Forward vs PlanGrid
PlanGrid is now Autodesk Build. The drawings-on-tablets workflow that defined a generation of field-collaboration apps has been absorbed. If you're evaluating what to replace PlanGrid with, the honest options are Autodesk Build, Fieldwire, Procore Mobile — or skipping the app altogether.
The PlanGrid sunset
Autodesk acquired PlanGrid in 2018 for $875M. By 2022, PlanGrid’s standalone product was discontinued, and the functionality was rolled into Autodesk Build under the Autodesk Construction Cloud umbrella. PlanGrid’s standalone URL still redirects, but new customers can’t sign up — Autodesk Build is the only path forward.
For teams still running PlanGrid on existing accounts, the write’s on the wall: it’ll eventually get fully sunsetted, and the migration path is to ACC Build.
What replaces PlanGrid?
Three real options if your team is comparing:
- Autodesk Build — the sanctioned migration path. Most PlanGrid-era workflows (drawing access, markup, sheet versioning) exist in ACC Build. Same adoption-curve problem PlanGrid had: 20-35% field DAU.
- Fieldwire — the closest spiritual successor in terms of focus on drawing collaboration. Same app-adoption curve.
- Forward — the “skip the app entirely” option. Your field crew texts a phone number, gets the latest sheet via SMS in 4 seconds. We connect to Procore + Autodesk Construction Cloud + OneDrive underneath, so the drawings still live in the system of record.
When Autodesk Build wins
If your project lives in the Autodesk ecosystem (Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, BIM 360, ACC Docs), the migration to Autodesk Build is the natural path. The data flows are tight, the markup tools are native, the version history is preserved.
It’s also the right call if your field team genuinely uses the mobile app. The supers and foremen who were power users in PlanGrid will probably be power users in Build — the UX delta isn’t huge.
When Forward wins
The reason PlanGrid stalled at 30-something percent field adoption wasn’t the app’s UX. It was the fundamental premise: requiring tradespeople to install and use an app for sheet access. That premise is what Forward bypasses.
If your honest assessment of PlanGrid was “75% of our field never opened it,” the answer isn’t a different app. It’s no app.
Head-to-head
| Job | Autodesk Build (PlanGrid replacement) | Forward |
|---|---|---|
| Pull the latest A-301 in 5 seconds | Open app, navigate to Sheets, find — 30+ seconds | send me a-301 — 4 seconds |
| Mark up a drawing with redline | Native, excellent | Defers to Build or Bluebeam |
| Punch list with drawing-pin location | Native | Native — text description + photo, Forward maps it |
| RFI response while in the lift | App-required | SMS |
| Onboarding a new tradesperson | Add user, install app, train | Add phone number. Done. |
| Submittal status | App-required | is 09 51 13 approved — SMS |
The migration math
Most teams migrating off PlanGrid end up running Autodesk Build + Forward together, the same way Procore + Forward compose. ACC Build is the system of record + markup interface. Forward is the field-side delivery channel.
Pricing-wise, Autodesk Build is sold per-user-per-year (~$110-$250/seat depending on tier). Forward is per-PM-seat with unlimited field users. For a team running 4 PMs + 60 field workers, the combined cost is roughly $1,500/mo Forward + ACC Build for the office team only. Field workers don’t need ACC licenses because they don’t use the app — they text Forward.
Try it from your phone
Text +1 (682) 300-6750 with send me a-301. The demo project returns the sheet thumbnail + PDF in iMessage in under 5 seconds — the same workflow your former PlanGrid users would see when they ask for any sheet.
Try Forward right now
Drop your email above for early access — or skip the form and text +1 (682) 300-6750 from your phone. The live demo answers anything you can ask a project manager in plain English — no signup needed.