BQE CORE
All-in-one firm management software for architecture and engineering firms
By BQE Software, Inc. · HQ West Hollywood, US · 4.0/5 Value-Position score (estimate)
Positioning guardrails
Best for
- Architecture and engineering (A&E) firms that need time, billing, project management and accounting in one platform
- Project-based professional-services firms with roughly 10-200 staff
- Firms replacing disconnected spreadsheets, timesheets and accounting tools
- US-based firms wanting integrated payroll processing and tax filing
Ideal size: 10-200 employees people · Established A&E or project-based firm moving off spreadsheets
Not for
- Non-project-based businesses with no billable time or project accounting
- Enterprises needing a deeply customizable ERP with heavy in-house IT ownership
- Firms outside the US that require in-CORE payroll (payroll is for US-based businesses)
- Teams wanting a free, self-serve product without a sales-led demo and guided implementation
Value metrics scorecard
Time-to-Value
First value in weeks; ~6 months to ROI
~30 days to first production value
Total Cost of Ownership
On request
Quote-based; all-in-one Core platform plus optional add-on modules sized to your firm
Implementation Friction
3/5
Engineering + admin effort required
Value-Position score
out of 5 · model estimate
Full cost breakdown
Mandatory implementation fee
None
Seat tiers
No public seat tiers; custom quote based on firm size and modules
Add-on costs
- Accounting, CRM, HR and Payroll are quote-priced modules added to the Core platform
- No public list prices; every module is quoted through sales
Company & support
Who is behind BQE CORE, and how your team gets help once it is live.
Company
- Founded
- Not recorded
- Headquarters
- West Hollywood, US
How you get support
- PhonePaid plans
- EmailPaid plans
- Live chatNot listed
- Support portal / ticketsNot listed
- Community forumPlan not stated
- Help centre / docsPlan not stated
- Dedicated account managerPaid plans
- In person / on-siteNot listed
- Hours
- 24/7
- Response time
- Average wait time: 90 seconds
24/7/365 phone and email support for CORE subscribers, plus a dedicated account manager on the Core platform. International support numbers for Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, London and Canada.
“Not listed” means the vendor’s public pages don’t mention that channel, not that it is unavailable. Ask about it during evaluation.
Market position
Where BQE CORE sits against its closest alternatives. Pick any two of cost, speed, friction and buyer score, and up to 9 companies to compare.
Quadrant view
Typical annual cost × Time-to-value
The lines cross at the median of the solutions shown, so about half sit on each side of each line. A dashed ring marks an outlier pinned to the edge; hover for its value.
Companies on the chart 6 / 10
- BQE CORE
- EvenUp
- Harvey
- Kantata
- HawkSoft
- PayFit
Add or change companies
Up to 10 companies including BQE CORE. Listed closest first.
Stack fit signal
Compatibility with standard B2B ecosystems.
No supported MCP path today, so it cannot be driven from an AI client.
AI & MCP readiness
What BQE CORE ships in AI, and what it asks of your ecosystem.
Compliance attestations
* IAPP AIGP certifies individuals, not products. It means named staff hold the credential — not that the platform does.
Bottom line
BQE CORE is an all-in-one firm management platform built for architecture, engineering and consulting firms. It combines time and expense tracking, project management, billing and invoicing, and reporting with optional accounting, CRM, HR and payroll modules so data flows from timecards to invoices to the general ledger. Pricing is quote-based and sized to the firm, with guided implementation and 24/7 phone and email support for subscribers. BQE says 3,000+ A&E firms use CORE.
Frequently asked questions
How is BQE CORE priced?
BQE does not publish list prices. You start with the all-in-one Core platform (time and expense, billing and invoicing, project management, reporting and analytics) and add only the modules your firm needs, such as Accounting, CRM, HR and Payroll. BQE asks for a few details about your firm and then puts together a custom quote tailored to your size and requirements.
How long does it take to get value from BQE CORE?
BQE provides a personalized implementation to get your firm started. One published customer quote reports realizing return on investment within about six months of using CORE, and another reports recovering roughly two hours per person per day. Exact timing depends on firm size, data migration and how many modules you adopt.
Does BQE CORE integrate with other systems?
Yes. BQE lists seamless pre-built integrations plus custom integrations via an open API, along with cloud feed integration and reconciliation for bank and credit card data. Payroll tax filing is powered by Gusto, and native mobile apps for iOS and Android are included with the Core platform.
What support is included with BQE CORE?
BQE advertises 24/7/365 phone and email support for subscribers, with an average wait time of 90 seconds, a dedicated account manager on the Core platform, a help center, and a peer community for architects and engineers. International support lines exist for Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, London and Canada.
Which firms get the most from BQE CORE?
The product is purpose-built for project-based professional services, particularly architecture, engineering and consulting firms. BQE says 3,000+ A&E firms use CORE. Firms with no billable time or project-based accounting, or those wanting a free self-serve tool, are a poorer fit.
Is payroll included in BQE CORE?
Payroll is an optional add-on module for US-based businesses. It provides automated payroll processing, federal, state and local tax filing powered by Gusto, employee self-service for onboarding, pay stubs and withholdings, and automatic general ledger posting into CORE Accounting.