Sonra is practice management software built for architecture firms - time tracking, budgets, resourcing and invoicing in one tool. Sign up, start a 30-day free trial, and skip the guided implementation.
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Factor AE is practice management software built for architecture firms, with a feature set that overlaps closely with Sonra - time, budgets, resourcing and invoicing. The main difference firms notice is how you get started: Factor typically onboards new firms through a guided implementation that runs over a few weeks.
Sonra was built by a former architect to be self-serve from day one. You can sign up, start a 30-day free trial, and have your team tracking time the same week - no implementation project required.
How the two stack up on the things architecture firms ask about most.
| Feature | Sonra | Factor AE |
|---|---|---|
| Built specifically for architecture firms | ✓ | ✓ |
| Time tracking by project & phase | ✓ | ✓ |
| Phase-based budgets & project health | ✓ | ✓ |
| Team resourcing & scheduling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| 30-day free trial | ✓ | Demo-led |
Comparison based on publicly available information from factorapp.com, current as of June 2026. Factor AE is a trademark of its respective owner; Sonra is not affiliated with or endorsed by Factor AE. Features and pricing change - please verify current details with each vendor.
The reasons architecture practices pick Sonra when they evaluate a Factor AE alternative.
Self-serve sign-up and a 30-day free trial mean you can have your team tracking time in days - no multi-week implementation project to schedule.
Just the tools an architecture firm uses every day - time, budgets, resourcing and invoicing - without extra configuration to wade through before you see value.
Sonra was created by a former architect who has sat through the Friday-evening timesheet chase - the workflows fit how practices actually run projects, bill clients and protect financial data.
Factor AE is a solid product built for the same audience, and for some firms it's the better fit. You're probably better served with Factor if:
If you'd rather skip the implementation project entirely - sign up yourself, try the product for 30 days, and have your team tracking time this week - that's what Sonra is designed for.
What firms ask when comparing the two.
Yes. Like Factor AE, Sonra is practice management software built specifically for architecture firms, with time tracking, project budgets, resourcing and invoicing in one tool. Sonra stands out for self-serve sign-up and a 30-day free trial, so you can evaluate it without a guided implementation.
You can sign up for Sonra and start a 30-day free trial, with most teams tracking time the same week. Factor AE typically onboards firms through a guided implementation that runs over a few weeks.
Time tracking by project and phase, phase-based project budgets with health indicators, team resourcing, a drag-and-drop invoice builder, tasks, clients, and role-based access that keeps financials private from individual employees.
Sonra handles invoicing directly, so many firms run billing without a separate accounting integration. If a QuickBooks sync is essential to your workflow, get in touch and we'll talk through your setup before you commit.
Yes. Export your project and timesheet data from Factor AE (CSV is fine), and we'll help you map projects, phases and rates into Sonra during your trial - no multi-week implementation on the way out either.
Start a 30-day free trial, or book a demo and we'll walk through your firm's workflow.
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