Solid Takeoff vs STACK
In short
STACK is a cloud takeoff and preconstruction platform aimed at larger commercial contractors. It does offer a free account — but STACK's own pricing page describes it as Pro-level features "for 7 days", a trial in effect, before a per-user subscription from $249/month. Solid Takeoff is a focused takeoff tool whose free plan has no clock on it.
STACK is a well-known cloud takeoff and bid-management platform. It's broad — takeoff, plans, proposals and preconstruction workflow — and it's aimed at established commercial contractors who'll use the whole suite.
If what you actually need is to measure a PDF and export quantities, that breadth means paying for (and learning) a lot you won't use. Solid Takeoff does the takeoff part cleanly, in the browser, and lets you start for free.
| Solid Takeoff | STACK | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Any browser — Mac, Windows, Chromebook, iPad | Cloud (browser) |
| Free plan | Yes — no time limit, every measurement tool | Free account, but Pro features "for 7 days" — a trial in effect |
| Pricing | Free, or Solo $12.99/mo · Team $49.99/mo | From $249/user/mo (Premium) · $299 (Pro), billed annually |
| Scope | Focused takeoff + markup + export | Broad preconstruction suite |
| Setup | Sign up and measure in minutes | Onboarding for the platform |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes — live co-editing + presence | Team collaboration (enterprise) |
| Best for | Trades & fit-out estimators, small teams | Larger commercial GCs |
Right-sized for the job
STACK is powerful, but its value depends on adopting the whole preconstruction workflow. For a subcontractor, fit-out firm or trade estimator, that's a lot of platform (and cost) around a takeoff you could do in minutes.
Solid Takeoff keeps the surface area small on purpose: open a plan, set scale, measure lengths/areas/counts, group into conditions with waste, and export a clean PDF or CSV. No platform onboarding.
Pricing you can start for free
STACK does have a free account — but its own pricing page frames it as Pro-level features "for 7 days", which makes it a trial in effect. After that you're into a per-user subscription: at the time of writing (August 2026) STACK lists Premium at $249 and Pro at $299 per user per month, billed annually. Solid Takeoff's free plan has no time limit — it's usable for real work indefinitely — and Solo ($12.99/month) or Team ($49.99/month for 3 users) adds clean exports, more storage and real-time collaboration.
The verdict
STACK makes sense for larger contractors who'll live in a full preconstruction platform. If you just want accurate quantities off a plan — fast, on any device, starting free — Solid Takeoff is the right size and price.
Working on a Mac? Most desktop takeoff tools are Windows-only — see takeoff software for Mac for the options that actually run on macOS.
Frequently asked questions
Does STACK have a free plan?
STACK offers a free account, but its own pricing page describes it as Pro-level features "for 7 days" — a trial in effect rather than a plan you can work on indefinitely. Solid Takeoff's free plan has no time limit and includes every measurement and markup tool (exports carry a small “Generated with SolidTakeoff.com” footer until you upgrade).
Is Solid Takeoff a good STACK alternative for a small team?
Yes — if you mainly need takeoff and markup rather than a full preconstruction suite, it's faster to adopt and cheaper, with per-user month-to-month pricing.
Can we collaborate like in STACK?
On Team, teammates can open the same plan and see each other's measurements, conditions and markup update live, with presence showing who's on the drawing.
How much does Solid Takeoff cost vs STACK?
Solid Takeoff is free to start and about $12.99 a month for Solo (or $49.99 for a 3-user Team) for the paid plans. STACK's pricing is subscription and usually quoted — expect a higher per-user cost. Check each vendor for current figures.
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.