# Factor AE Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Factor AE the right Project Tracking solution for you? Explore 52 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/199097/Factor-AE/reviews --- Factor AE 4.8 (52) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/199097/Factor-AE/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated June 3rd, 2026 # Reviews of Factor AE Ease of use 4.8 Customer Service 4.7 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews Tammie C Executive Business Manage and now Executive Assistant to CEOCivil Engineering, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The ability to create project templates is equally valuable, as it standardizes project setup and ensures new projects are created with the correct structure, phases, and billing settings from the start.“ March 12, 2026 GM Guan M Project DesignerMechanical or Industrial Engineering, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “My least favorite part of Factor AE is that it does not provide a question mark button on the side of technical terms/a hover over a technical term with an explanation integration that lets you understand what you are doing.“ March 12, 2026 Kevin R EngineerDesign, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Factor AE simplifies accounting with intuitive dashboards, robust reporting, secure cloud sync, and excellent automation—efficient, reliable, and ideal for growing businesses.“ March 13, 2026 Logan Z Principal and FounderArchitecture & Planning, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The retainer tracking system is one-dimensional - requires work-arounds, manual input, and not very dynamic.“ March 13, 2026 Tammie C Executive Business Manage and now Executive Assistant to CEOCivil Engineering, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The platform makes invoicing efficient through customizable templates that allow us to maintain consistent formatting and quickly generate invoices across multiple projects.“ March 12, 2026 Camille S Director of Technical DesignCivil Engineering, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “One challenge is that modifying the invoicing templates can be a bit difficult when doing it independently.“ March 12, 2026 Sarah A Operations ManagerArchitecture & Planning, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “Adding new projects, making updates, building complex budgets, and handling billing all feel straightforward. But what really sets it apart is the support. When you commit to a new project management platform, the quality of their customer service matters—and Factor’s support has been outstanding.“ March 18, 2026 dp don p CEOCivil Engineering, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “I don't like that I have to lose historic data and start over. Although, maybe I just need to send all of my old project data and have it uploaded. “ March 12, 2026 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 52 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use David M. Senior Project Manager Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Senior Project Manager" March 20, 2026 4.0 Overall Factor has become a useful and critical tool in our office not only for time keeping but it plays a critical role in our forecasting and time management throughout projects, task delegation and overall life of a project. Pros The user interface and navigation through the software is very user friendly. You also have the ability to tweak settings and dashboards to your liking to make it easier for day to day use. Cons The Forecasting and time allowable takes a little getting used to but once you create a process for inputting and allocating time for production it becomes second nature. Switched from [BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/) We were looking for a product that had more project management capabilities Review Source AJ Asti J. Senior Architectural Associate Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "A Smooth Transition to Factor" March 12, 2026 5.0 Since moving to Factor, our team has been focused on aligning task structures more closely with how work is defined in proposals and project scopes. Our accounting group is continuing to refine how assignments are organized so time can be captured more accurately against specific deliverables. By improving the way work items are categorized and tracked, we aim to make progress monitoring clearer and reduce the likelihood of effort extending beyond the originally defined scope. The transition to the new platform has also led to noticeable improvements in how operational information is organized and reported. Compared to our previous system, retrieving meaningful insights from our records is more straightforward, which helps leadership evaluate productivity and project performance. Through ongoing collaboration with the support team, we have continued to refine reports so they better reflect the metrics our firm relies on for planning and decision-making. Pros The initial setup process was handled with a high level of care and attention to detail. Our support representatives took the time to understand how our firm operates and ensured the configuration aligned with our internal workflows and reporting needs. Their guidance during onboarding helped us identify the features most relevant to our daily activities, allowing us to establish a strong operational foundation from the start. The continued availability of the support team has also been valuable when refining reports or addressing questions as our usage evolves. Cons One improvement that would further enhance the user experience is the ability to switch the timesheet display between a weekly and full-month view. Providing this flexibility would make it easier for employees to review their total hours at a glance, especially when monitoring overtime or planning their remaining workload for the month. A broader calendar perspective could help team members better balance their responsibilities and maintain a healthier work/life rhythm while still meeting deadlines. Switched from [BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/) We switched because it didn’t provide clear visibility into project progress and made tracking phases and tasks difficult. Employees often spent too much time completing timesheets, and many entries required corrections due to confusion about the appropriate phase or task. We wanted a system that simplified time entry, improved project tracking, and reduced manual adjustments. Review Source CH Chad H. Director Environmental Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Direct of residential septics." March 12, 2026 5.0 Great overall experience. We started using the system to help manage our time and eliminate multiple time inputs. Pros Easy to Navigate. Great for monitoring time and managing to confirm projects are being completed in a timely manor. Cons Sometime the system is slow or not working. When it is not operating we need to reboot which can be a pain. Review Source NW Noelle W. Finance and Operations Manager Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great Platform with Excellent Customer Service and Support" March 19, 2026 4.0 Overall, we've been very happy with Factor, and look forward to maximizing the use of this tool. We understand that it's a relatively "young" software and there will be ongoing growth and changes as the platform matures. The great service that the Factor team provides is very helpful in allowing us to feel supported through any changes, and gives us the confidence that our questions or needs are being heard. Pros The Factor team provided excellent support and service throughout the entire process - from initial sales inquiry, trial period, platform onboarding, through to training. The recurring weekly training webinars are also very helpful, and I find myself going back to sit through them every few months or so just to get a refresh. While we haven't maximized all the features of Factor, we have seen improvement in our overall task and project management. From a Finance/Accounting perspective, we are now able to breakdown our fees vs subconsultant fees, and manage expenses more efficiently. The instant-sync to Quickbooks makes our lives easier and keeps the data moving efficiently as well. Cons There are many reports available, however, some of the timeline reports are not editable and the print-out version isn't the best (to present to clients). It would also be nice to see historical Invoicing details, broken down by Phase - currently, we've been printing (to PDF) each invoice screen as we go through our monthly invoicing, just so we can refer to them at a later date. One other area that we struggle with is the Reimbursable Expenses - when our team enters an expense in Factor, we can bill it to the client seamlessly, however, that expense also needs to make it into Quickbooks. If we enter it into Quickbooks, then the expense re-registers under the project, causing a duplication of reimbursable expenses tracked under the project. (Our workaround is to ask employees NOT to enter any expenses in Factor, instead, submitting them to Accounting to be entered once through Quickbooks, then pulled into Factor). Alternatives considered [BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/)[Harvest](https://www.capterra.com/p/75598/Harvest/)[Clockify](https://www.capterra.com/p/169607/Clockify/) Reason for choosing Factor AE Overall it was a more intuitive platform, fewer clicks to get to the areas we needed, and pricing was reasonable. Switched from [Minute7](https://www.capterra.com/p/161922/Minute7/)[QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) We needed a better way to track project budgets and usage (hours) across the team. Review Source KM Krys M. Administrator Bookkeeper Civil Engineering Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Excellent Product" March 24, 2026 5.0 Overall we would highly recommend Factor AE to anyone. Right from the start, we have had a truly positive experience. Pros First of all, the customer support is incredible. We were really nervous about switching over to Factor AE but the team made it so easy. They helped us create custom reports; we had multiple zoom meetings to make sure we had a full understanding of everything. The software itself is amazing. All of our staff is happy with it; data is easy to access and interpret. The time entry is so easy and accessible and the information available on the status of the projects is fantastic. Project managers are able to manage the staff assignments to each project and collaborate easily. We compared a few different options of software for engineering and Factor AE is one of the best priced options available. Great value for money. Cons Factor AE has actually been able to figure ways of getting through most of our hurdles. The one problem we seem to have is invoicing two different companies on the same project without a bit of difficulty. The only other thing would be the inability to apply multiple payments (on different dates) to one invoice. Alternatives considered [Deltek Vantagepoint](https://www.capterra.com/p/225612/Vantagepoint/)[Deltek Ajera](https://www.capterra.com/p/82750/Deltek-Ajera/) Reason for choosing Factor AE The first thing was cost. Then upon further investigation, the ease of use and ratings and reviews on customer support helped us choose Factor AE Switched from [Replicon Time Tracking](https://www.capterra.com/p/5782/Replicon-TimeBill/) Replicon felt dated and cumbersome. Also did not provide us any of the project detail/budget information that we have now. Review Source DL Deven L. Vice President Civil Engineering Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Robust Billing and Time Tracking That Prevents Revenue Leakage" March 12, 2026 5.0 Our experience with Factor A/E has been very positive. It’s a robust solution that has professionalized our billing and time-tracking processes. The peace of mind that comes with knowing our complex fee structures are being tracked accurately is worth the initial learning curve. It is a solid, reliable tool backed by an impressively responsive support team. Pros Factor A/E has revolutionized our time tracking and billing. It easily handles our complex projects that mix T&M and fixed-fee structures, ensuring no billable time slips through the cracks. The system is robust, the workflow automation is a huge time-saver, and the data management gives us a clear "source of truth" for all projects. It has proven to be one of the best investments to our company. Cons The system is very deep, and like all software, it has a few limitations you have to get used to, which creates a bit of a learning curve. However, the support team is excellent and helped us bridge that gap quickly. I really value the fact that they usually get back to us with answers within just a few hours. Switched from [QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) We previously used QuickBooks Online, but it wasn't integrated with our time tracking, which created significant redundancies and extra manual entry. QBO also wasn't built to handle our fixed-fee projects effectively. Most importantly, it lacked the necessary guardrails; without a standardized system, invoices were being set up in inconsistent ways that didn't follow sound bookkeeping practices. We needed a professional, unified platform that enforced consistency. Review Source DM Daniel M. Design Manager Civil Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "review 3/13/2026" March 13, 2026 4.0 overall the experience has been good. factor ae has improved the collaboration and data management issues that our small engineering firm experienced previously. this software feels like a modern take on PM software for AE firms and is well suited for small or medium sized businesses. Pros simplicity and value. great for small firms to get started with an ERP system without steep onboarding costs or the need for elaborate employee training Cons customization options. the ability for a user to add/remove sections or "widgets" from a pulse dashboard would be great. also, reports seem difficult to edit or modify. factor is typically good about creating a new report if requested. but a simple intuitive interface so that the user could perform simple tasks to modify the report format or add/remove sections would be great. Alternatives considered [BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/)[QuickBooks Enterprise](https://www.capterra.com/p/174984/QuickBooks-Enterprise/)[monday.com AI Work Platform](https://www.capterra.com/p/147657/monday-com/)[Deltek Vision](https://www.capterra.com/p/1404/Deltek-Vision/)[Asana](https://www.capterra.com/p/184581/Asana-PM/) Reason for choosing Factor AE low onboarding costs. per user subscription costs. simplicity of software Switched from [QuickBooks Time](https://www.capterra.com/p/151722/TSheets/) integration of time/expense tracking and project management information Review Source SH Shawn H. Director of Operations Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Ti Studios - Factor Review" March 12, 2026 5.0 Very happy we switched to this system and have recommened to multiple other firms. made my life as the director of operations to track our KPIs much simpler Pros Easy time tracking and project invoicing as well as ability to quickly review project profitability. being able to see all this in one place instead of multipleprograms is very easy. Cons would be nice to import a MS Project Schedule as diffuclt to make and keep schedules updated, ability to organize the CRM opperuntiies in A to Z order or 1 - 10 for example. Switched from [Harvest](https://www.capterra.com/p/75598/Harvest/) Cost and Factor does more then is program did Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Director of Technical Design Civil Engineering Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Effective Tool for Engineering Firms" March 12, 2026 5.0 Overall, my experience with Factor AE has been positive. It’s a useful tool for project management, collaboration, and keeping project data organized. It helps our team stay on track and manage multiple tasks efficiently. Pros Factor AE has been very helpful for organizing project information and keeping tasks and deadlines in one place. The interface is easy to use and makes it simple for our team to track progress and collaborate on different projects. It has definitely helped improve workflow and visibility across our work. Cons One challenge is that modifying the invoicing templates can be a bit difficult when doing it independently. This can be especially tricky when working with public agencies that require specific formatting or documentation in invoices. While the system is powerful, having more flexibility or easier customization for invoice templates would make the process smoother. Switched from [BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/) We switched from BQE CORE Suite because Factor AE felt more intuitive and easier for our team to use for project tracking, time entry, and overall workflow management. Review Source Sarah A. Operations Manager Architecture & Planning Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Factor A/E is a Solid Project Management Software Program" March 18, 2026 5.0 My overall experience has been great! I highly recommend the program to anyone considering Factor A/E for their business. Pros Factor A/E is incredibly intuitive and user‑friendly. Adding new projects, making updates, building complex budgets, and handling billing all feel straightforward. But what really sets it apart is the support. When you commit to a new project management platform, the quality of their customer service matters—and Factor’s support has been outstanding. They’re responsive, attentive, and offer a true concierge experience, even customizing the platform to fit the unique needs of your business. Cons Their CRM needs a little bit of work. It is a little too simplictic and I wish it integrated with other popular CRMs like hubspot. Alternatives considered [Monograph](https://www.capterra.com/p/178124/Monograph/) Reason for choosing Factor AE Factor A/E is easier to use, less expensive and more intuitive. Switched from [ArchiOffice](https://www.capterra.com/p/233317/ArchiOffice/) The software is no longer being supported. Review Source HH Heather H. Owner Architecture & Planning Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Highly Recommend" July 8, 2025 5.0 Our small (12 person) architectural firm has been very pleased since we switched to Factor for project management and invoicing. The Factor team was very helpful during the transition from our old software and have continued to be responsive to our support requests when questions come up. The software itself is intuitive and easy to learn. Overall, we would definitely recommend! Pros The software itself is very easy to learn. With so much data included, we were pleasantly surprised at how intuitive it is to find the information you need. Cons Customized reports take a few days to create. There are so many reporting options that finding the right reports can take some time. Alternatives considered [BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/)[Monograph](https://www.capterra.com/p/178124/Monograph/) Reason for choosing Factor AE The customization options and hands on support team made Factor a more attractive option. Switched from [Deltek Ajera](https://www.capterra.com/p/82750/Deltek-Ajera/) We were looking for a software that better integrated Project Management, Time Tracking and Invoicing Review Source JA Jan A. Principal Architecture & Planning Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Simple to use and intergrate" March 12, 2026 5.0 Good so far. We are learning new things every day and utilizing functions we didn't even know we needed. Pros The dashboard and other features were similar to what we were already doing. The reports read in a simple way. Cons Some of the things that can only be modified by Factor and during our transition, that has been less than ideal. Alternatives considered [BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/) Reason for choosing Factor AE the dashboard and interface was easier to understand. Review Source KY Kristen Y. Administrative Assistant Civil Engineering Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Factor AE is a Winner!" September 15, 2024 5.0 We switched to Factor since our previous time keeping software was having countless technical difficulties and their customer service became nonexistent. We have been very happy with Factor. Their customer service excellent. The software is easy to navigate. The Invoicing process is very efficient. We're very happy we made the switch. Pros User friendly, efficient, excellent customer service. Cons Don’t really have one yet. Perhaps they could improve how they differentiate user rights between admin, project managers and staff, a little more. Switched from [BigTime](https://www.capterra.com/p/131076/BigTime/) Big Time became unreliable and we encountered many problems with its accuracy, integration, and customer service became non existent. Review Source AJ Amy J. Business Manager / Executive Assistant Architecture & Planning Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Simple yet Powerful" September 9, 2022 5.0 Factor has made a large part of my job so much easier and less frustrating. Especially invoicing. Pros The ease of use. We have used other software design for the a/e industry and all of them are cumbersome and hard to find the correct information. Factor is very straight forward and the support is great. One of the best parts for our firm is that invoices and reports are customized for your firm. And Factor makes sure the invoice works the way you want it to work. This is a great improvement over the other software we have used in the past. Cons The only thing missing is our old software would push any employee reimbursable expense to be a bill to pay. In Factor I have to run an expense report and then go into Quickbooks and pay it. But that is just a change in routine so once everyone gets used to it, I think I will actually like it better. Switched from [BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/) Core was not a dependable program and the customer service was non-existent. We paid to have them customize an invoice and it was never corrected. They had a problem with the overall system and it took them a month to correct it. We used Core for accounting and project management and if you can't trust the numbers, you cannot run your business. Review Source SP Samuel P. Team Lead Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Simple and Effective Project Management Tool" March 12, 2026 5.0 Overall our experience with Factor AE has been very positive. It has helped us keep projects organized, track proposals and billing, and manage our workflow more efficiently. Once everything is set up, it becomes a really useful tool for keeping the whole team on the same page and managing multiple projects at once. Pros Factor AE has been really helpful for organizing our projects and keeping track of proposals, billing, and project phases all in one place. It’s made it much easier to see where each job is at and stay on top of tasks across the team. The opportunity tracking and invoicing features are especially useful for our workflow. Cons Some areas of the interface can take a bit of time to get used to, and certain features aren’t always obvious when you first start using the platform. It would be helpful if a few workflows were a bit more streamlined or had clearer setup options. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Engineer Design Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Simple and effective" March 13, 2026 5.0 The interface makes time tracking, project management, and invoicing quick to learn and navigate. Graphics are informative. Pros Factor AE simplifies accounting with intuitive dashboards, robust reporting, secure cloud sync, and excellent automation—efficient, reliable, and ideal for growing businesses. Cons The software integrates with very few third-party tools. It syncs well with QuickBooks but has limited integrations beyond that. Review Source KF Keegan F. Drone pilot Information Technology and Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Easy day to day experience " September 13, 2024 5.0 Great customer support. Easy day to day method of logging and submitting time while easily controlling project management. Pros The easy integration for project management. Cons Factor would be nice to have on a mobile app. Review Source Wesley L. Junior Engineering Technician Civil Engineering Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Factors AE Experience as an Admin/Tech Assistant" April 12, 2026 5.0 I would say my overall experience is super positive. Factor AE saves me a lot of time for a huge variety of tasks: invoicing clients, keeping track of company timesheets, obtaining statistics such as project expenses, and keeping track of project budgets. Pros As an admin worker, I enjoyed the ease of access to all the features. The search bar made it easy to switch from projects, invoices, and timesheets. In addition, its invoicing-generating feature made it incredibly easy to generate and send out invoices in a timely manner. The response time for customer support is also extremely fast. Cons I think it's difficult learning how to generate your own templates for specific statistics (ex., if you wanted to generate a template for the sum of all current project expenses). However, the Factor team is usually quick at creating the templates for you. Review Source Nicolle K. Director of Operations Real Estate Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Factor Made Time Tracking and Billing Faster Than We Thought Possible" March 12, 2026 5.0 We've had a great overall experience with Factor so far. From the beginning, the setup process was simple and intuitive, which allowed our team to get up and running quickly. In fact, we were able to get our company fully set up and billing clients in our very first month. Overall, our experience with Factor has been extremely positive. The platform is easy to learn, efficient to use, and has significantly streamlined our billing process. Pros One of the biggest advantages of Factor is how much time it saves. Before using it, processing time tracking and turning that into billable invoices could take us up to two weeks. With Factor, we can now complete the same process in a single day. We haven’t found another tool that makes tracking time and generating billing this easy and efficient. Cons There are a couple of features we’d love to see added in the future. For example, it would be helpful if a single account could support multiple brands or companies. Another improvement would be the ability to apply sales tax to only part of a project instead of the entire invoice. That said, these are fairly unique situations for our business, so we don’t see them as faults with Factor, just potential enhancements that would make it even better for us. Alternatives considered [Jira](https://www.capterra.com/p/19319/JIRA/)[NetSuite](https://www.capterra.com/p/135757/NetSuite/)[Salesforce Sales Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/61368/Salesforce/)[Asana](https://www.capterra.com/p/184581/Asana-PM/) Reason for choosing Factor AE We could easily see how Factor fit into our business model. Switched from [NetSuite](https://www.capterra.com/p/135757/NetSuite/)[Salesforce Sales Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/61368/Salesforce/) We transitioned away from Salesforce when we spun off from our former company and needed a platform that better fit our new structure and workflow. Our priority was finding a solution that would allow us to track time and generate billing quickly and efficiently. Prior to that we used NetSuite, but found that what Factor offered allowed us to get up and running faster with even better functionality. Review Source Ray D. Principal Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Very helpful software" March 12, 2026 5.0 Overall, it is exactly what we need. Like I mentioned, the support is well worth the expense of the software. Pros Factor has been incredibly helpful for me to track time and billing for my small business. My employees seem to onboard very quickly which saves me a lot of time. Customer service for technical support is amazing. Cons Nothing in particular. Software development and updates seem to lag a bit. I have made a few suggestions and requests, but have not seen the updates on our end. Alternatives considered [Monograph](https://www.capterra.com/p/178124/Monograph/) Reason for choosing Factor AE My bookkeeper told me that Monograph was difficult to use based on another client she had. Switched from [Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/) Using spreadsheets was difficult and often created mistakes. Review Source Logan Z. Principal and Founder Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Factor ideal for AEC firms desiring custom project management with strong financial insights" March 13, 2026 4.0 Factor has given us an efficient way to view, track, and manage project financials in a customized way - with great support. Pros Our favorite feature of Factor is the level of customization. Being able to create unique phases and subphases with different billing methods is highly useful to use where each project can look a little different than the typical SD, DD, CD. We also like that each project can have different billing rates and roles for team members. I enjoy the dashboard that is linked with QuickBooks and you get a fast read on profitability and other metrics. The QuickBooks integration works reliably. Invoicing is simple and gives you an easy read on You can easily see your project performance from multiple different perspectives. Time sheets are easy to input with the recent update. Budgets are easy to create from multiple different angles (top down/ bottom up) Factor has had great support, very responsive to questions and helps with custom needs. Cons Our least favorite features about Factor start with the on-boarding cost. In today's world of Software as an (perpetual, never ending cost) Service, the upfront cost to on-board seemed unnecessary, at least in our case, where we did not need extensive conversion of a past system. We self-trained and set-up easily ahead of most things we were shown in the on-boarding sessions. The on-boarding cost at the time should have service-level options based on firm needs. The next con is the task & schedule system. It's very basic and not useful to us as a task management system. In today's world of many other great task specific software - I'd encourage Factor to create an integration with a purpose built task management / scheduling software. That would be incredibly useful! The tasks are more useful for budgeting hours major chunks of project work. I would say the same for the CRM. I'd prefer an integration option over the built-in CRM. The invoice template editor is overly complex. I do enjoy customization ability, but good luck doing it yourself. I will say Factor is helpful with the doing the customization for you, but this still could still be more DIY friendly. The retainer tracking system is one-dimensional - requires work-arounds, manual input, and not very dynamic. This could be improved. The user-interface could use improvements for ease of navigation & an aesthetic facelift to make it easier on the eyes. Particularly the invoice / billing history page. This feels a bit like a spreadsheet - not modern software with intuitive graphics. Alternatives considered [Monograph](https://www.capterra.com/p/178124/Monograph/) Reason for choosing Factor AE These were not as customizable or did not give financial insights desired. Switched from [Harvest](https://www.capterra.com/p/75598/Harvest/) Needed project financial tracking not just time tracking Review Source Heather M. Partner and Principal Operations and Marketing Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Finally, a System That Focuses on What Matters" March 13, 2026 5.0 My overall experience with Factor AE has been both positive and rewarding. The systems and tools we used before adopting Factor were antiquated, redundant, time-consuming, and left far too much room for error. From the Sales team to Training to Customer Support, everyone at Factor feels like an extension of our own team—genuinely invested in our success. That mindset shows in the product as well. Whether it’s the people behind it or the platform itself, Factor consistently focuses on the fundamentals and demonstrates a real commitment to simplifying complexity. Pros Factor AE is nimble and efficient, providing the essential features professional services firms need without unnecessary complexity. While other platforms offer long lists of additional capabilities, I value a system that focuses on the fundamentals and does them well. We all have a lot on our plates, and Factor AE recognizes that. It delivers a streamlined tool that supports our firm’s success by enabling accurate, effective workflows for project planning and execution, along with straightforward timekeeping and invoicing. Cons There are two areas where Factor AE could be improved. First, an estimating or proposal tool would be extremely helpful. Being able to build fees directly in Factor—rather than relying on Excel spreadsheets—would streamline our workflow. Ideally, when an opportunity converts into a project, that information could roll directly into the project record, helping to establish or at least inform the project’s initial resource allocations. Second, it would be valuable if resource allocations were incorporated into the revenue forecasting tool in some way. Our project management practices rely heavily on resource allocations, so having that data feed into forecasting would create stronger alignment between planning and financial projections. Alternatives considered [Monograph](https://www.capterra.com/p/178124/Monograph/) Reason for choosing Factor AE Factor is a more focused product. The other platforms offered far more tools than we needed or would realistically use, and that added complexity was a major turnoff. Switched from [BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/) The system was antiquated, bulky, and highly inefficient Review Source Nate H. Civil Engineer and Land Development Consultant Civil Engineering Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "FACTOR AE for the WIN!" March 13, 2026 5.0 Overall experience with Factor has been very positive. I have recommended a few other small companies to look into Factor and plan to continue using the program. I only imagine Factor getting more user friendly and become more robust in the future. Pros We are a small consulting company but it important for us track time and expenses for each project. Quickbooks does not cut it. Adding Factor has cut the required time for AR billing drastically. It is nice to have AEC project budgeting, expenses, timesheet, and invoicing in one location. The progress billing capabilities is a must and Factor does that well. Quickbooks falls short in that category. The connection between Factor and QB can be puzzling, but I have never had any issues with the two programs syncing. An all-in-one accounting system is a lot more spendy, so the Factor/QB integration is a good value for the money. Cons I often do bookkeeping on the weekends. There have been times I need customer support during those times, but support isn't available on the weekends. It would be nice to hit the PROJECTS button and go straight to our projects without needing to click PROJECTS to open a sub-menu, then go down three options to select Project List. Maybe clicking the PROJECTS button to bring you straight to your projects and have a drop-down menu to the right of the PROJECTS button to allow you access to the other PROJECTS button options. There might already be a better workflow for this, but when I am preparing invoices, there are times I need to leave the invoice to make a change to contacts, settings, or add an expense. It would be great if we could gain access to those other pages with needing to save the invoice as a Draft, go make the change, and come back to the invoice. When entering hours into the timesheet, I often press Tab thinking it will move the cursor to the Description instead of going to the next day. It would be great to not have to remove a hand from the keyboard to enter a Description. When adding a project to a timesheet that already has a number of projects listed, the newly added project gets put in order of the Project Number and is often times in the middle of the list. We need to scan the list of projects to look for the added project. It would be nice to put the added project to the bottom of the list instead of ordering them by project number. When it comes to training videos, it would be great to have time stamps to specific topics within the videos, so you don't need to search through a 15-minute video when you want to reference one specific item in the video. Alternatives considered [Deltek Ajera](https://www.capterra.com/p/82750/Deltek-Ajera/) Reason for choosing Factor AE For the size of our comany, Ajera is more than we need. Switched from [TimeCamp](https://www.capterra.com/p/129847/TimeCamp/) Needed more Timesheet and Billing integration. Review Source Craig H. Principal Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Factor AE is the just right solution!" March 12, 2026 5.0 Overall, you can't beat the value Factor AE offers. As a small office, it provides the tools our staff can easily learn which is key to implementing any solution. Customer support is super responsive through an integrated chat within the interface. Having tried more simplistic and crazy complicated alternatives, Factor AE hits the spot for us. Pros Factor AE has been our project management and invoicing software of choice for a number of years now. We have found the interface easy to learn (a major drawback of some others) which has led to 100% use across our office. We have appreciated the ongoing improvement efforts Factor AE has done including releasing new features on a fairly regular basis. Cons I would welcome a more robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) module. While basic functionality is present, more features to sort and query information would be helpful. Alternatives considered [Monograph](https://www.capterra.com/p/178124/Monograph/) Reason for choosing Factor AE We chose Factor AE over Monograph due to cost savings and perceived overall flexibility in how our data was managed and presented. Switched from [BQE CORE Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/141096/BQE-Software/) BQE Core was simply too difficult for us, as a small office, to implement and learn. Review Source Tammie C. Executive Business Manage and now Executive Assistant to CEO Civil Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great Value for Money" March 12, 2026 5.0 Overall, our experience with Factor has been very positive. The platform makes invoicing efficient through customizable templates that allow us to maintain consistent formatting and quickly generate invoices across multiple projects. The project template feature is also very helpful, allowing new projects to be created with predefined phases, tasks, and billing structures, which saves time and helps maintain consistency across the organization. The interface with QuickBooks Online works well and helps keep financial information aligned between project management and accounting. One improvement would be better handling of late fees assigned in QuickBooks Online, as those do not currently flow back automatically and require manual adjustments. The PTO tracking feature is useful for monitoring employee balances, but the annual rollover process requires manually entering balances each year. While manageable, an automated rollover option would streamline administration and make the process more modern. Like most systems of this type, there is a learning curve when first getting started. However, once users become familiar with the workflows, the platform becomes fairly intuitive and easy to use for daily operations. Customer support has also been a strong point, as assistance has been readily available whenever questions arise. Pros The platform makes invoicing straightforward through customizable invoice templates that allow us to maintain consistent formatting and branding while quickly generating invoices for multiple projects. The ability to create project templates is equally valuable, as it standardizes project setup and ensures new projects are created with the correct structure, phases, and billing settings from the start. This saves time, reduces errors, and improves internal consistency across the team. Cons The integration with QuickBooks Online works well overall and allows financial data to sync between the two systems. However, one limitation is that late fees applied within QuickBooks Online do not automatically flow back into the system, which requires manual tracking or adjustments. The PTO tracking functionality is helpful, but the rollover process requires manually re-entering balances each year. While manageable, automating annual PTO rollovers would modernize the process and reduce administrative effort. Switched from [Harvest](https://www.capterra.com/p/75598/Harvest/) needed more tracking, time keeping, PTO management, more PM control Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.