Construction · head to head
Dalux vs RIB CostX
Dalux
Construction
BIM viewing, snagging and field quality control for construction and facilities teams
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
RIB CostX
Construction
2D and BIM quantity takeoff with live-linked estimating workbooks for quantity surveyors and estimators
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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.; RIB CostX pricing is not published anywhere and is quoted per package and per seat through regional resellers, so two firms of similar size routinely pay materially different rates for the same configuration.
- They diverge on capability: Dalux covers Mobile BIM viewer, RIB CostX covers 2D drawing takeoff.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Dalux and RIB CostX actually diverge.
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 RIB CostX
- 2D drawing takeoff
- BIM and 3D takeoff
- Live-linked workbooks
- Drawing revision comparison
- Bill of quantities production
- Rate libraries
- Subcontractor comparison
- CostX Viewer
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 RIB CostX
- 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 RIB CostX
- 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 RIB CostX
- 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 RIB CostX
RIB CostX
- A quantity surveying practice that must issue a formatted bill of quantities under NRM or SMM7 and cannot do so from a generic takeoff toolnot Dalux
- A contractor tendering a job where the client reissues drawings mid-tender, needing revision comparison so only changed areas are remeasurednot Dalux
- An estimating department moving from paper and Excel to model-based measurement while keeping the same rate library and bill structurenot Dalux
- A cost consultant producing early-stage elemental cost plans from partial models, then refining the same workbook as design detail arrivesnot 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.
RIB CostX
- Pricing is not published anywhere and is quoted per package and per seat through regional resellers, so two firms of similar size routinely pay materially different rates for the same configuration.
- It is Windows desktop software with heavy graphics demands; there is no meaningful macOS or browser option, which rules it out for practices standardised on Apple hardware.
- The learning curve is steep enough that firms typically budget formal training, and an estimator productive in a rival tool takes weeks rather than days to reach the same output here.
- RIB is owned by Schneider Electric, whose strategic interest is the wider RIB construction cloud, so a buyer choosing CostX today is betting on continued investment in a desktop estimating product inside a group focused elsewhere.
- BIM takeoff is only as good as the model, and on projects where the model is modelled for coordination rather than measurement the automatic quantities need enough manual checking that the time saving largely disappears.
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
RIB CostX
On request- CostX Quantify$undefined/year
- 2D and BIM takeoff
- Measurement export
- No integrated estimating workbook
- CostX Core$undefined/year
- Takeoff plus live-linked workbooks
- Rate libraries
- Standard reporting
- CostX Complete$undefined/year
- Full BIM takeoff
- Advanced workbooks and bills of quantities
- Subcontractor comparison
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.
Choose RIB CostX if
- You need 2d drawing takeoff.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want bim and 3d takeoff.
Questions people ask
- Is Dalux or RIB CostX better?
- Neither clearly leads. Dalux starts at Free and RIB CostX at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Dalux or RIB CostX?
- Dalux has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Dalux and On request for RIB CostX.
- Does Dalux or RIB CostX run on more platforms?
- Dalux runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. RIB CostX runs on Windows.
- Can I use Dalux for free?
- Yes. Dalux has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RIB CostX 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 RIB CostX is typically brought in for.
- What can Dalux do that RIB CostX cannot?
- Dalux covers Mobile BIM viewer, Field snagging, Dalux Box, InfraField. RIB CostX covers 2D drawing takeoff, BIM and 3D takeoff, Live-linked workbooks, Drawing revision comparison.
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.
RIB CostX: How much does RIB CostX cost?
RIB does not publish prices. It is quoted per package (Quantify, Core or Complete) and per seat, usually through a regional reseller.
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.
RIB CostX: Is a perpetual licence available?
RIB has historically offered both perpetual and subscription licensing, with subscription now the default push. Ask explicitly, because the perpetual option is not advertised.
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.
RIB CostX: Does it do BIM takeoff or just 2D?
Both. Complete handles IFC and Revit models; Quantify and Core differ in workbook capability rather than measurement.
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.
RIB CostX: Who is it for?
Quantity surveyors and estimators in markets that use bills of quantities: UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and South Africa above all.
RIB CostX: Can we open estimates without a licence?
A free CostX Viewer lets others open and inspect measured drawings and workbooks without a full seat.
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