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Construction · head to head

Assignar vs RIB CostX

Assignar logo

Assignar

Construction

Crew, equipment and compliance dispatch for self-perform and speciality contractors

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RIB CostX logo

RIB CostX

Construction

2D and BIM quantity takeoff with live-linked estimating workbooks for quantity surveyors and estimators

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Assignar it is built for contractors who own crews and plant, so a general contractor coordinating subcontractors gets little from it beyond its own self-perform scopes.; RIB CostX pricing is not published anywhere and is quoted per package and per seat through regional resellers, so two firms of similar size routinely pay materially different rates for the same configuration.
  • They diverge on capability: Assignar covers Crew and equipment scheduling, RIB CostX covers 2D drawing takeoff.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Assignar and RIB CostX actually diverge.

Attributes where Assignar and RIB CostX differ
AttributeAssignarRIB CostX
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Assignar

  • Crew and equipment scheduling
  • Digital dockets and timesheets
  • Compliance and competency tracking
  • Forms and inspections
  • Offline mobile capture
  • Production and cost reporting

Only in RIB CostX

  • 2D drawing takeoff
  • BIM and 3D takeoff
  • Live-linked workbooks
  • Drawing revision comparison
  • Bill of quantities production
  • Rate libraries
  • Subcontractor comparison
  • CostX Viewer

What people use each for

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

Assignar

  • A civil contractor scheduling crews and plant across multiple sites from one dispatch boardnot RIB CostX
  • A concrete or earthworks subcontractor replacing paper dockets that arrive three days latenot RIB CostX
  • A contractor that must prove operator competency and induction status on regulated sitesnot RIB CostX
  • A self-perform contractor comparing actual crew hours against estimated production ratesnot RIB CostX

RIB CostX

  • A quantity surveying practice that must issue a formatted bill of quantities under NRM or SMM7 and cannot do so from a generic takeoff toolnot Assignar
  • A contractor tendering a job where the client reissues drawings mid-tender, needing revision comparison so only changed areas are remeasurednot Assignar
  • An estimating department moving from paper and Excel to model-based measurement while keeping the same rate library and bill structurenot Assignar
  • A cost consultant producing early-stage elemental cost plans from partial models, then refining the same workbook as design detail arrivesnot Assignar

Where each one falls short

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

Assignar

  • It is built for contractors who own crews and plant, so a general contractor coordinating subcontractors gets little from it beyond its own self-perform scopes.
  • It is not an accounting or payroll system, so the value depends on a clean integration to your finance system and on someone owning the reconciliation when hours disagree.
  • Australian origins show in terminology and compliance defaults, and North American users spend setup time translating concepts such as tickets and inductions into local equivalents.
  • Offline capture works, but photo-heavy forms on poor connections remain the weak point and should be tested on your worst site before a full rollout.
  • Supervisors have to maintain the schedule for the reporting to mean anything, and dispatchers used to a whiteboard resist that for months unless the change is enforced.

RIB CostX

  • Pricing is not published anywhere and is quoted per package and per seat through regional resellers, so two firms of similar size routinely pay materially different rates for the same configuration.
  • It is Windows desktop software with heavy graphics demands; there is no meaningful macOS or browser option, which rules it out for practices standardised on Apple hardware.
  • The learning curve is steep enough that firms typically budget formal training, and an estimator productive in a rival tool takes weeks rather than days to reach the same output here.
  • RIB is owned by Schneider Electric, whose strategic interest is the wider RIB construction cloud, so a buyer choosing CostX today is betting on continued investment in a desktop estimating product inside a group focused elsewhere.
  • BIM takeoff is only as good as the model, and on projects where the model is modelled for coordination rather than measurement the automatic quantities need enough manual checking that the time saving largely disappears.

Pricing, plan by plan

Assignar

On request
  • Assignar$undefined/year
    • Crew and equipment scheduling
    • Digital dockets and timesheets
    • Compliance tracking

RIB CostX

On request
  • CostX Quantify$undefined/year
    • 2D and BIM takeoff
    • Measurement export
    • No integrated estimating workbook
  • CostX Core$undefined/year
    • Takeoff plus live-linked workbooks
    • Rate libraries
    • Standard reporting
  • CostX Complete$undefined/year
    • Full BIM takeoff
    • Advanced workbooks and bills of quantities
    • Subcontractor comparison

Which should you pick?

Choose Assignar if

  • You need crew and equipment scheduling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want digital dockets and timesheets.
Assignar review

Choose RIB CostX if

  • You need 2d drawing takeoff.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want bim and 3d takeoff.
RIB CostX review

Questions people ask

Is Assignar or RIB CostX better?
Neither clearly leads. Assignar starts at On request and RIB CostX at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Assignar or RIB CostX?
Assignar starts at On request and RIB CostX at On request.
Does Assignar or RIB CostX run on more platforms?
Assignar runs on Web, iOS, Android. RIB CostX runs on Windows.
What is Assignar best used for?
Assignar is most often used for a civil contractor scheduling crews and plant across multiple sites from one dispatch board, a concrete or earthworks subcontractor replacing paper dockets that arrive three days late, a contractor that must prove operator competency and induction status on regulated sites, a self-perform contractor comparing actual crew hours against estimated production rates. Of those, a civil contractor scheduling crews and plant across multiple sites from one dispatch board and a concrete or earthworks subcontractor replacing paper dockets that arrive three days late are not what RIB CostX is typically brought in for.
What can Assignar do that RIB CostX cannot?
Assignar covers Crew and equipment scheduling, Digital dockets and timesheets, Compliance and competency tracking, Forms and inspections. RIB CostX covers 2D drawing takeoff, BIM and 3D takeoff, Live-linked workbooks, Drawing revision comparison.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Assignar: Is this for general contractors or subcontractors?

Speciality and self-perform contractors. The unit of work is a crew and a machine on a shift, which is not how a general contractor coordinates trades.

RIB CostX: How much does RIB CostX cost?

RIB does not publish prices. It is quoted per package (Quantify, Core or Complete) and per seat, usually through a regional reseller.

Assignar: Does the mobile app work without signal?

Yes, entries are captured offline and synchronised later. Test it with photos attached on your worst site, because that is where sync problems appear.

RIB CostX: Is a perpetual licence available?

RIB has historically offered both perpetual and subscription licensing, with subscription now the default push. Ask explicitly, because the perpetual option is not advertised.

Assignar: Does it handle payroll?

No. It captures hours and quantities and passes them to your payroll or enterprise resource planning system.

RIB CostX: Does it do BIM takeoff or just 2D?

Both. Complete handles IFC and Revit models; Quantify and Core differ in workbook capability rather than measurement.

RIB CostX: Who is it for?

Quantity surveyors and estimators in markets that use bills of quantities: UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and South Africa above all.

RIB CostX: Can we open estimates without a licence?

A free CostX Viewer lets others open and inspect measured drawings and workbooks without a full seat.

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