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Construction · head to head

Kojo vs Topcon MAGNET

Kojo logo

Kojo

Construction

Materials procurement and inventory for speciality trade contractors

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Topcon MAGNET logo

Topcon MAGNET

Construction

Field, office and cloud software for surveying and civil construction, built around Topcon instruments

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kojo benefits depend on distributors providing electronic catalogues and pricing, and a contractor whose main supplier will not participate is left keying quotes by hand.; Topcon MAGNET mAGNET is built around Topcon and Sokkia hardware, so a firm running mixed instrument brands will not get the field workflows it expects and is better served by manufacturer-independent field software.
  • They diverge on capability: Kojo covers Field material requests, Topcon MAGNET covers MAGNET Field.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kojo and Topcon MAGNET actually diverge.

Attributes where Kojo and Topcon MAGNET differ
AttributeKojoTopcon MAGNET
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Android, Web

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Kojo

  • Field material requests
  • Multi-supplier quoting
  • Purchase order management
  • Inventory and warehouse
  • Committed cost visibility
  • Enterprise resource planning integration

Only in Topcon MAGNET

  • MAGNET Field
  • MAGNET Office
  • MAGNET Enterprise
  • Machine control model preparation
  • Mass haul and earthwork
  • Point layout and stakeout
  • Live field to office link
  • Standard format exchange

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Kojo

  • An electrical or mechanical contractor where materials are close to half of job cost and buying happens dailynot Topcon MAGNET
  • A trade contractor that cannot see committed material cost against a job until the invoice arrivesnot Topcon MAGNET
  • A contractor consolidating purchasing across branches to negotiate better distributor pricingnot Topcon MAGNET
  • A subcontractor tracking warehouse stock and job transfers that currently live in a spreadsheetnot Topcon MAGNET

Topcon MAGNET

  • A civil contractor running Topcon grade control that needs design models prepared and pushed to machines from one environmentnot Kojo
  • A survey crew doing construction layout with Topcon total stations and wanting field data to reach the office without a memory cardnot Kojo
  • An earthworks estimator producing takeoff quantities and mass haul plans from engineering drawingsnot Kojo
  • A firm standardising on one manufacturer end to end to reduce the number of software packages its crews have to learnnot Kojo

Where each one falls short

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

Kojo

  • Benefits depend on distributors providing electronic catalogues and pricing, and a contractor whose main supplier will not participate is left keying quotes by hand.
  • It serves speciality trade contractors; general contractors procure subcontracts rather than materials and get almost nothing from it.
  • Enterprise resource planning integration quality varies by system and version, so confirm the depth for your exact configuration rather than accepting the logo on the website.
  • Field adoption is the whole game, and foremen who lose signal in a plant room or basement revert to phoning the office within days unless offline capture genuinely works.
  • It changes purchasing process as well as software, so contractors whose buying authority is informal have to formalise who can commit money before the system produces clean data.

Topcon MAGNET

  • MAGNET is built around Topcon and Sokkia hardware, so a firm running mixed instrument brands will not get the field workflows it expects and is better served by manufacturer-independent field software.
  • Topcon does not publish a rate card and sells through dealers, so two customers can pay materially different prices for the same licences depending on region and negotiation.
  • Cloud connectivity through MAGNET Enterprise is commonly bundled for the first year and then charged, which surprises firms that budgeted only for the licence.
  • Office capability is spread across modules and disciplines rather than sold as one product, so getting from data collection to machine control model preparation can require more than one purchase.
  • The office desktop software is Windows only and the wider line has been reorganised more than once, so buyers should confirm which specific product name their dealer is quoting and how long it will be supported.

Pricing, plan by plan

Kojo

On request
  • Kojo$undefined/year
    • Materials procurement workflow
    • Supplier quoting and purchase orders
    • Inventory tracking

Topcon MAGNET

On request
  • MAGNET Field$undefined/year
    • Data collector licence
    • Sold through Topcon dealers
    • Annual service plan renewals available
  • MAGNET Office$undefined/year
    • Desktop licence with modules by discipline
    • Includes cloud connectivity for a first year
    • Renewal quoted separately
  • MAGNET Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Cloud project storage and field to office exchange
    • Subscription renewed annually
    • Bundled initially with Office licences

Which should you pick?

Choose Kojo if

  • You need field material requests.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want multi-supplier quoting.
Kojo review

Choose Topcon MAGNET if

  • You need magnet field.
  • You work on Windows, Android, Web.
  • You also want magnet office.
Topcon MAGNET review

Questions people ask

Is Kojo or Topcon MAGNET better?
Neither clearly leads. Kojo starts at On request and Topcon MAGNET at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kojo or Topcon MAGNET?
Kojo starts at On request and Topcon MAGNET at On request.
Does Kojo or Topcon MAGNET run on more platforms?
Kojo runs on Web, iOS, Android. Topcon MAGNET runs on Windows, Android, Web.
What is Kojo best used for?
Kojo is most often used for an electrical or mechanical contractor where materials are close to half of job cost and buying happens daily, a trade contractor that cannot see committed material cost against a job until the invoice arrives, a contractor consolidating purchasing across branches to negotiate better distributor pricing, a subcontractor tracking warehouse stock and job transfers that currently live in a spreadsheet. Of those, an electrical or mechanical contractor where materials are close to half of job cost and buying happens daily and a trade contractor that cannot see committed material cost against a job until the invoice arrives are not what Topcon MAGNET is typically brought in for.
What can Kojo do that Topcon MAGNET cannot?
Kojo covers Field material requests, Multi-supplier quoting, Purchase order management, Inventory and warehouse. Topcon MAGNET covers MAGNET Field, MAGNET Office, MAGNET Enterprise, Machine control model preparation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kojo: Is this for general contractors?

No. It is built for speciality trade contractors buying materials. General contractors procure subcontracts and would get little from it.

Topcon MAGNET: Does MAGNET work with Trimble or Leica instruments?

Not as a practical daily workflow. It exchanges standard file formats but the field software is designed for Topcon and Sokkia hardware.

Kojo: What if our suppliers will not connect?

You lose most of the quoting benefit and keep only the internal workflow. Check distributor participation before purchase, because it determines the return.

Topcon MAGNET: Is pricing published?

No. MAGNET is sold through Topcon dealers with quotes varying by region and configuration.

Kojo: Does it work without signal on site?

Field requests are designed for site use, and offline behaviour should be tested with your own crews in your worst locations, because that is where adoption is won or lost.

Topcon MAGNET: Is the cloud service included?

Typically for a first year with a licence, then renewable as a paid subscription.

Topcon MAGNET: Can I get my data out at project closeout?

Yes, through LandXML, DXF and standard survey exchange formats, though field-specific configuration does not transfer to a competitor.

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