Platform comparison · Construction administration tools
Forma Build (formerly Autodesk Build) is built for the contractor's side of construction: cost, schedule, quality and safety, priced per user. ARK does the architect's CA work, and the rest of the project from first lead to final pay app, with contractors and consultants taking part free.
Pricing
Checked October 2026: Forma Build $117 per user per month billed annually ($1,400 per user per year), or $175 billed monthly. Forma Build Essentials, the jobsite tier, $67 per user per month billed annually ($800 per user per year). A plan with no limit on users or projects is priced by Autodesk's sales team. Free trial.
As published on the vendor's pricing page.
Unlimited $179/user/mo list — the Founding Forty lock $119/user/mo for three years, firms 41–100 lock $149/user/mo for three years. Staff seats $34/user/mo for people who log time and do assigned work. Construction à la carte $69/project/mo. First project free forever.
| Feature | Forma Build | ARK Projex |
|---|---|---|
| Submittals w/ consultant routing & revision cycles | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI submittal review w/ spec citations | Partial — AutoSpecs, sold in a bundle, drafts the submittal log from specs | ✓ |
| RFIs w/ consultant workflow | ✓ | ✓ |
| Field reports w/ PDF export | Yes — daily reports, forms and photos | ✓ |
| Drawing release sets + title-block OCR + supersession | Yes — sheets with versions | ✓ |
| Spec indexing + AI search | Yes — smart, searchable specifications | ✓ |
| Changes (ASI/PR/CCD/CO) w/ formatted PDFs | Partial — change orders in cost management, built around the contractor's costs | ✓ |
| Pay applications: G703-style Schedule of Values + contractor e-signature | Partial — contractor-side payment applications | ✓ |
| In-browser PDF markup studio (ARK View) + Bluebeam Studio integration | Partial — markup in its own viewer | ✓ |
| Meeting minutes w/ transcript import (Zoom, Fireflies AI) | Partial — structured meeting minutes | ✓ |
| Bidding management (first bid free) | Partial — built for a contractor buying out trades | ✓ |
| Design-phase management (milestones, phases & schedule, Gantt) | No — Autodesk's design tools are separate products | ✓ |
| CRM funnel (lead forms, speed-to-lead SMS/email, campaigns, booking pages) | — | ✓ |
| Time & invoicing (timesheets, invoices, financial reports) | — | ✓ |
| Client portal w/ login | No — clients join as project members | ✓ |
| QuickBooks + Microsoft 365 connections | Partial — an accounting integration is listed | ✓ |
| Free unlimited collaborator/participant seats | No — per-user licences | ✓ |
| Published pricing + self-serve trial | Published pricing yes / free trial yes | ✓ |