Joinery Core vs Articad — Design Tool or Workshop Manager?
This is a comparison people often get wrong — because Articad and Joinery Core are not really competitors. They solve two different parts of the same business. Articad is design software: it helps you draw kitchens, bedrooms and joinery in 2D and 3D, produce photorealistic renders for clients, and generate cutting lists from a design. Joinery Core is workshop management software: it helps you plan production, schedule your team, track timber stock and see the profit on every project. One creates the drawing. The other runs the workshop that builds it.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Joinery Core | Articad |
|---|---|---|
| 2D / 3D design & rendering | ✗ Not a design tool | ✓ Core strength |
| Cutting lists from design | ✗ Not generated here | ✓ Built-in |
| Production Gantt (multi-project) | ✓ All jobs, one timeline | ✗ No production view |
| Workshop phases (cutting, spray, glazing…) | ✓ Built for joinery | ✗ Design only |
| Timber & materials stock control | ✓ With low-stock alerts | ✗ Not tracked |
| Team scheduling & timesheets | ✓ Per-worker view | ✗ Not included |
| Per-project financials / profit | ✓ Real P&L per job | ✗ Not included |
| Client & project archive | ✓ Full history | ~ Design files only |
| Production Sheet with drawings attached | ✓ All docs in one row | ✗ Design files separate |
The Fundamental Difference
Articad answers the question "what will this job look like, and what parts do I need to cut?" Joinery Core answers "which jobs are in the workshop right now, who is working on them, do I have the timber, and is this project making money?" A workshop genuinely needs both kinds of answers — but no design package will tell you that three projects are overlapping on the spray booth next Tuesday, or that one job has quietly gone over budget.
Where Articad Wins
For design and client presentation, Articad is in a different league — that's its job. If your priority is producing accurate drawings, realistic renders to win the client, and cutting lists straight from the design, Articad is a specialist tool built for exactly that. Joinery Core does not try to replace it. You can keep designing in Articad and attach those drawings to the project's Production Sheet in Joinery Core.
Choose Joinery Core if
- You can already produce drawings, but the workshop itself is chaotic
- You lose track of which jobs are where in production
- You need to know real profit per project, not just the quote
- Timber and materials go missing or get double-ordered
- You want one place for the whole job after the design is done
They Work Better Together
The honest takeaway: this isn't "either/or" for most workshops. Design the job in Articad. Run the job in Joinery Core. The design tool gets the client to yes; the management system makes sure the work gets built on time, with the right materials, at a profit. Replacing Articad with Joinery Core would leave you without design. Replacing the workshop's spreadsheets and whiteboards with Joinery Core is where the real time is saved.
The Bottom Line
Articad and Joinery Core are not rivals — they are two halves of a well-run joinery business. If your drawings are sorted but your production isn't, Joinery Core is the missing piece. From £49/month it covers production planning, stock, team and financials for the whole workshop.
You've designed it. Now run the build.
Try Joinery Core free for 14 days. See your production, stock, and team in one place.