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Construction · head to head

Buildertrend vs On-Screen Takeoff

Buildertrend logo

Buildertrend

Construction

Construction project management for home builders and remodelers

From
$199/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: Buildertrend pricing is by quote only, with no rate, plan name or minimum published on the pricing page; 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: Buildertrend covers Project scheduling, 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 Buildertrend and On-Screen Takeoff actually diverge.

Attributes where Buildertrend and On-Screen Takeoff differ
AttributeBuildertrendOn-Screen Takeoff
Starting price$199/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows
Founded2006Unknown

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 Buildertrend

  • Project scheduling
  • Customer management
  • Financial tracking
  • Selections management
  • Change orders
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • Zillow

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.

Buildertrend

  • Project scheduling and daily job site loggingnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Homeowner and contractor payment processingnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Material takeoff and budget managementnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Change order tracking and approval workflownot 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 Buildertrend
  • An estimator who receives a late addendum and needs to know which rooms changed rather than re-measuring the whole floornot Buildertrend
  • A flooring subcontractor maintaining reusable conditions with waste factors so quantities and material orders stay consistent between estimatorsnot Buildertrend
  • A trade contractor that wants takeoff quantities split by phase so progress billing matches the way work is actually releasednot Buildertrend

Where each one falls short

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

Buildertrend

  • Pricing is by quote only, with no rate, plan name or minimum published on the pricing page
  • Getting a price requires completing a multi-step form declaring builder type and annual construction volume, then booking a call with a sales representative
  • The only published discount is 10% off for paying annually upfront

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

Buildertrend

$199/month
  • Essential$499/month
    • Unlimited projects and users
    • Schedule, to-do lists, customer portal
    • Proposals and email marketing
  • Advanced$799/month
    • All Essential features
    • Advanced estimating and change orders
    • Takeoff tool for materials
  • Complete$1099/month
    • All Advanced features
    • Selections and warranty management
    • RFI and cost inbox features
  • Buildertrend Boost$100/month
    • Dedicated setup and account managers
    • Customized onboarding and configuration
    • Personalized coaching and strategic reviews

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 Buildertrend if

  • You need project scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want customer management.
Buildertrend 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 Buildertrend or On-Screen Takeoff better?
Neither clearly leads. Buildertrend starts at $199/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, Buildertrend or On-Screen Takeoff?
Buildertrend starts at $199/month and On-Screen Takeoff at On request.
Does Buildertrend or On-Screen Takeoff run on more platforms?
Buildertrend runs on Web, Ios, Android. On-Screen Takeoff runs on Windows.
What is Buildertrend best used for?
Buildertrend is most often used for project scheduling and daily job site logging, homeowner and contractor payment processing, material takeoff and budget management, change order tracking and approval workflow. Of those, project scheduling and daily job site logging and homeowner and contractor payment processing are not what On-Screen Takeoff is typically brought in for.
What can Buildertrend do that On-Screen Takeoff cannot?
Buildertrend covers Project scheduling, Customer management, Financial tracking, Selections management. On-Screen Takeoff covers Drawing takeoff, Revision overlay, Condition libraries, Automatic scaling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Buildertrend: What are Buildertrend's monthly subscription prices?

Buildertrend offers three plans: Essential at $499/month, Advanced at $799/month, and Complete at $1,099/month. All include first-month discounts of $300, reducing starting costs to $199, $499, and $799 respectively.

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.

Buildertrend: What is Buildertrend Boost and does it cost extra?

Buildertrend Boost is an optional add-on program costing $100 per month. It includes dedicated account managers, customized setup, personalized coaching, and strategic business reviews to help you maximize the platform.

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.

Buildertrend: Does Buildertrend offer discounts for annual billing?

Yes, Buildertrend offers annual pricing discounts. For example, the Essential plan saves $1,799 per year, Advanced saves $2,159 per year, and Complete saves $2,519 per year when billed annually versus monthly.

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.

Buildertrend: Are there unlimited users and projects included?

Yes, all Buildertrend plans include unlimited projects and users, allowing you to add employees, subcontractors, and clients at no additional cost per user.

Source
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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