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Construction · head to head

ALICE Technologies vs Cubit Estimating

ALICE Technologies logo

ALICE Technologies

Construction

Generative construction scheduling that produces and compares millions of build sequences

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cubit Estimating logo

Cubit Estimating

Construction

Australian estimating and on-screen takeoff in one window, priced openly per user per month

From
167/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ALICE Technologies the output is only as good as the recipes, and building accurate recipes is specialist modelling work most contractors cannot staff, so engagements depend on ALICE or a consultant doing it, which turns software into a services contract.; Cubit Estimating every subscription carries a minimum twelve month term, so a firm that hires an estimator for one tender period pays for the full year regardless.
  • They diverge on capability: ALICE Technologies covers Generative scheduling, Cubit Estimating covers Integrated takeoff and estimate.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ALICE Technologies and Cubit Estimating actually diverge.

Attributes where ALICE Technologies and Cubit Estimating differ
AttributeALICE TechnologiesCubit Estimating
Starting priceOn request167/month
Pricing modelquotePer user per month
PlatformsWeb, WindowsWindows

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Construction).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ALICE Technologies

  • Generative scheduling
  • Recipe modelling
  • Optioneering
  • Schedule recovery
  • Resource levelling
  • 4D visualisation
  • P6 and MS Project import
  • Scenario comparison reports

Only in Cubit Estimating

  • Integrated takeoff and estimate
  • Calculation and rate sheets
  • Price list management
  • Bills of quantities
  • BIM and IFC takeoff
  • Revision management
  • AI Estimating add-on
  • Job collaboration

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ALICE Technologies

  • A data centre programme where six months of earlier energisation is worth more than the entire construction management budget, and the owner wants evidence that a proposed sequence change actually delivers itnot Cubit Estimating
  • A contractor facing liquidated damages that must decide between a second shift, a second crane and resequencing, and needs the cost and duration consequence of each before committingnot Cubit Estimating
  • A bid team wanting to submit a shorter programme than competitors while proving to the client that the resource profile is achievable rather than optimisticnot Cubit Estimating
  • A delay claim where the contractor must demonstrate to a client or adjudicator what the schedule would have looked like without a specific disruptionnot Cubit Estimating

Cubit Estimating

  • An Australian commercial builder that wants takeoff and estimate in one file rather than exporting quantities from a separate measurement toolnot ALICE Technologies
  • A quantity surveying practice producing trade-structured bills of quantities to local conventionnot ALICE Technologies
  • A subcontractor pricing repeat work from maintained supplier price lists rather than rebuilding rates each tendernot ALICE Technologies
  • A small estimating team that needs to know the annual cost before booking a demo, because the rate card is publishednot ALICE Technologies

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ALICE Technologies

  • The output is only as good as the recipes, and building accurate recipes is specialist modelling work most contractors cannot staff, so engagements depend on ALICE or a consultant doing it, which turns software into a services contract.
  • Pricing is quoted per project or programme with no published rates, so the tool is effectively unavailable to anyone who cannot justify a bespoke enterprise negotiation.
  • It only pays back on projects where float has a high monetary value; on a mid-size commercial building the modelling effort exceeds the schedule saving, which is why the customer list skews to data centres, energy and heavy civils.
  • A generated schedule still has to be accepted by superintendents and subcontractors who did not build it, and adoption failures are usually social rather than technical: the field runs the plan it believes in.
  • The 2026 McKinsey alliance pushes distribution towards consulting-led engagements, which raises the effective cost of entry and makes the direct-purchase path less certain for a contractor that just wants a licence.

Cubit Estimating

  • Every subscription carries a minimum twelve month term, so a firm that hires an estimator for one tender period pays for the full year regardless.
  • BIM and IFC takeoff sits only in Enterprise at $250 per user per month, meaning a builder who receives models rather than PDFs is pushed to the top tier whether or not it needs collaboration features.
  • The product is Windows only with no macOS or browser client, which excludes practices standardised on Macs unless they run virtualisation.
  • Rate libraries, measurement conventions and BOQ structures follow Australian practice, so buyers outside Australia and New Zealand inherit a method that does not match their local standard forms.
  • The AI Estimating add-on is priced at an explicitly temporary introductory rate, so a firm building the feature into its workflow is accepting an unspecified future increase on top of the seat price.

Pricing, plan by plan

ALICE Technologies

On request
  • ALICE$undefined/year
    • Quoted per project or per programme
    • Generative scheduling and optioneering
    • Recipe modelling support

Cubit Estimating

167/month
  • Standard$167/month
    • Integrated estimating and takeoff
    • Calculation sheets, rate sheets and price lists
    • Basic job management
  • Professional$222/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Code grouping
    • Custom reporting
  • Enterprise$250/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • BIM and IFC takeoff
    • Multi-user job collaboration
  • AI Estimating add-on$20/month
    • Automated element recognition
    • Works with any edition
    • Introductory rate the vendor says will increase

Which should you pick?

Choose ALICE Technologies if

  • You need generative scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Windows.
  • You also want recipe modelling.
ALICE Technologies review

Choose Cubit Estimating if

  • You need integrated takeoff and estimate.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want calculation and rate sheets.
Cubit Estimating review

Questions people ask

Is ALICE Technologies or Cubit Estimating better?
Neither clearly leads. ALICE Technologies starts at On request and Cubit Estimating at 167/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ALICE Technologies or Cubit Estimating?
ALICE Technologies starts at On request and Cubit Estimating at 167/month.
Does ALICE Technologies or Cubit Estimating run on more platforms?
ALICE Technologies runs on Web, Windows. Cubit Estimating runs on Windows.
What is ALICE Technologies best used for?
ALICE Technologies is most often used for a data centre programme where six months of earlier energisation is worth more than the entire construction management budget, and the owner wants evidence that a proposed sequence change actually delivers it, a contractor facing liquidated damages that must decide between a second shift, a second crane and resequencing, and needs the cost and duration consequence of each before committing, a bid team wanting to submit a shorter programme than competitors while proving to the client that the resource profile is achievable rather than optimistic, a delay claim where the contractor must demonstrate to a client or adjudicator what the schedule would have looked like without a specific disruption. Of those, a data centre programme where six months of earlier energisation is worth more than the entire construction management budget, and the owner wants evidence that a proposed sequence change actually delivers it and a contractor facing liquidated damages that must decide between a second shift, a second crane and resequencing, and needs the cost and duration consequence of each before committing are not what Cubit Estimating is typically brought in for.
What can ALICE Technologies do that Cubit Estimating cannot?
ALICE Technologies covers Generative scheduling, Recipe modelling, Optioneering, Schedule recovery. Cubit Estimating covers Integrated takeoff and estimate, Calculation and rate sheets, Price list management, Bills of quantities.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ALICE Technologies: What does ALICE actually produce?

A set of alternative construction sequences generated from your constraints, scored on duration, cost and resource use, so you can choose rather than accept one plan.

Cubit Estimating: What does Cubit actually cost?

Standard $167, Professional $222 and Enterprise $250 per user per month on annual billing, in Australian dollars excluding GST. Monthly billing is about 16 per cent more.

ALICE Technologies: Does it replace Primavera P6?

No. It imports from and exports to P6. P6 remains the contractual schedule of record on most projects.

Cubit Estimating: Can I get BIM takeoff without the Enterprise tier?

No. IFC model takeoff is an Enterprise feature only.

ALICE Technologies: Is the company still operating?

Yes. ALICE is active as of 2026 and announced an alliance with McKinsey in April 2026 to deliver AI scheduling to McKinsey clients.

Cubit Estimating: Is there a perpetual licence?

No. Cubit Estimating is subscription only with a minimum twelve month commitment.

ALICE Technologies: How much does it cost?

Not published. It is quoted per project or programme and typically includes modelling and onboarding services.

Cubit Estimating: Does it suit contractors outside Australia?

It works, but rate libraries and BOQ conventions follow Australian standards, so buyers elsewhere do more setup than a locally built alternative would need.

ALICE Technologies: What size project justifies it?

Projects where a week of schedule has a large monetary value: data centres, energy, industrial and major infrastructure. It is hard to justify on standard commercial building work.

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