Software comparison

TakeoffAI vs Groundplan,
ConEst & Bluebeam Revu

An honest, side-by-side look at the electrical take-off tools Australian contractors are actually using, and where each one wins and loses.

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Competitor details based on each vendor's public website as of April 2026.

Bottom line: Groundplan is the closest competitor for Australian sparkies: a solid product with a mobile app, but no AI counting, so you still click every symbol. ConEst is enterprise-grade, expensive and built for the US market. Bluebeam is a PDF mark-up tool, not really a take-off tool. TakeoffAI is the only one where the AI does the counting, and the only one you can try free with no card and no call.

Side by side

Feature comparison

We've tried to be fair. Where competitors have a real edge, we say so.

TakeoffAIGroundplanConEstBluebeam Revu
Getting started
Free account, no card2,000 credits included. Upload a set and go.No demo required
Free trialTime-limitedTrial
Sales-ledQuote and onboarding requiredQuote on request
30-day trialThen per-user licenceTrial
Ongoing price
Software freeAI take-offs from $149/mo or pay as you goNothing per user or project
~$149/moEssentials plan
$200–$500+/moEnterprise pricing
~$310/yrPer user
AI symbol counting Counts and marks every symbol Manual click-to-count Manual counting PDF mark-up only
Setup time
MinutesNo database or symbol library to build first
A few hoursStraightforward setup
Days to weeksComplex database configuration
HoursNot electrical-specific
Australian electrical symbols Reads the legend on your drawing Australian-built product US-focused; AU symbols need setup Generic PDF tool
Mobile app Web app, mobile responsive iOS and Android app Limited mobile support Bluebeam Studio mobile
BOQ export (Excel/PDF) PDF mark-up; no BOQ
Pay only for results Failed take-off refunded automatically Trial only

Competitor pricing and features are based on publicly available information as of April 2026. Always verify current pricing with each vendor directly.

The honest breakdown

Where each tool actually wins

We're not going to pretend every competitor is rubbish. Here's the real picture.

TakeoffAI

Best for: having the counting done for you

If you want to upload a PDF and have the AI count everything, then check its markers on the drawing, TakeoffAI is the only option on this list. Free account, no card, first take-off in minutes, no database setup. Built for Australian electrical contractors by an ex-tradie.

Groundplan

Best for: a native mobile app on site

Groundplan is a solid Australian product. If you need a native mobile app on site it has a real edge over TakeoffAI right now. The key limitation: there's no AI counting. You still click every symbol; it's just faster than paper.

ConEst

Best for: large US-style estimating departments

ConEst is a powerful, enterprise-grade platform built for large US electrical contractors with a dedicated estimating team and budget to match. For Australian sole traders or SMEs it's overkill: expensive, complex to configure and not built with AU standards in mind.

Bluebeam Revu

Best for: general PDF mark-up, not take-offs

Bluebeam is excellent at PDF collaboration and mark-up. But it's not a take-off tool. There's no BOQ export, no AI counting and no electrical symbol library. Many contractors use it alongside a take-off tool for annotation, not instead of one.

Common questions

Switching from another tool?

Yes. Many contractors use TakeoffAI for the AI counting and quantity generation, then keep Bluebeam for plan mark-up and annotation. They solve different problems. If you're on Groundplan, TakeoffAI can replace the take-off part of your workflow immediately, and the priced bill of quantities exports to Excel, CSV or PDF for whatever you quote from.
There's no database migration or configuration. Create a free account, upload a real drawing set and run the AI: you'll have a completed take-off in your first session. Your existing BOQ templates and pricing data stay in whatever system you use today.
95%+ on standard electrical symbols. Every count has a marker on the drawing and is reviewable before you export, so you're always the last set of eyes before it goes to the builder. The AI does the counting; you make the judgment calls.
Then you've lost nothing. A free account comes with 2,000 credits and no card, so you can run two commercial take-offs on your own drawings and compare them with your own count. If it's not for you, there's nothing to cancel. If it is, the software stays free and you only pay for AI take-offs, on a plan from $149 or by buying credits with no subscription at all.

Compare it on your own drawings.

Create a free account and run a take-off on a set you've already counted by hand. That's the only comparison that matters.

Try it free Book a call

2,000 free credits · No credit card · Free software to keep

Prefer us to do it for you? See TakeoffAI Estimating