Kreo vs PlanSwift vs STACK: 11 Best Construction Takeoff Software 2026

Best for Measuring and counting from plans at a published per-user price

Kreo (#1, 8.6/9.4). Clearest published tiers, AI starts at Pro. It also handles Running AI takeoff on rooms, walls, doors and windows, Comparing drawing revisions.

Best for Building assemblies as you measure

PlanSwift (#2, 8.2/9.4). Assemblies and trade plugins, annual price shown. It also handles Sending quantities to Excel or an estimating system, Trade plugins for specialty work.

Best for Takeoff and estimate in one product

STACK (#3, 7.3/9.4). Solid takeoff and estimate, vague pricing terms. It also handles Trying a free version before buying, Moving from plan viewing to a field product.

What is construction takeoff software?

Construction takeoff software measures quantities from plans. An estimator loads a PDF, CAD or image drawing, sets the scale, and then traces lengths, areas and volumes and counts items such as outlets, doors or fixtures. The totals feed a bid. Older takeoff meant a scale ruler and a highlighter. Digital takeoff replaces that with clickable measurement tools, and a newer group adds automation: counting symbols across a drawing set, detecting rooms and walls, or reading the scale for you. On the pages we opened, Kreo describes AI takeoff for rooms, walls, doors and windows, PlanSwift describes Auto Count, Auto Scale and Auto Bookmark, Countfire counts symbols across all drawings at once, and Togal.AI describes automated takeoff from the drawings. Bluebeam and On-Screen Takeoff approach it from the measurement and condition side.

How is takeoff different from estimating and bid management?

Takeoff answers how much. Estimating answers how much it costs. Bid management answers who gets the work and on what scope. The three overlap, and vendors blur the lines, but the questions are separate. A takeoff tool gives you 4,200 square feet of drywall. An estimating tool applies labor, material and waste to that number. A bid manager sends the invitation and compares the returned prices. This list ranks the first step. If you want the pricing step, see our construction estimating software list, and for invitations and leveling, see our bid management list. Several products here cross over: PlanSwift builds assemblies as you measure, STACK sells a Takeoff & Estimate plan, and JobTread and Contractor Foreman list takeoff inside a wider contractor system.

Do I need AI takeoff, or are manual measuring tools enough?

It depends on what you measure. Counting repeated symbols across dozens of sheets is where automation helps most, because it is the dullest and most error-prone part. Measuring a few rooms of a small remodel is quick by hand, and a tool with solid manual measuring and a good assemblies library may serve you better than an AI feature you rarely use. Treat any accuracy figure on a vendor page as the vendor's own claim. Togal.AI's home page says up to 98% on floor plans, and Countfire says its accuracy is human-verified, but neither number was checked by us. The honest test is to run one of your own recent jobs through a trial and compare the quantities to what you actually bought.

What should a subcontractor look at first?

Start with trade fit. A drywall sub, an electrician and a flooring contractor measure in different units and care about different details. Countfire is aimed at electrical and mechanical work, MeasureSquare at carpet, tile, vinyl and stone, and PlanSwift lists plugins for more than 18 trades. A general tool such as Bluebeam fits any trade but leaves assemblies to you. Next, check how the measurements leave the tool. Bluebeam links quantities to Excel through Quantity Link, Kreo exports to Excel and PDF, and PlanSwift sends bids to Excel or an estimating system. If you retype numbers into a spreadsheet, you add the errors takeoff was meant to remove.

How do takeoff tools price, and why can't you compare them directly?

The pages we opened use at least four billing units. Kreo prices per user per month billed annually, from $100 to $250. PlanSwift prices per seat per year at $2,000 or $3,000. Togal.AI is $299 per user per month billed yearly. Contractor Foreman prices per company, and JobTread charges a base plus a fee per internal user. Bluebeam lists four tiers with a billing unit that was not clear on the text we read, and STACK shows 'as low as' prices without a billing term. On the other side, On-Screen Takeoff, Countfire, MeasureSquare and Ediphi showed no price on the pages we could open. To compare, convert to a cost per estimator per year, and ask each vendor for a quote in writing.

What happens when the drawings change?

Addenda and revised sheets are where a takeoff goes stale. Some tools handle it directly. On-Screen Takeoff says it recalculates last-minute changes without starting over. Countfire says it auto-counts revised drawings. Kreo lists drawing comparison from its Essential plan, Togal.AI lists one-click comparison of drawing sets, and Bluebeam lists overlay and comparison from Core. Before you buy, ask the vendor to show you a revision on a real set, because the details of how a measurement carries across to a new sheet are not on a pricing page.

How to choose

1. 1First, name your trade and your plan types. A trade-specific tool such as Countfire or MeasureSquare can beat a general one for your work, and a general tool such as Bluebeam suits mixed jobs. Make sure the tool opens your drawings, whether PDF, CAD or images.
2. 2Second, price one estimator for a year. Kreo and Togal.AI price per user per month, PlanSwift per seat per year, and Contractor Foreman per company. Convert each to a yearly cost and ask for a written quote where the page shows none.
3. 3Third, decide how much automation you will actually use. If you count symbols across big sets, the AI features on Kreo Pro, Countfire or Togal.AI are worth testing. If your jobs are small, solid manual measuring and assemblies matter more.
4. 4Fourth, test a real job. Run a recent project through the trial, compare the quantities with what you actually bought, and change a drawing revision to see how the tool copes.
5. 5Finally, check the exit. Ask how takeoffs, conditions and assemblies export if you leave, and whether files you built stay readable without a subscription.

How much does construction takeoff software cost?

On the pages we opened, published prices ranged from $49 a month per company to $3,000 per seat per year. Kreo lists $100, $175 and $250 per user per month billed annually, with Business at $15,000 a year including 5 seats. PlanSwift lists $2,000 and $3,000 per seat per year. Togal.AI lists $299 per user per month billed yearly. STACK lists Takeoff & Estimate from $299 per user per month without stating the billing term. Bluebeam lists $260 to $590 per user, billed annually, with the unit unclear. On-Screen Takeoff, Countfire, MeasureSquare and Ediphi showed no price on the pages we could open.

Is there free takeoff software?

The pages we read show free trials rather than free plans. PlanSwift offers a 14-day trial with all features and no credit card. Bluebeam offers 14 days with no credit card. Kreo includes a 7-day trial on Essential, Pro and Business. STACK's FAQ mentions a free version, though the page does not describe it. JobTread says it has no free trial. We did not open a page that confirmed a permanently free takeoff plan with full measuring tools.

Which takeoff software is best for a small subcontractor?

For a solo estimator who wants a published price, Kreo and PlanSwift are the clearest on the pages we read. Kreo's Essential plan is $100 per user per month billed annually. PlanSwift Essential is $2,000 a year. If you do electrical or mechanical work, look at Countfire, which is built for those trades but showed no price. If you do flooring, MeasureSquare is built for it. If takeoff is a small part of running a small contracting business, Contractor Foreman and JobTread include it in a wider system, but the pages say little about what the measuring tools can do.

Can I use Bluebeam as my takeoff tool?

Yes, many estimators do. The takeoff page lists length, area, volume, wall area, angle and custom count tools, viewports for multi-scale sheets, Visual Search for symbols and Quantity Link to Excel. What it does not describe is a cost database or assemblies, so the pricing step happens in Excel or another system. Core is the first plan listed with perimeter, counts and volume, and Basics is length and area only.

Does takeoff software connect to estimating software?

Often, but check which direction. PlanSwift sends bids to Excel or an estimating system. Kreo exports to Excel and offers API access on Business. Ediphi's page says takeoff data from Togal connects directly to its estimating platform. Bluebeam links quantities to Excel. On-Screen Takeoff's page names no integrations. Ask for a live demo of your own estimating system receiving the numbers.

How often is this list updated?

Every 90 days. The next review is due 2027-01-17, and prices are re-read from the vendor pages at that time.