Rabbet alternative for owners on GMP contracts
Both described in their own words, from their own pages on 9 September 2026, and the eight things an owner on a guaranteed maximum price contract needs to see.
The things an owner on a GMP contract needs to see, one per row.
Quoted from its own pages on 9 September 2026, or marked not published.
From the product's own code, file and line in the source record.
No logos, no statistics, no ranking. Two descriptions side by side.
Rabbet, in its own words.
Rabbet describes itself, on its own site, as software for "owners, developers, and asset managers" and for "construction lenders": "Turn project information into financial clarity", it "brings budgets, anticipated costs, draw schedules, and funding sources together", offers "Draw Packaging" with a "change order log", and its development pricing page says "Plans priced per project in construction." and "$15,000 minimum annual contract required."
The owner side of a guaranteed maximum price contract.
Costwitness starts at the GMP amendment, keeps contractor and owner contingency as two separate funds, records the cause of every change order and the date its notice clock started, follows buyout package by package against the GMP lines, and works out the shared savings on the cap and carve-outs written in the amendment. It does not do accounting, invoices or development budgets. One project, read from the owner's side, in nine modules.
Eight things an owner needs, and what each vendor publishes.
| What the owner needs | Costwitness | Rabbet |
|---|---|---|
| Anchored to the GMP amendment | Yes. The baseline is built from the GMP amendment and the schedule of values. | not published |
| Two separate funds, owner and contractor | Yes. Contractor and owner contingency on separate ledgers, each draw dated and documented. | not published |
| Change orders classified by cause | Yes. Cause decides which fund pays: owner scope, design gap, unforeseen, coordination, unclassified. | "change order log" |
| Notice date recorded from the event date | Yes. The notice clock runs from the day the condition was recognized, not the day it was typed in. | not published |
| Buyout tracked against GMP lines | Yes. Per package: GMP line value, awarded value, variance, award date. | not published |
| Shared savings with cap and carve-out logic | Yes. Cap as fixed, percent of GMP or percent of fee; carve-outs excluded from the pool. | not published |
| Pricing basis | Per active project, unlimited users. Free 14-day trial, no card. | "Plans priced per project in construction." "$15,000 minimum annual contract required." |
| Built for | The owner side of a GMP contract. | "owners, developers, and asset managers", "construction lenders" |
Not published means the vendor's own pages do not state it, on the date shown. It does not mean the product cannot do it.
Sources, 9 September 2026: rabbet.com, rabbet.com/real-estate-developers, rabbet.com/developers/pricing. Costwitness column from the product's own code; see Per active project. Never per seat. for the pricing basis.
- Draw packages and draw review are the center of your month, and your lender is on the same system.
- You manage funding sources, loan administration and portfolio reporting across many projects.
- A $15,000 minimum annual contract fits the size of your portfolio.
- You are the owner on a GMP contract and want your own ledger, separate from the contractor's books.
- Two contingency funds, a cause on every change order and the notice date matter to you.
- You want per active project pricing with unlimited users, and a free 14-day trial before any invoice.
- No invoice or accounts payable automation. Costwitness records what a pay application claims; it does not approve or pay invoices.
- No development budget module. Land, soft costs and financing are not in it; the GMP contract is.
- No design document workflow. Drawings, submittals and RFIs to the designer live elsewhere.
Asked before choosing.
Is Costwitness a replacement for Rabbet?
Not one for one. Rabbet publishes itself as draw management and construction loan administration for developers and lenders. Costwitness manages the inside of the GMP contract: contingency, change orders, buyout, allowances and shared savings.
Does Costwitness handle draws or lender review?
No. Costwitness records what each pay application claims against the schedule of values and keeps the owner's own record of the contract. It does not package draws or run a lender workflow.
What does Costwitness not do that Rabbet publishes?
Draw packaging and draw review, loan administration, funding sources and portfolio reporting for lenders. Costwitness also carries no development budget and no invoice automation.
How is Costwitness priced?
Per active project with unlimited users, never per seat, with a free 14-day trial and no card asked for. Rabbet's development pricing page says "Plans priced per project in construction." and "$15,000 minimum annual contract required."
Start a free 14-day trial
Create the account, build the baseline from your GMP amendment and the schedule of values, and read the first month from the owner's side.