// DuoApp vs Archdesk · UK

DuoApp vs Archdesk - configurable, or ready to go?

Archdesk is a flexible, workflow-driven platform that can be shaped to almost any process - which is its strength and its cost. Someone has to do the shaping. DuoApp arrives with UK construction already assumed: CIS deductions, retention, applications, approvals, QA sign-offs and document expiry alerts work on day one, at a flat £10 per user, per month.

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£10

Per user, per month - flat. Every feature included, no tiers.

Days

Typical time to go live - not the weeks or months enterprise platforms need.

CIS

UK subcontractor workflows - deductions, retention & applications built in.

100%

UK-built, UK-hosted and UK-supported by real humans.

Side-by-side table Strengths & trade-offs Switching FAQs

// Side by side

DuoApp vs Archdesk, feature by feature.

Every row below reflects publicly available information about Archdesk at the time of writing, or the absence of it. Where a vendor does not publish list pricing we say so rather than guess.

	DuoAppUK · All-in-one	ArchdeskEU · Configurable PM
Published list price	£10 / user / monthflat, every feature	Not publishedquote on request
Pricing model	Per user, flatno tiers or add-ons	Tiered / per seat
Typical time to go live	Daysself-serve or guided	Weeksconfiguration-led
Setup / implementation fee	None	Commonly appliesonboarding package
UK CIS deductions		Via configurationnot UK-native
Retention handling		Via configuration
Applications & auto-invoicing		Via configuration
Mobile app for site teams	iOS, Android, web
Works offline on site	syncs on reconnect	Limited
Quality control & snagging
Document expiry alerts
Timesheets & holiday planner	included
Free trial	14 daysfull platform	demo-led
UK-based support	Kent-based team	EU-based

Comparison compiled from each vendor's public website and documentation. Vendors change their products and pricing - if you spot something out of date, tell us and we will correct it. Archdesk is a trademark of its respective owner; DuoApp is not affiliated with it.

// The honest version

Where each one is stronger.

No tool wins every category. Here is where Archdesk is the better answer, and where DuoApp is.

DuoApp vs Archdesk

EU · Configurable PM

Where Archdesk is strong

Highly configurable workflows that can be moulded to an unusual internal process
Broad functional coverage across projects, finance and resources
Modern interface and a strong dashboard and reporting layer
Good fit for firms with a clearly defined process they want mirrored exactly

Where DuoApp wins

UK CIS, retention and subcontractor payments work out of the box - no configuration project
Published flat £10 per user pricing instead of tiered quotes
UK-built, UK-hosted and supported by a UK team in the same time zone
Offline-capable QA and snagging for poor-signal sites
Nothing to configure before you can run your first project

Bottom line: Archdesk suits a firm with an unusual process and the appetite to build it. DuoApp suits a UK contractor who wants the standard UK workflows working correctly, immediately - and would rather spend the week on site than in configuration.

// Making the move

What switching actually involves.

Configuration flexibility is genuinely valuable when your process is unusual. It becomes a liability when your process is ordinary UK contracting and you are rebuilding CIS from primitives.

UK assumptions are already made

Deduction rates, verification status, retention percentages and application cycles behave the way a UK contractor expects without being modelled first.

Configuration you can still change

Approval routes, permissions and project templates are editable in the app - the point is that sensible defaults are already there.

Same time zone, same working week

Support is a Kent-based team on UK hours, which matters when something needs sorting before a Friday valuation.

// DuoApp vs Archdesk

Questions buyers ask us.

How does Archdesk compare with DuoApp on setup time?

Archdesk's flexibility means workflows are typically configured to your process during onboarding, which takes weeks. DuoApp ships with UK contracting workflows already in place, so most teams create an account and run a real project within days.

Does Archdesk support UK CIS?

Archdesk is a European platform with configurable financial workflows rather than native UK CIS handling, so CIS is generally something you set up rather than switch on. In DuoApp, CIS deductions, verification status, retention and split payments are built into applications and invoices as standard. How CIS works in DuoApp →

Which is cheaper, Archdesk or DuoApp?

Archdesk does not publish list pricing and is sold on tiered per-seat quotes, often with an onboarding package. DuoApp is £10 per user, per month, published, flat, with every feature included and no setup fee - so the total is simply your headcount times ten.

Is DuoApp flexible enough if our process is unusual?

For most UK contracting workflows, yes - permissions, approval routes, retention rules, project templates and billing types are all configurable. If your process is genuinely unlike standard UK contracting, a build-it-yourself platform may model it more precisely, and that is a fair reason to choose one.

Where is our data hosted?

DuoApp is UK-built and UK-hosted, which is often a procurement requirement for public-sector and framework work. See our privacy and data handling →

// Still shortlisting

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