Is Payapps free for subcontractors?

Payapps publishes subcontractor plans priced by the number of contracts applied against, from £32 a month, and says the first self-managed application each month is free. Its pages mention no free tier for a subcontractor invited by a main contractor.

What is the difference between Payapps and VariationFlow?

Payapps centres on applications for payment and certification between main contractors and subcontractors. VariationFlow starts earlier, at the change on site, and adds the NEC4 subcontract and JCT clocks and a CVR per job, on a flat monthly plan with unlimited users.

Can I use VariationFlow if my main contractor uses Payapps?

Yes. VariationFlow is your own record of variations, evidence, valuations and notices, and the main contractor reviews each submitted variation from a link with no account, whatever it uses for applications.

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VariationFlow vs Payapps

Cloud software for applications for payment and certification, used by main contractors and subcontractors together, with variations and retention inside the application. Payapps says it is now an Autodesk company.

Checked 10 October 2026 against Payapps’s own public pages

Choose Payapps if

Your main contractors already run applications and certification through Payapps, or you want a low monthly price per contract for applications for payment and retention.

Choose VariationFlow if

You want each variation captured on site with its evidence, the NEC4 subcontract and JCT clocks tracked, and a CVR on every job, whatever system your main contractors use.

Side by side

	VariationFlow	Payapps
Who it is built for	VariationFlowUK specialist subcontractors working under main contractors: fit-out, dry lining, flooring, electrical, mechanical, fire protection, roofing and groundworks among them. Domestic builders have a plan of their own.	PayappsMain contractors certifying applications and subcontractors submitting them, on the same platform. A subcontractor can also use it on its own, for clients who are not on Payapps, to track applications, retention and variations.Sources1 2
Pricing	VariationFlowPublished. VariationFlow is £200 a month + VAT with unlimited users; VariationFlow + QA Flow £400; Builder £49 for domestic builders. 6-month minimum term, 20% off annually.	PayappsPublished for subcontractors, by the number of contracts applied against: from £32 a month for one contract to £270 a month for unlimited, or £35 per application. Monthly, with no lock-in; VAT is not mentioned on the page. Main contractors are quoted.Sources1 2
Variations from site	VariationFlowCaptured on site on a phone in about a minute: photos, a voice note, the location and the requester’s signature. Each gets a project reference and goes to the main contractor with a review link that needs no account.	PayappsApproved and unapproved variations tracked, reported line by line with reasons for modification or rejection, and images can back up an application. Capture on site from a phone is not stated.Sources1 2
UK contract and payment deadlines	VariationFlowNEC4 subcontract compensation event clocks (61.3 notification, 62.3 and 62.6 quotation), JCT confirmation of verbal instructions, and Construction Act payment dates: due date, payment notice, pay less notice and final date.	PayappsReminders for payment notice and pay less notice deadlines, presented as support for UK Construction Act compliance. NEC and JCT are not named as product features on the pages read.Sources1 2
Cost value reconciliation	VariationFlowA CVR per project and period: value from your valuations, cost by head with accruals and provisions, and your QS’s forecast, with a portfolio view across jobs.	PayappsNot stated on their public pages.
Accounts, ERP and CIS	VariationFlowNot an ERP. It holds no ledger, runs no payroll, files no CIS returns and raises no purchase orders. Costs come in from an export of your accounts package.	PayappsIts UK terms describe applications and certification, not end-to-end project management or accounting software.Source
Mobile app and no signal	VariationFlowiPhone and Android app that captures with or without signal and sends when the phone is back online, in the crew’s own language.	PayappsCloud-based, for use “in the office or on the go on any device”. A native app and offline use are not stated.Source
Free plan or trial	VariationFlowFree for your first job: 1 project and 2 users, no card.	PayappsThe first self-managed application for payment each month is free. A free trial is not stated.Source

Questions

Is Payapps free for subcontractors?: Payapps publishes subcontractor plans priced by the number of contracts applied against, from £32 a month, and says the first self-managed application each month is free. Its pages mention no free tier for a subcontractor invited by a main contractor.
What is the difference between Payapps and VariationFlow?: Payapps centres on applications for payment and certification between main contractors and subcontractors. VariationFlow starts earlier, at the change on site, and adds the NEC4 subcontract and JCT clocks and a CVR per job, on a flat monthly plan with unlimited users.
Can I use VariationFlow if my main contractor uses Payapps?: Yes. VariationFlow is your own record of variations, evidence, valuations and notices, and the main contractor reviews each submitted variation from a link with no account, whatever it uses for applications.

Sources

What this page says about Payapps comes from the sources above, read on 10 October 2026. “Not stated on their public pages” means we could not find it said there, not that the product lacks it. Payapps is a trade mark of its owner, who has not reviewed this page. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.

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