TL;DR
Buildertrend is a feature-heavy American construction platform built for custom home builders doing $1M+ projects. Built Simple is the Australian-built, mobile-first alternative for SMB builders, tradies, and owner-builders who want job management without a 12-week onboarding or USD invoicing. Built Simple starts at $0 free; Buildertrend’s entry tier is around $399 USD/mo (~$608 AUD).
Buildertrend vs Built Simple: at a glance
| Feature | Built Simple | Buildertrend |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Australian (Melbourne) | American (Omaha, Nebraska) |
| Pricing currency | AUD | USD (currency-converted, varies) |
| Free tier | Yes — Freemium | No — paid trial only |
| Entry price | $79 AUD/mo (Tradie) | ~$399 USD/mo Essential |
| Top tier price | $399 AUD/mo (Pro) | ~$699 USD/mo Pro |
| Built for | Tradies, small-mid builders, owner-builders | Custom home builders, remodelers |
| Mobile-first design | Yes | No — desktop-first, mobile companion |
| Setup time (avg) | 15 minutes | 2–12 weeks (Buildertrend’s own guidance) |
| AU customer support | Melbourne-based team | US-based with AU hours coverage |
| Trade calculators | 50+ free | Not included |
| Best fit project value | $10k – $5M | $1M+ custom builds |
When Buildertrend is the right choice
Buildertrend isn’t a bad product. It’s been around since 2006, has a huge feature set, and is genuinely strong for the bigger end of the residential builder market. You should pick Buildertrend if:
- You’re a custom home builder doing $1M+ builds. Buildertrend’s depth around client portal, change orders, and selections workflows justifies its price at that project value.
- You have a dedicated office admin and runs of projects in parallel. Buildertrend rewards investment in setup. If you’ve got someone whose job is to make the software sing, they’ll get more out of Buildertrend than out of a simpler tool.
- You need a polished homeowner client portal. Buildertrend’s client experience is feature-rich — change order approvals, photo galleries, selections, document signing all in one homeowner-facing app.
- You’re operating in multiple countries. Buildertrend’s US-headquartered structure means international support across many regions.
When Built Simple is the better fit
Buildertrend’s strengths are also its weaknesses. The same features that make it powerful for $1M+ custom home builders make it overkill and overpriced for everyone else. Pick Built Simple if:
- You’re an Australian SMB builder doing $50k–$500k jobs. You don’t need an enterprise feature set. You need scheduling, estimating, defects, and team tracking — fast, mobile, in AUD. That’s exactly what we built.
- You’re a tradie or trade-business owner. Buildertrend isn’t built for trades. We are. Our Tradie tier at $79/mo gives you unlimited projects, defects with photos, scheduling, and 50+ free calculators.
- You’re an owner-builder running your own project. Buildertrend has no owner-builder tier — they’ll quote you the full Essential plan at ~$608 AUD/mo. We have a dedicated Home Projects tier at $39/mo just for you.
- You work primarily from your phone. Built Simple is mobile-first. Quoting, scheduling, defects, and crew updates all work the same on phone as on desktop. Buildertrend’s app is a companion to the desktop experience, not the primary tool.
- You want to start free. No credit card. Use Built Simple Freemium for one full project to see if it fits your workflow.
Pricing: the real numbers
This is where the comparison gets dramatic. Buildertrend prices in USD; Australian customers feel that on every invoice.
| Tier | Built Simple (AUD) | Buildertrend (approx. AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Not offered |
| Owner-builder | $39/mo Home Projects | Not offered |
| Tradie / Entry | $79/mo Tradie | ~$608/mo (Essential USD-converted) |
| Mid-tier | $199/mo Builder | ~$760/mo (Advanced) |
| Top tier | $399/mo Pro | ~$1,065/mo (Pro) |
| Annual saving | ~20% off all tiers | Varies — negotiated |
An Australian tradie running a 3-person crew with Built Simple Tradie spends $948 AUD a year. The same business on Buildertrend Essential spends roughly $7,300 AUD a year — almost 8x the cost — for features that won’t change how they work.
For a small builder, Built Simple Builder at $199/mo is $2,388 AUD/year. Buildertrend Advanced runs ~$9,120 AUD/year. That’s $6,732/year in savings — enough to hire a part-time admin or invest back into your tools.
Features: where each one wins
Project management depth
Buildertrend has more depth. Change orders, selections, document workflows, daily logs, RFIs, warranty tracking — Buildertrend has every feature a $1M+ custom home builder has ever asked for. Built Simple has the core (projects, scheduling, defects, team) and intentionally skips the rest so the interface stays clean.
Mobile experience
Built Simple wins clearly. Designed for the builder in a ute, not the project manager at a desk. Our scheduling, defects, and team tracking are first-class mobile experiences. Buildertrend’s mobile app is functional but the platform is desktop-first; field workers often work around the app rather than with it.
Scheduling
Even on scheduling. Both have drag-and-drop scheduling with dependencies. Built Simple adds weather-aware scheduling (we’ll flag the day before a rain event will impact a slab pour). Buildertrend has more granular resource scheduling for big projects.
Client portal
Buildertrend wins. Their homeowner client experience is genuinely polished — gallery, selections, approvals, document signing, payment portal. Built Simple’s client portal is in roadmap. If you need a slick homeowner experience right now, this matters.
Estimating & takeoff
Even, slight edge to Buildertrend. Built Simple includes estimating (25 quotes on Builder, unlimited on Pro). Buildertrend’s takeoff is mature but priced as an add-on in some markets.
Team & equipment tracking
Built Simple wins. Unified view across all projects — who is on what, what equipment is allocated where, what’s free. Buildertrend tracks team by project assignment but doesn’t have a cross-project resource view.
Defects management
Built Simple wins on simplicity. Snap photo, drop pin on location, assign to trade, close out. Buildertrend’s punch list works but is part of a larger workflow that takes longer to learn.
Free trade calculators
Only Built Simple has these. 50+ free calculators (concrete, brick, framing, retaining walls, gutter, fall, etc.). Use them without a Built Simple account. Buildertrend has nothing equivalent.
What Buildertrend has that we don’t
To be straight with you:
- Polished homeowner client portal. If you’re a custom home builder whose clients expect a slick portal, Buildertrend wins here today.
- Deep change order / variation workflow. Buildertrend has years of feature investment in this area. Built Simple’s variations are simpler.
- Xero / QuickBooks integration. Buildertrend has accounting integrations. Built Simple does not (yet).
- Enterprise feature set. Buildertrend has reporting and admin tools for businesses with 20+ users and multiple offices. Built Simple is built for businesses up to that size.
If your business needs all four of these, Buildertrend is the right choice. If you can live without one or two, Built Simple will save you 70–85% on software costs and onboard in 15 minutes instead of 12 weeks.
Who should pick which
| Your situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Owner-builder, one project under $500k | Built Simple Home Projects $39/mo |
| Sole tradie or 2–5 person crew | Built Simple Tradie $79/mo |
| Small builder, $50k–$500k jobs | Built Simple Builder $199/mo |
| Mid-size SMB builder, multiple jobs running | Built Simple Pro $399/mo |
| Custom home builder, $1M+ builds, polished client portal essential | Buildertrend |
| Builder with bookkeeper requiring Xero / QuickBooks sync today | Buildertrend |
| Mobile-first business that values simple over feature-rich | Built Simple |
See Built Simple in action
Start free. No credit card. Set up your first project in 15 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Buildertrend more expensive than Built Simple?
Significantly. Buildertrend’s entry tier is ~$399 USD/mo (~$608 AUD), versus Built Simple Tradie at $79 AUD/mo. Per year, that’s $7,300 vs $948 AUD — roughly 8x.
Can I migrate my Buildertrend data to Built Simple?
Not via a one-click import, but we can help you migrate projects, contacts, and templates manually. Get in touch and we’ll guide you through it.
Does Built Simple have a client portal like Buildertrend?
Not today. A client portal is on our roadmap. Right now, Built Simple’s strength is internal team workflow — scheduling, defects, estimating, team and equipment. If a polished homeowner-facing portal is essential for your business today, Buildertrend wins on that one feature.
Will Built Simple grow with my business?
Yes. Our Pro tier scales to unlimited team members, projects, and storage. We’re built for AU SMB builders growing from sole-trade to 50-person crews. Beyond that scale, enterprise tools like Procore become a fair consideration.
How is Built Simple’s mobile experience different?
Built Simple is mobile-first — every feature is designed for phone as the primary device. Buildertrend’s mobile app is a companion to the desktop platform. If your team works from utes and job sites, Built Simple will feel native; Buildertrend will feel compressed.
Is Built Simple Australian-owned?
Yes — based in Melbourne, founded 2025 by Calum Buchanan. AU support, AU billing, AU GST. Buildertrend is US-headquartered with AU customer hours.
Bottom line
Buildertrend is built for $1M+ custom home builders who need a feature-rich client portal and don’t mind paying USD for it. Built Simple is built for everyone else in the Australian SMB construction market — tradies, owner-builders, small-to-mid builders who want fast, mobile-first job management at AU prices.
The cheapest way to know which is right for you: start Built Simple free, run your next job through it, and decide.