Why Choose Deltek Costpoint vs. QuickBooks?
The ERP Built for Growing Government Contractors
Thousands of government contractors rely on Deltek to stay audit-ready, manage projects and grow without limits.
Government Contracting Is a Different Operating Reality — Your Systems Should Be Too
QuickBooks is a strong tool — for businesses that operate in a straightforward environment. Government contracting isn’t that. When contractors try to stretch a general-purpose system into a regulated, project-based world, the cracks show fast: workarounds multiply, billing slows down, and compliance becomes fragile. The issue isn’t effort, it's mismatch. Costpoint is purpose-built for GovCon — so projects, costs, compliance, and reporting work together from day one.
45%
higher growth rates
23%
fewer financial audits
50%
shorter invoice cycles
What Sets Deltek Apart
QuickBooks is for Bookkeepers. Costpoint is for Business Builders.
When complexity increases — more contracts, tighter margins, deeper oversight — a general accounting tool quietly becomes a liability. Spreadsheet workarounds multiply. Billing cycles stretch. Audit prep becomes a fire drill. Costpoint replaces that fragility with a single platform where financials, project management, contracts, and compliance work together natively. Scale up with modules for procurement, manufacturing, resources, and human capital management as your business evolves — without rebuilding your foundation. Out-of-the-box reports are designed to satisfy Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) audits and due diligence requirements for investment firms and banks.
Enterprise Power. Small Business Pricing. One Scalable Platform.
You shouldn’t have to choose between powerful software and affordable pricing. With Deltek Costpoint Essentials, you get both. For $800/month*, you get software licenses and implementation included, with no upfront costs. And be ready to close your books in 60 days or less with peace of mind knowing Deltek’s GovCon ecosystem of experts and partners are here to support you. Costpoint is built to scale — from Costpoint Essentials for small and mid-sized GovCons, to full enterprise Costpoint for the most complex prime contractors in the DoD ecosystem.
*Based on a 10-user license of Costpoint Essentials
Compliance Isn’t Optional. It’s How You Win.
With QuickBooks, compliance is something you manage around the system — through spreadsheets, manual tracking, and extra effort. Costpoint flips that. FAR, DFARS, DCAA, CAS, CMMC, and ITAR controls are built into daily transactions, not layered on top. Cost segregation, audit trails, and role-based approvals happen as work gets done — not during a scramble at month-end. The result is confidence, not just compliance. Costpoint supports CMMC, FAR, and DFARS — and Costpoint GCCM is listed on the FedRAMP Marketplace, meeting the security bar for defense and federal work without requiring extra effort from your team.
Enter and Approve Time Right Inside Microsoft Teams and Outlook
Why make users log into an accounting system to enter time? Costpoint brings time entry and approvals directly into the tools where your people already work — Microsoft Teams and Outlook. 75% faster timesheets and one-click approvals keep projects compliant without disrupting workflows. Keep up with project deadlines, approve workflows, and pull key insights in seconds using Dela™ from directly within Teams. The result: faster compliance, less friction, and month-end close without the stress.
Smarter, Simpler Workflows—Right Where You Work
Dela is Deltek's AI orchestrator, built into Costpoint to automate tasks, surface insights, and keep your team ahead of every contract milestone. AI is embedded in compliance and audit workflows — not bolted on as a separate platform. Dela operates across the full project lifecycle — from opportunity identification through billing, compliance, and close-out.
G2 Reviewers Love Costpoint
"For the special requirements of a government contracting company, Deltek Costpoint is the best system out there. I have been working for most of my career with this ERP system (and the early systems) and I will always recommend Deltek Costpoint.".
Deltek Costpoint vs. QuickBooks: Built for GovCons, Not Just Bookkeeping
Deltek Costpoint
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Feature
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CMMC compliance support with FedRAMP Moderate Equivalent offering
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Cybersecurity compliance controls that support protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)
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FAR/DFARS/CAS compliance controls
Built-in
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DCAA/DCMA audit support
Built-in
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Cost plus contract support
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Integrated Microsoft Teams and Outlook time entry
QuickBooks
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Feature
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CMMC compliance support with FedRAMP Moderate Equivalent offering
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Cybersecurity compliance controls that support protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)
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FAR/DFARS/CAS compliance controls
Workarounds or add-ons
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DCAA/DCMA audit support
Workarounds or add-ons
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Cost plus contract support
Not supported natively
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Integrated Microsoft Teams and Outlook time entry
What Top GovCons Say About Costpoint
We outgrew QuickBooks by the time we hit five employees. Costpoint gave us the integrated accounting, payroll, and indirect rate management we needed to scale.
QuickBooks couldn’t support our compliance needs. Costpoint gave us the financial and cybersecurity compliance we needed to grow—and keeps investing in what matters to government contractors.
The system is known and trusted across the government contracting community. It’s not only known by the DCAA but also by the USG. Auditors have seen Costpoint and its reports countless times, so they know that the appropriate checks and balances are in place.
Resources for Government Contractors
Article
6 Tips from Government Contractors Who Moved Off QuickBooks and Unanet
Small and medium-sized government contractors are moving off of entry-level solutions like QuickBooks® and Unanet and switching to Deltek Costpoint. Learn why these executives at leading government contracting companies decided to make the move.
Guide
Understanding CMMC Compliance
Get the latest updates on CMMC 2.0 and what you need to know to stay compliant and competitive.
Article
Maximizing Efficiency & Compliance
This Research Note by Nucleus Analyst, Sofia Halbisen, uncovers how organizations deploying Deltek Costpoint reported a 33 percent reduction in audit risk and a 40 to 75 percent decrease in financial close cycles, significantly improving compliance and operational efficiency. Costpoint delivers a secure, scalable, and government-specific ERP solution for contractors managing rapid growth and increasing regulatory pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Choose Deltek Over QuickBooks for Government Contracting?
Find answers to common questions about how Deltek supports government contractors. Can't find what you're looking for? Contact our team.
QuickBooks was designed for a stable, predictable operating environment — general small business accounting where compliance is light and projects are simple. Government contracting is the opposite: regulated, project-based, and subject to audits that have real financial consequences. The issue isn’t what QuickBooks lacks. It’s that it was never designed for this environment. Trying to stretch it creates workarounds that multiply as complexity grows — and those workarounds carry risk. Costpoint is purpose-built for how GovCon actually works, with compliance, project accounting, and reporting designed in from the start — not bolted on after the fact.
Costpoint GCCM supports CMMC, DFARS, and ITAR compliance as a cloud services provider for Defense contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) as well as with civilian agency contractors, with FedRAMP Moderate Equivalency validated by a recognized third-party assessment organization (3PAO).
Yes. Whether you have 10 employees or 10,000+, Deltek Costpoint grows with you. Unlike QuickBooks which can become cumbersome as your project requirements evolve, Costpoint is built to handle complex contracts like Cost-Plus and T&M, automate billing and streamline back-office processes.
Not at all. Deltek provides a GovCon-specific Quick Start database with expert support to accelerate implementation. We help migrate your data and configure your system so you can get up and running quickly—with less manual work and more confidence in your compliance and reporting.
Many GovCons report major efficiency gains and reduced risk after switching. Time-consuming invoicing, payroll issues and spreadsheet overload often disappear—replaced by real-time visibility, audit readiness, and a foundation built to win more contracts.
Ready to See Why 9,600+ GovCons Choose Deltek?
Contact us to find out how you can get started with Costpoint Essentials in 60 days or less — or schedule a demo to see how Costpoint compares to QuickBooks for your specific contract environment.