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Construction · head to head

Knowify vs RIB CostX

Knowify logo

Knowify

Construction

Construction and field service management integrated with QuickBooks

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RIB CostX logo

RIB CostX

Construction

2D and BIM quantity takeoff with live-linked estimating workbooks for quantity surveyors and estimators

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Knowify additional users cost $29/month per person across all plans; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Knowify and RIB CostX actually diverge.

Attributes where Knowify and RIB CostX differ
AttributeKnowifyRIB CostX
Starting price$99/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWebWindows

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 Knowify

Nothing recorded that RIB CostX does not also cover.

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.

Knowify

  • Bidding fixed-price and AIA jobs with team managementnot RIB CostX
  • Tracking labor and materials costs to project phasesnot RIB CostX
  • Real-time dispatching and payment processing for crewsnot RIB CostX
  • Managing change orders and invoicing across projectsnot 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 Knowify
  • A contractor tendering a job where the client reissues drawings mid-tender, needing revision comparison so only changed areas are remeasurednot Knowify
  • An estimating department moving from paper and Excel to model-based measurement while keeping the same rate library and bill structurenot Knowify
  • A cost consultant producing early-stage elemental cost plans from partial models, then refining the same workbook as design detail arrivesnot Knowify

Where each one falls short

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

Knowify

  • Additional users cost $29/month per person across all plans
  • Monthly billing costs 50% more than annual billing

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

Knowify

$99/month
  • Core$99/month
    • 1 user
    • Bid, execute, and invoice for fixed-price and AIA jobs
  • Advanced$329/month
    • 10 users
    • Project management
    • Job costing tools
  • Enterprise$null/mo
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited inventory
    • Custom pricing

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 Knowify if

Nothing in the data separates Knowify from RIB CostX on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Knowify review

Choose RIB CostX if

  • You need 2d drawing takeoff.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want bim and 3d takeoff.
RIB CostX review

Questions people ask

Is Knowify or RIB CostX better?
Neither clearly leads. Knowify starts at $99/month and RIB CostX at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Knowify or RIB CostX?
Knowify starts at $99/month and RIB CostX at On request.
Does Knowify or RIB CostX run on more platforms?
Knowify runs on Web. RIB CostX runs on Windows.
What is Knowify best used for?
Knowify is most often used for bidding fixed-price and aia jobs with team management, tracking labor and materials costs to project phases, real-time dispatching and payment processing for crews, managing change orders and invoicing across projects. Of those, bidding fixed-price and aia jobs with team management and tracking labor and materials costs to project phases are not what RIB CostX is typically brought in for.
What can Knowify do that RIB CostX cannot?
RIB CostX covers 2D drawing takeoff, BIM and 3D takeoff, Live-linked workbooks, Drawing revision comparison.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Knowify: How much does Knowify cost?

Knowify Core plan starts at $99/month for annual billing (or $149/month for monthly billing) and includes 1 user. The Advanced plan costs $329/month annually ($399/month monthly) and includes 10 users.

Source
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.

Knowify: What is the cost per additional user on Knowify?

Additional users cost $29/month across all plans whether on Core or Advanced.

Source
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.

Knowify: Does Knowify have a free trial?

A free trial is available for both Core and Advanced plans before requiring a paid subscription.

Source
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.

Knowify: What add-on features are available on Knowify?

Service Pro ($99/month annually), Live Equipment Tracking ($25/vehicle/month annually), AI Dashcams ($25/dashcam annually), and Tool Tracking ($99/month) are available as paid add-ons.

Source
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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