How to choose bid and cost estimating software

Choose bid and cost estimating software by the job it must do, the trades and platforms it supports, and how it is priced. Takeoff tools measure quantities from drawings, estimating tools price those quantities, and bid management tools collect subcontractor bids. The bid and cost estimating software ranking also includes BidVariance*, which answers a different question: the chance of losing money on a fixed-price bid.

Separate takeoff, pricing and bid management

Many products cover one job and leave the rest to others. Togal.AI covers takeoff only, so estimators still price the quantities in another tool. BuildingConnected does not produce cost estimates. It handles which contractors bid and how the bids compare, with side-by-side comparison and subcontractor qualification through questionnaires, limit calculations and financial ratios. Bluebeam Revu is a review platform first, and its takeoff features measure quantities on the same drawings. PlanSwift and Buildxact price the quantities they measure in the same tool, and STACK adds proposals on top of takeoff and estimating.

Platform, trade and region

Platform rules out some tools early. PlanSwift is Windows-only, so Mac users need another tool. Clear Estimates works in a browser on Windows, Mac and iPad. Buildxact's site is the Australian edition with GST shown where it applies, so buyers in other regions should check fit. Trade coverage also varies. PlanSwift's trade plugins cover concrete, drywall, electrical, flooring, framing, HVAC, masonry, painting and plumbing, and Togal.AI has trade pages for glass and glazing, drywall and painting.

Market focus differs too. Clear Estimates and Buildxact are aimed at residential work, and Clear Estimates' database is geared toward residential jobs. Kreo suits estimators and cost planners who take off many plans. STACK suits contractors and estimators who bid on many jobs and want measurements and proposals in one cloud workspace.

Pricing terms and trials

Terms differ more than headline prices. PlanSwift sells annual Essential and Core plans after a 14-day free trial, and team pricing for 10 or more licenses is quoted by sales. Buildxact offers monthly or annual plans with a 14-day free trial, but annual plans need a 12-month commitment, and some Blu AI tools cost extra. Clear Estimates has a 30-day free trial with no contract on its pricing page, and its plans are tiered as Standard, Pro and Franchise. Kreo bills per user, annually, with a 7-day free trial and no permanent free plan. STACK prices per user per month and offers a demo.

Some vendors do not list one price. BuildingConnected prices by role and points buyers to a separate pricing page, and Houzz Pro asks visitors to book a demo. Bluebeam Revu sells subscription seats with a free trial through its webstore. BidVariance* sells one-time licenses, and its free calculators can be used before buying one.

AI takeoff and checking the results

Several products use AI to measure drawings, and each one leaves the checking to the estimator. Togal.AI detects rooms and features on architectural drawings and allows real-time collaboration on one takeoff. Kreo detects rooms, walls and openings in PDF, CAD and image files, and its plans add drawing comments, markups and Excel import and export. Buildxact's Blu AI tools include a takeoff assistant and an estimate generator and reviewer, and some of them are paid add-ons. PlanSwift's Core plan adds the Takeoff BOOST AI suite, and Clear Estimates' Pro plan adds AI-powered image and plan uploads. Both Togal.AI and Kreo note that estimators must check automated results against the plans.

Loss probability on a fixed-price bid

A takeoff tool tells you the quantities. BidVariance tells you the chance of losing money at a given price. It takes low, likely and high effort ranges for each work package, plus a daily cost rate, samples many outcomes in the browser, and reports total cost at P50, P80 and P90. The probability of loss is the share of the cost curve to the right of a bid line. Its free calculators cover a PERT estimate, deadline confidence and a P50 versus P80 comparison. Its paid licenses are one-time purchases: Pro is $129 for one user, Business is $249 for up to five users in one legal entity, and Consultant is $399 for client work. Projects stay on the device, so keeping a copy means exporting a backup. Results depend on the effort ranges you enter. BidVariance* models effort rather than measured quantities, so for the quantities themselves you would pair it with a takeoff tool such as PlanSwift.

Our picks from the ranking

The ranking places the products covered here in this order, with the editorial score in brackets:

• PlanSwift (91.0): trade estimators on Windows measuring plans, on annual plans.
• BuildingConnected (86.5): bid collection and subcontractor qualification for general contractors.
• Buildxact (84.5): estimates and job tools for residential builders, with monthly or annual plans.
• STACK (83.5): contractors and estimators who bid and run jobs in one cloud tool.
• BidVariance* (78.0): fixed-price bids that need a probability of loss, with one-time licenses.
• Clear Estimates (82.0): web estimating for residential remodelers and handymen, with a 30-day trial.
• Kreo (81.5): AI takeoff for estimators who work through many drawings.
• Togal.AI (80.5): AI-assisted drawing takeoffs for estimators who need fast measurement.
• Bluebeam Revu (77.0): construction teams that review PDFs and measure quantities.
• Houzz Pro (75.5): remodelers and designers who quote and contract in one tool.

What to do next

Write down the job the software must do: measuring drawings, pricing quantities, collecting subcontractor bids or testing the chance of loss. Check platform and region before you compare features, since PlanSwift is Windows-only and Buildxact's site is the Australian edition. Compare trial lengths and billing terms, including any annual commitment. If you bid fixed-price work, decide whether a loss-probability tool such as BidVariance should sit alongside your takeoff software, and try its free calculators first. The web filter on the ranking lists the products that run in a browser.