Software · head to head
STACK Construction Technologies vs Buildertrend
STACK Construction Technologies
Software
Takeoff and estimating software for preconstruction
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Buildertrend
Software
Construction project management for home builders and remodelers
- From
- $99/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only STACK Construction Technologies has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: STACK Construction Technologies takeoff and Estimate is priced per user at $249 per user per month, so cost scales linearly with estimators; Buildertrend pricing is by quote only, with no rate, plan name or minimum published on the pricing page
- They diverge on capability: STACK Construction Technologies covers Digital takeoff, Buildertrend covers Project scheduling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which STACK Construction Technologies and Buildertrend actually diverge.
| Attribute | STACK Construction Technologies | Buildertrend |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $99/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2011 | 2006 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 STACK Construction Technologies
- Digital takeoff
- Estimating
- Bid management
- Proposal generation
- Plan storage
- Sage
- Procore
- Cloud security
Only in Buildertrend
- Project scheduling
- Customer management
- Financial tracking
- Selections management
- Change orders
- Xero
- Zillow
- Google Calendar
Both cover
- QuickBooks
- Zapier
- Data encryption
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
STACK Construction Technologies
- Performing quantity, labor and material takeoff from digital construction plansnot Buildertrend
- Producing bid estimates and proposals for subcontractors and general contractorsnot Buildertrend
- Field plan markup, punch lists and daily reports on active job sitesnot Buildertrend
Buildertrend
- Running scheduling, budgets, change orders and client communication for a residential construction businessnot STACK Construction Technologies
- Giving homeowners a client portal to approve selections and view progressnot STACK Construction Technologies
- Consolidating estimating, purchase orders and job costing for custom home builders and remodelersnot STACK Construction Technologies
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Buildertrend
- Pricing is by quote only, with no rate, plan name or minimum published on the pricing page
- Getting a price requires completing a multi-step form declaring builder type and annual construction volume, then booking a call with a sales representative
- The only published discount is 10% off for paying annually upfront
Pricing, plan by plan
STACK Construction Technologies
Free- FreeFree
- Basic takeoff
- Estimating
- Unlimited projects
- Pro$1999/year
- Advanced takeoff
- Assemblies
- Templates
- EnterpriseFree
- Team collaboration
- Custom integrations
- Advanced reporting
Buildertrend
$99/month- Core$99/month
- Project scheduling
- Daily logs
- Photo management
- Pro$299/month
- Everything in Core
- Proposals & estimates
- Customer portal
- Premium$499/month
- Everything in Pro
- Financials
- Time clock
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Buildertrend if
- You need project scheduling.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want customer management.
Questions people ask
- Is STACK Construction Technologies or Buildertrend better?
- Neither clearly leads. STACK Construction Technologies starts at Free and Buildertrend at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, STACK Construction Technologies or Buildertrend?
- STACK Construction Technologies has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for STACK Construction Technologies and $99/month for Buildertrend.
- Does STACK Construction Technologies or Buildertrend run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use STACK Construction Technologies for free?
- Yes. STACK Construction Technologies has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Buildertrend starts at $99/month.
- What is STACK Construction Technologies best used for?
- STACK Construction Technologies is most often used for performing quantity, labor and material takeoff from digital construction plans, producing bid estimates and proposals for subcontractors and general contractors, field plan markup, punch lists and daily reports on active job sites. Of those, performing quantity, labor and material takeoff from digital construction plans and producing bid estimates and proposals for subcontractors and general contractors are not what Buildertrend is typically brought in for.
- What can STACK Construction Technologies do that Buildertrend cannot?
- STACK Construction Technologies covers Digital takeoff, Estimating, Bid management, Proposal generation. Buildertrend covers Project scheduling, Customer management, Financial tracking, Selections management. Both handle QuickBooks, Zapier, Data encryption, Web support.