Accounting · Mid-Market / Enterprise Accounting
Striven Review
All-in-one ERP-lite built for contractors — native accounting + dispatch in one system
Quick verdict
Striven is best for Small-to-mid contractors (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, GC) who want to replace the QuickBooks-plus-scheduling-plus-CRM patchwork with one platform that has native accounting and dispatch. Learning curve and longer onboarding; limited built-in payroll (needs integration); search/reporting gaps; per-user + portal cost adds up at scale; over-built for a 1–2 person shop.
Pricing
Standard ~$35/user/mo · Enterprise ~$70/user/mo · +$25/user surcharge under 5 users. Customer portals free to 100 users, ~$99/mo to 500, ~$499/mo unlimited. Free "test drive" available (length unverified)..
Affiliate disclosure: affiliate_url stays TBD; the VAR/partner track is the more meaningful monetization route than the affiliate link.
About Striven
Striven is the rare tool that's genuinely built for trades as an all-in-one: native double-entry accounting plus CRM, project and task management, inventory, HR, and — crucially — scheduling and dispatch, all in one system with dedicated HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and construction solution pages. Instead of syncing an FSM to QuickBooks, Striven replaces both: estimates → jobs → field labor/material costing → invoicing → financials flow through a single platform, so job-costing data isn't stranded in a separate tool.
It's not for everyone. There's a real learning curve and longer onboarding (the most-cited drawback), built-in payroll is limited (you add an integration), and per-user pricing plus portal fees add up at scale — it's over-built for a 1–2 person shop. But Striven has an outstanding support reputation, construction is its single largest reviewer segment, and for a growing crew that wants to ditch the QuickBooks-plus-spreadsheets-plus-scheduling-app patchwork for one system, it's one of the few products here actually designed for that.
How it works
Striven unifies operations and accounting in one cloud platform: field data (job costing, labor, materials, equipment) flows directly into native accounting, so contractors run the whole estimate-to-financials cycle in one place. You manage CRM and sales, schedule and dispatch crews, track projects on Kanban/Gantt views, handle inventory and procurement, and give customers and vendors portal access. Migrating from QuickBooks imports your data into Striven's own accounting (it replaces QuickBooks rather than syncing to it). Pricing is per user, with separate tiers for customer-portal volume.
Pros & cons
What works
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Genuine built-in accounting
Striven has native double-entry accounting (GL, AP, AR, financials) — it replaces QuickBooks rather than syncing to it, so your books and operations share one database.
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Real field-service depth
Scheduling/dispatch, job costing, subcontractor credential tracking, inventory, and fleet are built in — not bolted on via a third-party FSM.
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Industry-specific solutions
Dedicated HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and construction configurations mean it speaks trades out of the box, not generic SMB.
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Unlimited users on every plan
Plans are per-user but not capped, so the whole crew and office can be in the system without hitting seat limits.
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Outstanding support reputation
Striven wins high marks for customer support (and awards for it) — a real differentiator for a system this broad.
What doesn't
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Learning curve / longer onboarding
The most-cited drawback: a broad all-in-one takes time to set up and adopt versus a single-purpose app.
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Limited built-in payroll
Payroll isn't fully native — you add an integration or service, so it's not quite everything-in-one for paychecks.
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Search and reporting gaps
Reviewers note search and some reporting could be stronger relative to the platform's breadth.
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Per-user cost adds up
$35–70/user plus portal fees at scale can get expensive for a larger team versus a flat-rate tool.
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Over-built for a 1–2 person shop
A solo operator pays for (and must learn) far more platform than they need — lighter tools fit better at that size.
Features & integrations
Key features
Integrations
Frequently asked
Is Striven actually built for contractors?
Yes — Striven has dedicated HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and construction solutions, and construction is its single largest reviewer segment. It combines native accounting with scheduling/dispatch, job costing, inventory, and subcontractor tracking, so it's designed for trades rather than being a generic SMB tool.
Does Striven replace QuickBooks?
Yes — Striven has its own native double-entry accounting and is meant to replace QuickBooks, not sync to it. Migrating imports your QuickBooks data into Striven. That's the appeal for contractors tired of running QuickBooks plus a separate scheduling app plus spreadsheets — it consolidates them.
How much does Striven cost?
About $35/user/mo (Standard) or $70/user/mo (Enterprise), with a $25/user surcharge if you have fewer than 5 users, plus customer-portal tiers (free to 100 users, ~$99/mo to 500, ~$499/mo unlimited). It's per-user, so model your headcount; it's most cost-effective for a real crew, not a solo operator.
What is the main downside of Striven?
The learning curve. Because it's a broad all-in-one (accounting + CRM + projects + dispatch + inventory + HR), onboarding takes longer than a single-purpose app, and it's over-built for a 1–2 person shop. Its support reputation is strong, which helps, but plan for a real setup period.
Other accounting software
QuickBooks Online
The default small-business accounting platform — and what your FSM syncs to
Xero
Full-featured accounting with unlimited users and predictable pricing
FreshBooks
Invoicing-first accounting for solo and small service businesses
Wave
Free accounting and invoicing for very small and new businesses
QuickBooks Desktop / Enterprise
The deepest job costing in the QuickBooks line — where established contractors graduate
Sage (Sage 50 + Sage Accounting)
Real job costing and inventory in a desktop-grade package — plus a cheap cloud tier