BQE CORE vs Miru
BQE CORE
bqe.comMiru
miru.soSide by side
| Figure | BQE CORE | Miru |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $0.83/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 4 |
| Spec score · Time Billing Software | 8.6 (#11) | 9.0 (#6) |
| API | BQE says its public APIs can be used to create custom integrations. | Miru exposes a REST API with CRUD operations for time entries, invoices, clients, projects, expenses and payments using bearer-token authentication. |
| Integrations | Supported integrations listed by BQE include QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Xero, MYOB AccountRight, DocuSign, Microsoft 365, Power BI, Google and Zapier. | Official pages identify Stripe payments, QuickBooks Online export or sync, SMTP email, CSV and PDF export, Zapier, Make and n8n connectivity. |
| Licence | The SaaS agreement grants a non-exclusive, non-perpetual, non-transferable licence for internal use; the service is proprietary rather than open source. | The project is released under the MIT licence and the hosted feature set is stated to be present in the open-source version. |
| Reporting | CORE offers real-time KPI reporting, customizable dashboards, and automated reports that can be scheduled. | Reports show paid, pending, overdue, and projected revenue, along with project and team analytics. |
| Security | CORE supports two-factor authentication, with text, voice call, or authenticator app as options. | The security page says hosted data is encrypted at rest and in transit, with TLS 1.3 connections and AES-256 encryption for stored data. |
| Support | BQE advertises 24/7/365 support and complimentary public group training for CORE customers. | The hosted plan includes priority email support, self-hosted users get community support on Discord, and the managed plan lists monitoring and support. |
Plans
BQE CORE
- AccountingPriced on request
- CRMPriced on request
- FoundationsPriced on request
- FoundationsPriced on request
- HRPriced on request
Miru
- Self-hostedFree
- Miru Cloud$1 a month
- Miru Cloud Annual$10 a year
- Managed Miru$1,000 a month
In their own words
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.
Miru
Miru is open-source software for teams that bill by the hour, combining time tracking, invoicing, expenses, payments, and reporting. Users can record time with timers or manual entries, submit work for weekly approval, and set rates for each team member. Invoices can be generated from approved or tracked work and include expenses, taxes, and discounts. Reports cover paid, pending, overdue, and projected revenue, plus project and team analytics. Miru supports a client portal and expense billing, but not recurring invoices. Integrations include Stripe, Google Calendar, SMTP email, CSV and PDF export, CSV import, REST API, CLI, Zapier, Make, and n8n. It can export clients, invoices, and recorded payments to QuickBooks Online through a one-way sync. The local-first desktop timer syncs with Miru and runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows; iOS and Android apps are in beta. Customers can self-host the MIT-licensed Rails app, but must manage operations, backups, upgrades, and security maintenance. The self-hosted plan is free. Miru Cloud is $1 a month, billed Or $10/member/year.; hosted data is encrypted at rest and in transit.