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Construction · head to head

BuildingConnected vs On-Screen Takeoff

BuildingConnected logo

BuildingConnected

Construction

Preconstruction and bid management platform

From
Free
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

  • Only BuildingConnected has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: BuildingConnected no pricing details disclosed on product page; contact sales required; 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: BuildingConnected covers Bid management, 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 BuildingConnected and On-Screen Takeoff actually diverge.

Attributes where BuildingConnected and On-Screen Takeoff differ
AttributeBuildingConnectedOn-Screen Takeoff
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows
Founded1982Unknown

Identical on both: 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 BuildingConnected

  • Bid management
  • Subcontractor network
  • Prequalification
  • Bid leveling
  • Analytics
  • Autodesk Build
  • Autodesk Docs
  • Procore

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.

BuildingConnected

  • Bid solicitationnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Subcontractor prequalificationnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Bid analysisnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Vendor managementnot 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 BuildingConnected
  • An estimator who receives a late addendum and needs to know which rooms changed rather than re-measuring the whole floornot BuildingConnected
  • A flooring subcontractor maintaining reusable conditions with waste factors so quantities and material orders stay consistent between estimatorsnot BuildingConnected
  • A trade contractor that wants takeoff quantities split by phase so progress billing matches the way work is actually releasednot BuildingConnected

Where each one falls short

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

BuildingConnected

  • No pricing details disclosed on product page; contact sales required

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

BuildingConnected

Free
  • Pro (Subcontractors)Free
    • Bid opportunities
    • ITB responses
    • Company profile
  • Pro (GCs)Free
    • Bid management
    • Subcontractor network
    • Bid leveling

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 BuildingConnected if

  • You need bid management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want subcontractor network.
BuildingConnected 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 BuildingConnected or On-Screen Takeoff better?
Neither clearly leads. BuildingConnected starts at Free 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, BuildingConnected or On-Screen Takeoff?
BuildingConnected has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for BuildingConnected and On request for On-Screen Takeoff.
Does BuildingConnected or On-Screen Takeoff run on more platforms?
BuildingConnected runs on Web, Ios, Android. On-Screen Takeoff runs on Windows.
Can I use BuildingConnected for free?
Yes. BuildingConnected has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. On-Screen Takeoff starts at On request.
What is BuildingConnected best used for?
BuildingConnected is most often used for bid solicitation, subcontractor prequalification, bid analysis, vendor management. Of those, bid solicitation and subcontractor prequalification are not what On-Screen Takeoff is typically brought in for.
What can BuildingConnected do that On-Screen Takeoff cannot?
BuildingConnected covers Bid management, Subcontractor network, Prequalification, Bid leveling. On-Screen Takeoff covers Drawing takeoff, Revision overlay, Condition libraries, Automatic scaling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BuildingConnected: What BuildingConnected products are available?

BuildingConnected offers three main products: BuildingConnected Pro (for general contractors and owners), Bid Board Pro (for subcontractors), and TradeTapp (subcontractor qualification software). Contact sales at +1 855 522 4504 for pricing details.

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.

BuildingConnected: How can I get BuildingConnected pricing?

Contact BuildingConnected sales at +1 855 522 4504 or visit the dedicated pricing page for current rate information.

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.

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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