Softwr

Construction · head to head

On-Screen Takeoff vs STACK Construction Technologies

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
STACK Construction Technologies logo

STACK Construction Technologies

Construction

Takeoff and estimating software for preconstruction

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only STACK Construction Technologies has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; STACK Construction Technologies takeoff and Estimate is priced per user at $249 per user per month, so cost scales linearly with estimators
  • They diverge on capability: On-Screen Takeoff covers Drawing takeoff, STACK Construction Technologies covers Digital takeoff.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which On-Screen Takeoff and STACK Construction Technologies actually diverge.

Attributes where On-Screen Takeoff and STACK Construction Technologies differ
AttributeOn-Screen TakeoffSTACK Construction Technologies
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWeb, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: 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 STACK Construction Technologies

  • Digital takeoff
  • Estimating
  • Bid management
  • Proposal generation
  • Plan storage
  • QuickBooks
  • Sage
  • Procore

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 STACK Construction Technologies
  • An estimator who receives a late addendum and needs to know which rooms changed rather than re-measuring the whole floornot STACK Construction Technologies
  • A flooring subcontractor maintaining reusable conditions with waste factors so quantities and material orders stay consistent between estimatorsnot STACK Construction Technologies
  • A trade contractor that wants takeoff quantities split by phase so progress billing matches the way work is actually releasednot STACK Construction Technologies

STACK Construction Technologies

  • Construction project estimation and biddingnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Field operations and daily reportingnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Construction project managementnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • Material and labor takeoffnot 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

STACK Construction Technologies

  • Takeoff and Estimate is priced per user at $249 per user per month, so cost scales linearly with estimators
  • The full platform combining takeoff, estimating and field management starts at $298 per user per month
  • Field and project management is sold as a separate Build and Operate product starting at $49 per user per month rather than bundled with takeoff
  • The Build and Operate product offers only a two-week free trial, with the free version limited to Takeoff and Estimate

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

STACK Construction Technologies

Free
  • Takeoff & Estimate$249/month
    • Quantity takeoff capabilities
    • Labor and material takeoff
    • Flexible estimates and proposals
  • Build & Operate$49/month
    • Responsive plan viewing and markup
    • Issues, punch lists, and daily reports
    • Customizable workflows
  • Full STACK Platform$298/month
    • Plan measurement and markup
    • Integrated estimating
    • Field and project management

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 STACK Construction Technologies if

  • You need digital takeoff.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want estimating.
STACK Construction Technologies review

Questions people ask

Is On-Screen Takeoff or STACK Construction Technologies better?
Neither clearly leads. On-Screen Takeoff starts at On request and STACK Construction Technologies at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, On-Screen Takeoff or STACK Construction Technologies?
STACK Construction Technologies has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for On-Screen Takeoff and Free for STACK Construction Technologies.
Does On-Screen Takeoff or STACK Construction Technologies run on more platforms?
On-Screen Takeoff runs on Windows. STACK Construction Technologies runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use STACK Construction Technologies for free?
Yes. STACK Construction Technologies has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. On-Screen Takeoff starts at On request.
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 STACK Construction Technologies is typically brought in for.
What can On-Screen Takeoff do that STACK Construction Technologies cannot?
On-Screen Takeoff covers Drawing takeoff, Revision overlay, Condition libraries, Automatic scaling. STACK Construction Technologies covers Digital takeoff, Estimating, Bid management, Proposal generation.

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.

STACK Construction Technologies: How much does STACK Construction cost?

STACK costs $49 to $298 per user per month depending on the plan. Build & Operate starts at $49/user/month, Takeoff & Estimate at $249/user/month, and Full STACK Platform at $298/user/month. Pricing is quoted per-user and scales with team size.

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.

STACK Construction Technologies: Does STACK offer free options?

Yes, Takeoff & Estimate includes a free version, and Build & Operate includes a two-week free trial. Full STACK Platform offers a Build Your Price option for custom configurations.

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.

STACK Construction Technologies: Can I get custom pricing from STACK?

Yes, STACK offers a Build Your Price option for the Full STACK Platform and Takeoff & Estimate to accommodate specific business requirements. Custom pricing requires direct consultation with their sales team.

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.

STACK Construction Technologies: How quickly can STACK be implemented?

STACK promises quick implementation measured in hours rather than weeks, though the exact timeframe depends on your configuration and team size.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on On-Screen Takeoff

More on STACK Construction Technologies

Keep looking

Other head to heads