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Construction · head to head

PlanSwift vs Propeller Aero

PlanSwift logo

PlanSwift

Construction

Digital takeoff and estimating software

From
$1499/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Propeller Aero logo

Propeller Aero

Construction

Drone survey processing and earthworks volume measurement for sites that measure stockpiles weekly

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PlanSwift only one published plan tier (Professional at $2,000 annually); Propeller Aero platform pricing is not published and is scoped by sites and users, so a contractor with many short-lived sites can be quoted very differently from one with a few long ones, and neither can benchmark against a list price
  • They diverge on capability: PlanSwift covers Digital takeoff, Propeller Aero covers Photogrammetric processing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PlanSwift and Propeller Aero actually diverge.

Attributes where PlanSwift and Propeller Aero differ
AttributePlanSwiftPropeller Aero
Starting price$1499/yearOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionHardware purchase plus a quoted platform subscription
PlatformsWindowsWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2000Unknown

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 PlanSwift

  • Digital takeoff
  • Estimating
  • Assemblies
  • Reporting
  • Plan viewing
  • QuickBooks
  • Sage
  • Excel

Only in Propeller Aero

  • Photogrammetric processing
  • AeroPoints ground control
  • Volume measurement
  • Design surface comparison
  • Progress timeline
  • Machine telemetry
  • Corrections network

What people use each for

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

PlanSwift

  • Taking off quantities from construction drawings on screennot Propeller Aero
  • Producing material and labour estimates from digital plansnot Propeller Aero

Propeller Aero

  • A quarry that reconciles stockpile inventory monthly for its accounts and wants the volume evidence to survive an auditnot PlanSwift
  • An earthworks contractor claiming progress payments on cubic metres moved who needs an independent measurement the client will acceptnot PlanSwift
  • A civil site checking whether a subgrade is within tolerance of the design before the surfacing crew arrivesnot PlanSwift
  • A mine that wants weekly volume reporting without a survey crew on the ground every weeknot PlanSwift

Where each one falls short

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

PlanSwift

  • Only one published plan tier (Professional at $2,000 annually)
  • Annual renewal required; no monthly subscription option stated
  • No multi-user or team-based pricing options published

Propeller Aero

  • Platform pricing is not published and is scoped by sites and users, so a contractor with many short-lived sites can be quoted very differently from one with a few long ones, and neither can benchmark against a list price
  • The corrections network is free only while you hold a current platform licence, so cancelling the platform subscription reintroduces a 1,000 dollar per year per group hardware cost that many buyers do not model
  • AeroPoints are a hardware purchase at 1,000 dollars each and most sites need several, so the true entry cost includes several thousand dollars of equipment on top of a subscription
  • It measures rather than designs, so a contractor still needs Civil 3D, Trimble Business Center or an equivalent to produce and revise the design surfaces the measurement is compared against
  • Accuracy depends on flight planning, ground control placement and weather, and a poorly flown survey produces a confident wrong volume, so an organisation still needs someone who understands survey error rather than only a drone pilot

Pricing, plan by plan

PlanSwift

$1499/year
  • PlanSwift Pro$1499/year
    • Digital takeoff
    • Estimating
    • Assemblies
  • PlanSwift Pro+$2099/year
    • Everything in Pro
    • Advanced reports
    • Priority support

Propeller Aero

On request
  • AeroPoint ground control unit$1000/one-time
    • Single solar-powered GNSS ground control marker
    • Includes 12 months of the Propeller Corrections Network
    • Network renewal 1,000 USD per year per AeroPoint group
  • Propeller Platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted by number of sites, users and survey volume
    • Not published
    • Processing turnaround and support level vary by agreement

Which should you pick?

Choose PlanSwift if

  • You need digital takeoff.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want estimating.
PlanSwift review

Choose Propeller Aero if

  • You need photogrammetric processing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want aeropoints ground control.
Propeller Aero review

Questions people ask

Is PlanSwift or Propeller Aero better?
Neither clearly leads. PlanSwift starts at $1499/year and Propeller Aero at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PlanSwift or Propeller Aero?
PlanSwift starts at $1499/year and Propeller Aero at On request.
Does PlanSwift or Propeller Aero run on more platforms?
PlanSwift runs on Windows. Propeller Aero runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is PlanSwift best used for?
PlanSwift is most often used for taking off quantities from construction drawings on screen, producing material and labour estimates from digital plans. Of those, taking off quantities from construction drawings on screen and producing material and labour estimates from digital plans are not what Propeller Aero is typically brought in for.
What can PlanSwift do that Propeller Aero cannot?
PlanSwift covers Digital takeoff, Estimating, Assemblies, Reporting. Propeller Aero covers Photogrammetric processing, AeroPoints ground control, Volume measurement, Design surface comparison.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PlanSwift: How much does PlanSwift cost?

PlanSwift Professional costs $2,000 USD per year as an annual subscription. The price includes software access, updates, support for 12 months, and 2 hours of training.

Source
Propeller Aero: How much does Propeller cost?

The platform is quoted and not published. AeroPoints are 1,000 US dollars each, with the corrections network included for twelve months and thereafter free while a platform licence is current, otherwise 1,000 dollars a year per group.

PlanSwift: Does PlanSwift offer a free trial?

Yes, PlanSwift offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. This allows users to evaluate the software and its Takeoff Boost AI tools before committing to the annual subscription.

Source
Propeller Aero: Do I need AeroPoints?

No, you can use conventional surveyed ground control, but the AeroPoints workflow is the main reason contractors choose Propeller over generic photogrammetry.

PlanSwift: What is included in PlanSwift Professional?

PlanSwift Professional includes full software access, 1 year of updates and support, 2 hours of training, and Takeoff Boost, a suite of AI tools that automates measuring, counting, and scaling tasks.

Source
Propeller Aero: Is it survey grade?

Propeller states centimetre-level accuracy with correct ground control. Whether that satisfies a contract depends on your specification and on how the survey was flown, not on the software alone.

Propeller Aero: Who owns the data?

You retain your survey data and can export surfaces and point clouds, but check the export formats and retention terms in your contract before closeout, because bulk historical export is not a self-service one-click operation.

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