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Construction · head to head

Dalux vs On-Screen Takeoff

Dalux logo

Dalux

Construction

BIM viewing, snagging and field quality control for construction and facilities teams

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 Dalux has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Dalux no pricing is published for any paid module, so comparing Dalux against Procore or Autodesk Construction Cloud on cost requires entering a sales process and waiting for a quote you cannot benchmark.; 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: Dalux covers Mobile BIM viewer, 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 Dalux and On-Screen Takeoff actually diverge.

Attributes where Dalux and On-Screen Takeoff differ
AttributeDaluxOn-Screen Takeoff
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, WindowsWindows

Identical on both: pricing model (quote), 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 Dalux

  • Mobile BIM viewer
  • Field snagging
  • Dalux Box
  • InfraField
  • Dalux FM
  • Handover
  • Checklists and forms
  • Free viewer tier

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.

Dalux

  • A Nordic main contractor wants every subcontractor raising and closing snags in one system without paying a seat fee for each trade, so the free Field Basic tier carries the supply chain.not On-Screen Takeoff
  • An engineering consultancy needs site staff to interrogate a federated model on a phone in a basement with no signal, where a browser-based viewer would be useless.not On-Screen Takeoff
  • A public asset owner wants the as-built model and asset register to survive handover into an FM system rather than arriving as a pallet of ring binders.not On-Screen Takeoff
  • A rail or highways contractor needs quality records located by chainage along a route rather than by level and grid on a building floor plan, which is what InfraField exists for.not 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 Dalux
  • An estimator who receives a late addendum and needs to know which rooms changed rather than re-measuring the whole floornot Dalux
  • A flooring subcontractor maintaining reusable conditions with waste factors so quantities and material orders stay consistent between estimatorsnot Dalux
  • A trade contractor that wants takeoff quantities split by phase so progress billing matches the way work is actually releasednot Dalux

Where each one falls short

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

Dalux

  • No pricing is published for any paid module, so comparing Dalux against Procore or Autodesk Construction Cloud on cost requires entering a sales process and waiting for a quote you cannot benchmark.
  • There is no cost management, estimating, budgeting or payment application functionality, so commercial teams keep a separate system and someone reconciles the two by hand.
  • The integration catalogue is thin next to the American incumbents, and ERP or finance connections generally mean custom work through the API rather than a listed connector.
  • Support, documentation and product terminology are strongest in Danish and Northern European construction conventions, and teams working to AIA or other North American contract norms will find the workflows do not map cleanly.
  • The free tier is deliberately limited: Field Basic has no checklists, no document control and no reporting, so the free users your subcontractors get are consumers of information rather than participants in a controlled process, and upgrading them is a paid conversation.

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

Dalux

Free
  • BIM Viewer and Field Basic$undefined/year
    • Federated model viewing on desktop and mobile
    • Basic snagging against drawings and BIM
    • Unlimited invited project members at no cost
  • Dalux Field, Box, InfraField, Handover, FM$undefined/year
    • Full quality, safety and document control workflows
    • Handover and tender modules
    • Facilities management on the as-built model

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 Dalux if

  • You need mobile bim viewer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want field snagging.
Dalux 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 Dalux or On-Screen Takeoff better?
Neither clearly leads. Dalux 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, Dalux or On-Screen Takeoff?
Dalux has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Dalux and On request for On-Screen Takeoff.
Does Dalux or On-Screen Takeoff run on more platforms?
Dalux runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. On-Screen Takeoff runs on Windows.
Can I use Dalux for free?
Yes. Dalux has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. On-Screen Takeoff starts at On request.
What is Dalux best used for?
Dalux is most often used for a nordic main contractor wants every subcontractor raising and closing snags in one system without paying a seat fee for each trade, so the free field basic tier carries the supply chain., an engineering consultancy needs site staff to interrogate a federated model on a phone in a basement with no signal, where a browser-based viewer would be useless., a public asset owner wants the as-built model and asset register to survive handover into an fm system rather than arriving as a pallet of ring binders., a rail or highways contractor needs quality records located by chainage along a route rather than by level and grid on a building floor plan, which is what infrafield exists for.. Of those, a nordic main contractor wants every subcontractor raising and closing snags in one system without paying a seat fee for each trade, so the free field basic tier carries the supply chain. and an engineering consultancy needs site staff to interrogate a federated model on a phone in a basement with no signal, where a browser-based viewer would be useless. are not what On-Screen Takeoff is typically brought in for.
What can Dalux do that On-Screen Takeoff cannot?
Dalux covers Mobile BIM viewer, Field snagging, Dalux Box, InfraField. On-Screen Takeoff covers Drawing takeoff, Revision overlay, Condition libraries, Automatic scaling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dalux: Is Dalux really free?

BIM Viewer and Field Basic are genuinely free with unlimited invited users. Dalux Box, the full Field product, InfraField, Handover, Tender and FM are paid and quoted privately.

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.

Dalux: Does Dalux work offline on site?

Yes. Models, drawings and snags sync to the device and the mobile apps are built to work in basements and lift shafts, syncing when signal returns.

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.

Dalux: Can Dalux replace Procore?

Not on the commercial side. It covers field quality, safety, documents and handover, but has no cost control, budgets or payment applications.

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.

Dalux: Is it available outside Europe?

It is sold globally and the apps are multilingual, but the customer base, partner network and support hours are centred on Northern Europe.

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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