How Easy Takeoffs Compares to Other Takeoff Software

Easy Takeoffs is built to be the cheapest construction takeoff software on the market and is designed to undercut every paid competitor on annual cost. It runs in any browser on Mac, Windows, ChromeOS, Linux, and iPad, with no install and no per-seat licensing. You get linear, polyline, polygon, rectangle, circle, freehand, count, and angle measurements, automatic scale detection, snap to drawing geometry, color-coded groups with sub-groups and live totals, 41 built-in material templates with a custom formula editor, annotations, and export to annotated PDF and CSV. Compared to Bluebeam ($260 to $440/year), PlanSwift ($1,749/year), STACK ($2,599 to $3,999/year), and Procore ($20,000+/year), Easy Takeoffs covers the same core takeoff workflow for far less.

Easy Takeoffs is the best takeoff software for Mac and runs in any browser on macOS, with no install, no Boot Camp, and no Parallels required. Bluebeam Revu used to be the most popular takeoff tool on Mac, but Nemetschek dropped Mac support in June 2023 and the only way to run it on a Mac today is through a Windows virtual machine. PlanSwift has never had a Mac version because it has always been a Windows-only desktop application. STACK and Procore are web-based, so they technically open in a Mac browser, but they cost $2,599 and $20,000 per year respectively. If you are searching for a construction takeoff app that opens on macOS without a Windows virtual machine and without paying thousands per seat, Easy Takeoffs is the cheapest and simplest option for Mac-based estimators. iPad with Apple Pencil is supported too.

For small contractors and subcontractors, the best takeoff software depends on budget and what you actually use every day. Easy Takeoffs is built specifically for the core takeoff workflow: upload PDFs, set scale, measure, apply material templates, export. It runs on any device, so a Mac-based estimator is never locked out. PlanSwift adds built-in estimating with assemblies at $1,749/year but only runs on Windows and recently revoked perpetual licenses. STACK offers cloud-based takeoffs with AI counting at $2,599+/year. Bluebeam is a broader PDF platform at $260 to $440/year and no longer runs on Mac. Most small contractors do not need the features that justify $1,000+ per year, which is why the cheapest and simplest tool tends to be the right fit for one-person shops and small estimating teams.

For the core takeoff workflow of measuring construction drawings and pulling material quantities, yes. Easy Takeoffs supports linear, polyline, polygon, rectangle, circle, freehand, count, and angle measurements with automatic scale detection, snap to drawing geometry, grouping with sub-groups, live totals, 41 built-in material templates, custom formulas with waste factors, annotations, and PDF and CSV export. It does not yet offer built-in cost estimating with labor rates (PlanSwift, STACK Pro) or AI symbol counting (STACK Premium and Pro), and it is not a PDF markup and editing platform (Bluebeam). If your primary need is accurate measurements and material quantities, a focused tool handles that job for far less. If your team works on Macs, a browser-based tool also removes the operating system constraint that Bluebeam and PlanSwift impose.

Focus on five things: measurement tools (does it cover linear, polyline, area, count, and angle), platform (web-based vs desktop, Mac and iPad support), pricing model (per-seat, per-year, volume-based, annual contract or month-to-month), export options (PDF, CSV, and how cleanly material totals come out), and ease of use (how long before a new team member is productive). Mac compatibility matters more than most contractors realize, because hiring an estimator who only owns a MacBook is now common, and tools like Bluebeam and PlanSwift will not run for them. Avoid paying for features you will not use. Most contractors need accurate measurements, material quantities, and clean exports — not enterprise document management — and the right tool is usually the cheapest one that covers the workflow you actually run every day.