Decision rule
| Question | Argus Developer | Argus EstateMaster |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Single-scheme residual appraisal | Portfolio / asset-management DCF |
| Unit of analysis | One scheme, full development cashflow | Many assets, hold-period cashflow |
| S106 handling | Trigger-bound cost lines in RLV | Forecast cash outflow inside the asset hold |
| Output | RLV, IRR, profit-on-cost | Asset-level DCF, portfolio IRR, hold strategy |
| Pricing | Enterprise licence, quote only | Enterprise licence, quote only |
| Learning curve | Weeks to months | Weeks to months |
Pick Argus Developer if
You are sizing the development scheme: build cost, finance, contingency, profit, S106 / CIL / BNG load, against GDV, to defend the RLV at committee. This is the residual-appraisal committee-standard for complex multi-phase or BTR schemes.
Pick Argus EstateMaster if
You hold the asset after PC and need a hold-period DCF, or you are evaluating the scheme inside a wider portfolio (PRS, BTR, mixed-use). EstateMaster runs the operating cashflow, void assumptions, refinance and exit through to a portfolio IRR.
Use both in sequence
Argus Developer for the development cashflow up to PC; Argus EstateMaster for the hold cashflow from PC through exit. The Altus stack is sold as the combined development + asset- management workflow, with consistent assumptions carried between the two models on the same scheme.
Pricing transparency
Both products are quote-only enterprise licences with multi-year terms negotiated directly with Altus. Neither publishes a list price. For an SME or one-off project where a quote-only commitment is disproportionate, the SaaS challenger is Aprao on the development side; for the hold side, no equivalent SaaS challenger has reached comparable lender acceptance yet.