OneBookPlus vs Buildxact
The all-in-one Buildxact alternative for Australian builders
Buildxact is estimating-first construction software — but the tier with invoicing, job management, mobile and accounting sync is $399/month, its app is view-mostly, and it collects no payments. OneBookPlus gives builders the same estimate-to-claim workflow plus online payments and native GST accounting in one app, from $99/month.
Key takeaways
5- Buildxact prices in three flat tiers with unlimited users (ex GST): Foundation $199/mo, Pro $399/mo, Master $599/mo. Foundation is a pre-construction/sales tool, no invoicing, no job management, no mobile app, no accounting sync, so the tier most builders actually need is Pro at $399/mo, plus Blu AI add-ons ($99–$149/mo) for AI estimating.
- OneBookPlus's builder suite is $99/mo with unlimited users and everything included, AI plan takeoff, estimating, progress claims, cost control, online payments and native GST accounting, on top of a free core app, and export is always free.
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- Both estimate from catalogues and recipes and do digital plan takeoff. Buildxact is genuinely deeper on estimating heritage and live supplier price files; OneBookPlus adds online payments, native accounting and a full-create mobile app that Buildxact either leaves out or gates behind Pro.
- Buildxact wins on: a mature takeoff-to-quote estimating flow (its own customers cite ‘6 hours to 15 minutes’), live supplier price files (Bunnings Trade, Mitre 10) with one-click re-pricing, a Gantt schedule on Pro, and years of residential-builder focus since 2011.
- OneBookPlus wins on: payments included (card + BECS), ‘pick one, find all’ AI counting, photo-to-progress-claim drafting, native GST/BAS accounting (no separate Xero), GST-inclusive entry, and a flat $99/mo with export always free, versus Buildxact's $399 Pro tier and the loss of data access on cancellation.
At a glance
What you get with each platform
OneBookPlus builder suite
$99/mo — unlimited users, everything included, export always free
- AI plan takeoff (PDF & photo)
- Estimating: catalogues, recipes, markup + margin
- ‘Pick one, find all’ AI counting
- Progress claims + retention
- Online claim payments (card + BECS)
- Estimated vs committed vs actual costs
- Native GST/BAS accounting
- Variations with e-signature
- Full create & edit on mobile
Buildxact
Foundation $199/mo · Pro $399/mo (ex GST) · unlimited users
- Digital takeoff & estimating
- Live supplier price files
- Progress-claim invoicing (Pro only)
- Job management & Gantt schedule (Pro only)
- Online payment collection
- GST-inclusive pricing
- Native accounting (needs Xero/MYOB)
- Full create/edit on mobile app
- Keep your data after cancelling
Feature by feature
OneBookPlus vs Buildxact — detailed comparison
See exactly what's included in each platform. OneBookPlus replaces Buildxact plus the Xero subscription and the separate payment gateway most Buildxact builders still run alongside it — and the table is honest about the two rows where Buildxact is genuinely ahead.
| Feature | OneBookPlus | Buildxact |
|---|---|---|
| Construction estimating (catalogues + recipes) | Yes | Yes |
| Digital plan takeoff | Yes | Yes |
| AI ‘pick one, find all’ symbol counting | Yes | No |
| Estimating from your own recent paid supplier costs | Yes | No |
| AI estimate generator & reviewer included | Yes | No |
| Progress claims (staged billing) | Yes | Yes |
| Photo → progress claim (AI drafts % complete) | Yes | No |
| Variations with digital signature | Yes | Yes |
| Estimated vs committed vs actual cost control | Yes | Yes |
| Online claim payments (card + BECS) | Yes | No |
| Native GST/BAS accounting (no Xero needed) | Yes | No |
| GST-inclusive entry & display | Yes | No |
| Full create & edit on the mobile app | Yes | No |
| Client portal & selections | Yes | Yes |
| RFQs to suppliers & subbies | Yes | Yes |
| Defects / punch list & SWMS safety | Yes | No |
| Export your data free, anytime | Yes | No |
| Live supplier price files (Bunnings / Mitre 10) | No | Yes |
| Gantt schedule with dependencies | No | Yes |
| Price (AUD) | $99/mo | Foundation $199 / Pro $399 (ex GST) |
| Unlimited users · all included · export free | Unlimited users · payments & mobile need Pro + Xero |
Category by category
The 16 dimensions Australian builders check first
Where an estimating-first tool with feature-gated tiers and a view-mostly app differs from an all-in-one, AU-tax-native builder suite. Buildxact is genuinely deeper on takeoff maturity, live supplier price files and its Gantt schedule; OneBookPlus bundles payments, native accounting and a full-create mobile app that Buildxact leaves to other subscriptions or its top tier. Each Buildxact row is cited to its public pages.
| Category | Feature | OneBookPlus | Buildxact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target | Who the tool is built for | Sole trader to growing builder (1–25 staff) | Residential builders & renovators (~1–20) [src] |
| Estimating | Cost catalogues, recipes/assemblies, quote letters | Yes | Yes |
| Takeoff | Digital plan takeoff | PDF & photo plans, drag-to-correct on plan | PDF only, ~20-page cap [src] |
| Symbol counting on the plan | AI ‘pick one, find all’ | Manual, click-per-item [src] | |
| AI | AI estimate generator & reviewer | Included in the builder suite | Blu AI add-ons (+$99–$149/mo) [src] |
| Supplier pricing | Live merchant price files | CSV import + your own recent paid costs | Live Bunnings / Mitre 10 feeds [src] |
| Claims | Progress claims (staged billing) | Yes | Yes, on Pro tier [src] |
| Variations | Variations with digital signature | Yes | Digital acceptance (Pro) [src] |
| Cost control | Estimated vs committed vs actual | Yes | Actual costings (Pro) [src] |
| Payments | Collect claim payments online | Card + BECS on every claim | No |
| Accounting | Native GST/BAS ledger | Yes | Via Xero / MYOB / QBO (Pro) [src] |
| GST inclusivity | GST-inclusive entry & display | Inclusive or exclusive | Tax-exclusive only [src] |
| Schedule | Gantt schedule with dependencies | Job calendar (no Gantt) | Gantt w/ FS/SS deps (Pro) [src] |
| Mobile | Field app that creates & edits | Native iOS, full create/edit | Onsite: view-mostly, iPhone-only (Pro) [src] |
| Pricing model | How the price is set | $99/mo flat, unlimited users, all included | Foundation $199 / Pro $399, unlimited users [src] |
| Data on cancel | Keep & export your data | Export always free | Access lost unless you keep paying [src] |
| Starting price (AUD, inc. GST) | $99/mo | Foundation $199 · Pro $399 | |
| Unlimited users · everything included · export always free | ex GST · unlimited users · payments & mobile need Pro |
Where Buildxact wins
Credit where it’s due
Buildxact has been building for residential builders out of Melbourne since 2011, and its estimating spine is genuine, hard-won depth — not marketing. Its takeoff-to-quote flow is what its own customers point to when they say an estimate that used to take six hours now takes about fifteen minutes, and years of refinement show in the recipe and assembly tooling. Its real differentiator is live supplier price files — the Australian merchants it integrates (Bunnings Trade and Mitre 10 among them) feed catalogue pricing straight into an estimate with one-click re-pricing, and that dealer network is also how Buildxact goes to market. Add the Blu AI suite, a Gantt schedule on Pro, flat pricing with unlimited users, and bundled one-to-one onboarding, and it is a serious, established product. If plans-first estimating with live merchant pricing is the core of your week, Buildxact’s specialism is real and OneBookPlus does not pretend to out-build it on that one axis — the switch is not urgent.
Where OneBookPlus wins
Three differences that compound
Payments are built in, and so is your ledger. Buildxact collects no payments anywhere — its client-portal invoices are view-only, and BAS, P&L and GST run through a separate Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks subscription that Buildxact users regularly fight to keep in sync. OneBookPlus takes card and BECS on every progress claim and keeps a GST-native ledger in the same app — and it prices tax-inclusive, which Buildxact’s tax-exclusive-only engine simply can’t do.
AI that counts and claims, not just measures. On the plan, OneBookPlus’s ‘pick one, find all’ symbol counting does in a tap what Buildxact still does click-by-click, and its streaming estimate generator and reviewer are included rather than sold as $99–$149/month Blu add-ons. Site photos can even draft a percentage-complete progress claim for you. Every one of these lands as a first draft you review and approve — nothing bills or sends on its own — but they take the manual grind out of the parts of the job builders like least.
One flat $99/mo, unlimited users, export always free. Buildxact gates invoicing, job management, the Onsite mobile app and accounting sync behind Pro at $399/month, and on cancellation you lose access to your past quotes and jobs unless you keep paying to hold your own data. OneBookPlus puts the whole construction workflow — takeoff, estimating, claims, cost control, payments and accounting — in one $99/month app with unlimited users, and lets you export your data for free, any time.
Why switch
Why Australian builders are moving from Buildxact to OneBookPlus
Everything, not just the Foundation slice
Buildxact's $199 Foundation can't invoice, run jobs, or go on mobile, you need Pro at $399/mo for the parts that run a build. OneBookPlus includes estimating, claims, cost control, payments and accounting in one $99/mo plan.
Get paid without leaving the app
Buildxact collects no payments, its portal invoices are view-only. OneBookPlus takes card and BECS on progress claims, so the payment settles against the same claim you raised.
Accounting is native, not a Xero sync
Buildxact routes BAS and P&L through Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks, with standing sync-issue help articles to prove how often it breaks. OneBookPlus keeps a GST-native ledger in the same subscription.
A mobile app that does the work
Buildxact Onsite is view-mostly, iPhone-only, with no offline mode, you can't quote, order or invoice from it. OneBookPlus ships a native iOS app that creates and edits quotes, invoices and jobs on site.
No data hostage
Cancel Buildxact and you lose access to your past quotes unless you keep paying to hold your own data. OneBookPlus keeps export free, always, your estimates, claims and job history are yours to take with you.
FAQ
OneBookPlus vs Buildxact — your questions answered
Is OneBookPlus a good Buildxact alternative for Australian builders?
Yes, for residential builders and trade contractors who want estimating, plan takeoff, progress claims and cost control without paying $399/month for Buildxact Pro or bolting on Xero for accounting and a separate gateway for payments. Buildxact is genuinely strong on estimating heritage and live supplier price files. OneBookPlus matches the estimate-to-claim workflow and adds online payments, native GST accounting and a full-featured mobile app for a flat $99/month with unlimited users. If plans-first takeoff with live merchant pricing is your entire workflow, Buildxact's specialism may still suit you; for most builders who also need to get paid and keep their books straight, OneBookPlus is the more complete and cheaper path.
How much does Buildxact cost compared to OneBookPlus?
Buildxact publishes three flat tiers with unlimited users (ex GST): Foundation $199/month, Pro $399/month, and Master $599/month. Foundation is a pre-construction and sales tool, it does not include invoicing, job management, the mobile app or accounting sync, so the tier most builders actually need is Pro at $399/month, plus a separate Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks subscription for accounting and Blu AI add-ons ($99–$149/month) for AI estimating. Buildxact's pricing rewards larger teams (users are unlimited) but punishes smaller ones who still land on the $399 Pro tier. OneBookPlus's builder suite is $99/month with unlimited users and everything included, estimating, takeoff, claims, cost control, payments and native accounting, on top of a free core app.
Can OneBookPlus do digital plan takeoff like Buildxact?
Yes. OneBookPlus does AI-measured takeoff on PDF and photo plans with zoom and pan, drag-to-correct directly on the plan, and ‘pick one, find all’ symbol counting that Buildxact still does by hand. Two honest caveats: OneBookPlus's AI measures into a review queue you check (roughly 85–90% accurate before your corrections, not fully automatic), and it does not do LiDAR room scanning, takeoff works on PDF or photo plans only. Buildxact is the more mature 2D plan tracer with years of refinement; OneBookPlus adds AI counting and a streaming estimate generator on top of the same core workflow.
Does Buildxact collect payments from clients?
No. Buildxact has no payment collection anywhere, its client-portal invoices are view-only, with no card or BECS option. That means the money still lands in a separate system. OneBookPlus takes card and BECS payments directly on progress claims and invoices, so the payment settles in the same app that raised the claim. It is one of the clearest, most practical gaps between the two products for a builder who wants to actually get paid faster.
Can OneBookPlus replace Buildxact and Xero together?
Yes. Buildxact has no native accounting, BAS, P&L and GST reporting all run through a Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks integration, and accounting-sync problems are one of Buildxact's most recurring complaint classes. OneBookPlus includes a GST-native ledger, BAS-ready reporting and bank feeds in the same subscription, so a builder can retire both the estimating tool and the separate accounting bill and stop reconciling across two systems. OneBookPlus also handles GST-inclusive entry and display, which Buildxact's tax-exclusive-only engine does not.
What happens to my data if I cancel Buildxact?
With Buildxact, cancelling means you lose access to your past quotes and jobs unless you keep paying a monthly fee to retain read-only or hibernated access to your own data. OneBookPlus keeps data export free at any time on every plan, your estimates, claims and job records are yours to take with you whenever you like, with no lock-out and no ransom. If keeping ownership of your history matters, that difference is worth weighing before you commit.
How OneBookPlus Replaces Buildxact, And the Xero and Payment App Beside It
Buildxact earned its place by doing one thing exceptionally well: turning a set of PDF plans into a priced quote fast. For a custom-home or renovation builder, that estimating spine, takeoff, recipes, live supplier pricing, quote letter, is real value, and it is why builders put up with the rest. The trouble starts after the quote is accepted. Buildxact's cheapest tier can't invoice, can't manage the job, and can't go on a phone; the tier that can is $399 a month; the app you actually take to site is view-only; there is no way to collect a payment inside it; and your accounting lives in a separate Xero or MYOB subscription that you spend quarter-ends reconciling. OneBookPlus for builders is built for the whole loop, not just the estimate.
Where Buildxact thinks in estimates and hands the money off, OneBookPlus keeps the estimate, the claim, the payment and the ledger in one place. Every takeoff you measure, every claim you raise, every card or bank payment that lands, and every supplier bill you match feeds the same financial picture, no export to Xero, no separate gateway, no second reconciliation. You see what a job estimated at, what it has committed, what it has actually cost, and what the ATO needs, in real time.
Feature Deep Dive
Takeoff and estimating, with AI that counts: OneBookPlus does AI-measured plan takeoff on PDF and photo plans, zoom, pan, and drag to correct a measurement right on the drawing, plus 'pick one, find all' symbol counting that Buildxact still does click-by-click. Its measurements flow into a construction estimate built from your cost catalogue and recipes, with wastage, PC/PS allowances, and a markup-or-margin toggle Buildxact's estimate screen lacks. Reality-calibrated pricing can pre-fill line items from your own recent paid supplier costs. Two honest limits: the AI measures into a review queue you check (around 85–90% before your corrections, not fully automatic), and there is no LiDAR room scan, takeoff is PDF and photo only. Buildxact remains the more mature 2D tracer with live merchant price feeds; OneBookPlus adds the AI counting and generation on top.
Progress claims that actually get paid: Convert an accepted estimate to a contract job, then bill it as cost-plus, fixed-stage, or completion-percentage progress claims with retention. Site photos can draft the percentage complete per stage for you to review. Variations carry a client digital signature and flow into the contract value. Then, the part Buildxact can't do at all, the claim is payable online by card or BECS, and the money settles against the same claim in the same app. (These are GST-compliant tax invoices; OneBookPlus does not yet generate state-specific SOPA payment claims.)
GST and BAS built into every transaction: Every estimate, claim, bill and payment has GST handled natively, inclusive or exclusive, not bolted on through an accounting integration. Committed and actual costs land against the job from your purchase orders and bills, so estimated-versus-actual is live rather than a spreadsheet. When BAS time comes your figures are already calculated, with no export into Xero and no sync to debug. Buildxact's tax engine is tax-exclusive only and routes BAS and P&L through a separate subscription.
Who Should Switch
- Residential builders and renovators on Buildxact Pro at $399/mo who use estimating and claims but pay separately for Xero and a payment gateway.
- Builders frustrated that they can't collect a payment inside Buildxact, or that the Onsite app is view-only when they're on site.
- Smaller builders who land on the $399 Pro tier regardless of team size and want a flat $99/mo with the whole workflow and their data free to export.
Stay with Buildxact if: your entire workflow is plans-first takeoff on complex new builds, you lean heavily on live merchant price files re-pricing your estimates, or a Gantt schedule with task dependencies is the screen you live in. Those are genuine Buildxact strengths, and OneBookPlus does not claim a Gantt product or LiDAR scanning.
Getting Started
Switching is self-serve. Start on the free core app, then turn on the Builder Suite app for $99/month on top of any core plan (from $0). Import your cost catalogue and recipes from CSV, set your GST defaults and ABN, and load a plan to run your first takeoff and estimate. Any new quotes, claims and payments happen in OneBookPlus, and your ledger stays current without a second accounting app. Because export is always free, nothing about the move locks you in, and nothing bills, sends or claims without you reviewing and approving it first.
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Estimate, claim and get paid
in one app — from $99/month.
Join Australian builders replacing Buildxact, Xero and a separate payment app with OneBookPlus.
No credit card · Free core app · Export always free
About this comparison
How we compared OneBookPlus to Buildxact
Feature claims about OneBookPlus reflect what is shipping today on onebookplus.com.au. Buildxact pricing and feature claims were last verified against Buildxact’s public Australian product pages on the date below; vendor pricing changes frequently, so check the Buildxact website for your specific situation before making a decision.
Disclosure: OneBookPlus publishes this comparison and stands to benefit if you switch. We aim to compare like-for-like on capability and Australian tax compliance, if you spot something out of date, email hello@onebookplus.com.au and we’ll review it.
About the author
Bishal Shrestha
Founder & CEO, OneBookPlus
Bishal spent a decade running digital projects for Australian small businesses before founding OneBookPlus. Bishal regularly assists Australian small to medium businesses with software stack consolidation, including the trade-offs of moving from Buildxact to an integrated platform. The comparison above is informed by direct migration experience, not a single read of the Buildxact marketing site.
Read the founder bioLast reviewed and updated: June 2026 by Bishal Shrestha