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Who each suits
BQE CORE suits architecture, engineering and consulting firms that want one system to run project management, billing and accounting, including finance teams who will own the accounting side. BQE's page names principals, project managers, finance and administrative staff as users.
Rizqo suits architecture firms, from a solo practitioner to a studio of ten or more, that want the commercial side of each project in one place: the proposal, the phase fees, the hours and the invoices. It is not accounting software and says so.
Side by side
BQE CORE facts are what BQE's own product page states. Rizqo facts are what Rizqo's documentation states. "Not stated" means the page did not say, not that the feature is absent.
| Dimension | BQE CORE (bqe.com/core, read 2 Oct 2026) | Rizqo (documented) | Limitation or unknown |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A&E firm management software, an all-in-one platform for professional services firms | Project and practice management software for architecture firms | |
| Firm type and size | Architecture, engineering and consulting firms; more than 3,000 A&E firms; size not stated | Architecture firms; Starter is one seat, Professional five members, Business ten, with extra members on the two larger plans | BQE size range not stated |
| Pricing | No figures shown. The pricing page describes per-user pricing with additional modules and directs visitors to request a quote or a demo (bqe.com/pricing, read 3 Oct 2026) | $19, $39 and $99 per month; every plan includes every core module; 14-day free trial, no card | BQE price: ask BQE |
| Proposals and contracts | Not stated | Proposals in sections, accepted or declined by the client on a secure link; contracts generated from an accepted proposal and signed online | |
| Project phases | Not described at phase level | Fixed, hourly or non-billable phases with their own amount and progress; RIBA stages in one step | Check BQE phase handling in a demo |
| Time and expense | Time and expense tracking | Weekly timesheet by project, phase and task; no expense tracking; no stopwatch | |
| Billing | Automated billing and ePayments | Invoices built from phase progress and unbilled time, emailed as PDF, payments recorded; no AIA G702 or G703 forms | |
| Project accounting | Project accounting with real-time financial health monitoring | None. No staff cost data, no WIP, no overhead allocation; not accounting software | |
| Resource planning | Staffing optimization and workload balancing | None | |
| CRM | Built-in tools for business development | Client records; not a CRM | |
| Payroll | Embedded payroll processing and tax filing, recently added | None | |
| Reporting | Real-time reports and analytics | Revenue and effort report: invoiced, collected, billable and non-billable hours; export to CSV, Excel or PDF | Rizqo has no margin or profit reporting |
| Integrations | Connects with other platforms, not itemized | No accounting integration; Google email connection; integration keys for a desktop time tracker | |
| Implementation | Live demo, personalized implementation by BQE, 24/7 phone and email support (BQE's claim) | Self-serve start; the Rizqo team runs migrations from spreadsheets and exports |
Where BQE CORE is the better choice
If the questions your firm needs answered are work in progress, overhead allocation, gross margin by project or effective rate against cost, Rizqo cannot answer them and BQE CORE is built to. The same applies to firms that want resource planning, payroll or accounting in the same system.
BQE CORE alternatives lists what each lighter option gives up. Why project numbers drift explains what revenue and effort figures can and cannot tell you.
Where Rizqo is the better fit
When a firm mostly bills by phase and wants the proposal, the phase fees, the hours and the invoice to sit on connected records, with no accounting implementation behind them, Rizqo's smaller scope is the point. See how phases and invoices work, and read about Rizqo.
How to test it
Take a recently completed project with one phase billed by percentage complete and one billed hourly. Run it through each system and count every point where someone has to re-enter data. The architecture project management software guide sets out a five-step version of this test.
Questions
Is Rizqo a BQE CORE replacement?
Only for firms that do not need project accounting, resource planning, payroll or margin reporting. It covers proposals, contracts, phases, time and invoicing.
Does Rizqo integrate with BQE CORE?
No integration of that kind is documented.
Which is cheaper?
BQE's pricing page shows no figures and directs visitors to request a quote, so no price comparison can be made from public information. Rizqo's plans are on its pricing page.