STACK takeoff alternatives, and when to stay with STACK
If an estimating team works plans together every day, STACK is probably still the right tool. It combines cloud measurement, an AI first pass, and an estimate worksheet built on your own items and assemblies.
Look elsewhere when the per-user cost or the shared workspace is more than the job needs. On-Screen Takeoff suits a Windows estimator who wants installed measurement software. Bluebeam suits a team that already measures in its PDF tool and prices in Excel. Portravo suits an owner-operator who needs one reviewed, priced bid and does not want a seat.
Portravo publishes this page and is one of the options on it. Facts about other products come from their own public pages, linked beside each claim and checked . No measured speed or accuracy claim is made here.
Stay with STACK when
- Several estimators or project staff need the same plans, takeoffs and estimates in one cloud workspace.
- Your estimator wants to measure area, length, count and volume directly on the sheets, with an AI first pass to start from.
- You maintain item and assembly libraries and refine them in an estimate worksheet.
- You need trade coverage that Portravo does not have, including mechanical and HVAC.
- STACK's free version already covers the occasional takeoff you do. Check its current limits first.
Look at alternatives when
- You bid a few jobs a month, and a per-user monthly license sits unused between busy weeks.
- One person owns the bid, so a shared workspace adds setup without adding much.
- You want quantities priced and a customer PDF out the door without building an item library first.
Alternatives to STACK
Listed by workflow fit, not ranked. Each one is better than the others for a different kind of bid.
Option 1
Portravo (publisher of this page)
Upload a plan-set PDF (up to 25MB). Portravo drafts a quantity list with a confidence value and a note on each line. Nothing is priced until you confirm or edit the line. Confirmed lines price against the Portravo benchmark with a source and as-of date on each material line, then your labor rate card, overhead and margin, and an Excel export for you plus a PDF for the customer.
Fits when: You run the work and bid between site visits, need a reviewable first pass rather than drawing tools, and want each material line to show its price basis and date on the bid you send.
Check first: No on-screen measuring tools: you correct quantities in the line list, not by drawing on the sheet. PDF only. One user's bid at a time, not a shared estimating workspace. Trades are general contracting, framing, electrical, plumbing, drywall, concrete and roofing; mechanical and HVAC are not covered. The Sacramento material figures are an authored benchmark, not supplier quotes, and other metros use a labeled regional index. Confirm supplier pricing before you bid.
Option 2
On-Screen Takeoff (ConstructConnect)
Installed takeoff software for measuring lengths, areas and counts on PDF, DWG and other plan formats, with plan overlays, an AI first pass called Takeoff Boost, and a connection to ConstructConnect's Quick Bid estimating.
Fits when: A trained estimator works on a Windows PC and wants direct measurement, revision overlays, and a path into Quick Bid. ConstructConnect's current system requirements list Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise.
Check first: ConstructConnect does not publish a list price on the product page; pricing varies by licensing option. Use the 14-day free trial on a real plan set.
Option 3
Bluebeam Revu
PDF markup and measurement on Windows desktop, with web and mobile access on every plan. Core lists perimeter, volume, angle and count measurement; Complete adds Quantity Link with Microsoft Excel.
Fits when: Your team already reviews and marks up drawings in Bluebeam and wants calibrated measurements under the estimator's direct control, with pricing done in Excel or another estimating system. Listed at $330 per user per year for Core and $440 for Complete, billed annually.
Check first: Which plan includes the measurement and Excel features you rely on, and where pricing, assemblies and the customer proposal will live.
STACK and Portravo, side by side
Scroll the table sideways to read both columns and the sources.
| Decision | STACK | Portravo |
|---|---|---|
| How quantities are made | Measure area, linear, arc, pitched, count and volume quantities on plan sheets in a cloud workspace. STACK takeoff and estimating page | AI drafts the quantity list from your PDF. You confirm, edit or reject each line; there are no drawing tools. |
| AI first pass | AI Takeoff generates door and window counts, room square footage, and wall linear footage from an uploaded sheet. STACK AI Takeoff page | Every extracted line carries a confidence value and a note. Only lines a person confirmed or edited are priced. |
| From quantity to price | Build the estimate from pre-built or custom items and assemblies linked to your takeoffs. STACK takeoff and estimating page | Confirmed lines price against the dated Portravo benchmark and your labor rate card. Set overhead and margin, then export Excel and a customer PDF. |
| List price, checked October 6, 2026 | Takeoff & Estimate listed from $299 per user per month. STACK says a free version is available. STACK pricing page | $75 per estimate, or $199/month for 5 and $399/month for 15. First estimate included at signup; no seats. |
Portravo facts come from its published workflow, current pricing, and worked estimate example. Vendor plans and prices change; confirm them before you buy.
Questions
- Is there a free alternative to STACK takeoff?
- STACK itself says it offers a free version of Takeoff & Estimate, so check that first. On-Screen Takeoff has a 14-day free trial. Portravo includes the first estimate when you finish onboarding, with no card; after that it is $75 per estimate.
- Does Portravo measure on the plans like STACK?
- No. Portravo has no on-screen measuring tools. It drafts quantities from the PDF and you correct them in a list. If you need to draw and measure on the sheets, STACK, On-Screen Takeoff or Bluebeam are the better fit.
- Can I move my STACK items and assemblies into Portravo?
- No. Portravo has no library import. It prices against its own benchmark and assemblies plus your labor rate card. If your libraries are the asset, stay with STACK.
- Does Portravo cover mechanical or HVAC takeoff?
- No. Portravo covers general contracting, framing, electrical, plumbing, drywall, concrete and roofing. Use a broader takeoff tool for mechanical scope.
Run one fair trial.
- Pick one representative plan set and write down the trades and exclusions before any tool opens it.
- Run it through STACK and the alternative you are considering. Check uncertain quantities, unit conversions and one current supplier quote in both.
- Compare the line-item evidence, how revisions are handled, the time you spent, and what the customer actually receives.