Portravo vs STACK
STACK is built for plan management, direct digital takeoff, estimate worksheets, and team collaboration in a cloud workspace. Portravo is a narrower route from a plan PDF to one reviewed, priced estimate, with a required human check before each line is priced.
Independent comparison from public vendor documentation, checked September 24, 2026. No measured speed or accuracy claim is made here.
Where each tool makes sense
Use Portravo when
- One contractor owns the bid and needs a reviewable first pass, not a shared estimating workspace.
- You want a dated Sacramento material benchmark or a labeled regional index beside each priced line.
- You bid intermittently and prefer paying for one estimate instead of managing assigned estimating licenses.
Use STACK when
- Several people need to organize plans, takeoffs, and estimates in one cloud workspace.
- Your estimator wants direct measurement tools for area, length, count, or volume across sheets.
- You maintain item and assembly libraries and need to refine them in an estimate worksheet.
The working differences
Scroll the table sideways to read both workflows and the vendor sources.
| Decision | Portravo | STACK |
|---|---|---|
| Working from the plan | Upload a PDF and review AI-extracted quantities line by line before pricing. | Measure area, length, count, and volume on plan sheets in a cloud takeoff workspace. STACK takeoff guide |
| Estimate construction | Confirmed lines use the Portravo material basis and your labor rate card; set overhead and margin before export. | Connect takeoffs to items and assemblies, then edit those inputs in the Estimate Worksheet. STACK estimate guide |
| Collaboration and licensing | A focused one-estimate workflow with per-estimate or monthly-pack pricing. See current Portravo pricing. | A cloud workspace with licensed users and limited free project collaborators. Check the current plan for your team's roles. STACK licensing options |
Portravo facts come from its published workflow, current pricing, and worked estimate example. Supplier prices and vendor plans can change; check them for your actual bid.
Run one fair trial.
- Choose one representative plan revision and list the trades and exclusions before either tool opens it.
- Check uncertain quantities, unit conversions, and one current supplier quote in both workflows.
- Compare the resulting line-item evidence, revision handling, time you spent, and what the customer actually receives.
Keep your own estimate record.
This blank workbook tracks quantity, unit cost, price source, as-of date, and exclusions. It has no prefilled market prices or assumed accuracy figures.