Decision guide

costeo or Phase0? Five questions on cost management, invoice checking and change order review

As of: October 2026

Phase0 and costeo are often mentioned in the same breath: both run in the browser, both work with AI, both are aimed at the construction industry. When it comes to the project's money, they part ways.

The short answer

Phase0 organizes the planning office. costeo steers the money of the construction project: cost management, invoice checking and change order review. If your projects are measured by whether they stay within budget, costeo is built for that.

1Where is it decided whether your project makes a profit?
2How thoroughly is an invoice checked?
3What happens to change orders?
4Who sees the cost status, and what does each login cost?
5Where does the AI take work off your hands?

Question 1 of 5

Where is it decided whether your project makes a profit?

Rarely in the bill of quantities, almost always afterwards: in the invoices that get paid, in the change orders that get accepted and in a budget that nobody kept an eye on in time.

For clients and general contractors, this is the difference between profit and loss. It is also where most hours are lost, in the planning office and at the client alike, and with them the client's nerves.

costeoIs built entirely for this phase. Budget, contracts, invoices and change orders come together in one place, and the cost status is always up to date.

Phase0Organizes the work of the planning office: AVA (tendering, award and billing software), HOAI fees, time tracking and site diary. Invoice checking and cost tracking are part of the AVA module.

Question 2 of 5

How thoroughly is an invoice checked?

Approving an invoice is done quickly. Checking it is not: Does every line item match the bill of quantities? Is the quantity evidenced in the measurement? Does the unit price match the contract? Has the work already been billed once?

Doing this by hand takes hours and in the end often means paying too late for the early-payment discount. A worked example: a 2% early-payment discount on €5 million of construction work is €100,000.

costeoThe AI compares every line item with the bill of quantities, measurement and contract and provides evidence for every deviation. Early-payment deadlines and payment terms are right on the invoice. Your team only decides on the anomalies.

Phase0Invoice approval with cover sheet and a payment overview across all contracts.

Question 3 of 5

What happens to change orders?

Change orders are where budgets most often break. When time is short, they are accepted across the board or cut across the board, and both backfire: one costs money, the other ends in a dispute with the contractor.

costeoThe AI recognizes whether a service is already included in the main contract and compares the prices with the contract. What is justified goes through quickly; what is unjustified is rejected with evidence. Every open change order appears in the cost status.

Phase0Change order management is listed as a function of the AVA.

Question 4 of 5

Who sees the cost status, and what does each login cost?

More people are involved in an invoice than sit in the office: the site management who know the measurement, the specialist planner for building services, the client who pays, the contractor who has to answer a query. And they all want to know the same thing: where does the project stand?

Team	Phase0, single license	Phase0, full license	costeo
3 users	€240	€480	independent of the number of users, from €75 depending on construction volume
10 users	€800	€1,600
25 users	€2,000	€4,000

Monthly prices, net. Phase0: €80 or €160 per user with monthly payment according to the pricing page, 20% cheaper with annual payment. costeo: Starter from €75 (approx. €1 million construction volume), Plus from €579 (approx. €10 million), Pro from €1,399 (approx. €35 million).

costeoUsers and projects are unlimited. You invite the client, specialist planners and contractors into the project and use views to control who sees what. The cost status is available in the browser, even in the evening and on the road.

Phase0License per user per month, €80 to €160 net depending on the package.

Question 5 of 5

Where does the AI take work off your hands?

Both products rely on AI. What matters is at which point in the project it does its work.

costeoWhere the money flows: the AI reads in invoices, measurements and change orders, whatever the format, compares every line item and shows the evidence for every anomaly. The decision is always made by a person.

Phase0When creating bills of quantities and in the site diary. In its SoftGuide entry, the vendor lists an agent for invoice checking as in development.

Who costeo is built for

For everyone who has commercial responsibility for construction projects and is measured by the result.

Clients and project developers who want to know at any time whether their project is within budget
General contractors for whom early-payment discounts, overpayments and change orders decide between profit and loss
Engineering and planning offices that check for their clients and want to reduce hours and liability risk in the process
Teams that want to involve all participants without paying for every login

The comparison in one table

Criterion	costeo	Phase0
Core	Cost management, invoice checking, change order review	AVA, HOAI fees, site management
Intended for	Clients, general contractors, project developers, planning offices	Architecture and engineering offices with 1 to 20 employees
Invoices	AI-supported line-item comparison against bill of quantities, measurement and contract; early-payment deadlines	Invoice approval with cover sheet; payment overview
Change orders	AI-supported review against contract and main contract	Change order management in the AVA
Cost status	In real time, with budget vs. forecast, for all participants	Cost tracking in the AVA module
AI	Import in any format, comparison with evidence, change order review	Site diary and bill of quantities creation
Billing	By construction volume, unlimited users	Per user per month

What prospects also ask

Can I use Phase0 and costeo together?

Yes. If you keep bills of quantities, fees and the site diary in Phase0, you can steer cost management, invoice checking and change order review in costeo.

Which documents can costeo import?

Invoices, measurements, bills of quantities, contracts and change orders. You upload what reaches you; the AI reads it in, whatever the format.

Is costeo too big for a three-person office?

No. Starter is designed for around €1 million of construction volume per year and begins at €75 per month. You can start with a single project.

What exactly does "unlimited users" mean?

The price depends on the construction volume. How many people from your team or from outside work in the project does not change that.

How does the AI provide evidence for its results?

For every anomaly, costeo shows the place in the bill of quantities, contract or measurement on which the check is based. Approval stays with your team.

How long does getting started take?

The demo takes 20 minutes and is based on your own processes. After that, you can start with a single project.

Five questions answered, one remains

What does costeo look like with your own invoices? We will show you in 20 minutes, non-binding and based on your processes.

Request a demo

Phase0 is a trademark of the vendor of the same name. Information according to the vendor, as of October 2026.