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Construction · head to head

On-Screen Takeoff vs PlanGrid

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
PlanGrid logo

PlanGrid

Construction

Construction productivity software for the field

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; PlanGrid autodesk states PlanGrid is no longer available for purchase by net-new customers, with new buyers directed to Forma Build
  • They diverge on capability: On-Screen Takeoff covers Drawing takeoff, PlanGrid covers Blueprint management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which On-Screen Takeoff and PlanGrid actually diverge.

Attributes where On-Screen Takeoff and PlanGrid differ
AttributeOn-Screen TakeoffPlanGrid
Starting priceOn request$39/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWindowsWeb, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown1982

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 On-Screen Takeoff

  • Drawing takeoff
  • Revision overlay
  • Condition libraries
  • Automatic scaling
  • Bid zones and phases
  • Quick Bid handoff
  • Excel export

Only in PlanGrid

  • Blueprint management
  • Issue tracking
  • Photo documentation
  • Punch lists
  • RFI management
  • Autodesk BIM 360
  • Procore
  • Box

What people use each for

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

On-Screen Takeoff

  • A drywall contractor measuring wall area and openings across a 300 sheet set where manual takeoff would take a weeknot PlanGrid
  • An estimator who receives a late addendum and needs to know which rooms changed rather than re-measuring the whole floornot PlanGrid
  • A flooring subcontractor maintaining reusable conditions with waste factors so quantities and material orders stay consistent between estimatorsnot PlanGrid
  • A trade contractor that wants takeoff quantities split by phase so progress billing matches the way work is actually releasednot PlanGrid

PlanGrid

  • Giving field crews real-time access to construction plans, issues and photosnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Capturing site forms and photos from a tablet on a job sitenot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Managing organization licences for a construction document appnot On-Screen Takeoff

Where each one falls short

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

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

PlanGrid

  • Autodesk states PlanGrid is no longer available for purchase by net-new customers, with new buyers directed to Forma Build
  • PlanGrid access is now sold only through Forma Build, so pricing is set by the Forma Build subscription rather than PlanGrid itself
  • Mobile users must access PlanGrid projects through the Autodesk Forma mobile app rather than a standalone PlanGrid app
  • The PlanGrid desktop app requires Windows 10 or higher
  • The Admin Console for managing users and licences is a separate site restricted to designated organization admins

Pricing, plan by plan

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

PlanGrid

$39/month
  • Build$39/month
    • Sheet management
    • Issue tracking
    • RFIs
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced analytics
    • Custom integrations
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose On-Screen Takeoff if

  • You need drawing takeoff.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want revision overlay.
On-Screen Takeoff review

Choose PlanGrid if

  • You need blueprint management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want issue tracking.
PlanGrid review

Questions people ask

Is On-Screen Takeoff or PlanGrid better?
Neither clearly leads. On-Screen Takeoff starts at On request and PlanGrid at $39/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, On-Screen Takeoff or PlanGrid?
On-Screen Takeoff starts at On request and PlanGrid at $39/month.
Does On-Screen Takeoff or PlanGrid run on more platforms?
On-Screen Takeoff runs on Windows. PlanGrid runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is On-Screen Takeoff best used for?
On-Screen Takeoff is most often used for a drywall contractor measuring wall area and openings across a 300 sheet set where manual takeoff would take a week, an estimator who receives a late addendum and needs to know which rooms changed rather than re-measuring the whole floor, a flooring subcontractor maintaining reusable conditions with waste factors so quantities and material orders stay consistent between estimators, a trade contractor that wants takeoff quantities split by phase so progress billing matches the way work is actually released. Of those, a drywall contractor measuring wall area and openings across a 300 sheet set where manual takeoff would take a week and an estimator who receives a late addendum and needs to know which rooms changed rather than re-measuring the whole floor are not what PlanGrid is typically brought in for.
What can On-Screen Takeoff do that PlanGrid cannot?
On-Screen Takeoff covers Drawing takeoff, Revision overlay, Condition libraries, Automatic scaling. PlanGrid covers Blueprint management, Issue tracking, Photo documentation, Punch lists.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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.

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.

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.

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