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Construction · head to head

Reconstruct vs RIB CostX

Reconstruct logo

Reconstruct

Construction

Reality capture and progress tracking that aligns site imagery to the model and the schedule

From
On request
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: Reconstruct pricing is quoted with nothing published, so a buyer cannot sanity-check a proposal against a list rate and has no way to know whether the price scales with projects, square footage or users until deep in the sales process.; 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: Reconstruct covers Device-agnostic capture, 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 Reconstruct and RIB CostX actually diverge.

Attributes where Reconstruct and RIB CostX differ
AttributeReconstructRIB CostX
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows

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 Reconstruct

  • Device-agnostic capture
  • Photogrammetry and mesh generation
  • 4D schedule alignment
  • Design overlay
  • Time slider
  • Measurement tools
  • Issue tracking
  • Remote walkthrough

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.

Reconstruct

  • A general contractor whose monthly progress claim is regularly challenged by the owner, needing dated visual evidence tied to schedule activities rather than a folder of photosnot RIB CostX
  • An owner running projects in several countries who wants to cut executive site visits without accepting the contractor’s self-reported percentage completenot RIB CostX
  • A healthcare or data centre fit-out where above-ceiling services must be recorded before they are closed up, so later maintenance does not require demolitionnot RIB CostX
  • A delay or defect dispute where the decisive question is what was physically in place on a specific date and the only other evidence is contested emailnot 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 Reconstruct
  • A contractor tendering a job where the client reissues drawings mid-tender, needing revision comparison so only changed areas are remeasurednot Reconstruct
  • An estimating department moving from paper and Excel to model-based measurement while keeping the same rate library and bill structurenot Reconstruct
  • A cost consultant producing early-stage elemental cost plans from partial models, then refining the same workbook as design detail arrivesnot Reconstruct

Where each one falls short

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

Reconstruct

  • Pricing is quoted with nothing published, so a buyer cannot sanity-check a proposal against a list rate and has no way to know whether the price scales with projects, square footage or users until deep in the sales process.
  • The whole value depends on disciplined recurring capture, and site teams treat walking the building with a camera as a low-priority chore, so datasets go stale exactly when a dispute makes them valuable.
  • Photogrammetry from handheld footage is less accurate than laser scanning, so it is fine for progress and coordination but should not be relied on for tight as-built tolerances or prefabrication dimensions.
  • Schedule alignment requires a well-structured schedule with activities that map to physical locations; on projects where the programme is a coarse rolled-up bar chart the progress calculation is close to meaningless.
  • It is another platform alongside Procore or Autodesk Construction Cloud rather than a replacement, so buyers add a subscription and a workflow rather than consolidating one, and the business case has to survive that.

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

Reconstruct

On request
  • Reconstruct$undefined/year
    • Quoted per project or per portfolio
    • Unlimited capture devices
    • 4D schedule alignment

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 Reconstruct if

  • You need device-agnostic capture.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want photogrammetry and mesh generation.
Reconstruct 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 Reconstruct or RIB CostX better?
Neither clearly leads. Reconstruct starts at On request and RIB CostX at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Reconstruct or RIB CostX?
Reconstruct starts at On request and RIB CostX at On request.
Does Reconstruct or RIB CostX run on more platforms?
Reconstruct runs on Web, iOS, Android. RIB CostX runs on Windows.
What is Reconstruct best used for?
Reconstruct is most often used for a general contractor whose monthly progress claim is regularly challenged by the owner, needing dated visual evidence tied to schedule activities rather than a folder of photos, an owner running projects in several countries who wants to cut executive site visits without accepting the contractor’s self-reported percentage complete, a healthcare or data centre fit-out where above-ceiling services must be recorded before they are closed up, so later maintenance does not require demolition, a delay or defect dispute where the decisive question is what was physically in place on a specific date and the only other evidence is contested email. Of those, a general contractor whose monthly progress claim is regularly challenged by the owner, needing dated visual evidence tied to schedule activities rather than a folder of photos and an owner running projects in several countries who wants to cut executive site visits without accepting the contractor’s self-reported percentage complete are not what RIB CostX is typically brought in for.
What can Reconstruct do that RIB CostX cannot?
Reconstruct covers Device-agnostic capture, Photogrammetry and mesh generation, 4D schedule alignment, Design overlay. RIB CostX covers 2D drawing takeoff, BIM and 3D takeoff, Live-linked workbooks, Drawing revision comparison.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Reconstruct: How much does Reconstruct cost?

Not published. It is quoted per project or portfolio. Ask specifically whether the price scales by project count, square footage or capture volume, because those give very different totals.

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.

Reconstruct: Do we need a drone or a laser scanner?

No. It works from 360 cameras and even smartphone video. Drones and scanners improve exterior and accuracy-critical coverage.

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.

Reconstruct: How accurate is it?

Accurate enough for progress, coordination and dispute evidence. It is not a substitute for survey-grade laser scanning where tolerances matter.

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.

Reconstruct: Who owns the captured data at closeout?

The customer. Confirm the export format and retention terms in the contract before handover, because a reality archive is only useful if you can still open it in five years.

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.

Reconstruct: Does it replace Procore?

No. It integrates with Procore and Autodesk Construction Cloud and adds the visual as-built layer.

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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