needs a free GPS time clock by job today, with labor budgets by cost code when it is ready to pay
Price
Free, $0, with GPS time tracking, job costing, equipment tracking and unlimited users. Pro $11.99 per user a month billed monthly or $9.99 billed annually. Premium $17.99 or $14.99. Pro and Premium add a $40 admin license, first user included. 14-day trial, no card.
Team
Unlimited users on Free; per user on Pro and Premium plus the admin license.
Where it is stronger
The only free plan here with GPS time tracking and job costing for unlimited users.
Geofence-required clock in, GPS breadcrumbing and location reminders to clock in on arrival and out on departure.
Budgets by project and cost code on Pro, with charts of estimated against current labor cost and hours.
Equipment hours, equipment GPS and which machine is on which site, which none of the others here describe.
Integrations named for QuickBooks, Procore, Sage, Viewpoint, Foundation, ADP and Paychex.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
Labor and equipment only. Receipts are shared as photos and notes, and vendor bills, materials cost against an estimate, estimating, change orders and invoicing are not described on its pages.
Budgets by cost code and the comparison of estimated against actual labor start on Pro, not Free.
Paid plans add a $40 admin license on top of the per-user price; a 3-person crew on Pro is $59.98 to $69.97 a month billed annually depending on whether the admin counts as one of the users (calculated).
Daily project reports are an add-on on Pro and included on Premium.
WorkyardBest for a crew owner who wants payroll-grade GPS timesheets and labor cost by project and cost code, and keeps materials elsewhere
Price
'Plans start at $6 per user / month, billed annually.' Monthly billing is available with no rate shown. Pro, which has labor cost by project and cost code, and Autopilot and Enterprise have no published price. 14-day trial, no card.
Team
Per user; no minimum or base fee stated on the pricing page.
Where it is stronger
Hours per job and cost code on every time card, with labor cost auto-calculated on every clock out on Pro.
GPS arrival detection on Pro and automatic clock in on Autopilot, with driving assigned to the arrival project.
Reports that group and pivot job cost by employee, period and cost code, and show 'where you are over and underestimating'.
Timesheets sent to your accounting system by job and cost code, and the lowest published per-user entry price here.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
Labor only on the cost tracking page: materials, vendor bills and a budget-versus-actual report are not described there. Receipts appear under an expense card feature.
The $6 start is Starter, which the page does not show with project labor cost; the Pro price is not published.
No estimating, change orders or customer-facing documents are described; hours and mileage feed 'your invoicing processes' elsewhere.
Monthly billing exists but its rate is not on the page.
QuickBooks OnlineBest for a contractor who wants job cost reports inside the same product as the books, payroll and the accountant
Price
Plus $140 a month list, 5 users, 'Track project profitability'. Advanced $340, 25 users, with estimate versus actuals on the project dashboard. Simple Start $38 and Essentials $85 do not list project profitability. Each paid plan shows 50% off for 3 months; 30-day trial; no annual contract; annual pricing not published.
Team
5 users on Plus, 25 on Advanced.
Where it is stronger
Estimates, invoices, bills, checks, expenses and timesheets assigned to a project, with income, expenses and profit margin per project.
Labor cost from timesheets with an hourly cost rate per employee, or synced from QuickBooks Payroll.
Receipt photos tagged to a job, in the same place as the ledger, bank feeds and the accountant's access.
It is the accounting software, so there is no second tool to reconcile the job cost against.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
Job costing is a Plus and Advanced feature; the $38 and $85 plans do not have Projects.
The estimate versus actuals view is stated for Advanced, at $340 a month list.
Estimating at direct cost with markup, change orders and a customer portal are not described on the pages read.
GPS time tracking is a separate QuickBooks Time subscription, not part of QuickBooks Online.
The 50% off promo lasts 3 months; the list price is what you pay after.
KnowifyBest for a trade contractor on QuickBooks Online who wants a project budget with committed costs, fully loaded labor and progress billing
Price
Core shows $99 and $149 a month, 1 user, plus $29 a month per extra user; Advanced shows $329 and $399 a month, 10 users. The pricing page's yearly and monthly toggles do not label which price is which. Job costing, the client portal and cost-plus contracts are on Advanced, not Core. Free trial.
Team
1 user on Core, 10 on Advanced, $29 a month each beyond that.
Where it is stronger
Costs tracked against the project budget in real time, with purchase orders created from the budget and committed costs shown as they are placed.
Fully loaded labor burden, including insurance and benefits, not just wages.
Clock in and out linked to the job and phase, with location at clock in and out and an optional geofence.
Two-way sync with QuickBooks Online, Payroll and Time, so expenses and bills can be logged in either place.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
Job costing is not on Core; Advanced starts at $329 or $399 a month.
The pricing page shows two prices per plan without saying which is annual billing.
Receipt photos and mileage are not described on the job costing page.
The job costing page says QuickBooks Desktop needs the 'Unlimited' plan; the pricing page names no such plan, only Enterprise.
Contractor ForemanBest for a contractor who wants job costing inside a broad project management suite with AIA billing, scheduling and a client portal
Price
Billed annually: Basic $49 a month ($588 a year), 1 user; Standard $105 ($1,264), up to 3; Plus $166 ($1,997), up to 8; Pro $221 ($2,654), up to 15; Unlimited $332 ($3,984). Billed monthly: Basic not available; Standard $139; Plus $199; Pro $279; Unlimited $399. 30-day trial on annual; 100-day money-back guarantee on Plus and up.
Team
1 user on Basic, 3 on Standard, 8 on Plus, 15 on Pro, unlimited on Unlimited.
Where it is stronger
Real-time job costing on projects, with time cards tied to projects and cost codes that feed the reports.
Change orders that update the contract amount and flow into job costing, and purchase orders that generate bills when materials arrive.
GPS verification and geofencing on time cards.
Progress invoices with retainage and AIA G702/G703, and two-way QuickBooks Online and Desktop sync.
The cheapest published entry here with estimating, change orders and invoicing in one suite: $49 a month billed annually for one user.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
The plan comparison matrix on the pricing page did not show, as read, which plans include job costing, time cards, estimates, change orders, invoices or the client portal. Confirm the tier before you buy.
Basic is annual only; monthly billing starts at Standard, $139 a month.
A standalone receipt capture feature is not described on the features page; expenses are mentioned as items synced with QuickBooks.
Mileage by job is not found on the features page.
What job costing costs by team size
The lowest plan with job costing, as each vendor describes it, for 1, 3 and 10 people. Annual-billing rates where published; per-team totals are calculated from the vendor's per-user prices and marked so. Labor-only tools and whole-job tools sit in the same table and are not equivalent.
What job costing costs by team size
Software
1 person
3 people
10 people
Clamp
Solo, $12.50 a month billed annually ($19.99 monthly)
Teams, $83.33 a month billed annually ($99.99 monthly), up to 5 accounts
Teams office, $150 a month billed yearly by invoice ($15 a seat, $1,800 a year)
busybusy
Free, $0, labor only; Pro with budgets $49.99 a month billed annually ($9.99 plus $40 admin, calculated)
Free, $0; Pro $59.98 to $69.97 a month billed annually, depending on whether the admin license counts as a user (calculated)
Free, $0; Pro $129.91 to $139.90 a month billed annually (calculated)
Workyard
From $6 a month billed annually on Starter; Pro, with labor cost by project, not published
From $18 a month billed annually on Starter (calculated); Pro not published
From $60 a month billed annually on Starter (calculated); Pro not published
QuickBooks Online
Plus, $140 a month list; annual price not published
Plus, $140 a month list, 5 users
Advanced, $340 a month list, 25 users, since Plus stops at 5
Knowify
Advanced, $329 or $399 a month (unlabeled on the page), 10 users included
Advanced, $329 or $399 a month
Advanced, $329 or $399 a month, 10 users included
Contractor Foreman
Basic, $49 a month billed annually ($588 a year); annual only. Job costing tier not confirmed on the page
Standard, $105 a month billed annually ($1,264 a year) or $139 monthly, up to 3 users
Pro, $221 a month billed annually ($2,654 a year) or $279 monthly, up to 15 users, since Plus stops at 8
From each vendor's own pricing page, October 14, 2026. busybusy and Workyard cost labor only; QuickBooks Online is also your books; Knowify and Contractor Foreman bundle far more than job costing. Promo prices (QuickBooks 50% off for 3 months) are left out. Prices change; check the vendor's page before you buy.
How to test them on a real job
Pick one job you finished last month where you kept the receipts. Enter its estimate, then its receipts, bills and hours, and see whether the app shows the miss by line or only by job.
Add a change order after the budget is set and check whether the budget moves, and whether anything else can move it.
Enter a purchase order, then the bill, then a partial payment, and confirm the job carries the cost once, not three times.
Have one crew member log a day, and check that the hours carry a job and a role, and that a detected visit is not counted as labor until someone says so.
Ask where the books live. If the app is not accounting software, decide how its receipts and bills reach your bookkeeper before you commit.
Questions to ask before you subscribe
Does it cost labor only, or receipts, bills and subs too?
Is the budget the estimate the customer signed, or a number you type in?
Which plan has job costing, and how many users does that plan include?
Is there a per-user, admin or base fee on top of the plan?
Is it accounting software, does it sync with yours, or neither?
Can a crew member log hours without seeing your prices?
When the scope changes, does a change order move the budget?
Can you export the job cost data if you leave?
Try it on a published Clamp job
Read a finished one first: the 5×8 bathroom shows all 53 lines and the $11,799.17 direct job cost that the budget starts from.
Describe a job of your own in the free AI estimate to get the budget you would cost against.
How this comparison was made
Published by Clamp, which is one of the six products compared. Clamp's own facts come from its pricing page, its method page and its job costing, receipts, bills and time on site guides.
Competitor prices and features come only from each vendor's own pricing, feature and help pages, read October 14, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor's page before you buy.
Where a vendor's pages are unclear or disagree, this page says so: Knowify's unlabeled yearly and monthly prices and its 'Unlimited' plan, Workyard's unpublished Pro price, busybusy's admin license, and Contractor Foreman's blank plan matrix.
Per-team totals are calculated from published per-user prices and marked '(calculated)'. Promo prices are noted but not used.
'Not found on official pages' means exactly that. It does not mean the product cannot do it.
No product was tested against another, and no accuracy, completeness or speed claim is made. The six are not ranked.
Questions
How do I compare receipts, bills and labor with my original job estimate?
Use job-costing software that holds the estimate as the budget and assigns receipts, bills and labor to its lines or categories. Clamp does that on every plan; QuickBooks Online offers Projects on Plus, with the estimate-versus-actual dashboard on Advanced. Knowify puts job costing on Advanced, while busybusy and Workyard focus on the labor side.
Is busybusy free for tracking crew hours by job?
Yes. busybusy's free plan includes GPS time tracking and job costing for unlimited users, so you can record crew hours by job without a subscription. Cost-code budgets start on Pro at $9.99 per user a month billed annually, plus a $40 admin license with the first user included. Clamp Teams adds the wider residential job workflow but is not a geofenced crew time clock.
Can a job-costing app replace QuickBooks for my contracting business?
Usually not. Clamp, busybusy and Workyard do not provide a general ledger, payroll or tax filing, and Knowify and Contractor Foreman connect to QuickBooks Online rather than replacing it. QuickBooks Online itself covers accounting and project profitability on Plus, so whether you add a separate app depends on the job workflow you need, not on the books.
Does QuickBooks Simple Start include job costing, or do I need Plus?
QuickBooks Online Simple Start does not include Projects job costing; Plus, $140 a month at list price for five users, and Advanced, $340 a month for 25 users, do. QuickBooks places the project dashboard's estimate-versus-actual view on Advanced. That matters if you need more than each project's income, expenses and margin.
Do busybusy and Workyard replace a full contractor job-costing app?
No. busybusy and Workyard cover labor costing, while full job costing also counts materials, subcontractors and other costs against the estimate. A GPS time record shows where and when someone clocked in, not that the time was productive. Clamp, Knowify, Contractor Foreman and QuickBooks Plus also carry purchase costs; Clamp's detected site visits are confirmed by the person before they count.
Changes: Oct 14, 2026: Initial draft. Six job costing apps compared from each vendor's own pricing, feature and help pages, read 2026-10-14: busybusy pricing and features; Workyard pricing, home and cost tracking; QuickBooks Online pricing, construction page and Projects help article; Knowify pricing, job costing and time tracking; Contractor Foreman annual and monthly plan tabs and features. Clamp facts owner-supplied. Direct answer rewritten price first (owner ruling 2026-10-14).; Oct 14, 2026: Published after owner approval; FAQ structured data on.; Oct 25, 2026: Teams now covers up to 5 people, including the owner; 6 or more is a Teams office at $15 a seat a month billed yearly. Clamp's 10-person price is now $150 a month (Teams office, by invoice).
