# Compare BQE CORE Suite vs Design Flex 2026 | Capterra

> Unsure of what to choose? Check Capterra to compare BQE CORE Suite and Design Flex based on pricing, features, product details, and verified reviews.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/compare/141096-218525/BQE-Software-vs-2020-Design-Live

---

# BQE CORE Suite vs Design Flex Features and Cost Comparison

Last updated March 13th, 2026

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews  
moderated by our Reviews Verification team.[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/)

Your comparison:

BQE CORE SuiteDesign Flex2/4 selected

[BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/)[4.5 (787)](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/reviews/)

[Design Flex](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/)[4.3 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/reviews/)

[## BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/)[4.5 (787)](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/reviews/)

Starting Price

Contact vendor

Value-for-Money

4.5

Functionality

4.4

Ease of Use

4.4

Customer Service

4.6

Reviews Sentiment

Based on [787 reviews](#user-reviews)

Positive

712

Neutral

34

Negative

41

[## Design Flex](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/)[4.3 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/reviews/)

Starting Price

Contact vendor

Value-for-Money

3.9

Functionality

4.2

Ease of Use

4.2

Customer Service

4.3

Reviews Sentiment

JD

KG

Based on [357 reviews](#user-reviews)

Positive

298

Neutral

50

Negative

9

## Not a match? Find software alternatives tailored to your priorities.

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## Send this comparison chart to my inbox

### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.

## Summary

* * *

Features in Architecture Software

Best performer

32 / 50

Only BQE CORE Suite

-   Activity Dashboard
-   API
-   Approval Process Control

19 / 50

Only Design Flex

-   3D Imaging
-   Bills of Material
-   BIM Modeling

User satisfaction

User satisfaction

4.5

User reviews[787](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/reviews/)

Ease of use

4.4

Functionality

4.4

Value for money

4.5

Customer support

4.6

User satisfaction

4.3

User reviews[357](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/reviews/)

Ease of use

4.2

Functionality

4.2

Value for money

3.9

Customer support

4.3

Price starts from

Price starts from

\--

-   Free version
-   Free trial

Price starts from

\--

-   Free version
-   Free trial

Best for

Best for

BQE CORE is used by architecture firms, engineering firms, consulting firms, project managers, finance teams, administrative staff, principals, and owners.

Best for

Kitchen Designers Bathroom Designers Kitchen Remodelers Bathroom Remodelers Independent Designers Kitchen Dealers

## User reviews

Pros & cons

VR

Verified Reviewer

Admin

> "It’s a powerful, all-in-one solution that helps streamline project management, time tracking, and accounting in a single platform...."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___7145870)

CF

Colby F.

Architectural Technologist

> "Not being able to read longer titles on projects."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___7133232)

Montasir M.

Civil Engineer

> "It is an intuitive and powerful tool that simplifies project management, time tracking, and expense management for small to midsize..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6654747)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Principal

> "Very slow, cumbersome at times to run reports and navigate. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___7114891)

CC

Carmela C.

Accountant-administrator

> "It did have some features that we thought were great, like the invoicing which I still think works very well, and the easy..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___7119583)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Principal

> "Not really geared for project/task management. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___7114891)

JS

Jess S.

Project Designer

> "It allows for clear communication between myself and my team leadership, so there is no question about where my time is going and how..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6473293)

TM

Tim M.

Senior Engineer I

> "One minor complaint is that sometimes my time entries double up for no reason. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6588925)

Montasir M.

Civil Engineer

> "CORE’s ability to handle project budgets and automate tasks makes it a valuable asset for improving productivity and organization."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6654747)

TW

Taylor W.

Construction Engineer

> "Sometimes the program will run a bit slower than others that I use on my computer, but that could very well be related to the amount..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6249383)

SH

Sydney H.

Office Manager

> "We have become much more efficient in our operations and allowing more of our employee's time to be not only used for more important..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6829963)

MW

Mikaela W.

Architectural Technician and Admin

> "Sometimes it is glitchy, staff cannot create their own reports, can't create reports for "extras" difficult to find some features,..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4315637)

Tanya K.

Architectural Associate

> "Tracking billable hours is also pretty easy and there are couple of options to do so for each personality from using project timers..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6125425)

NL

Nichelle L.

Landscape / Graphics Designer

> "You can't customize how your project and phase names are presented between different windows, you can't format your invoices to have..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4796935)

GB

Gideon B.

Customer Manager

> "The software has automated our daily operations and saved us alot of time."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6748011)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Director of Operations

> "It's time consuming to use - it's so slow and there are a lot of features that bug out and simply don't work the way they're supposed..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___5006454)

Dan L.

Consultant

> "I like that I can edit entries quickly all from a keyboard."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6734541)

ND

Nicholas D.

Senior Accountant

> "This causes me to have to click billable after i save each entry."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___5048504)

MCC

Mary Claire C.

Interior Designer

> "Efficient and easy to use for logging and submitting time as well as keeping track of PTO."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6439356)

AM

Adolfo M.

Project Coordinator

> "some times is not intuitive and the connection between lines is not effective"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6157086)

CC

Cassidy C.

Interior Design

> "Clear labels, info graphics, and tutorials are great"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6645157)

BT

Brianna T.

Social Impact Coordinator

> "This is not an easy system to setup for a company with years of data to input and some of the modules need more explanation than is..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4343294)

GK

Gokul K.

Support Engineer

> "nice calendar design and time tracking method"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6415781)

EC

Erica C.

Marketing and Communications

> "Some fields are redundant and repetitive but it's not a huge issue."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6149572)

Dan L.

Consultant

> "I've had a good experience with Core, and I appreciate the at-a-glance history that I can review as soon as I log in."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6734541)

LH

Lee H.

Owner

> "For example, to enter receipts or documentation for transactions other than credit card transactions requires a bunch of extra steps..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4314870)

CC

Carmela C.

Accountant-administrator

> "In general, customer support is great."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___7119583)

KK

Katrina K.

Owner

> "Data entries are sluggish, you have to wait for the line to be created before you can add information to additional cells."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4315174)

RS

Riana S.

Mechanical Engineer

> "We previously tracked time and expenses manually so upgrading to a software where it's more automated has really proven useful for our..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___5049965)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Chief Administrative Officer

> "Can experience an occasional performance issue...usually short in duration"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6295644)

IJ

Israel J.

Senior Finance

> "It is a tool that allows you to have a better control of the projects and times that will be charged to the clients."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6238656)

SR

Shelley R.

Partner

> "The project setup seems a bit clunky, particularly, how to name the project name/phase name and how it will appear on the time card..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4313997)

JH

Joanthan H.

Off ce admin

> "time tracking is super helpful for everyone"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6415740)

LM

Lisa M.

Accountant

> "Sometimes I've had issues where it takes awhile to save time card entries but this may be an issue with our internet and not the..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4324022)

TY

Thomas Y.

Project Manager

> "BQE makes time keeping and tracking relatively easy."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6461928)

BR

BethAnn R.

HR/Administrative Manager

> "We have to pay to have the developer make changes to the template and so because we don't want to pay, we have to tweak each invoice..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4314897)

RS

Ruthie S.

Designer

> "I mostly use it for tracking my hours worked, expenses, and PTO, and for those uses it is very intuitive and easy to use."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4993646)

LH

Lee H.

Owner

> "It isn't perfect and, in many ways, it is miserable to use because it takes a long time and is slow, not optimized for fast use and..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4314870)

ND

Nicholas D.

Senior Accountant

> "The interface is very easy to use and provides great historical data of your time tracking that differentiates between billable and..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___5048504)

MS

Mirna S.

Project Administrator

> "At first it was a little hard to use but only because we were used to another program."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6012625)

TY

Thomas Y.

Project Manager

> "Good layout for site navigation."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6461928)

MM

Mackenzie M.

Tax & Legal Assistant

> "We also tried to set up ACH payments via Plaid and were never able to successfully link the systems. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4702272)

Tanya K.

Architectural Associate

> "It has saved me tons of time of collecting receipts and then balancing my credit card account."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6125425)

TT

Thanh T.

Accountant

> "The software functions can be confusing for new user as the display is not clearly appear in the same window."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___3845268)

CS

Courtney S.

Structural Engineer

> "It is an easy to use interface that is web based so no need to download on any device"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6466078)

MM

Mackenzie M.

Tax & Legal Assistant

> "Online credit card payments via Stripe have not worked well since we began using the product in August 2021. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4702272)

MB

Mylene B.

Business Dev. Manager

> "a necessary tool for business growth, happy we did it!"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6416007)

IG

Irving G.

Design Principal

> "Sometimes there's too much of a good thing, being that there's more than 1 way to get what you need and therefore it can get a bit..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4314731)

MB

Mylene B.

Business Dev. Manager

> "Great to assist in project profitability"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6416007)

BD

Blair D.

biologist

> "the only drawback with BQE is the system can lag and glitch at time entry"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4716571)

KK

Katrina K.

Owner

> "I like having so much data at my fingertips to get a sense of finances for the company, tracking accounting (invoices, vendor bills,..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4315174)

KC

Karina C.

Admin Assistant

> "More often than not, payments don't necessarily post in a timely manner which can sometimes cause confusion for the following invoice."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4318866)

JF

Joelle F.

Office Manager

> "Also allows me to create great reports regarding clients held, amount billed, amount owed (and how long overdue). "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4314396)

XI

Xavier I.

Project Manager

> "At times when job lists are very long there is a bit of delay in the search function."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___3732224)

JC

Jody C.

Financial/Business Manager

> "During this time, our company was making the transitions from BQE desktop to BQE Core. Since I was new our team was new to core, I..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4719082)

Andrew B.

Managing Partner

> "We migrated from ArchiOffice and feel that the way contacts are managed in CORE is utterly useless. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4866223)

KB

Kathryn B.

Right of Way Agent

> "Easy to navigate and keep up to date time entries for upper management's billing and invoicing."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6062870)

JC

Jody C.

Financial/Business Manager

> "The biggest issue we have had with BQE Core was integrating with our desktop QB. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4719082)

JPC

Juan Pablo C.

Corporate Development Manager

> "Just great, it allows me to have a far quicker pulse of the business in financial terms and also marketing wise keeping track of..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4523653)

JD

Jason D.

Senior Executive Administrator

> "The worst feature of CORE is the slowness of it when inputting a lot of time."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4323962)

KK

Katie K.

Senior Technician

> "I like that it has an app to log time outside the office."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6124543)

TM

Teddy M.

Senior Engineer at Engineering

> "The only downside to BQE CORE Suite is the initial setup and learning process."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4528742)

SS

Shivam S.

architect

> "Its very sorted and nice it would be really nice if the server speed increases because it lags too much"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6117893)

JC

Jody C.

Financial/Business Manager

> "The only issues we periodically have is the online method could be slow and time out."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4719082)

MRM

Mizanur Rahman M.

CEO

> "BQE CORE Suite is a reliable and effective solution for managing the day-to-day operations of professional services firms."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4713496)

LH

Lee H.

Owner

> "I have bumped up against a bunch of walls inside BQE and when I ask how to do this or that I'm just told that isn't a feature BQE has."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4314870)

SR

Shelley R.

Partner

> "As a small business with only 4 employees, this package saves me a lot of time and headache where I might otherwise have to move back..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4313997)

CL

Christine L.

Accountant

> "It's been over 6 months since migration and I'm still waiting on data issues to be repaired and issues to be resolved."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4779777)

IG

Irving G.

Design Principal

> "Overall, CORE has exceeded our expectations other than some basic simplicity in the user interface similar to Monograph, but with far..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4314731)

DH

Donovan H.

Field Engineer

> "Lacks note jotting capability on photos."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___3715628)

JL

Jack L.

Staff

> "Easy user interface."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6416031)

AT

Andrew T.

Project Scheduler

> "The application has some bugs which need to be worked out."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4789771)

VG

Vicky G.

Interior Project Manager

> "It is very easy to use. And lots of functions"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6654818)

AR

Amber R.

Accountant

> "has had times where its very slow and has odd glitches"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4703070)

WE

Wylan E.

Contracts Specialist

> "I like how swift and easy it is to use the BQE software!"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6528023)

MRM

Mizanur Rahman M.

CEO

> "Also, online payment integrations are finicky."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4713496)

GN

Garrett N.

Architect

> "Excellent a great tool - would recommend to any ARE firm."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6645153)

JS

Jamie S.

Office Operations Manager

> "Only one complaint is that there seem to be little nuances that are hard to learn on your own. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___4779572)

GB

Gideon B.

Customer Manager

> "The software is simple and easy to use."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___6748011)

AG

Arthur G.

Digital Design Manager

> "loading data because of the cloud issues"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#Capterra___3648771)

[View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/reviews/)

JD

Jodi D.

Kitchen and Bath Designer

> "For the manufacturers that offer accurate pricing in their catalogs, it's great that you can get a price without having to enter it into..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7139619)

JD

Jodi D.

Kitchen and Bath Designer

> "Some of these include: difficulty in getting printing/display settings right, strange ceiling lines that shouldn't be there (especially..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7139619)

KG

Karly G.

President

> "What I like most is its flexibility and the ability to quickly build detailed layouts that clients can easily visualize."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7115676)

KG

Karly G.

President

> "Rendering can also be inconsistent, and while it’s good for general visuals, it doesn’t always deliver the level of realism clients expect."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7115676)

MG

Michelle G.

Kitchen design Manager

> "Mostly, I like the rendering quality and the ability to plug in full cabinetry manufacture catalogs for quick design and pricing"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6882450)

KG

Karly G.

President

> "Some of the features feel less intuitive than they should be, requiring extra steps."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7115676)

JM

Jackie M.

Project Assist

> "What Design Flex offers us is the ability to design and order through our manufacturers with ease."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7151467)

CC

Cheryl C.

Lead Designer

> "At $2,500 per year, having to pay extra for assistance feels out of step with the investment."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7091852)

LM

Lindsay M.

Cabinet Design

> "I also love the 3D renderings, as they have helped our clients really visualize what the outcome will be in their space."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7078472)

BM

Barb M.

Kitchen and Bath Designer

> "None of our designers have upgraded to the latest version V14.2 because of reports of the instability/ crashing or lack of control over..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6497186)

IM

Isha M.

Accountant

> "The high-quality 3D rendering capabilities were impressive and beneficial for client presentations. Although there were occasional..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6384584)

BM

Barb M.

Kitchen and Bath Designer

> "The inability to edit size and color and textures of cloud base decorative items."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6497186)

MS

Matt S.

Kitchen and Bath Design

> "The ease of adjusting heights, tilt, depth of field, etc. make showing a design fun."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7079801)

SK

Stacey K.

Interior Designer

> "Freezing and crashing, difficulty with updates and reaching customer service and the cost of the software is gouging."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#SoftwareAdvice___6419039)

CC

Cheryl C.

Lead Designer

> "This Software delivers a reliable intuitive platform that makes detailed design easy and work fast and accurate."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7091852)

CW

Crystal W.

Owner

> "The software still has some issues with running slow when a lot of walls or sketchup items are in the file."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6835518)

IM

Isha M.

Accountant

> "Additionally, the software's flexibility, seamless integration with other tools, and cloud-based access significantly improved my workflow."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6384584)

JH

Jennifer H.

Sales Manager

> "Sometimes I have trouble reading catalogs or material lists I need to zoom in on other areas other than the work space"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6396837)

DC

Danitza C.

interior designer and project manager

> "love the countertop option, and most of the time use the SAMPLE-F base catalogs because I can change sizzes easily if I need it and color,..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6378557)

EM

Eric M.

V.P. of Sales

> "Setting up cost and sell pricing is a little tricky. Or, it's possible I haven't seen the best tutorial on it yet."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6664931)

LM

Lindsay M.

Cabinet Design

> "I think this program is great and has a lot of amazing qualities and capabilities for new and experienced users alike."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7078472)

KM

Ken M.

Owner

> "Still learning the system, but making adjustments to designs can be a little frustrating, and time consuming. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6599431)

KB

Kristin B.

Designer-owner

> "It also allows me to draw in the actual appliances my client is purchasing, which is nice as well."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6395562)

MB

Matt B.

Corp Co-Ord of K and B Displays and Training

> "I don't like that the colors have been removed from the Icons, in V13 it was easier to identify them as the new colors are very similar in..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6363780)

KB

Kristin B.

Designer-owner

> "It does render beautiful drawings once I go in and change all the cabinet colors."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6395562)

AB

Angela B.

Kitchen & Bath Designer

> "It seems to not like it when you fill your plan with too much data (cloud items, changing textures, revising your designs)"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___5014753)

JD

Jodi D.

Kitchen and Bath Designer

> "I like most of the versatility it offers in designing. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7139619)

LT

Lee T.

Manufacturer's Sales Representative

> "I am having a problem with my textures constantly tiling. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6590469)

LR

Leah R.

Owner

> "As a cabinet designer since 2005 this is the only software i have used that allows me to do it all from design and project presentation to..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___5069689)

BK

Brieana K.

Design Center Associate

> "My experience with 2020 Design Live has been bittersweet because I can create designs a lot faster, but I find myself becoming frustrated..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___5010778)

TD

Tanya D.

President

> "It makes my job so easy for kitchen design since all my cabinet suppliers have catalogues on it."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6755873)

CH

Carol H.

owner/designer

> "Slow, over-priced, crashes, will not connect to clouderrors on top of errorsIt reverts to programs from other yearsThe appliances are..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___5069889)

KM

Ken M.

Owner

> "As a contractor it also allows for full home design and room layouts too."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6599431)

AJ

Andy J.

owner

> "it is not being used at this time due to the issue above."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6407018)

IM

Isha M.

Accountant

> "The strong support system and regular updates were also major advantages, keeping the software up-to-date and reliable."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6384584)

SP

Shanna P.

Owner

> "Cloud items are slow to add to a design and often corrupt your file, making a design unusable"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6267740)

PM

Patrick M.

Kitchen Designer, Project Estimator

> "It also has the ability to do a very nice and realistic 3D rendering."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6709008)

JS

Jonathan S.

Cabinetry Design Consultant

> "Also the .shf files are set to read only so changing something to apply universally is a multi step process that should be unnecessary. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___5069757)

SK

Stacey K.

Interior Designer

> "Ease of use, 3D abilities and ability to create order forms and price kitchens with the designs."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#SoftwareAdvice___6419039)

TH

Taylor H.

Architectural Technologist

> "Some features are difficult to use or require a lot of time to navigate thru to get the look you are trying to achieve -mostly when using..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___4976384)

PB

Patrick B.

owner

> "It works well but is very expensive for what it does."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7092875)

SP

Shanna P.

Owner

> "The most frustrating part is that 2020/Cyncly is aware their product needs improvement but won't do anything to address the underlying..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6267740)

JD

Jodi D.

Kitchen and Bath Designer

> "The designing part is also user friendly. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7139619)

JG

Juliana G.

Designer

> "I do not like how the new cloud library works."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6660792)

JH

Jennifer H.

Sales Manager

> "Ability to create nice drawings if you spend the time to learn it"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6396837)

RS

Rosalyn S.

Designer

> "bit pricey."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6433554)

SH

Shannon H.

Senior Designer

> "It's easy and quick to do a drawing and show everything I need to my client."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7004087)

VW

Vincent W.

Owner

> "That was already a stretch because I never would use customer service due to extended hold times and inability to fix my issue."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#SoftwareAdvice___6070977)

JG

Juliana G.

Designer

> "I have been using 2020 since 2019 and I really like how the renderings are looking more realistic."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6660792)

JS

Janine S.

Kitchen and Bath Designer

> "I use it almost everyday and I often dread going through the time comsuming task of getting working drawings with correct dimensions that I..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___4696233)

IM

Isha M.

Accountant

> "The high-quality 3D rendering made visualizing concepts easy and impressive."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6384584)

AC

Amber C.

Director of Design

> "The search feature for the cloud items is so much harder than previous versions, not very user friendly. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6363674)

JS

Jen S.

Kitchen Bath Designer

> "I have been happy with Design Live and what it allows me to offer to my customers. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6428839)

JM

Jamie M.

Kitchen and Bath Designer

> "Lastly, when choosing and modifying the attributes of a fridge, specifically REF.2D.1DW36, from the ROOM\_APP catalogue, 2020 freezes, shuts..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___4697242)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Accounts Manager

> "So far so good, we are still in the training stages switching from ProKitchen to Design Flex but we've heard great things."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6859042)

DF

Daryl F.

Kitchen Design/Sales

> "Crashes too much WHEN DOING COMPLICATED DESIGNS."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___5034944)

JP

Jill P.

General Manager

> "Fairly easy to use, a lot of different features to explore."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___7110385)

BP

Brian P.

Designer

> "I also am irritated how a construction line is so easily selected. If I have a construction line near what I'm trying to grab, it always..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___4696564)

TR

Tracy R.

Kitchen designer

> "I also like the cloud item I can add to my design."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6716536)

AB

Andrea B.

Owner

> "Almost $2k per license and I don’t even use all of the features."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#SoftwareAdvice___5005794)

AB

Angela B.

Kitchen & Bath Designer

> "Having the capabilities for rendering your overall designs is beneficial to communication process with your clients during the design..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___5014753)

BK

Brieana K.

Design Center Associate

> "I do not like how the system lags and crashes frequently during use."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___5010778)

SP

Shanna P.

Owner

> "The only pro about this software is the ability to download cabinet brand specific catalogs with pricing."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6267740)

SS

Scott S.

interior designer

> "Moving the counter in a design and it crashes."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6364875)

BM

Barb M.

Kitchen and Bath Designer

> "I would love to take advantage of the newer features, but not at the expense of losing other features."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6497186)

JT

Jamie T.

Owner, Kitchen & Cabinetry Designer

> "Bugs need to be fixed before rolling out more features."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___4900183)

VK

Valerie K.

Kitchen - Bathroom Designer

> "I like how I can share my designs with my client's!"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6569558)

YE

Yvonne E.

Sales Representative & Designer

> "Rendering capabilities of this program are horrible every-time it is updated and there is no easy way to find/learn from tutorials to help..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___4696394)

KB

Kristin B.

Designer-owner

> "It's frustrating but the best product out there since I'm a cabinet dealer."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6395562)

TR

Tanya R.

Owner

> "Sometimes if not most of the time it would crash and I would lose my project."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6363667)

BF

Barbara F.

Administrative Assistant - Designer

> "I can navigate through a drawing with a lot of ease."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6697417)

RA

Robert A.

Kitchen Designer

> "After upgrade to current version, the program became really slow and every attempt to save etcresulted in a lengthy repopulation of all..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___4696439)

JS

Jen S.

Kitchen Bath Designer

> "The recent improvements with perspectives is huge to me."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6428839)

AS

Amy S.

Sales and Marketing Consultant

> "Renderings are difficult to manipulate and generally show poorly compared to older versions. When working on multiple computers it is..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___4836530)

CT

Craig T.

Owner/Kitchen Designer

> "design lives helps me draw kitchens quickly and accurately and allows my customers to envision what their space will look like. 2020 has..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___4696045)

RH

Robin H.

Lead CAD Designer

> "Also, when we try to print directly from the program, we've found our lines are not dark enough, so we've had to commit to printing..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___4696455)

KB

Kristin B.

Designer-owner

> "The fact that is prices the cabinets is why I continue to use it."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6395562)

LM

Laura M.

Cabinet Design

> "The Annotations - Running Line drawing Feature will not let you draw 3D countertops. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___4695935)

JL

Julia L.

Sales and design

> "The SketchUp imports, cloud catalogs' are a great and time tracker are also great new features."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___5071466)

SP

Shanna P.

Owner

> "For its price point, it just doesn't give you back everything you're putting into it."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#Capterra___6267740)

[View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/reviews/)

## User interface

[BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/)

4.50 (787)

[Design Flex](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/)

4.31 (357)

### Features

BQE CORE Suite

Top features

32/50

-   2D Drawing
-   3D Imaging
-   Activity Dashboard
-   AI Copilot
-   API
-   Approval Process Control
-   Billing & Invoicing
-   Bills of Material
-   BIM Modeling
-   Commenting/Notes
-   Communication Management
-   Contact Management
-   Contract/License Management
-   Customizable Branding
-   Customizable Reports
-   Customizable Templates
-   Data Import/Export
-   Data Visualization
-   Design Management
-   Document Management
-   Document Storage
-   Drafting
-   Drag & Drop
-   For AEC Industry
-   Generative AI
-   Invoice Management
-   Job Costing
-   Mobile Access
-   Multiple Projects
-   Planning Tools
-   Presentation Tools
-   Projections
-   Project Management
-   Project Planning
-   Project Time Tracking
-   Project Tracking
-   Project Workflow
-   Quotes/Estimates
-   Real-Time Data
-   Real-Time Notifications
-   Reporting & Statistics
-   Role-Based Permissions
-   Search/Filter
-   Secure Data Storage
-   Status Tracking
-   Summary Reports
-   Task Management
-   Task Progress Tracking
-   Task Scheduling
-   Template Management

[See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/#features)

Design Flex

19/50

-   2D Drawing
-   3D Imaging
-   Activity Dashboard
-   AI Copilot
-   API
-   Approval Process Control
-   Billing & Invoicing
-   Bills of Material
-   BIM Modeling
-   Commenting/Notes
-   Communication Management
-   Contact Management
-   Contract/License Management
-   Customizable Branding
-   Customizable Reports
-   Customizable Templates
-   Data Import/Export
-   Data Visualization
-   Design Management
-   Document Management
-   Document Storage
-   Drafting
-   Drag & Drop
-   For AEC Industry
-   Generative AI
-   Invoice Management
-   Job Costing
-   Mobile Access
-   Multiple Projects
-   Planning Tools
-   Presentation Tools
-   Projections
-   Project Management
-   Project Planning
-   Project Time Tracking
-   Project Tracking
-   Project Workflow
-   Quotes/Estimates
-   Real-Time Data
-   Real-Time Notifications
-   Reporting & Statistics
-   Role-Based Permissions
-   Search/Filter
-   Secure Data Storage
-   Status Tracking
-   Summary Reports
-   Task Management
-   Task Progress Tracking
-   Task Scheduling
-   Template Management

[See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/#features)

### Recognition

BQE CORE Suite is recognized as a top-rated tool in 1 Capterra Shortlist reports

No recognitions have been awarded to Design Flex

### Deployment & support

BQE CORE Suite

Deployment

-   Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based
-   Desktop Mac
-   Desktop Windows
-   Desktop Linux
-   On-Premise Windows
-   On-Premise Linux
-   Desktop Chromebook
-   Mobile Android
-   Mobile iPhone
-   Mobile iPad

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

Design Flex

Deployment

-   Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based
-   Desktop Mac
-   Desktop Windows
-   Desktop Linux
-   On-Premise Windows
-   On-Premise Linux
-   Desktop Chromebook
-   Mobile Android
-   Mobile iPhone
-   Mobile iPad

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

### Company Details

BQE CORE Suite

-   By BQE Software
-   Located in United States
-   Founded in 1995

Design Flex

-   By Cyncly
-   Located in Canada
-   Founded in 1987

## Popular Comparisons

[BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/)[4.50 (787)](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/reviews/)

vs

[Clockify](https://www.capterra.com/p/169607/Clockify/)[4.76 (9,248)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169607/Clockify/reviews/)

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4.4

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4.6

4.4

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[Design Flex](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/)[4.31 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/reviews/)

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4.2

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[BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/)[4.50 (787)](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/reviews/)

vs

[Connecteam](https://www.capterra.com/p/153140/Connecteam/)[4.64 (5,298)](https://www.capterra.com/p/153140/Connecteam/reviews/)

Contact vendor for pricing

Price

$29/month

4.4

Features

4.5

4.4

Ease of Use

4.7

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/141096-153140/BQE-Software-vs-Connecteam)

[Design Flex](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/)[4.31 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/reviews/)

vs

[RIB SpecLink](https://www.capterra.com/p/267349/SpecLink/)[4.47 (118)](https://www.capterra.com/p/267349/SpecLink/reviews/)

Contact vendor for pricing

Price

Contact vendor for pricing

4.2

Features

4.2

4.2

Ease of Use

4.3

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/218525-267349/2020-Design-Live-vs-SpecLink)

[BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/)[4.50 (787)](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/reviews/)

vs

[NetSuite](https://www.capterra.com/p/135757/NetSuite/)[4.23 (2,052)](https://www.capterra.com/p/135757/NetSuite/reviews/)

Contact vendor for pricing

Price

Contact vendor for pricing

4.4

Features

4.2

4.4

Ease of Use

4.0

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/135757-141096/NetSuite-vs-BQE-Software)

[Design Flex](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/)[4.31 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/reviews/)

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[Revit](https://www.capterra.com/p/265023/Revit/)[4.61 (482)](https://www.capterra.com/p/265023/Revit/reviews/)

Contact vendor for pricing

Price

$365/month

4.2

Features

4.6

4.2

Ease of Use

4.0

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/218525-265023/2020-Design-Live-vs-Revit)

[BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/)[4.50 (787)](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/reviews/)

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Contact vendor for pricing

Price

$0/month

4.4

Features

4.7

4.4

Ease of Use

4.8

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/141096-156992/BQE-Software-vs-Jibble)

[Design Flex](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/)[4.31 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/reviews/)

vs

[AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/)[4.65 (3,209)](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/reviews/)

Contact vendor for pricing

Price

$250/month

4.2

Features

4.6

4.2

Ease of Use

4.1

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/218525-265024/2020-Design-Live-vs-AutoCAD)

[BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/)[4.50 (787)](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/reviews/)

vs

[BigTime](https://www.capterra.com/p/131076/BigTime/)[4.56 (658)](https://www.capterra.com/p/131076/BigTime/reviews/)

Contact vendor for pricing

Price

$20/month

4.4

Features

4.4

4.4

Ease of Use

4.5

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/131076-141096/BigTime-vs-BQE-Software)

[Design Flex](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/)[4.31 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/reviews/)

vs

[Planner 5D](https://www.capterra.com/p/164022/Planner-5D/)[4.48 (118)](https://www.capterra.com/p/164022/Planner-5D/reviews/)

Contact vendor for pricing

Price

Contact vendor for pricing

4.2

Features

4.4

4.2

Ease of Use

4.5

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/164022-218525/Planner-5D-vs-2020-Design-Live)

[BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/)[4.50 (787)](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/reviews/)

vs

[Agiled](https://www.capterra.com/p/206203/Agiled/)[4.73 (350)](https://www.capterra.com/p/206203/Agiled/reviews/)

Contact vendor for pricing

Price

$30/month

4.4

Features

4.7

4.4

Ease of Use

4.6

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/141096-206203/BQE-Software-vs-Agiled)

[Design Flex](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/)[4.31 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/reviews/)

vs

[Monograph](https://www.capterra.com/p/178124/Monograph/)[4.50 (236)](https://www.capterra.com/p/178124/Monograph/reviews/)

Contact vendor for pricing

Price

Contact vendor for pricing

4.2

Features

4.1

4.2

Ease of Use

4.4

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/178124-218525/Monograph-vs-2020-Design-Live)