ConstructionOnline vs Archdesk Comparison: Everything You Need to Know Before Choosing

Archdesk is a UK-based construction management and accounting platform designed to bring financial processes, project delivery and operational data together for contractors. Many construction firms still manage estimates, purchase orders, subcontractor valuations and cost reports across disconnected spreadsheets and accounting packages, making it difficult to see the true profitability of jobs until it is too late to act. Archdesk's approach is to provide a single cloud system that follows a project from tender to completion, with every commercial transaction linked to the relevant job so that finance and operations teams work from the same real-time figures. The product has been built with the specific requirements of UK construction in mind, including the Construction Industry Scheme and the domestic reverse charge for VAT. Key modules cover CRM and tendering, estimating, project budgeting and cost tracking, procurement with purchase orders and supplier management, subcontractor management with applications for payment and retentions, and sales invoicing with valuations and payment notices. Financial features include cost-to-complete forecasting, cash flow visibility, commitment tracking and detailed job profitability reporting, supported by configurable dashboards. Operational tools cover timesheets, resource and plant management, document management and health and safety records, and a mobile app allows site teams to submit data from the field. Archdesk integrates with accounting software such as Xero, Sage and QuickBooks, as well as other business systems through its API, so that transactions flow through to the general ledger without double entry. The platform is used by main contractors, specialist and trade contractors, fit-out and interiors firms and engineering businesses, particularly small and mid-sized companies seeking greater financial control. Implementation is supported by the vendor's onboarding team, which helps configure the system around each contractor's workflows. Pricing starts from around GBP 690 per month; no free trial is indicated in this listing and there is no free version.