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Construction · head to head

Cubit Estimating vs HCSS

Cubit Estimating logo

Cubit Estimating

Construction

Australian estimating and on-screen takeoff in one window, priced openly per user per month

From
167/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HCSS logo

HCSS

Construction

Estimating, field time and equipment software for heavy civil and infrastructure contractors

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cubit Estimating every subscription carries a minimum twelve month term, so a firm that hires an estimator for one tender period pays for the full year regardless.; HCSS the estimating model is built for heavy civil unit-price work, so a commercial building contractor bidding lump sum gets a structure that does not match how it prices and will find the cost library concept awkward.
  • They diverge on capability: Cubit Estimating covers Integrated takeoff and estimate, HCSS covers HeavyBid estimating.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cubit Estimating and HCSS actually diverge.

Attributes where Cubit Estimating and HCSS differ
AttributeCubit EstimatingHCSS
Starting price167/monthOn request
Pricing modelPer user per monthquote
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Web, iOS, Android

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 Cubit Estimating

  • Integrated takeoff and estimate
  • Calculation and rate sheets
  • Price list management
  • Bills of quantities
  • BIM and IFC takeoff
  • Revision management
  • AI Estimating add-on
  • Job collaboration

Only in HCSS

  • HeavyBid estimating
  • Bid item and DOT integration
  • HeavyJob field time
  • Job costing
  • Digital plans
  • Dispatch
  • Equipment360
  • Safety

What people use each for

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

Cubit Estimating

  • An Australian commercial builder that wants takeoff and estimate in one file rather than exporting quantities from a separate measurement toolnot HCSS
  • A quantity surveying practice producing trade-structured bills of quantities to local conventionnot HCSS
  • A subcontractor pricing repeat work from maintained supplier price lists rather than rebuilding rates each tendernot HCSS
  • A small estimating team that needs to know the annual cost before booking a demo, because the rate card is publishednot HCSS

HCSS

  • A highway or bridge contractor bidding unit prices against transport department item listsnot Cubit Estimating
  • An earthwork contractor that needs production quantities from the field to hit job cost the same day rather than at payrollnot Cubit Estimating
  • A utility contractor tracking owned equipment cost against jobs instead of absorbing it as overheadnot Cubit Estimating
  • A growing civil contractor that has outgrown estimating in spreadsheets and cannot reconcile bid to actual costnot Cubit Estimating

Where each one falls short

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

Cubit Estimating

  • Every subscription carries a minimum twelve month term, so a firm that hires an estimator for one tender period pays for the full year regardless.
  • BIM and IFC takeoff sits only in Enterprise at $250 per user per month, meaning a builder who receives models rather than PDFs is pushed to the top tier whether or not it needs collaboration features.
  • The product is Windows only with no macOS or browser client, which excludes practices standardised on Macs unless they run virtualisation.
  • Rate libraries, measurement conventions and BOQ structures follow Australian practice, so buyers outside Australia and New Zealand inherit a method that does not match their local standard forms.
  • The AI Estimating add-on is priced at an explicitly temporary introductory rate, so a firm building the feature into its workflow is accepting an unspecified future increase on top of the seat price.

HCSS

  • The estimating model is built for heavy civil unit-price work, so a commercial building contractor bidding lump sum gets a structure that does not match how it prices and will find the cost library concept awkward.
  • The products were built at different times and operate like separate applications sharing data, so estimating, field time and equipment do not present as one system to the user.
  • Pricing is quote-only and licensed by module and by user, so cost scales with field headcount even when a crew member only enters time once a day.
  • There is no accounting ledger, so payroll and job cost post into Viewpoint, Sage or a similar ERP, and maintaining that integration is an ongoing responsibility for the contractor.
  • Populating the estimating cost library needs an experienced estimator and a year or more of bids before the numbers are trustworthy, so a contractor without that person buys a bidding tool it cannot use properly.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cubit Estimating

167/month
  • Standard$167/month
    • Integrated estimating and takeoff
    • Calculation sheets, rate sheets and price lists
    • Basic job management
  • Professional$222/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Code grouping
    • Custom reporting
  • Enterprise$250/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • BIM and IFC takeoff
    • Multi-user job collaboration
  • AI Estimating add-on$20/month
    • Automated element recognition
    • Works with any edition
    • Introductory rate the vendor says will increase

HCSS

On request
  • HCSS platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted by module and by user count
    • HeavyBid, HeavyJob and Equipment360 licensed separately
    • Implementation, cost library setup and training charged as services

Which should you pick?

Choose Cubit Estimating if

  • You need integrated takeoff and estimate.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want calculation and rate sheets.
Cubit Estimating review

Choose HCSS if

  • You need heavybid estimating.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want bid item and dot integration.
HCSS review

Questions people ask

Is Cubit Estimating or HCSS better?
Neither clearly leads. Cubit Estimating starts at 167/month and HCSS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cubit Estimating or HCSS?
Cubit Estimating starts at 167/month and HCSS at On request.
Does Cubit Estimating or HCSS run on more platforms?
Cubit Estimating runs on Windows. HCSS runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Cubit Estimating best used for?
Cubit Estimating is most often used for an australian commercial builder that wants takeoff and estimate in one file rather than exporting quantities from a separate measurement tool, a quantity surveying practice producing trade-structured bills of quantities to local convention, a subcontractor pricing repeat work from maintained supplier price lists rather than rebuilding rates each tender, a small estimating team that needs to know the annual cost before booking a demo, because the rate card is published. Of those, an australian commercial builder that wants takeoff and estimate in one file rather than exporting quantities from a separate measurement tool and a quantity surveying practice producing trade-structured bills of quantities to local convention are not what HCSS is typically brought in for.
What can Cubit Estimating do that HCSS cannot?
Cubit Estimating covers Integrated takeoff and estimate, Calculation and rate sheets, Price list management, Bills of quantities. HCSS covers HeavyBid estimating, Bid item and DOT integration, HeavyJob field time, Job costing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cubit Estimating: What does Cubit actually cost?

Standard $167, Professional $222 and Enterprise $250 per user per month on annual billing, in Australian dollars excluding GST. Monthly billing is about 16 per cent more.

HCSS: Is HCSS a competitor to Procore?

Not really. Procore covers vertical and commercial construction project management. HCSS covers heavy civil estimating, field time and equipment, and the two are often used together.

Cubit Estimating: Can I get BIM takeoff without the Enterprise tier?

No. IFC model takeoff is an Enterprise feature only.

HCSS: Does HCSS include accounting?

No. It integrates with construction ERPs such as Viewpoint Vista and Sage rather than carrying its own general ledger.

Cubit Estimating: Is there a perpetual licence?

No. Cubit Estimating is subscription only with a minimum twelve month commitment.

HCSS: Is pricing published?

No. HCSS quotes from a needs form and does not publish a rate card or per-user prices.

Cubit Estimating: Does it suit contractors outside Australia?

It works, but rate libraries and BOQ conventions follow Australian standards, so buyers elsewhere do more setup than a locally built alternative would need.

HCSS: How long before HeavyBid pays back?

Usually after enough bids to build a trustworthy cost library, which most contractors measure in seasons rather than weeks.

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