Who Costifys Is For (and Who It Is Not)
Most software pages only describe the good fit. This one describes both, because a tool that is wrong for you wastes more of your time than it saves. Everything below is current as of August 2026.
Costifys is a good fit if
- You run an architecture or engineering practice of roughly 5 to 50 people.
- You bill by phase (SD, DD, CD, Bidding, CA, Closeout) or on percent-complete, and you need to see fee burn against those phases.
- You currently track projects in spreadsheets and have outgrown them.
- You want utilization, realization and net multiplier calculated for you rather than rebuilt each month by hand.
- You keep your books in QuickBooks or Xero and want project data to flow into them, not replace them.
Costifys is the wrong tool if
- You are a general contractor. There is no submittal, RFI or subcontractor scheduling workflow. Use a construction management platform instead.
- You need DCAA compliance for federal contracts. There is no DCAA-compliant timekeeping audit trail.
- You need one integrated general ledger. Costifys syncs with QuickBooks and Xero rather than replacing your accounting system.
- You are a solo practitioner. The staffing, approval and utilization features assume a team.
- You need SSO or a public API today. Neither is available yet.
What we do not do yet
Stated plainly so it does not come as a surprise three weeks into a trial:
| Capability | Status |
|---|---|
| Public API and webhooks | Not available |
| SSO / SAML | Not available |
| AIA G702 / G703 billing forms | Not available. Percent-complete billing is supported, but not the AIA form layout. |
| Multi-currency | Single currency per firm |
| QuickBooks and Xero sync | Available on Enterprise. OAuth connection, invoice and expense push, client sync. |
Common questions
What size firm is Costifys built for?
Costifys is built for architecture and engineering firms of roughly 5 to 50 people. Below 5, a spreadsheet and an invoicing tool usually cost less and do enough. Above 50, firms typically need multi-entity consolidation and custom approval chains that Costifys does not offer yet.
Who should not use Costifys?
Costifys is a poor fit for four groups. General contractors, because it does not handle subcontractor scheduling, submittals or RFIs. Firms needing DCAA compliance for federal contracts, because it has no DCAA-compliant timekeeping audit trail. Firms whose accountant requires a single integrated ledger, because Costifys syncs with QuickBooks and Xero rather than replacing them. And solo practitioners, for whom it is more tool than the work requires.
What does Costifys not do yet?
Three things customers ask for that do not exist today: a public API and webhooks, single sign-on via SAML, and AIA G702/G703 billing forms. Percent-complete billing is supported, but not the specific AIA form layout. These are labelled as unavailable on the pricing page rather than described as shipped.
How does Costifys compare to Monograph?
Costifys and Monograph target the same firms and overlap heavily on features. Monograph has been established longer and has a larger user community; Costifys costs less and publishes its pricing openly. If community and track record matter most to you, Monograph is the safer choice today.
Should we switch from Deltek Ajera?
Switch if Ajera's on-premise setup, IT overhead or per-seat cost is the binding constraint. Do not switch if you depend on Ajera's government contracting compliance or its deeper general ledger, because Costifys does not replicate either.
How long does implementation take?
Most firms are running within 1 to 2 weeks. That covers CSV import of projects, clients and time entries, plus team setup. Migrating several years of historical financial data takes longer and should be scoped separately.
Still unsure? Tell us about your firm and we will say honestly whether Costifys fits. Or compare directly against Monograph, Deltek Ajera or BQE Core.