Renovate vs QuickBooks. Estimates, invoices, and pipeline in one workspace.
QuickBooks is accounting software. It is great at general ledger, reconciliation, and tax preparation, but it was never built for how renovation contractors actually work. Renovate ships estimates, milestone invoices, pipeline, and Renovate AI in one workspace tuned for contractors.
Side by side
What ships in each product day one.
| Feature | Renovate | QuickBooks |
|---|---|---|
Contractor grade estimates | Basic | |
Milestone billing built in | Manual | |
Sales pipeline with weighted forecast | ||
Renovate AI room mockups | ||
Stripe Connect payouts | ||
Public storefront URL | Pro Plus | |
Product store for materials | ||
General ledger accounting | ||
Payroll module | ||
Native iOS and Android apps | ||
Starting monthly price | $29.99 | $30 plus |
What Renovate ships that QuickBooks doesn't
Real estimates, not glorified invoices
Line item quotes with photos, plan attachments, markup calculation, and a one click accept button. QuickBooks Estimates are essentially draft invoices without the presentation layer a client actually reacts to.
Milestone billing on every renovation
Split any estimate into deposit, demo, rough in, cabinet install, and punch list. Every stage is a separately payable invoice. QuickBooks supports partial invoices but requires manual accounting for every stage.
Sales pipeline and follow up automation
Kanban board of every lead and open estimate with weighted revenue forecast and stale deal alerts. QuickBooks has no CRM pipeline. Contractors typically bolt on a separate CRM like HubSpot on top.
When you still need QuickBooks
QuickBooks remains the standard for accounting. General ledger, bank reconciliation, sales tax, payroll integration, and year end tax prep with an accountant. Most Renovate customers use QuickBooks for accounting and Renovate for everything client facing. Export invoice history from Renovate to QuickBooks each month for reconciliation.
Questions contractors ask before switching
Do I still need QuickBooks if I use Renovate?+
For most renovation shops, yes. Renovate handles everything client facing (estimates, invoices, milestone billing, pipeline, payment collection). QuickBooks handles the accounting side (ledger, reconciliation, sales tax, payroll, tax prep). Together they cover both sides without either tool trying to do both jobs badly.
Can I export from Renovate to QuickBooks?+
Yes. Renovate exports invoices, payments, and expenses as CSV that imports cleanly into QuickBooks Online or Desktop. Most contractors run a monthly export as part of month end close. Native QuickBooks sync is on the near term roadmap.
How is Renovate better for estimates than QuickBooks?+
QuickBooks Estimates are essentially draft invoices with no presentation layer. Renovate estimates are branded pages with your logo, cover image, line items with photos, markup calculation, a signature block, and a one click online accept. Client reads it on their phone, taps Accept, and it flips to a live project.
Does Renovate handle sales tax like QuickBooks?+
Renovate handles tax on line items (per state, per province, per line) so quotes and invoices are accurate. It does not do the general ledger tax accounting side. Export invoices to QuickBooks for tax filing and reconciliation.
How much does Renovate cost compared to QuickBooks?+
Renovate is $29.99 per month for Pro or $59.99 per month for Pro Plus. QuickBooks Online Simple Start is around $30 per month and Essentials or Plus is $60 to $100 per month. Most contractors run both. Renovate for client work, QuickBooks for the books.
Move your business to Renovate this afternoon.
Import your contacts from QuickBooks, send your first estimate, and see if it fits before your next payroll.