Softwr

Construction · head to head

Handoff vs RIB CostX

Handoff logo

Handoff

Construction

AI estimating and proposals for residential remodelling contractors, priced per company not per seat

From
$119/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: Handoff pro and Scale require a 12 month commitment, so a seasonal remodeller who slows down over winter pays through the quiet months or stays on the more expensive month-to-month Flex tier; 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.
  • They diverge on capability: Handoff covers Estimate from description, RIB CostX covers 2D drawing takeoff.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Handoff and RIB CostX differ
AttributeHandoffRIB CostX
Starting price$119/monthOn request
Pricing modelPer company per monthquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows

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 Handoff

  • Estimate from description
  • Photo-based estimating
  • AI takeoff
  • Custom pricing catalogues
  • Proposals and e-signature
  • Change orders
  • Invoicing and card payments

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.

Handoff

  • A remodelling contractor who visits four kitchens a week and wants a priced proposal out the same evening instead of three days laternot RIB CostX
  • A roofing business whose owner writes every estimate personally and is the bottleneck on salesnot RIB CostX
  • A small builder who wants proposal, change order and invoice in one record so the final billing reconciles to what the client signednot RIB CostX
  • A contractor collecting payment by card who wants to cut the processing rate from 3.35 to 2.85 per cent by moving to the annual Pro tiernot 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 Handoff
  • A contractor tendering a job where the client reissues drawings mid-tender, needing revision comparison so only changed areas are remeasurednot Handoff
  • An estimating department moving from paper and Excel to model-based measurement while keeping the same rate library and bill structurenot Handoff
  • A cost consultant producing early-stage elemental cost plans from partial models, then refining the same workbook as design detail arrivesnot Handoff

Where each one falls short

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

Handoff

  • Pro and Scale require a 12 month commitment, so a seasonal remodeller who slows down over winter pays through the quiet months or stays on the more expensive month-to-month Flex tier
  • AI-generated line item pricing is based on general cost data, not your suppliers or your subcontractors, so every estimate needs review and the time saving is smaller than the marketing implies once a real pricing catalogue is built
  • AI takeoff only appears on the 899 dollar Scale tier and is capped at plans of 5,000 square feet, which excludes most light commercial and larger custom homes
  • Flex includes only 50 AI credits a month and one pricing catalogue, which a busy estimator exhausts quickly, making the entry tier more of a trial than a working plan
  • It targets residential remodelling specifically, with no scheduling, no field production tracking and no job costing depth, so a growing contractor outgrows it and migrates to a full construction management platform

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

Handoff

$119/month
  • Flex$119/month
    • Billed annually, 149 USD month to month
    • 2 users
    • 50 AI credits a month
  • Pro$239/month
    • Billed annually, 299 USD month to month
    • 12 month commitment
    • 5 users
  • Scale$719/month
    • Billed annually, 899 USD month to month
    • 12 month commitment
    • 5 users
  • Custom API$undefined/year
    • Quoted for multi-location businesses
    • API access
    • Custom integrations

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 Handoff if

  • You need estimate from description.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want photo-based estimating.
Handoff 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 Handoff or RIB CostX better?
Neither clearly leads. Handoff starts at $119/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, Handoff or RIB CostX?
Handoff starts at $119/month and RIB CostX at On request.
Does Handoff or RIB CostX run on more platforms?
Handoff runs on Web, iOS, Android. RIB CostX runs on Windows.
What is Handoff best used for?
Handoff is most often used for a remodelling contractor who visits four kitchens a week and wants a priced proposal out the same evening instead of three days later, a roofing business whose owner writes every estimate personally and is the bottleneck on sales, a small builder who wants proposal, change order and invoice in one record so the final billing reconciles to what the client signed, a contractor collecting payment by card who wants to cut the processing rate from 3.35 to 2.85 per cent by moving to the annual pro tier. Of those, a remodelling contractor who visits four kitchens a week and wants a priced proposal out the same evening instead of three days later and a roofing business whose owner writes every estimate personally and is the bottleneck on sales are not what RIB CostX is typically brought in for.
What can Handoff do that RIB CostX cannot?
Handoff covers Estimate from description, Photo-based estimating, AI takeoff, Custom pricing catalogues. RIB CostX covers 2D drawing takeoff, BIM and 3D takeoff, Live-linked workbooks, Drawing revision comparison.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Handoff: What does Handoff actually cost?

From 119 US dollars a month billed annually on Flex for two users, 239 on Pro for five users, and 719 on Scale which is the only tier with AI takeoff. Month to month prices are 149, 299 and 899.

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.

Handoff: Is the card processing fee on top of the subscription?

Yes. It is 3.35 per cent on Flex and 2.85 per cent on Pro and Scale, charged on payments you collect through the platform.

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.

Handoff: Does it do commercial construction?

No. It is built for residential remodelling scopes and its cost data and takeoff limits reflect that.

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.

Handoff: Can I cancel monthly?

Only on Flex. Pro and Scale carry a 12 month commitment.

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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