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Construction · head to head

ArchiCAD vs On-Screen Takeoff

ArchiCAD logo

ArchiCAD

Construction

BIM software for architects

From
$177/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
On-Screen Takeoff logo

On-Screen Takeoff

Construction

Digital quantity takeoff from drawings, now subscription only and bundled rather than sold alone

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ArchiCAD available on Windows and macOS only, no native Linux support; On-Screen Takeoff perpetual licensing is no longer offered on current releases, so long-standing users who paid once now face a recurring annual cost they never budgeted, and staying on an old version means no support for newer PDF formats
  • They diverge on capability: ArchiCAD covers BIM modeling, On-Screen Takeoff covers Drawing takeoff.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArchiCAD and On-Screen Takeoff actually diverge.

Attributes where ArchiCAD and On-Screen Takeoff differ
AttributeArchiCADOn-Screen Takeoff
Starting price$177/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows
Founded1982Unknown

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 ArchiCAD

  • BIM modeling
  • Design tools
  • Documentation
  • Rendering
  • Energy analysis
  • IFC support
  • Teamwork collaboration
  • Library parts

Only in On-Screen Takeoff

  • Drawing takeoff
  • Revision overlay
  • Condition libraries
  • Automatic scaling
  • Bid zones and phases
  • Quick Bid handoff
  • Excel export

What people use each for

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

ArchiCAD

  • Architectural design with BIM capabilitiesnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Real-time team collaboration via BIMcloudnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Automated documentation generation from design changesnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Mixed Windows and macOS team environmentsnot On-Screen Takeoff

On-Screen Takeoff

  • A drywall contractor measuring wall area and openings across a 300 sheet set where manual takeoff would take a weeknot ArchiCAD
  • An estimator who receives a late addendum and needs to know which rooms changed rather than re-measuring the whole floornot ArchiCAD
  • A flooring subcontractor maintaining reusable conditions with waste factors so quantities and material orders stay consistent between estimatorsnot ArchiCAD
  • A trade contractor that wants takeoff quantities split by phase so progress billing matches the way work is actually releasednot ArchiCAD

Where each one falls short

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

ArchiCAD

  • Available on Windows and macOS only, no native Linux support
  • Subscription-only licensing model with no perpetual licence option
  • Studio tier does not include MEP Designer - requires Collaborate tier at $208/month

On-Screen Takeoff

  • Perpetual licensing is no longer offered on current releases, so long-standing users who paid once now face a recurring annual cost they never budgeted, and staying on an old version means no support for newer PDF formats
  • ConstructConnect does not publish a price, and the product is increasingly sold inside a bundle with lead data and estimating, so buyers who want takeoff alone often find the quote priced around a package they do not need
  • It is Windows desktop only, with no macOS version and no meaningful browser or tablet workflow, which rules it out for firms standardised on Apple hardware
  • The interface has changed little in years and estimators coming from browser-based tools find the condition setup and layer management slow to learn, so onboarding a new estimator takes longer than the software cost would suggest
  • ConstructConnect sells lead data, takeoff and estimating as a portfolio and has consolidated several acquired products, so a buyer committing to On-Screen Takeoff should ask directly where it sits against the newer cloud takeoff products in the same portfolio

Pricing, plan by plan

ArchiCAD

$177/month
  • Archicad Studio$177/month
    • Archicad Windows & macOS
    • BIMx Pro
    • BIMcloud Basic
  • Archicad Collaborate$208/month
    • Archicad Windows & macOS
    • MEP Designer
    • BIMx Pro

On-Screen Takeoff

On request
  • On-Screen Takeoff$undefined/year
    • Annual subscription per seat on version 4 and later
    • Sold increasingly as part of a ConstructConnect takeoff and estimating bundle
    • Perpetual licensing not offered on current releases

Which should you pick?

Choose ArchiCAD if

  • You need bim modeling.
  • You work on Windows, macOS.
  • You also want design tools.
ArchiCAD review

Choose On-Screen Takeoff if

  • You need drawing takeoff.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want revision overlay.
On-Screen Takeoff review

Questions people ask

Is ArchiCAD or On-Screen Takeoff better?
Neither clearly leads. ArchiCAD starts at $177/month and On-Screen Takeoff at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArchiCAD or On-Screen Takeoff?
ArchiCAD starts at $177/month and On-Screen Takeoff at On request.
Does ArchiCAD or On-Screen Takeoff run on more platforms?
ArchiCAD runs on Windows, macOS. On-Screen Takeoff runs on Windows.
What is ArchiCAD best used for?
ArchiCAD is most often used for architectural design with bim capabilities, real-time team collaboration via bimcloud, automated documentation generation from design changes, mixed windows and macos team environments. Of those, architectural design with bim capabilities and real-time team collaboration via bimcloud are not what On-Screen Takeoff is typically brought in for.
What can ArchiCAD do that On-Screen Takeoff cannot?
ArchiCAD covers BIM modeling, Design tools, Documentation, Rendering. On-Screen Takeoff covers Drawing takeoff, Revision overlay, Condition libraries, Automatic scaling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ArchiCAD: What is the cost of Archicad's subscription plans?

Archicad Studio starts at $177/month or $2,123 upfront annually. Archicad Collaborate, the most popular tier, is $208/month or $2,497 upfront annually. Both include local and cloud teamworking capabilities.

Source
On-Screen Takeoff: Can I still buy a perpetual licence?

No. Current releases are annual subscription. Older perpetual licences continue to run but do not receive updates.

ArchiCAD: What is the difference between Archicad Studio and Archicad Collaborate?

Studio includes architectural modeling and BIMcloud Basic for local teamwork. Collaborate adds MEP Designer for MEP modeling and BIMcloud SaaS for cloud-based global teamwork, and costs $31 more per month.

Source
On-Screen Takeoff: Is it sold separately from Quick Bid?

It can be, but ConstructConnect increasingly quotes it as part of a takeoff and estimating package. Ask explicitly for standalone pricing if that is what you want.

ArchiCAD: Is Archicad free for students?

Yes, Archicad offers free educational licenses for students, educators, and academic institutions. Archicad Studio is available free for 30 days as a trial.

Source
On-Screen Takeoff: Does it run on a Mac?

Not natively. It is a Windows application and Mac users run it under virtualisation, which is unsupported in practice for large drawing sets.

On-Screen Takeoff: Will it read a scanned drawing?

Yes, but measurement accuracy on a scanned raster set depends entirely on the scan quality and on setting scale from a verified dimension.

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