Contractor Foreman vs. QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Contractor Foreman
Score 8.6 out of 10
N/A
Contractor Foreman is an online construction management software for contractors and boasts users among contractors in more than 75 countries.
$588
per year
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
Score 7.9 out of 10
N/A
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is a widely-used accounting package designed for small to mid-sized businesses. It is the top of the QuickBooks line. Pricing starts at $3,000 for five users, and goes up depending on the number of additional users. They also offer an Advanced Inventory module for $999 / year.
$1,703
per year per user
Pricing
Contractor ForemanQuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
Editions & Modules
Basic
$588
per year
Standard
$948
per year
Plus
$1,497
per year
Pro
$1,990
per year
Unlimited
$2,988
per year
Diamond
$447
per month per user
Diamond with Remote Access
$513
per month per user
Gold
2,210.00
per year per user
Platinum
2,717.00
per year per user
Gold with Remote Access
3,000.00
per year per user
Platinum with Remote Access
3,504.00
per year per user
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Contractor ForemanQuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsPlans are based on features and licenses needed. Plus, Pro, and Unlimited plans include a 100-day money back guarantee.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Contractor ForemanQuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
Considered Both Products
Contractor Foreman
Chose Contractor Foreman
Contractor Foreman is much easier to use than the other softwares demo'd. Ultimately we got stuck while exploring other softwares and found them a bit difficult to navigate. Contractor Foreman was also available at a fraction of the cost. While the other big name competitors …
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise

No answer on this topic

Features
Contractor ForemanQuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Contractor Foreman
7.5
70 Ratings
6% above category average
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data7.33 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history8.659 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration8.967 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.83 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting7.33 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management8.43 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)4.55 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Contractor Foreman
5.9
4 Ratings
15% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
8.6
125 Ratings
13% above category average
Pay calculation4.53 Ratings9.3118 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors3.64 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment4.51 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.01 Ratings8.071 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.01 Ratings9.0102 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management6.43 Ratings8.293 Ratings
Reimbursement management6.52 Ratings8.494 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Contractor Foreman
7.5
2 Ratings
9% above category average
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
-
Ratings
Tracking of all physical assets7.52 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Contractor Foreman
8.9
90 Ratings
14% above category average
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
8.2
197 Ratings
5% above category average
Dashboards9.088 Ratings8.1167 Ratings
Standard reports9.084 Ratings8.9195 Ratings
Custom reports9.079 Ratings7.7187 Ratings
Data exportability8.577 Ratings00 Ratings
Construction Project & Field Management
Comparison of Construction Project & Field Management features of Product A and Product B
Contractor Foreman
7.9
94 Ratings
6% above category average
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
-
Ratings
Plan distribution & viewing5.55 Ratings00 Ratings
Plan markups & sharing6.962 Ratings00 Ratings
Issue tracking & punchlists8.581 Ratings00 Ratings
Photo documentation8.292 Ratings00 Ratings
Jobsite reports8.983 Ratings00 Ratings
Document sharing8.888 Ratings00 Ratings
RFI tools8.270 Ratings00 Ratings
Collaboration & approvals8.780 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile app8.693 Ratings00 Ratings
Submittal design and management7.668 Ratings00 Ratings
Checklists8.879 Ratings00 Ratings
Meeting Minutes8.13 Ratings00 Ratings
Specifications5.54 Ratings00 Ratings
Change orders9.083 Ratings00 Ratings
Estimating
Comparison of Estimating features of Product A and Product B
Contractor Foreman
8.0
88 Ratings
5% above category average
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
-
Ratings
Takeoff tools7.52 Ratings00 Ratings
Job costing8.081 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost databases8.176 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost calculator8.476 Ratings00 Ratings
Bid creation8.279 Ratings00 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Contractor Foreman
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
7.4
85 Ratings
2% below category average
API for custom integration00 Ratings7.768 Ratings
Plug-ins00 Ratings7.277 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Contractor Foreman
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
8.8
178 Ratings
7% above category average
Single sign-on capability00 Ratings9.2139 Ratings
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings8.5176 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Contractor Foreman
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
7.9
201 Ratings
4% above category average
Accounts payable00 Ratings8.7194 Ratings
Accounts receivable00 Ratings8.3194 Ratings
Cash management00 Ratings9.0177 Ratings
Bank reconciliation00 Ratings9.5190 Ratings
Expense management00 Ratings8.1178 Ratings
Time tracking00 Ratings6.492 Ratings
Fixed asset management00 Ratings7.0135 Ratings
Multi-currency support00 Ratings6.265 Ratings
Multi-division support00 Ratings7.3107 Ratings
Regulations compliance00 Ratings7.277 Ratings
Electronic tax filing00 Ratings7.0100 Ratings
Self-service portal00 Ratings7.179 Ratings
Global Financial Support00 Ratings5.838 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings8.472 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings7.795 Ratings
Localizations00 Ratings8.454 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings9.3150 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings8.5100 Ratings
Configurable Accounting00 Ratings8.498 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings8.361 Ratings
Standardized Processes00 Ratings8.3111 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Contractor Foreman
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
7.6
118 Ratings
4% above category average
Inventory tracking00 Ratings8.3114 Ratings
Automatic reordering00 Ratings7.760 Ratings
Location management00 Ratings7.475 Ratings
Manufacturing module00 Ratings7.259 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Contractor Foreman
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
8.1
147 Ratings
8% above category average
Pricing00 Ratings8.4109 Ratings
Order entry00 Ratings8.2114 Ratings
Credit card processing00 Ratings7.7103 Ratings
Cost of goods sold00 Ratings8.7131 Ratings
Order Orchestration00 Ratings7.864 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings8.163 Ratings
Order exception Resolution00 Ratings8.149 Ratings
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Contractor ForemanQuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
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User Ratings
Contractor ForemanQuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
Likelihood to Recommend
8.5
(76 ratings)
8.3
(207 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(3 ratings)
8.5
(26 ratings)
Usability
7.7
(48 ratings)
9.9
(13 ratings)
Availability
1.8
(1 ratings)
10.0
(4 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(3 ratings)
Support Rating
9.1
(5 ratings)
6.0
(5 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
Implementation Rating
7.1
(2 ratings)
9.5
(10 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(4 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(3 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
1.1
(4 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(3 ratings)
User Testimonials
Contractor ForemanQuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
Likelihood to Recommend
Contractor Foreman
Project, estimate, employee, and customer management are the best items in Contractor Foreman. It's nice to be able to assign leads out and use the same card to convert a customer through the entire process. I really like the kanban method of managing projects, and Contractor Foreman is well-suited to that.
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Intuit
QuickBooks Enterprise is great for managing our inventory, purchases and income as we receive it. We use it to help budget and plan our monthly purchases, as well as keep each location on track when it comes to their expenses. It's also used for payroll and timekeeping at each store.
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Pros
Contractor Foreman
  • Their customer service is next to none. They always have someone available to help
  • The interface i completely customizable so that there is not more information than necessary
  • They way the cost items get tracked within a project that allows for every penny to be accounted for
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Intuit
  • Generally, a mouse is not needed!
  • Updating as each transaction is posted means, in the event of a crash, power failure, whatever; all the posted transactions are securely in the data file and can be pulled up on another computer, if the computer being used crashes.
  • Reporting is generally user friendly, in that one can see the desired results by setting a few parameters for the report.
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Cons
Contractor Foreman
  • In the CDB, I'd like to be able to create a line item with a specified percentage, and when I pull that line item into an estimate or proposal, I'd like the system to automatically calculate it based on that contract value. (Example, Contingency line is always going to be 15% of the contract value).
  • I'd like to be able to rearrange "blocks" on a page when I'm getting ready to send or print it. Lots of dead space on pages. Estimates 4 pages in total when it could be 2.
  • I'd like to be able to create budget summaries. Where the line items are grouped into their respective master format categories, and the category has the sum of all the line items in that category.
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Intuit
  • Wish we had the ability to track gallons. We are a truck stop and need to know how many gallons we buy and sell.
  • Matching up credits in Pay Bills can be challenging, especially if you make a mistake.
  • Wish in some of the reporting that it would automatically total some columns.
  • Downloading from the bank wish it would tell you the last time you downloaded and the dates you put in so you don't download the same information twice.
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Likelihood to Renew
Contractor Foreman
We have compiled so much information on CF it would be counterproductive to move to another software. We have also sold a lot of clients on the client portal feature. It is crucial for our communication between customers. The only reason we wouldn't renew the service is if somewhere offered the exact same service but at a lower cost
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Intuit
While QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise has been an amazing tool for many years, it seems it is getting phased out for QuickBooks Online. Intuit is decreasing the level of support it offers for QuickBooks Desktop in lieu of stronger support for QuickBooks Online. Although the desktop version is robust and helpful, it seems QBO is the way of the future for bookkeeping with QuickBooks.
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Usability
Contractor Foreman
Overall, Contractor Foreman is a great product, and I’m sure we’ve only scratched the surface of everything it has to offer. It can be a little quirky at times, occasionally displaying a 'Bad Gateway' message, but we haven’t experienced any timeout issues in the past few months. As we continue to use it, I’m confident we’ll uncover even more ways to streamline our workflow
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Intuit
QuickBooks provides all staff immediate access to the data in whatever form each person wants it. The balancing on entries prevents incorrect data entry on payables/receivables. Reports are easy to customize and save for future use. The records are easy to audit.
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Reliability and Availability
Contractor Foreman
Availability was good, FUNCTIONAL availability was more spotty
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Intuit
Rating: 7 out of 10
We rate QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise's availability a 7 out of 10. For the most part, the software is dependable and available when we need it. When hosted on a properly managed local server or through a reputable third-party cloud provider, uptime is generally consistent, and routine day-to-day operations run smoothly.
However, availability challenges do arise, particularly when accessing QuickBooks remotely or during periods of high system demand. Because it's a desktop-based solution, availability is highly dependent on our internal IT infrastructure. If our network goes down, a server needs maintenance, or if there’s an issue with a remote desktop connection, access to QuickBooks can be temporarily disrupted. These outages aren’t necessarily caused by QuickBooks itself, but they do impact our experience with availability.
Additionally, we’ve occasionally experienced application errors, especially after updates or when working with large company files. While Intuit support is usually helpful in resolving these issues, they can still lead to frustrating delays—especially during critical periods like month-end closing or grant reporting deadlines.
Planned maintenance, while infrequent, also affects availability, especially when using a hosted environment. Coordination with IT or hosting providers is sometimes needed to minimize downtime.
Overall, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is a reliable tool, but its dependence on local infrastructure introduces more potential points of failure compared to cloud-native solutions. Enhancements in cloud-based access or hybrid models could significantly improve both accessibility and uptime. That said, with strong internal IT support or a reliable cloud hosting provider, the availability can easily rise to an 8 or 9.
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Performance
Contractor Foreman
Many times we had issues that turned out to be errors and bugs. At first, we would be told forcefully that there were no bugs, then we would document them, and we would get an acknowledgement but no apology for essentially either gaslighting us or being ignorant of their system
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Intuit
I rate QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise's performance a 5 out of 10, mainly because while it’s functional for most routine tasks, it can lag significantly when handling complex operations, large data files, or during multi-user sessions. As our organization has grown, we’ve noticed that report generation—especially for customized or multi-dimensional reports—can be slow, sometimes taking several minutes to load or refresh. This impacts productivity, particularly during key financial cycles like audits, monthly closings, or grant reporting.
Performance degradation is especially noticeable when multiple users are active in the system at the same time. Even with a solid server setup, there’s often a drop in responsiveness when more than a handful of users are generating reports or entering transactions concurrently.
We’ve also experienced some slowdowns in third-party integrations, particularly when syncing with Vena Solutions or exporting data for use in external tools. While the integrations are valuable, they occasionally stall or require workarounds, adding friction to our workflows.
In short, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise delivers the basics well, but its performance limitations become more apparent in high-volume or complex use cases. It would benefit from better optimization for large datasets and faster processing for advanced reporting. Upgrades in system architecture—such as deeper support for cloud hosting or more efficient data handling—could significantly improve the user experience and move this rating closer to an 8.
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Support Rating
Contractor Foreman
Absolutely top notch! They were always there to help and immediately. Very happy with the communication they provided and the knowledge they had of their product. I would venture to say that they are one of the best in terms of support in their space.
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Intuit
It takes a long time to get through to customer support. And sometimes you have to explain the situation multiple times before the rep actually understands the issue, but that's usually because the issue is complex and out of the ordinary. However, the rep is always patient, and will take as much time and effort as necessary to resolve whatever issue you're having. It's nice that they can "take over" your computer rather than having to talk you through the solution over the phone.
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In-Person Training
Contractor Foreman
No answers on this topic
Intuit
It is a very easy system to learn, so with the help it was even easier. QB is a good solid system, but it lacks some of the complexity other systems have. with QB you need to get additional modules to get the same functionality that other systems offer standard
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Online Training
Contractor Foreman
No answers on this topic
Intuit
easy to learn system, specially with some kind of support. Just like with any other system, things get lot easier if you have guidance to lead you in your search for answers. having said that, QB is very easy to use and very easy to teach. you wont spend much time memorizing where to click.
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Implementation Rating
Contractor Foreman
The team that does your implementation is amazing. They're skillful, kind, they will take as much time as you need, and they have a sense of urgency
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Intuit
If you're loading QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions onto a computer that you're going to directly log into, you should be able to do it yourself. If you are going to connect to a server through a network or remote connection, you should probably have a professional IT person set it up for you.
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Alternatives Considered
Contractor Foreman
Contractor Foreman’s pricing is much more cost-effective for small to mid-sized construction businesses, making it a better fit for my company’s budget. It offers an intuitive interface with pre-built construction templates, minimizing setup time and making it easier at least for my team to adopt and start using. The platform’s focus on project tracking, financial management, and nice integrations that makes it highly efficient for tracking project progress, staying on budget, and managing subcontractors/bills. These factors combined made it the ideal choice for meeting my company's specific needs efficiently and cost-effectively.
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Intuit
We have selected this product as it is affordoable in terms of pricing and features too. Our clients is geeting lots of benefits by using this product. By using QuickBooks desktop client also manage the information realted to financials and also get the clear picture for the future by using the accounting information from this product.
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Scalability
Contractor Foreman
We had just 2 users
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Intuit
I would rate QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise a 7 out of 10 for overall scalability. The product offers solid scalability features, particularly for small to mid-sized organizations like ours that are growing and need reliable multi-user access, enhanced data capacity, and cross-departmental functionality. It handles increasing transaction volumes and user growth quite well, especially with its support for up to 40 users and the ability to manage large lists (customers, vendors, accounts, etc.)—a significant improvement over QuickBooks Pro or Premier.
Its role-based permissions system also allows us to assign tailored access by department or user level, which is essential for maintaining control and security across teams like finance, HR, and program management. Additionally, features like advanced reporting, inventory management, and class tracking have helped us better manage multiple programs or sites within one system.
That said, the scalability still has some limits. For example, deploying the software across multiple physical locations or for remote teams requires additional IT infrastructure—such as hosting it on a third-party cloud server or setting up a VPN—which introduces cost and complexity. Also, while QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise can technically handle a high volume of data, performance can decline as the file size grows over time unless regular maintenance and optimization are done.
In summary, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise scales well within its designed range, particularly for growing nonprofits and NGOs. However, organizations with distributed teams or very large, complex operations may eventually find the system’s desktop-based architecture less agile compared to cloud-native ERP platforms. With enhancements to cloud integration and remote accessibility, this rating could easily increase.
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Return on Investment
Contractor Foreman
  • Positive return for invoice/change order tracking
  • Great price
  • Prior to using Contractor Foreman we had to wait until the end to capture all change orders in one summary. Now, with the client portal, we can capture in real time and the client has visibility.
  • We have been trying to reduce administration time in tracking field expenses and with Contractor Foreman our field crew can uplaod reciepts and track expenses right from their mobile phones.
  • Punchlist - the punch list and To Do features are so robust we have drastically improved getting punchlists and small tasks completed in single trips without the wasted time and travel of multiple trips due to missed/forgotten items.
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Intuit
  • Good value for the price. The initial setup was quick and easy.
  • When properly set up and processes are followed it's decent at managing inventory which is something we had problems with. Have to have a dedicated employee to builds.
  • Rolling up costs in multi-level BOM's is a project each time we have to review costs, it's very time consuming to manually update all assemblies.
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ScreenShots

Contractor Foreman Screenshots

Screenshot of The client portal that lets customers to stay in the loop and know what is going on during all phases of the project.Screenshot of The custom dashboard which allows users to see the data that matters most to them.Screenshot of Stats that keep users informed to help them make use of data.Screenshot of The lead manager, that helps close deals without letting leads fall through the cracks.Screenshot of the Files & Photos screen, where making up plans can be done with Contractor Foreman.Screenshot of Time Cards, that display who is where and what they are doing.