Articles for owners of small dirtwork companies
Andrew Drish, founder
Published . Updated
Start with the best software for small dirtwork contractors, then the 2026 excavation roundup. Every comparison is its own article, checked against that company's own website, with the links. Looking for your trade? Each one has its own page under Industries.
October 28, 2026Best software for an excavation or heavy civil company with 50 to 100 employeesWhat a 50 to 100 person excavation or heavy civil company needs from software, and how SmartCrew, HCSS, Procore, WorkMax and Raken compare at that size. Sourced.November 2, 20267 Best Excavation Software for 20267 best excavation software for 2026, in one honest list. SmartCrew is the top pick for crews that want one app. AGTEK and InSite stay the takeoff.November 3, 2026best dirt work software for small companiesDirt work contractor software for a small dirtwork crew: SmartCrew, QuoteIQ, Projul, Contractor+ and more, with 12-person prices and what each one leaves out.October 28, 2026Dump truck software: how to track every load and haul ticket on the jobHow an excavation company tracks dump truck loads and haul tickets without paper: log each load on the phone, snap the ticket, and see trucking against the job.October 28, 2026How to track heavy equipment hours by job, without a spreadsheetThe simplest way to track excavator, dozer and loader hours to each job and cost code: have the operator pick the machine at clock-in. Apps that do it, compared.October 28, 2026Best heavy equipment maintenance software for small contractors (2026)The best heavy equipment maintenance software for a small dirtwork or excavation fleet: SmartCrew, Fleetio, HCSS, Tenna, BusyBusy and Procore, compared and sourced.October 28, 2026Buildertrend, JobTread or Procore for excavation? GC software vs dirtwork softwareBuildertrend, JobTread, Procore and Projul are built for GCs, builders and remodelers. Here's what a dirtwork or heavy civil company needs instead, and when they still fit.November 2, 2026Best Excavation Contractor Software (2026): Honest RoundupHonest 2026 roundup of excavation contractor software. SmartCrew is the top pick for crews that want one app. Takeoff stays in AGTEK or InSite.October 28, 2026Best job costing software for sitework contractorsThe best job costing software for sitework, grading and excavation contractors: daily profit against the bid, with labor, machines and loads on every job. Compared and sourced.October 28, 2026Construction software pricing per user: what a 10, 25 or 50 person crew really paysWhat construction software costs per user for a 10, 25 or 50 person dirtwork crew: list prices for 10 apps, worked out by seat, plus who counts as a paid user.November 3, 2026excavation software for contractors with 5 to 100 employeesThe best all-in-one dirtworks software for a company with 20 to 50 people: SmartCrew next to QuoteIQ, Foreman, ExaYard and HCSS HeavyJob, and where each one is the better pick.October 28, 2026Best time tracking apps for excavation crews (2026)The best time tracking apps for excavation and dirtwork crews, ranked on what matters in the dirt: machine at clock-in, cost codes, GPS and job cost. With list prices.November 2, 2026Top 10 Work Order Software for Excavation Contractors (2026)Top 10 work order software for excavation contractors in 2026. SmartCrew is the one app pick. Only three of the ten publish work orders on their sites.October 28, 2026Excavation software that integrates with QuickBooks OnlineWhich construction and excavation apps integrate with QuickBooks Online, which plan you need for it, and why QuickBooks alone isn't enough for a dirtwork company.November 3, 2026SmartCrew FAQ: what dirtwork owners ask before they buyStraight answers from Andrew Drish on SmartCrew: who it's for, how pricing works, setup, crews, machines, haul tickets, QuickBooks and how it compares.November 2, 2026b2w alternativeb2w alternative for heavy civil companies with 10 to 100 field employees. SmartCrew next to Trimble B2W Estimate, Track, and Maintain. November 2026.November 3, 2026busybusy alternativeBusyBusy vs SmartCrew for dirtwork and heavy civil crews: list prices, every feature side by side from BusyBusy's own site, and the best BusyBusy alternatives for 2026.October 28, 2026ClockShark vs SmartCrew (2026): Pricing, Features & Best AlternativesClockShark vs SmartCrew for dirtwork crews: ClockShark's 2026 list prices and three-year term, features side by side, and the best ClockShark alternatives.October 28, 2026Contractor Foreman vs SmartCrew (2026): Pricing, Features & Best AlternativesContractor Foreman vs SmartCrew for dirtwork crews: each plan's price and user cap, which plan your crew needs, features side by side and the best alternatives.October 28, 2026Contractor+ vs SmartCrew (2026): Pricing, Features & Best AlternativesContractor+ vs SmartCrew for dirtwork crews: Contractor+'s free, Pro Team and MAX plans worked out for 15 and 40 people, features side by side, and the best alternatives.October 28, 2026ExakTime vs SmartCrew (2026): Pricing, Features & Best AlternativesExakTime (now Arcoro Time) vs SmartCrew for dirtwork crews: published 2026 prices with examples, features side by side, and the best ExakTime alternatives.October 28, 2026Foreman vs SmartCrew (2026): Pricing, Features & Best AlternativesForeman (foreman.co) vs SmartCrew for dirtwork crews: Foreman's price and terms, features side by side from its own site, and the best Foreman alternatives.November 3, 2026hcss heavyjob alternativeHCSS HeavyJob alternative for dirtwork and heavy civil companies with 5 to 100 employees. Compare pricing, setup and who each product is built for.November 2, 2026hcss alternativehcss alternative for heavy civil companies with 10 to 100 field employees. One field app next to the HCSS suite. Facts checked November 2026.November 2, 2026hcss heavybid alternativehcss heavybid alternative: SmartCrew does not estimate. Pair HeavyBid with SmartCrew for field ops, or move the field off HeavyJob. November 2026.October 28, 2026Jobber vs SmartCrew (2026): Pricing, Features & Best AlternativesJobber vs SmartCrew for excavation and heavy civil crews: Jobber's regular list prices by team size, features side by side, and the best Jobber alternatives.October 28, 2026JobTread vs SmartCrew (2026): Pricing, Features & Best AlternativesJobTread vs SmartCrew for dirtwork crews: JobTread's list prices worked out for 15 and 40 people, features side by side, and the best JobTread alternatives.October 28, 2026Knowify vs SmartCrew (2026): Pricing, Features & Best AlternativesKnowify vs SmartCrew for dirtwork crews: Knowify's plans and what each one unlocks, features side by side from Knowify's own site, and the best Knowify alternatives.November 3, 2026procore alternativeProcore vs SmartCrew for dirtwork companies: how Procore prices, what it sells as separate products, where it wins, and the best Procore alternatives.November 3, 2026projul alternativeProjul vs SmartCrew for dirtwork crews: Projul's four plans and what each one unlocks, features side by side from Projul's own site, and the best Projul alternatives.October 28, 2026QuickBooks Time vs SmartCrew (2026): Pricing, Features & Best AlternativesQuickBooks Time (TSheets) vs SmartCrew for dirtwork crews: 2026 list prices with examples, features side by side, and the best QuickBooks Time alternatives.November 3, 2026quoteiq alternativeQuoteIQ vs SmartCrew for dirt work management: QuoteIQ's five published plans, what a 15 or 40 person crew pays, and who should pick which.October 28, 2026Raken vs SmartCrew (2026): Pricing, Features & Best AlternativesRaken vs SmartCrew for dirtwork and heavy civil: Raken's plans and paid add-ons, what each one holds, where Raken is stronger, and the best Raken alternatives.October 28, 2026WorkMax vs SmartCrew (2026): Pricing, Features & Best AlternativesWorkMax vs SmartCrew for heavy civil crews: how WorkMax's quote-only modules are priced, every feature side by side, and the best WorkMax alternatives in 2026.