BarBooks vs BQE CORE
BarBooks
barbooks.co
BQE CORE
bqe.comSide by side
| Figure | BarBooks | BQE CORE |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 12 | 5 |
| Spec score · Legal Trust Accounting Software | 9.3 (#2) | 8.7 (#8) |
| Audience | The product is designed for barristers, sole practitioners, and clerks. | The product is designed for architecture and engineering firms and also serves other professional services firms. |
| Integrations | The pricing page displays a “Business trackers” integration link to Amaka and describes bank transaction syncing as a Bank Rec add-on. | Supported integrations listed by BQE include QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Xero, MYOB AccountRight, DocuSign, Microsoft 365, Power BI, Google and Zapier. |
| Mobile apps | The download page says the 14-day trial includes all features and lists Windows, Mac, and iOS; the pricing FAQ also names Android devices. | CORE has mobile apps for iOS and Android; the Android app supports creating projects, entering time and expenses, submitting and approving entries, invoicing, and reports. |
| Privacy and compliance | Censea says it is bound by Australia’s Privacy Act 1988 and may use service providers subject to confidentiality obligations. | BQE states that it complies with the principles of GDPR and is subject to the California Consumer Privacy Act. |
| Rating on Apple App Store | 3.3 out of 5 from 10 ratings | 3.1 out of 5 from 38 ratings |
| Rating on Capterra | 5.0 out of 5 from 1 review | 4.5 out of 5 from 796 reviews |
| Support | The maker offers support by help desk and live chat, and its contact page states that new users can receive free one-hour on-site training. | BQE advertises 24/7/365 support and complimentary public group training for CORE customers. |
| System requirements | The published requirements list OS X 10.9+, Windows 8.1+ with .NET Framework 4.5, iOS 8+ and a modern Chrome, Firefox or Safari browser. | The web interface is optimized for a minimum 1280x960 display resolution and requires an HTML5 browser with broadband internet. |
Plans
BarBooks
- Sole Practitioner — MonthlyPrice not published
- Sole Practitioner — AnnualPrice not published
- BAS Service Add-onPrice not published
- Bank RecA$12 a month
- Bank Rec add-onA$12 a month
- Sole PractitionerA$60 a month
- Sole Practitioner monthlyA$60 a month
- BAS ServiceA$99, paid once
- Reader packageA$180 a year
- Sole PractitionerA$360 a year
BQE CORE
- AccountingPriced on request
- CRMPriced on request
- FoundationsPriced on request
- FoundationsPriced on request
- HRPriced on request
In their own words
BarBooks
BarBooks is cloud-based legal practice management software for barristers, sole practitioners, and clerks. It runs on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and the web. Users can organise matter details, link contacts to matters, and set hourly or fixed fees. Invoicing tools create and customise invoices, apply interest to late payments automatically, and report on aged receivables. Listed reports cover profit and loss, GST statements, year-end tax, aged debtors, turnover, work in progress, cashflow, and activity statements. BarBooks can sync barristers’ calendars and make its calendar accessible through existing calendars and mobile apps. Bank transaction syncing and reconciliation are available through the Bank Rec add-on, listed at A$12 a month. The Sole Practitioner plan is listed at A$60 a month, with tax excluded; BAS Service is listed at A$99 a quarter. A 14-day trial includes all features. After it ends, users must buy a continuing licence or stop using and uninstall the software.
BQE CORE
BQE CORE is a cloud-based platform for managing projects, time and expenses, billing, accounting, HR, and business intelligence at professional services firms. It is designed for architecture and engineering businesses and also serves other professional services firms. Project tools show progress and budgets, support task allocation and forecasting, and include interactive Gantt charts. Time and expense features include pre-populated timesheets, receipt capture, and overtime calculation. Billing supports manual, batch, and recurring invoices, flexible schedules, and online payments. Reporting includes real-time KPIs, customizable dashboards, and scheduled reports. Integrations include QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Xero, MYOB AccountRight, DocuSign, Microsoft Office 365, Power BI, Google, and Zapier; public APIs can be used to build custom integrations. iOS and Android apps are available. The Android app supports project and expense work, invoicing, and reports, but adding, editing, or deleting records requires an internet connection. Pricing is on request; there is no free plan, but a free trial is offered.