BuildBook vs Tenon

BuildBook is construction management software for residential custom home builders, remodelers, and specialty contractors. It brings sales, project work, and client communication into one system, with tools for pipeline and contact management, estimates, branded proposals, digital approvals, and a reusable price book. Project features include Gantt scheduling, task management, budgets, change orders, client selections, expense tracking, and file sharing. Project chat rooms, daily logs, client portals, inline comments, notifications, and public links support communication. BuildBook syncs project data, bills, expenses, and invoices with QuickBooks Online, and schedules can sync with iCal. The native iOS and Android apps include device notifications, camera roll access, and video recording; web access is also available. A free plan is limited to one user, and guests can access projects. Paid plans start at $79/user/mo (annual); a 10-day trial includes every feature and requires no credit card. BuildBook is not designed for large commercial firms or tract builders with internal sales teams and custom systems.

Tenon is construction management software for working contractors, bringing project and business workflows into one system. Its tools cover estimates, proposals, Gantt scheduling, daily logs, budgets, invoicing, change orders, RFIs, and client portals. Sage, the AI assistant, answers project questions, cites records, drafts change orders and proposals, and uses per-user permissions. Native iOS and Android apps provide field logs, timers, and RFIs; the iOS app also supports Apple Watch and CarPlay. Tenon lists QuickBooks sync for invoicing and an MCP integration for Claude.ai and other MCP clients. Field workers, subcontractors, and clients are free on every plan, while paid seats are for office users. Starter costs $49 a month billed per user and includes up to three Builder seats and unlimited Field seats; Pro is $129 a month billed per user, and Enterprise is $249 a month billed per user. There is no free plan, but a 30-day trial is offered. Customer data is stored in AWS Canada (ca-central-1); customers can export it to CSV, PDF, or JSON, and Tenon says it does not hold data after cancellation. SOC 2 Type II is in audit.