Bluebeam vs. On-Screen Takeoff

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Bluebeam
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
Bluebeam Revu is a PDF management, control, and editing tool. It enables collaboration and markup within shared documents across projects’ life cycles and has takeoff and bid creation capabilities.
$240
per year per user
On-Screen Takeoff
Score 7.5 out of 10
N/A
On-Screen Takeoff is a construction takeoff and estimating solution. It is intended to streamline takeoff, RFI, and bidding processes.N/A
Pricing
BluebeamOn-Screen Takeoff
Editions & Modules
Revu Standard
$349
per seat
Revu CAD
$449
per seat
Revu eXtreme
$599
per seat
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BluebeamOn-Screen Takeoff
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details——
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BluebeamOn-Screen Takeoff
Considered Both Products
Bluebeam
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam Revu is a no-brainer in the AEC space. Stop wasting money on owning adobe and Revu. Revu can replace all of your Adobe usage. With a good change management process, Revu can meet the needs of your entire organization. The Bluebeam team will be with you every step …
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam is a diverse program with many functions and tools, whereas competitive programs only specialize in one or few tasks. Although there are many tools within the program, users can still quickly learn how to use the program to best fit their needs. There is always a help …
On-Screen Takeoff
Chose On-Screen Takeoff
We've done some simple takeoffs with Bluebeam, but it is much more limited in functionality and capability than On-Screen Takeoff.
Chose On-Screen Takeoff
On-Screen Takeoff is a dedicated program for quantity takeoffs. While other programs have similar capabilities, On-Screen Takeoff is by far the most user-friendly and easiest to integrate with other tools. Being able to copy and paste directly into Excel is a huge boon for our …
Chose On-Screen Takeoff
I have only used On-Screen Takeoff. I have not had the opportunity or desire to use a different product. We also use their sister software called Quick Bid, so we are locked in with the On Center Suite.
Chose On-Screen Takeoff
Being able to train individuals in a single afternoon on the program and trusting them to get you something usable as soon as possible is quite invaluable. It is also something that I feel is unique to this program. It is just easier.
Chose On-Screen Takeoff
I think that the simplicity and set up of On-Screen Takeoff makes this an overall better software than Bluebeam or Navisworks. Both of which can be used to create good takeoffs but they are limited in ways that on screen is not so it is a much more versatile take off tool. I …
Chose On-Screen Takeoff
On-screen Takeoff is better thanBluebeamm for the organization in my opinion.
Chose On-Screen Takeoff
On-Screen Takeoff is very easy to learn and very effective at getting the quantities desired. You can set the scale, create groups, layers, typical groups and so much more. It can also be used to produce visual aids for communicating information to individuals that might not be …
Chose On-Screen Takeoff
OST simply is a more robust product at the moment. Bluebeam is fine for a simple, quick takeoff but requires a vast amount of effort to layer, perform the calculations you need and (most importantly) secure your takeoff. Bluebeam may head for there in the future, but for right …
Chose On-Screen Takeoff
OST is still the most efficient and quick way of doing 2D takeoff. The software mentioned above all have their positives and negatives and they all have things which are far superior to OST. But OST really takes the cake when it comes to usability and a simple and useful …
Chose On-Screen Takeoff
I haven't used any other products other than conventional scaled rulers.
Chose On-Screen Takeoff
Bluebeam has measuring / take-off capabilities, but it isn't as powerful as On-Screen. Bluebeam is a better version of Adobe that has additional features similar to On-Screen.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
BluebeamOn-Screen Takeoff
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Bluebeam
8.7
1 Ratings
6% above category average
On-Screen Takeoff
-
Ratings
Standard reports9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Custom reports8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Data exportability9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Construction Project & Field Management
Comparison of Construction Project & Field Management features of Product A and Product B
Bluebeam
8.8
50 Ratings
17% above category average
On-Screen Takeoff
-
Ratings
Plan distribution & viewing9.048 Ratings00 Ratings
Plan markups & sharing9.150 Ratings00 Ratings
Issue tracking & punchlists9.030 Ratings00 Ratings
Photo documentation9.033 Ratings00 Ratings
Jobsite reports9.028 Ratings00 Ratings
Document sharing9.044 Ratings00 Ratings
RFI tools8.932 Ratings00 Ratings
Collaboration & approvals9.139 Ratings00 Ratings
As-built drawings9.042 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile app7.827 Ratings00 Ratings
Submittal design and management8.918 Ratings00 Ratings
Checklists9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Change orders8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Estimating
Comparison of Estimating features of Product A and Product B
Bluebeam
8.9
27 Ratings
8% above category average
On-Screen Takeoff
-
Ratings
Takeoff tools7.025 Ratings00 Ratings
Job costing8.45 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost databases10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost calculator10.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Bid creation9.07 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BluebeamOn-Screen Takeoff
Small Businesses
FollowUp CRM
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Score 9.5 out of 10
PlanSwift, by ConstructConnect
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Score 8.7 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Revit
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Score 8.9 out of 10
PlanSwift, by ConstructConnect
PlanSwift, by ConstructConnect
Score 8.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Revit
Revit
Score 8.9 out of 10
Bluebeam
Bluebeam
Score 8.5 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
BluebeamOn-Screen Takeoff
Likelihood to Recommend
4.4
(62 ratings)
9.0
(15 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
1.0
(2 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(2 ratings)
6.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
1.0
(11 ratings)
8.2
(5 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
BluebeamOn-Screen Takeoff
Likelihood to Recommend
Bluebeam, Inc.
The program is great for editing construction drawings, stamping/approving official documents and overlaying revised documents to see design changes. You can use it as an estimating takeoff tool, estimating database, document control, cloud document storage, the list goes on! Bluebeam poses many applications for the user to utilize for the desired needs. There may be some other software that has one specific function that can perform the specific task better, but Bluebeam is a holistic program with many tools for use.
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ConstructConnect
I think most of the reasoning was just provided on the previous pros and cons questions. On-Screen Takeoff (OST) is well suited for doing either quick takeoffs or getting into an elaborate, detailed takeoff. All though the viewing tools are quick and easy, I would still very much prefer using BlueBeam for looking through an overall set of drawings. With all of the hyperlink and bookmark functions of BlueBeam, OST doesn't compare and I rarely use OST unless I'm actually doing a takeoff.
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Pros
Bluebeam, Inc.
  • Once you set Bluebeam Revu as your default PDF handler, it launches immediately when clicking a PDF to open. The speed with which it opens documents is impressive.
  • Creating PDF's out of other documents, such as Word, Excel, JPG's, etc. is simple.
  • Digitally signing documents is a simple, secure process. You can keep your signature password-protected, yet still access it quickly.
  • The Bluebeam Revu mobile application ( I use the iOS version on an iPad Pro), is awesome. Not only does it handle PDF's like you would expect it to, it allows for effortless digital signing of documents on the fly. Nice to be able to quickly sign a document and email right back out from the tablet no matter where I am.
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ConstructConnect
  • The biggest thing for me is that it is so easy to use, which allows it to be used widely throughout our organization without a lot of intense training.
  • Another great thing is that it does not matter how big or little the scope of the take off may be, it works just as well for a whole 12 story building take off as it does for a stretch of sidewalk.
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Cons
Bluebeam, Inc.
  • If you have several tabs open and you try to drag one out for a side by side view then you do not have all the modification options and you have to combine them back together.
  • There is a lag time when hitting the print option.
  • There is also a lag time when opening files, sometimes I think the window is frozen.
  • I wish the basic version also had basic file editing, as in editing a document as Adobe does.
Read full review
ConstructConnect
  • It would be nice if you could select an object that occurs on multiple sheets, copy, and paste it into change orders or alternates.
  • If you could search for where a certain condition is being used (which sheet) and go directly to that page or pages, that would be cool.
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Likelihood to Renew
Bluebeam, Inc.
Bluebeam is a powerful PDF viewer and mark-up tool. We are more familiar with it than Adobe Acrobat Pro or other viewers, and it has more features geared towards construction document managers than Acrobat Pro does.
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ConstructConnect
It provides invaluable communication, organization, and flexibility to generate a project overview both visually and by the numbers. In addition to the overview it makes getting into the project details easy and quick, so our takeoff is accurate and correct every time
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Usability
Bluebeam, Inc.
I'm constantly finding that Bluebeam Revu does more than I knew it could. And when I find something that it can't do, I've found that Bluebeam truly listens to its user base and will work to incorporate any good suggestion when feasible.
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ConstructConnect
On Screen Takeoff is a valuable tool for what it does. Across the board it can keep track of the critical data and corresponding values without extra legwork. While powerful, it is prone to user error, and the problem can compound quickly if not realized up front. Overall a great project tool, but not without limitations
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Support Rating
Bluebeam, Inc.
Its hard for me to give a rating on this one as we rarely have to use the support feature for Bluebeam. However, when we have used it, they have been ultra supportive in helping us get exactly what we needed. I know another engineer was trying to figure out a feature and the rep gave a detailed tutorial on how to complete the task
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ConstructConnect
I have had very few issues with the software which is probably the first sign that there is a good customer support team, since I am sure they are working and fixing problems for everyone when they get a report from somewhere. The few times I have had to reach out to support they have been knowledgeable and on top of helping me quickly get my issues resolved.
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Implementation Rating
Bluebeam, Inc.
No answers on this topic
ConstructConnect
Implementation was as simple as setting up the program and creating databases. Everything else was already in use and this was a supplement to the final organization of the system
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Alternatives Considered
Bluebeam, Inc.
We feel there is not another program out there that would compare to Bluebeam at this current time. Some of the other programs out there do not include studio or the overlaying process which is one of our main uses. The ease of hyperlinking makes this product stand out the most.
Read full review
ConstructConnect
Being able to train individuals in a single afternoon on the program and trusting them to get you something usable as soon as possible is quite invaluable. It is also something that I feel is unique to this program. It is just easier.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Bluebeam, Inc.
  • A major positive aspect is being able to take your computer home without taking the entire set of paper drawings. They have made it so easy to navigate a set of drawings that I can work at home using only the digital drawings.
  • Collaboration with owners and architects has been a great feature. Setting up a Bluebeam studio and having everyone get in and mark things up, then having the architect be able to go in and see what markups have been added, has made the constructability review process much much better.
  • Even when not working on drawings, Bluebeam is a very good tool for working with standard PDF documents. The markup tools are very easy to use.
  • The negative aspect is the takeoff function because some people would like estimators to use the Bluebeam takeoff because it would make their job easier down the road; however, the actual act of doing a full scale takeoff in Bluebeam would require much more time.
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ConstructConnect
  • The software has more than paid for itself because the company has been able to save lots of money when awarding to subs since it is easy to verify quantities to qualify their bids.
  • Less of a chance of under-ordering products since the visible audit trail improves accuracy. Also you spend less since you aren't ordering more than you should be.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Bluebeam Screenshots

Screenshot of Bluebeam Cloud with Markup ListScreenshot of Bluebeam Cloud with Tool ChestScreenshot of Bluebeam Revu MarkupScreenshot of Bluebeam Revu Studio Session