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Costpoint (Deltek Costpoint)

Manages project accounting, labor costs, and compliance for government contractors.

Our take: Costpoint is the dominant ERP in the government contracting vertical, engineered from the ground up for DCAA, FAR, and CMMC compliance — not an afterthought bolt-on.

Best forGovernment contractors
ReviewedPricing: Paid
6.7 out of 105 criteria · see breakdown
Try CostpointFrom $800/mo (Essentials, 10 users)
The bottom line

The gold standard for government contractor ERP — unmatched compliance depth, but demanding to implement and priced for serious govcon operations.

Our score

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team. Hover a facet to focus it; click to pin.Tap a facet to focus it.

Community ratings

Shown for context only. Our score is independent.

G2
4.2 out of 5
510+ reviews
Capterra
4.0 out of 5
210+ reviews

4.1 / 5 aggregate · across 2 sources

Third-party ratings shown verbatim; aggregate weighted by review volume.

What it is, and why we rate it

One line each. Open a row for detail.

What it really isDeltek Costpoint — purpose-built ERP for U.S. government contractors.
Our takeCostpoint is the dominant ERP in the government contracting vertical, engineered from the ground up for DCAA, FAR, and CMMC compliance — not an afterthought bolt-on.
No general free trial exists (only a Learning Portal sample and interactive demo). Entry-level Costpoint Essentials starts at $800/mo all-inclusive for small govcon firms; full enterprise runs $85–$200/user/month with six-figure implementation costs. Costpoint is a full-stack govcon ERP that goes beyond finance and accounting.
Why we rate it84% of the top 25 U.S. government contractors run on Costpoint — market dominance reflecting genuine product-market fit.
Competitors cannot match its indirect cost pool depth, DCAA audit trails, and FedRAMP Moderate Equivalent cloud compliance. The AI-powered Dela assistant adds real workflow value for time entry and smart summaries.
The catchSteep implementation timeline (4–9 months), heavy partner dependency, and total cost of ownership that quickly reaches six-to-seven figures for mid-size firms — not a tool you adopt without a dedicated implementation budget.

Best / not good for

Best for
  • Government contractors needing DCAA/FAR compliance out-of-the-box
  • Aerospace, defense, and federal services firms managing cost-plus and FFP contracts
  • Growing GovCon SMBs ready to scale beyond basic accounting software
Not good for
  • Commercial-only companies with no government contracting requirements
  • Early-stage startups without budget for enterprise ERP implementation
  • Teams expecting rapid self-serve deployment without an implementation partner
Trade-offs

Friction report

Trade-offs to know before signing up.

  1. Time to value
    Slow: Essentials deploys in under 60 days; full enterprise implementations typically take 4–9 months with dedicated partner involvement before workflows are live.
  2. Scale breakpoint
    Per-user licensing and ~20% annual maintenance fees compound significantly at 200+ users; each compliance or BI module add-on escalates TCO further.
  3. Walled garden
    High: deep proprietary indirect rate structures, compliance workflows, and complex data models make migrating off Costpoint a major multi-year undertaking.
Still a fit?
If none of these block you, try it on the official site.
Try Costpoint

A look inside

Costpoint (Deltek Costpoint) product screenshot

Frequently Asked Questions

Can government contractors track project costs against budgets?

Government contractors track project costs, budgets, and deliverables within the system.

Can defense contractors track project accounting and DCAA compliance requirements?

Yes, defense contractors can track project accounting and ensure DCAA compliance for government contracts.

How can Costpoint (Deltek Costpoint) help government contractors manage project accounting, compliance, and reporting?

Costpoint (Deltek Costpoint) helps government contractors manage project accounting, compliance, and reporting for complex contracts and funding requirements.

How does this ERP platform manage project accounting, financials, and resource planning for government contractors?

ERP platforms manage project accounting, financials, and resource planning by integrating budgets, expenses, and timelines for government contractors.

How does this ERP system help government contractors manage projects, costs, and compliance?

ERP systems help government contractors manage projects, control costs, ensure compliance, and track resource allocation.

Alternatives

  • Step up

    SAP S/4HANA or Oracle Cloud ERP for global defense primes needing multi-entity, multi-currency consolidation beyond Costpoint's scope.

  • Lighter alternative

    QuickBooks Online with Procas or a FAR-compliant accounting add-on for very early-stage GovCon firms not yet ready for full ERP.

Showing 1–2 of 2

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Tags

#ERP#ProjectAccounting

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