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Construction · head to head

Cubit Estimating vs Foundation Software

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
Foundation Software logo

Foundation Software

Construction

Job cost accounting and construction payroll for contractors running certified and union jobs

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.; Foundation Software no pricing is published anywhere, so shortlisting requires sitting through a sales process before you know whether the product is within budget at all.
  • They diverge on capability: Cubit Estimating covers Integrated takeoff and estimate, Foundation Software covers Job costing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cubit Estimating and Foundation Software actually diverge.

Attributes where Cubit Estimating and Foundation Software differ
AttributeCubit EstimatingFoundation Software
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 Foundation Software

  • Job costing
  • Certified payroll
  • Union payroll
  • AIA billing
  • Equipment costing
  • Service dispatch
  • Mobile time entry
  • Executive dashboards

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

Foundation Software

  • A union electrical or mechanical contractor whose payroll spans several trades and fringe schedules in the same weeknot Cubit Estimating
  • A general contractor bidding federally funded work that requires weekly certified payroll filingsnot Cubit Estimating
  • A contractor whose QuickBooks file has outgrown job costing and who is reconciling work in progress in spreadsheetsnot Cubit Estimating
  • A firm with owned plant that needs equipment hours costed back to jobs to see true contract marginnot 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.

Foundation Software

  • No pricing is published anywhere, so shortlisting requires sitting through a sales process before you know whether the product is within budget at all.
  • Implementation, data conversion and training are billed separately from the licence and routinely run into five figures, which buyers comparing monthly software subscriptions do not budget for.
  • The payroll compliance engine is built for United States federal and state law, so the product has essentially no value to contractors outside the US.
  • The interface is a long-lived Windows-style application, and staff hired from cloud-native tools find it slow to learn compared with Buildertrend or Procore.
  • Project management, document control and field collaboration are weaker than the dedicated construction platforms, so most sites end up running Foundation for money and something else for the job, and paying twice.

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

Foundation Software

On request
  • FOUNDATION$undefined/year
    • Modular licensing, priced by modules and user count
    • Cloud hosted or installed on your own server
    • Separate one-off implementation, data conversion and training fee

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 Foundation Software if

  • You need job costing.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want certified payroll.
Foundation Software review

Questions people ask

Is Cubit Estimating or Foundation Software better?
Neither clearly leads. Cubit Estimating starts at 167/month and Foundation Software at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cubit Estimating or Foundation Software?
Cubit Estimating starts at 167/month and Foundation Software at On request.
Does Cubit Estimating or Foundation Software run on more platforms?
Cubit Estimating runs on Windows. Foundation Software 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 Foundation Software is typically brought in for.
What can Cubit Estimating do that Foundation Software cannot?
Cubit Estimating covers Integrated takeoff and estimate, Calculation and rate sheets, Price list management, Bills of quantities. Foundation Software covers Job costing, Certified payroll, Union payroll, AIA billing.

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.

Foundation Software: How much does Foundation Software cost?

The vendor publishes no rates. Pricing is assembled per contractor from module selection and user count, with a separate implementation fee, and is only given after a discovery call.

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

No. IFC model takeoff is an Enterprise feature only.

Foundation Software: Does it replace Procore?

No. Foundation is the accounting and payroll system; Procore is project management. They integrate, and many contractors run both.

Cubit Estimating: Is there a perpetual licence?

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

Foundation Software: Can it handle certified payroll for multiple states?

Yes, it produces state-specific certified payroll formats as well as the federal WH-347, which is the main reason multi-state contractors buy it.

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.

Foundation Software: Is there a cloud version?

Yes, it is offered hosted as well as on-premise, but the hosted version is the same application delivered remotely rather than a rebuilt browser product.

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