Solid Takeoff vs Buildxact
In short
Buildxact is an all-in-one estimating and job-management platform for residential builders, sold by subscription with no free plan. If you mainly need to measure drawings, Solid Takeoff does the takeoff part cleanly — in the browser, free to start — and exports to whatever you price in.
Buildxact bundles takeoff with estimating, quoting and job management aimed at home builders and renovators. It's a lot of platform, and priced to match.
If you already have a way to price and manage jobs — or you just want quantities off a plan — Solid Takeoff focuses on the takeoff and hands the numbers off via CSV.
| Solid Takeoff | Buildxact | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Focused takeoff + markup + export | Estimating + quoting + job management |
| Free plan | Yes | No — subscription (trial) |
| Pricing | Free, or Pro ~$29/user/mo | Higher monthly subscription |
| Runs on | Any browser — Mac, Windows, Chromebook, iPad | Cloud (browser) |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes — live co-editing + presence | Team features |
| Best for | Anyone who needs quantities off a plan | Residential builders wanting one platform |
Buy the takeoff, not the whole platform
Buildxact makes sense if you want a single tool for estimating and running jobs. But you pay for that breadth every month, and there's no free tier to start.
Solid Takeoff keeps it focused: set scale, measure lengths/areas/counts, group into conditions with waste, mark up and export. Start free, add Pro per user only when you need it.
Plays nicely with what you already use
Because it exports a clean CSV, Solid Takeoff drops into whatever you price with — a spreadsheet, your accounting tool, or an estimating package — without committing to a whole new platform.
The verdict
Buildxact suits builders who want one platform for everything. If you specifically need fast, accurate takeoff — free to start, on any device — Solid Takeoff is the focused choice.
Frequently asked questions
Does Buildxact have a free plan?
Buildxact is subscription software with a trial rather than a permanent free plan. Solid Takeoff has a genuinely free tier for takeoff.
Is Solid Takeoff a good Buildxact alternative for takeoff?
If it's the measuring you want — not full estimating and job management — yes. It's faster to adopt, free to start, and exports to your existing tools.
Can I use it alongside Buildxact?
Yes — measure in Solid Takeoff and export a CSV into whatever you estimate with.
What does Pro cost?
About $29 per user per month. Buildxact is a higher monthly subscription — check the vendor for current pricing.
Try it on your own plan — free
Open a PDF and measure in your browser. No card, no install, no CAD. Free plan forever.
Comparison based on publicly available information at the time of writing; competitor features and pricing change — check each vendor for current details. All product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification and comparison only.