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Construction · head to head

ALICE Technologies vs B2W Estimate

ALICE Technologies logo

ALICE Technologies

Construction

Generative construction scheduling that produces and compares millions of build sequences

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
B2W Estimate logo

B2W Estimate

Construction

Heavy civil estimating and bidding built on crew, equipment and production rates rather than unit prices

From
On request
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.; B2W Estimate pricing is not published anywhere, and the quote depends on estimator seats plus which of the four other B2W modules you take, so like-for-like comparison with HeavyBid or spreadsheets is impossible without going through a sales cycle
  • They diverge on capability: ALICE Technologies covers Generative scheduling, B2W Estimate covers Production-rate estimating.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ALICE Technologies and B2W Estimate actually diverge.

Attributes where ALICE Technologies and B2W Estimate differ
AttributeALICE TechnologiesB2W Estimate
PlatformsWeb, WindowsWindows, Web

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 ALICE Technologies

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

Only in B2W Estimate

  • Production-rate estimating
  • Central resource database
  • Concurrent bidding
  • DOT bid file export
  • Alternates and addenda
  • Field feedback loop
  • Bid analysis

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 B2W Estimate
  • 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 B2W Estimate
  • 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 B2W Estimate
  • A delay claim where the contractor must demonstrate to a client or adjudicator what the schedule would have looked like without a specific disruptionnot B2W Estimate

B2W Estimate

  • A grading contractor bids a 40 million dollar DOT job and needs to test three crew configurations against the same quantities before the bid deadlinenot ALICE Technologies
  • A utility contractor wants the production rates used in the winning bid pushed into field logging so the superintendent is measured against the estimatenot ALICE Technologies
  • An estimating department with four estimators needs several people working on separate sections of one bid without merging spreadsheets by handnot ALICE Technologies
  • A contractor moving off HeavyBid wants a resource database it can reuse across estimating, dispatch and fleet maintenancenot 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.

B2W Estimate

  • Pricing is not published anywhere, and the quote depends on estimator seats plus which of the four other B2W modules you take, so like-for-like comparison with HeavyBid or spreadsheets is impossible without going through a sales cycle
  • The system is worthless until your own crews, equipment and production rates are loaded, which is typically several months of a senior estimator's time before the first bid comes out
  • It is aimed squarely at heavy civil self-performing work, so a general contractor whose bids are mostly subcontractor quotes gets very little from the production-rate engine
  • The Trimble acquisition means the product now competes internally with other Trimble civil estimating assets, and buyers should ask directly about the long term roadmap for overlapping products before signing a multi-year term
  • Reporting outside the Inform module is limited, so organisations that want bid analytics across years typically end up buying another module or extracting to a warehouse

Pricing, plan by plan

ALICE Technologies

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

B2W Estimate

On request
  • B2W Estimate$undefined/year
    • Priced per estimator seat with a separate server or hosting component
    • Additional B2W modules quoted separately
    • Implementation and resource database setup billed as a project

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 B2W Estimate if

  • You need production-rate estimating.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want central resource database.
B2W Estimate review

Questions people ask

Is ALICE Technologies or B2W Estimate better?
Neither clearly leads. ALICE Technologies starts at On request and B2W Estimate at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ALICE Technologies or B2W Estimate?
ALICE Technologies starts at On request and B2W Estimate at On request.
Does ALICE Technologies or B2W Estimate run on more platforms?
ALICE Technologies runs on Web, Windows. B2W Estimate runs on Windows, Web.
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 B2W Estimate is typically brought in for.
What can ALICE Technologies do that B2W Estimate cannot?
ALICE Technologies covers Generative scheduling, Recipe modelling, Optioneering, Schedule recovery. B2W Estimate covers Production-rate estimating, Central resource database, Concurrent bidding, DOT bid file export.

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.

B2W Estimate: Is B2W Estimate still sold under its own name?

Yes. Trimble acquired B2W in 2022 and continues to sell it as B2W Estimate within the Trimble Construction portfolio.

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.

B2W Estimate: Is there a perpetual licence?

Current sales are subscription based. Existing perpetual customers have been migrated toward subscription, so treat a perpetual arrangement as something to negotiate rather than assume.

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.

B2W Estimate: How does it compare with HeavyBid?

Both are production-rate estimators for heavy civil. B2W's argument is the shared resource database across estimating, field tracking, dispatch and maintenance; HeavyBid's is depth of bidding features and a large installed base in highway work.

ALICE Technologies: How much does it cost?

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

B2W Estimate: Does it work for building construction?

Poorly. It assumes self-performed work priced by crew output. Vertical builders bidding mostly subcontracted scopes should look elsewhere.

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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