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Construction · head to head

Chief Architect vs On-Screen Takeoff

Chief Architect logo

Chief Architect

Construction

Professional home design and construction software

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 Chief Architect has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Chief Architect no free tier after trial; 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: Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, 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 Chief Architect and On-Screen Takeoff actually diverge.

Attributes where Chief Architect and On-Screen Takeoff differ
AttributeChief ArchitectOn-Screen Takeoff
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, MacWindows
Founded1991Unknown

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 Chief Architect

  • 2D and 3D design
  • Floor plan creation
  • Construction documentation
  • Material lists
  • Rendering
  • Revit
  • SketchUp
  • CAD

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.

Chief Architect

  • Home design and architectural planningnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Kitchen and bathroom designnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Interior design and remodelingnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Professional building designnot 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 Chief Architect
  • An estimator who receives a late addendum and needs to know which rooms changed rather than re-measuring the whole floornot Chief Architect
  • A flooring subcontractor maintaining reusable conditions with waste factors so quantities and material orders stay consistent between estimatorsnot Chief Architect
  • A trade contractor that wants takeoff quantities split by phase so progress billing matches the way work is actually releasednot Chief Architect

Where each one falls short

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

Chief Architect

  • No free tier after trial
  • Monthly subscription at $229/month is significantly higher than annual equivalent ($166.25/month)
  • Trial download available but duration and features not specified
  • No mention of team or multi-user plans

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

Chief Architect

Free
  • Monthly Subscription$229/month
    • Software upgrades
    • Premium catalog downloads
    • Priority technical support
  • Annual Subscription$1995/year
    • 27% savings vs monthly
    • All monthly benefits included
  • Legacy License Upgrade$995/year
    • 50% discount first year
    • Then $1,995/year
    • For existing Chief Architect users

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 Chief Architect if

  • You need 2d and 3d design.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac.
  • You also want floor plan creation.
Chief Architect 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 Chief Architect or On-Screen Takeoff better?
Neither clearly leads. Chief Architect 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, Chief Architect or On-Screen Takeoff?
Chief Architect has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chief Architect and On request for On-Screen Takeoff.
Does Chief Architect or On-Screen Takeoff run on more platforms?
Chief Architect runs on Windows, Mac. On-Screen Takeoff runs on Windows.
Can I use Chief Architect for free?
Yes. Chief Architect has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. On-Screen Takeoff starts at On request.
What is Chief Architect best used for?
Chief Architect is most often used for home design and architectural planning, kitchen and bathroom design, interior design and remodeling, professional building design. Of those, home design and architectural planning and kitchen and bathroom design are not what On-Screen Takeoff is typically brought in for.
What can Chief Architect do that On-Screen Takeoff cannot?
Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, Floor plan creation, Construction documentation, Material lists. On-Screen Takeoff covers Drawing takeoff, Revision overlay, Condition libraries, Automatic scaling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Chief Architect: How much does Chief Architect cost?

Chief Architect costs $229/month on a monthly subscription, or $1,995/year ($166.25/month equivalent) for annual billing, representing a 27% discount.

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.

Chief Architect: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, a free trial download is available for prospective customers to evaluate Chief Architect before purchase.

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.

Chief Architect: Is there a discount for existing Chief Architect license holders?

Yes, legacy license holders can upgrade to an annual subscription for $995 the first year (50% discount), then $1,995/year thereafter.

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.

Chief Architect: What is included in the subscription?

Chief Architect subscription includes software upgrades, premium catalog downloads for design assets, and priority technical support.

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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