Software Roundup · 12 Tools
12 Best AIA Billing Software for Contractors in 2026
The 12 tools contractors use to bill G702 and G703 progress payments in 2026, ranked by the one job each does best.
- SimplyWise Cost Estimator: the fastest way to price the job you are about to bill, not an AIA form generator.
- Knowify: native G702 and G703 pay apps with two-way QuickBooks Online sync.
- GCPay and Siteline: the pay-application exchange for general contractors and subcontractors.
- Sage 100 Contractor and Foundation Software: full construction accounting with AIA billing built in.
What AIA billing software actually has to do
The best AIA billing software for contractors turns progress billing into a package a general contractor accepts the first time. AIA billing is the standardized progress-payment method from the American Institute of Architects: the G702 is the cover sheet, and the G703 is the line-item backup that breaks the contract into a schedule of values. Get the retainage or the totals wrong and the pay application bounces.
The 12 tools below split into three honest jobs. Some are lean pay-application generators that output clean G702 and G703 packages. Some are full construction accounting platforms with AIA billing bolted onto job costing and payroll. And one, SimplyWise, sits in front of them all and prices the work so you have a number to bill against. For the stages on either side of the pay app, see our guides to photo to estimate apps and construction invoice software.
The 12 best AIA billing software, ranked
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SimplyWise Cost Estimator
Best for the estimating step that feeds every pay app. Snap a photo of the job and it comes back as an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds, so you reach progress billing with a number, not a blank schedule of values. It does not generate G702 or G703 forms, so pair it with a dedicated pay-app tool. Free to try.
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Knowify
Best native G702 and G703. Builds AIA pay applications with an automated schedule of values, retainage tracking, and two-way QuickBooks Online sync. The strongest pick for specialty trade contractors who bill progress payments.
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GCPay
Best for the general-contractor-and-subcontractor workflow. A two-sided platform where subs submit G702 and G703 packages, general contractors approve them, and lien waivers move through the same shared pipeline. The pick when a whole project roster bills in one place.
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Siteline
Best for subcontractors. Centralizes pay-app creation, line-item retainage, lien waivers, and collections for a sub billing a dozen general contractors, each with its own format. Built around the subcontractor side of the table.
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Buildertrend
Best for residential builders. Pairs a lead funnel and client portal with progress invoicing, so the platform that captured the lead also runs the build and bills the draws. Residential-first, not commercial G702 and G703.
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Sage 100 Contractor
Best full-accounting option. Sets up a schedule of values per contract, calculates retention automatically, and prints G702 and G703 forms from the same system that runs job costing and payroll. Heavier and established.
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Foundation Software
Best for certified payroll. Job-cost accounting built for multi-state, multi-union, prevailing-wage work, with progress billing tied to the ledger. The pick when payroll complexity, not the pay app itself, is the deciding factor.
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Premier Construction Software
Best cloud accounting for mid-market. Combines job-cost accounting, project management, and progress billing in one cloud system for general contractors and developers running multi-project portfolios.
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Procore
Best for enterprise. Keeps owner and subcontractor pay applications inside the same platform that already runs drawings, RFIs, and project financials, tied to the budget and commitments. Overkill unless the project already lives there.
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Werx
Best for small trade contractors. Progress and AIA-style invoicing in a light, easy-to-adopt tool, without the weight of a full construction ERP. A clean step up for a small shop that has outgrown spreadsheets.
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PayAppPro
Best lean standalone generator. Builds G702 and G703 packages with a schedule of values, retainage, stored materials, and change orders, built to avoid the mismatched totals that get pay apps rejected. Billing only, no accounting.
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QuickBooks Online
Best for shops already on QuickBooks. Adds progress invoicing so a contractor can split an estimate into staged invoices by percentage of completion. It does not produce the formal G702 and G703 forms, so file those with a dedicated tool.
Where SimplyWise fits in your AIA billing stack
Several tools on this list produce the actual G702 and G703 forms. None of them price the job for you. That is the gap SimplyWise Cost Estimator fills: it turns a photo of the job into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds, so you reach the pay-application stage with a real number instead of a blank schedule of values. SimplyWise does not generate AIA forms or track retainage, so pair it with one of the dedicated AIA billing software tools above. It is free to try.
Sources
- Competitor features and AIA G702 and G703 form definitions verified against the SimplyWise verified-facts database (last verified 2026-04-30).
- Vendor public product pages for each of the 11 competing tools listed.
Every AIA pay application starts with a number. The right software turns it into a G702 and G703 package the general contractor will actually accept.
SimplyWise Editorial
AIA billing software: common questions
What is the best AIA billing software for contractors in 2026?
For contractors who need native G702 and G703 pay applications, Knowify is the most-cited AIA billing software in 2026, with an automated schedule of values, retainage tracking, and two-way QuickBooks Online sync. For the estimate that comes first, SimplyWise Cost Estimator is the fastest mobile front end and is free to try, though it does not generate the formal AIA forms.
What are G702 and G703 forms in AIA billing?
They are the two standardized construction progress-payment forms from the American Institute of Architects. The G702 Application and Certificate for Payment is the cover sheet showing the contract total, prior payments, current amount due, and retainage. The G703 Continuation Sheet is the line-item backup that breaks the contract into a schedule of values. AIA billing software exists to produce both accurately so a pay application gets accepted.
Does SimplyWise do AIA billing?
No. SimplyWise Cost Estimator does not generate G702 or G703 forms or track retainage line by line. It handles the step before the pay app: it turns a photo of the job into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Solo and small shops pair it with a dedicated AIA billing software tool like Knowify for the formal forms. It is free to try.
Is there free AIA billing software?
There is no permanently free, dedicated G702 and G703 generator from a major vendor, so plan on paying for the pay-application tool that fits your workflow. For the estimating step that feeds the pay app, the SimplyWise Cost Estimator is free to try with no credit card, though it does not produce the formal AIA forms.
What is the best AIA billing software for subcontractors?
For commercial subcontractors billing many general contractors with different formats, Siteline centralizes pay-application creation, line-item retainage, lien waivers, and collections in one place. When the general contractor already runs GCPay, subs usually bill through that shared workflow instead.
Get the number your pay application is built on, in seconds.
Snap a photo of the job and SimplyWise returns an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Price the work, then carry that number into whatever AIA billing software files your G702 and G703. Free to try, no credit card.