Buildrun vs Microsoft Project
How Buildrun compares with Microsoft Project for construction project management - covering scheduling, field reporting, collaboration, and India-specific needs.
Buildrun
Construction management platform built for Indian sites with BI Auto-Scheduler, mobile-first reporting, and real-time schedule recalculation.
Microsoft Project
Microsoft's project management software, widely used across industries for scheduling, resource planning, and project tracking. Available as desktop and cloud versions.
| Feature | Buildrun | Microsoft Project |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time schedule recalculation | BI Auto-Scheduler recalculates dependencies in under 2 seconds when field data changes | Manual recalculation after progress update. Desktop version requires planner to re-baseline |
| Construction-specific features | Built specifically for construction - WBS templates, QC checklists, photo documentation, snagging, BOQ integration | General-purpose project management. Can be configured for construction but no industry-specific features out of the box |
| Mobile field reporting | Mobile-first design - GPS-tagged photos, one-tap progress updates, offline capability | Project for the web has mobile access through browsers. No dedicated construction field reporting |
| Collaboration model | Site engineers, PMs, and leadership see the same live dashboard. Data flows from site automatically | Primarily a single-planner tool (desktop). Cloud version allows PM-level collaboration |
| RERA compliance | Built-in Indian regulatory compliance tracking | No India-specific features. Compliance tracked separately |
| Integration ecosystem | Focused construction integrations - BOQ, QC, billing | Broad Microsoft 365 ecosystem - Teams, SharePoint, Power BI |
| Scheduling capability | CPM scheduling with auto-recalculation and resource tracking | Full CPM scheduling, resource leveling, cost tracking, multiple baselines |
| QC and quality management | Digital QC checklists linked to schedule with mandatory photo evidence | Not a core feature. Requires separate tools |
| Pricing | SaaS subscription, construction-specific pricing | Project Plan 1 from approximately Rs 850/month per user |
| Learning curve | Designed for site engineers with minimal technical background | Moderate learning curve. Desktop version requires training |
Why Construction Teams Default to MS Project
Microsoft Project is the most commonly used scheduling tool in Indian construction after Excel. Its familiarity (part of the Microsoft ecosystem), relatively accessible pricing, and adequate scheduling capabilities make it the default choice for many developers and PMC firms.
For teams already using Microsoft 365, adding Project feels natural. The learning curve is moderate compared to Primavera P6. The Gantt chart interface is intuitive for basic scheduling.
Where MS Project Falls Short for Construction
Microsoft Project is a general-purpose project management tool designed to work across industries. This generality is both its strength and its limitation.
Construction-specific gaps include: no built-in WBS templates for construction (tower, floor, trade structure must be manually created), no field reporting capability, no QC management, no BOQ integration, and no India-specific features like RERA compliance.
For a typical Indian residential project, this means MS Project handles one function - the schedule - while everything else lives in separate tools. The Autodesk-Deloitte study (2024) found that Indian construction firms average 8.7 different tools per project. MS Project contributes to this fragmentation by handling scheduling well but nothing else.
The Collaboration Gap
MS Project's desktop version is a single-user tool. One planner builds the schedule, updates it, and distributes PDFs. This creates the familiar bottleneck: the planner becomes the sole gateway between site reality and the schedule.
MS Project's cloud versions improve collaboration by allowing multiple users to view and update the project. But even the cloud version is designed for project managers - not for a site engineer standing on a construction floor with dusty hands and intermittent internet.
Buildrun's collaboration model is fundamentally different. The site engineer is the primary data source. They update task progress from their mobile phone. That data flows into the schedule automatically. The planner, PM, and leadership see the same live data.
When to Choose Microsoft Project
MS Project is the right choice when: the team primarily needs scheduling without construction-specific features, the organisation is committed to the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, the project manager is the primary tool user, and the budget requires staying within an existing Microsoft enterprise agreement.
When to Choose Buildrun
Buildrun is the right choice when: the team needs integrated construction management (not just a scheduler), site engineers need to input data directly, QC management and billing need to be connected to the schedule, and RERA compliance tracking is required.
Our verdict
Microsoft Project is a capable scheduling tool that works for teams needing planning and resource management within the Microsoft ecosystem. Buildrun is purpose-built for the full construction management workflow - connecting site reporting, quality, and billing to the schedule. Teams layering 4-5 tools on top of MS Project to cover construction-specific needs may find a single integrated platform simpler.
Related comparisons
Buildrun vs Primavera P6
A detailed comparison of Buildrun and Oracle Primavera P6 for Indian construction teams - from scheduling and mobile access to site adoption and RERA compliance.
Primavera P6 vs Microsoft Project
An honest comparison of Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project for construction scheduling - covering CPM depth, portfolio management, cost, and ease of use.
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