Softwr

Construction · head to head

Cubit Estimating vs Kahua

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
Kahua logo

Kahua

Construction

Cloud platform for construction and capital projects

From
$400/month
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.; Kahua no standard pricing tiers published; all pricing is custom and quote-based
  • They diverge on capability: Cubit Estimating covers Integrated takeoff and estimate, Kahua covers Project management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cubit Estimating and Kahua differ
AttributeCubit EstimatingKahua
Starting price167/month$400/month
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
PlatformsWindowsWeb, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown2007

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 Kahua

  • Project management
  • Document control
  • Collaboration
  • Issue tracking
  • Reporting
  • Microsoft 365
  • Slack
  • Box

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 Kahua
  • A quantity surveying practice producing trade-structured bills of quantities to local conventionnot Kahua
  • A subcontractor pricing repeat work from maintained supplier price lists rather than rebuilding rates each tendernot Kahua
  • A small estimating team that needs to know the annual cost before booking a demo, because the rate card is publishednot Kahua

Kahua

  • Acting as the system of record for a capital construction program across the asset lifecyclenot Cubit Estimating
  • Public agencies and program managers tracking portfolios of projectsnot Cubit Estimating
  • General contractors standardising project delivery and cost control across active projectsnot Cubit Estimating
  • Specialty contractors managing crews, work orders and project financialsnot 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.

Kahua

  • No standard pricing tiers published; all pricing is custom and quote-based
  • Pricing varies by organization type, program or construction scale, selected package, and deployment environment
  • Implementation costs for data migration, integrations, training, and configuration scoped separately and included in quote

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

Kahua

$400/month
  • Professional$400/month
    • Project management
    • Document control
    • Collaboration
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced analytics
    • Custom workflows
    • API access

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 Kahua if

  • You need project management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want document control.
Kahua review

Questions people ask

Is Cubit Estimating or Kahua better?
Neither clearly leads. Cubit Estimating starts at 167/month and Kahua at $400/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cubit Estimating or Kahua?
Cubit Estimating starts at 167/month and Kahua at $400/month.
Does Cubit Estimating or Kahua run on more platforms?
Cubit Estimating runs on Windows. Kahua runs on 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 Kahua is typically brought in for.
What can Cubit Estimating do that Kahua cannot?
Cubit Estimating covers Integrated takeoff and estimate, Calculation and rate sheets, Price list management, Bills of quantities. Kahua covers Project management, Document control, Collaboration, Issue tracking.

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.

Kahua: How much does Kahua cost?

Kahua does not publish standard pricing. Costs vary by organization type (Owners/Program Managers, General Contractors, Specialty Contractors), program scale, selected package, deployment environment, and implementation requirements. Customers must request pricing quotes.

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

No. IFC model takeoff is an Enterprise feature only.

Kahua: What package options does Kahua offer?

Kahua offers three main package categories: Owners and Program Managers, General Contractors, and Specialty Contractors. Additional specialty apps and suites including capital planning, analytics, asset management, and safety can extend the base solution.

Source
Cubit Estimating: Is there a perpetual licence?

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

Kahua: Are implementation and integration costs included in Kahua pricing?

Implementation details including data migration, integrations, training, and configuration are scoped based on requirements and clearly identified in the custom quote provided.

Source
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.

Share

Related pages

More on Cubit Estimating

More on Kahua

Keep looking

Other head to heads