Softwr

Construction · head to head

On-Screen Takeoff vs Topcon MAGNET

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
Topcon MAGNET logo

Topcon MAGNET

Construction

Field, office and cloud software for surveying and civil construction, built around Topcon instruments

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Topcon MAGNET mAGNET is built around Topcon and Sokkia hardware, so a firm running mixed instrument brands will not get the field workflows it expects and is better served by manufacturer-independent field software.
  • They diverge on capability: On-Screen Takeoff covers Drawing takeoff, Topcon MAGNET covers MAGNET Field.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which On-Screen Takeoff and Topcon MAGNET actually diverge.

Attributes where On-Screen Takeoff and Topcon MAGNET differ
AttributeOn-Screen TakeoffTopcon MAGNET
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Android, Web

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 On-Screen Takeoff

  • Drawing takeoff
  • Revision overlay
  • Condition libraries
  • Automatic scaling
  • Bid zones and phases
  • Quick Bid handoff
  • Excel export

Only in Topcon MAGNET

  • MAGNET Field
  • MAGNET Office
  • MAGNET Enterprise
  • Machine control model preparation
  • Mass haul and earthwork
  • Point layout and stakeout
  • Live field to office link
  • Standard format exchange

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

Topcon MAGNET

  • A civil contractor running Topcon grade control that needs design models prepared and pushed to machines from one environmentnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • A survey crew doing construction layout with Topcon total stations and wanting field data to reach the office without a memory cardnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • An earthworks estimator producing takeoff quantities and mass haul plans from engineering drawingsnot On-Screen Takeoff
  • A firm standardising on one manufacturer end to end to reduce the number of software packages its crews have to learnnot 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

Topcon MAGNET

  • MAGNET is built around Topcon and Sokkia hardware, so a firm running mixed instrument brands will not get the field workflows it expects and is better served by manufacturer-independent field software.
  • Topcon does not publish a rate card and sells through dealers, so two customers can pay materially different prices for the same licences depending on region and negotiation.
  • Cloud connectivity through MAGNET Enterprise is commonly bundled for the first year and then charged, which surprises firms that budgeted only for the licence.
  • Office capability is spread across modules and disciplines rather than sold as one product, so getting from data collection to machine control model preparation can require more than one purchase.
  • The office desktop software is Windows only and the wider line has been reorganised more than once, so buyers should confirm which specific product name their dealer is quoting and how long it will be supported.

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

Topcon MAGNET

On request
  • MAGNET Field$undefined/year
    • Data collector licence
    • Sold through Topcon dealers
    • Annual service plan renewals available
  • MAGNET Office$undefined/year
    • Desktop licence with modules by discipline
    • Includes cloud connectivity for a first year
    • Renewal quoted separately
  • MAGNET Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Cloud project storage and field to office exchange
    • Subscription renewed annually
    • Bundled initially with Office licences

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 Topcon MAGNET if

  • You need magnet field.
  • You work on Windows, Android, Web.
  • You also want magnet office.
Topcon MAGNET review

Questions people ask

Is On-Screen Takeoff or Topcon MAGNET better?
Neither clearly leads. On-Screen Takeoff starts at On request and Topcon MAGNET at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, On-Screen Takeoff or Topcon MAGNET?
On-Screen Takeoff starts at On request and Topcon MAGNET at On request.
Does On-Screen Takeoff or Topcon MAGNET run on more platforms?
On-Screen Takeoff runs on Windows. Topcon MAGNET runs on Windows, Android, Web.
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 Topcon MAGNET is typically brought in for.
What can On-Screen Takeoff do that Topcon MAGNET cannot?
On-Screen Takeoff covers Drawing takeoff, Revision overlay, Condition libraries, Automatic scaling. Topcon MAGNET covers MAGNET Field, MAGNET Office, MAGNET Enterprise, Machine control model preparation.

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.

Topcon MAGNET: Does MAGNET work with Trimble or Leica instruments?

Not as a practical daily workflow. It exchanges standard file formats but the field software is designed for Topcon and Sokkia hardware.

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.

Topcon MAGNET: Is pricing published?

No. MAGNET is sold through Topcon dealers with quotes varying by region and configuration.

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.

Topcon MAGNET: Is the cloud service included?

Typically for a first year with a licence, then renewable as a paid subscription.

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.

Topcon MAGNET: Can I get my data out at project closeout?

Yes, through LandXML, DXF and standard survey exchange formats, though field-specific configuration does not transfer to a competitor.

Share

Related pages

More on On-Screen Takeoff

More on Topcon MAGNET

Keep looking

Other head to heads