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Construction · head to head

eSUB vs On-Screen Takeoff

eSUB logo

eSUB

Construction

Cloud-based mobile construction management platform

From
$49/month
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

  • Each has a real cost: eSUB limited to commercial subcontractors; not suitable for general contractors or non-construction industries; 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: eSUB covers Mobile task management, 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 eSUB and On-Screen Takeoff actually diverge.

Attributes where eSUB and On-Screen Takeoff differ
AttributeeSUBOn-Screen Takeoff
Starting price$49/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWindows
Founded2010Unknown

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 eSUB

  • Mobile task management
  • Timesheet tracking
  • Photo documentation
  • Job costing
  • Field notes
  • QuickBooks
  • Sage
  • Procore

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.

eSUB

  • Project management for commercial construction subcontractorsnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Daily reports, RFIs, submittals and change orders from the fieldnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Crew time capture on mobile devicesnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Labour, job cost, equipment and material reportingnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Centralised drawing and document managementnot 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 eSUB
  • An estimator who receives a late addendum and needs to know which rooms changed rather than re-measuring the whole floornot eSUB
  • A flooring subcontractor maintaining reusable conditions with waste factors so quantities and material orders stay consistent between estimatorsnot eSUB
  • A trade contractor that wants takeoff quantities split by phase so progress billing matches the way work is actually releasednot eSUB

Where each one falls short

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

eSUB

  • Limited to commercial subcontractors; not suitable for general contractors or non-construction industries
  • Custom pricing with no transparent public pricing makes budget planning difficult for prospective customers
  • Narrow candidate list with only one direct competitor (Procore) in the space
  • May have smaller feature set compared to enterprise construction platforms

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

eSUB

$49/month
  • Starter$49/month
    • Mobile task management
    • Timesheet tracking
    • Document management
  • Professional$99/month
    • Advanced scheduling
    • Accounting integration
    • Custom workflows

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 eSUB if

  • You need mobile task management.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want timesheet tracking.
eSUB 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 eSUB or On-Screen Takeoff better?
Neither clearly leads. eSUB starts at $49/month 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, eSUB or On-Screen Takeoff?
eSUB starts at $49/month and On-Screen Takeoff at On request.
Does eSUB or On-Screen Takeoff run on more platforms?
eSUB runs on iOS, Android, Web. On-Screen Takeoff runs on Windows.
What is eSUB best used for?
eSUB is most often used for project management for commercial construction subcontractors, daily reports, rfis, submittals and change orders from the field, crew time capture on mobile devices, labour, job cost, equipment and material reporting. Of those, project management for commercial construction subcontractors and daily reports, rfis, submittals and change orders from the field are not what On-Screen Takeoff is typically brought in for.
What can eSUB do that On-Screen Takeoff cannot?
eSUB covers Mobile task management, Timesheet tracking, Photo documentation, Job costing. On-Screen Takeoff covers Drawing takeoff, Revision overlay, Condition libraries, Automatic scaling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

eSUB: What is eSUB designed for and who is the primary user?

eSUB is a mobile-first construction management platform built exclusively for commercial subcontractors. It connects the field to the office through mobile apps and web interfaces for creating, tracking, and managing documents and daily activities.

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.

eSUB: What key features does eSUB Cloud include?

eSUB includes submittals, change orders, RFIs, daily reports, mobile app functionality, email integration, field notes, time cards, project management, document management, time tracking, and job costing capabilities.

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.

eSUB: Does eSUB offer a free trial?

Yes. eSUB offers a 14-day free trial as well as customized demos. The demo includes a 45-minute guided walkthrough in a staged demo project.

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.

eSUB: How does eSUB pricing work?

eSUB Cloud pricing depends on user count and modules required; quotes are provided on a customized basis. No implementation fees apply for standard scopes, and no per-job charges are assessed. Updates are included in the subscription.

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.

eSUB: What platforms does eSUB support?

eSUB offers mobile apps for both iOS and Android, as well as a web interface. The platform is designed mobile-first with field-focused functionality.

Source
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