Bluebeam vs. Stackby

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Bluebeam
Score 9.1 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.
$349
per seat
Stackby
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Stackby is designed to bring together the simplicity of spreadsheets, the functionality of databases and integrations with best business APIs to let anyone build their own tools, the way they want. No coding needed. Users can build a database from scratch, import data from pre-existing sources like spreadsheets or Google Sheets, or choose from over 100 pre-built templates across multiple categories. Stackby offers over 25 unique column types like text,…
$6
per month per user
Pricing
BluebeamStackby
Editions & Modules
Revu Standard
$349
per seat
Revu CAD
$449
per seat
Revu eXtreme
$599
per seat
Personal
$6
per month per user
Economy
$10
per month per user
Business
$20
per month per user
Business Plus
$35
per month per user
Enterprise
Custom
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BluebeamStackby
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details20% discount for annual pricing.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BluebeamStackby
Considered Both Products
Bluebeam
Chose Bluebeam
I believe Bluebeam is actually easier to learn and use versus Adobe Acrobat. With it’s how to videos and great customer support, there’s basically not a problem that cannot be figured out. As far as PDF modification, I believe Bluebeam’s tools and screen configuration is very …
Chose Bluebeam
It is just more advanced in terms of functionality. Bluebeam has far more features for collaboration, document sharing and marking up.
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam is targeted towards construction professional and offers features and built-in markups that I use everyday. Acrobat is a generic program that requires more training and set-up for use specific to construction and design. Bluebeam was more cost-effective than Acrobat, …
Chose Bluebeam
I haven’t spent enough time with Revit to give a full comparison. But three architects I’ve worked with have all said they enjoy both programs and Bluebeam was highly recommended for my needs in the company.
Chose Bluebeam
Years ago I used Adobe which was not well suited for CAD drawings. I soon found Bluebeam which at the time was a wonderful game changer. Sadly, my recent experience has caused me to begin searching elsewhere for new software.
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam is a more advanced PDF editor and better suited for the engineering and construction industry. It has far more tools and better capabilities for collaborative viewing, marking up, and sharing of documents.
Chose Bluebeam
Much better. The features are greater, the layout is better and you can just do so much more. The features alone and what you can do with it makes it worth it. Also, it allows for you to edit and create in a much more user friendly way. All of our engineers love using it …
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam Revu has essentially replaced Adobe Acrobat as our default PDF viewer and editor, because its robust suite of architecturally-focused tools allow for better review of documents and creation of simple graphic diagrams. The scale and measurement tools are especially …
Chose Bluebeam
It is better than acrobat in my opinion. More features and more user-friendly.
Chose Bluebeam
PDF file sharing is really easy and simple, so users can markup and others can view them in real-time. Also, editing PDF files to crop, batch, remove, or replace pages is really efficient compared to Adobe Acrobat DC. Plus, the licensing fee is pretty small compared to Adobe …
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

Revu was much easier to use, more cost-effective, and is more generally used in the construction and design industry than Adobe. We found Adobe to be more of a resource hog, as well as being bloated with offers for other Adobe applications, which many times would slow down a …

Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam is a good in-between of Adobe and Photoshop. If you're not looking to do photo editing, but need more capabilities than just line work, Bluebeam is perfect.
Chose Bluebeam
I select Bluebeam Revu when I have to as directed by the client or the owner. Otherwise, when the user does not need such a specific or robust piece of software, I usually go to one of the less expensive competitor's PDF editors. They suite our needs just fine and cost half …
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam definitely blows Adobe out of the water in the basic to the basic comparison. You will have to do more research on how exactly to use all the tools if you have never used the program before such as myself.
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam Revu has a much more sophisticated interface that allows you to mark up documents in many different ways. It can store tools for standard markup use. It provides digital signatures which can be very useful for many document types. By creating a Revu studio, multiple …
Chose Bluebeam
We've used these other products in conjunction with Bluebeam mainly because Bluebeam lacks RFI/COR/PO/Mark-up/revision tracking, and doesn't handle punch lists or tasks.
Chose Bluebeam
Adobe is good for viewing PDFs, but as far as how PDFs are utilized in construction, Bluebeam is hands-down the best program I have used.
Chose Bluebeam
The newer Adobe interfaces are poor. Adobe does not do as well with drawing markup or takeoff tools. Adobe does seem to render some drawing files more quickly though. Adobe text document markup feels a bit more polished. Bluebeam was selected for better tools specific to …
Chose Bluebeam
This is by FAR the most powerful product that I have used. I have not turned back to Adobe for modifying documents since we purchased Bluebeam. I am not sure of the cost of the program, but sure it is worth it to the company. As to doing take-offs, this is a great tool as well …
Chose Bluebeam
Procore is excellent for tracking documents and links. Bluebeam is superior at editing, scaling, and marking up documents. You can track projects of any size at a very low price point with Bluebeam.
Chose Bluebeam
There is no comparison. The editing tools, batch tools drafting tools, personal environment profiles, settings, printing, calibrating, direct connecting apps that links Bluebeam to AutoCad and Revit. This is an extremely powerful program that is amazingly helpful and I probably …
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam Revu is easy to use and a lot cheaper compared to other products available in the market.
Stackby
Chose Stackby
Airtable is the "gold standard" when it comes to relational databases. SmartSuite is the "gold standard" when it comes to how nice a relational database can look. Stackby takes a cue from Airtable in how it delivers and interacts with data, and it offers a better cost …
Chose Stackby
Stackby was the best ROI compared to its competitors
Chose Stackby
As an Airtable user, I was glad to see an available alternative. Stackby has ticked the boxes and exceeded my expectations. They also continue to grow and improve the service, making it even more appealing and valuable. Support has also been responsive and consistent. I would …
Chose Stackby
The use case and feature set against airtable is equivalent if not better and the offer of LTD access as well as specific add-ons make Stackby the better choice every time.
Chose Stackby
We have been using Airtable so often but once your team grows it costs a lot of money, to be honest. Stackby could be a great fit for our team but of course, Airtable is a more mature tool. I'm really hoping that Stackby reaches the level of Airtable at some point one day. For …
Chose Stackby
I have also tried Ora.Pm.

Infinity has better graphical interface, but nowhere near as many features and the UI isn't as effective (i.e, moving around with keys).
Chose Stackby
Airtable - better all round than Stackby but way more expensive (actually not all round - Stackby you can actually backup unlike Airtable)

Infinity - bought this and wished we hadn't. Its data structures and terminology are super-confusing and it's really hard to set up
Chose Stackby
This is a legitimate competitor to Airtable! They are well on their way to meeting the feature set offered by this much bigger and older company. Stackby has done some amazing things with this platform, and I hope they continue their great work to keep improving and already …
Chose Stackby
I am a paying user of both Stackby and Airtable. I use both both as there are some shortcomings of both.

Airtable is more developed and useful on both desktop and mobile, whereas Stackby is not. Airtable has useful internal automations, dashboards and a huge online community, …
Chose Stackby
Airtable is more mature than Stackby and has more add-ons. I expect Stackby to continue updating the app so that will close the gap.
Chose Stackby
We chose Stackby over Airtable primarily because Airtable does not currently have the option to pre-fill default data in a cell. This feature alone is a huge time saver and allows us to skip cells that contain necessary, but redundant data.
Features
BluebeamStackby
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Bluebeam
10.0
Ratings
25% above category average
Stackby
-
Ratings
Dashboards10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Standard reports10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Custom reports10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Data exportability10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Construction Project & Field Management
Comparison of Construction Project & Field Management features of Product A and Product B
Bluebeam
9.7
Ratings
27% above category average
Stackby
-
Ratings
Plan distribution & viewing9.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Plan markups & sharing9.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Issue tracking & punchlists9.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Photo documentation9.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Jobsite reports9.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Document sharing9.80 Ratings00 Ratings
RFI tools9.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Collaboration & approvals9.70 Ratings00 Ratings
As-built drawings9.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile app10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Submittal design and management9.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Checklists9.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Change orders9.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Estimating
Comparison of Estimating features of Product A and Product B
Bluebeam
9.6
Ratings
24% above category average
Stackby
-
Ratings
Takeoff tools9.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Job costing8.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost databases10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost calculator10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Bid creation9.90 Ratings00 Ratings
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User Ratings
BluebeamStackby
Likelihood to Recommend
9.8
(0 ratings)
8.9
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
1.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.7
(0 ratings)
7.3
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
1.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
BluebeamStackby
Likelihood to Recommend
As stated before, the mobile application is a great companion to the desktop version. Either one works great in viewing, editing and saving documents. While the measurement tool is handy to have, we have found the precision to be lacking when measuring scaled drawings (construction design drawings). While it is a good rough place to start for measurements, we wouldn't recommend relying on the precision of the measurements taken on something with a very large scale.
Read full review
Based on my experience, I can provide specific scenarios where Stackby is well suited and others where it may be less appropriate: Project Management: Stackby is an excellent choice for project management scenarios. Its ability to create custom databases, track tasks, assign responsibilities, and collaborate in real-time makes it highly effective for managing and monitoring project progress. CRM and Sales: Stackby is well suited for managing customer relationships and sales processes. Its customizable database structure allows for organizing customer information, tracking leads, managing deals, and generating reports. The ability to integrate with other tools further enhances its usefulness in CRM and sales workflows. Content Planning: Stackby is a great fit for content planning scenarios. Users can create databases to manage editorial calendars, track content ideas, assign tasks to team members, and monitor content performance. Collaboration features facilitate seamless content collaboration and ensure timely publishing.
Read full review
Pros
  • Overlaying pdf drawings to identify changes made by architects.
  • Scaling dimensions when the architect has not provided required dimensions to proceed with work in the field.
  • Hyperlinking construction documents with required information makes it much easier to look through multiple sheets in less time.
Read full review
  • Ability to collaborate with team members on the same spreadsheet
  • Ability to integrate multiple tools for centralized utilization (i.e. Facebook, Google Analytics, project management, etc.)
  • Ability to send SMS and messages using integration with Twillio and Whatsapp
  • All spreadsheets/databases securely saved in the cloud instead of on local hard drive(s)
Read full review
Cons
  • 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
  • Implement the same views available on desktop into the mobile app
  • Internal automations (like Airtable)
  • Ability to implement and display info as a dashboard (like Airtable)
  • Polish up the formatting of formulas, inputting them causes user frustration due to the formula input cursor jumping around
  • Better intelligence and ease of inputting data in bulk i.e have the fields automatically identify what data is being input and format appropriately (like Airtable does)
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Likelihood to Renew
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.
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Usability
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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Stackby is overall pretty easy to use, especially if you're used to something like Airtable or SmartSuite. Some of the pages seem like near exact clones (though they put their own creative spin on things). I'd prefer a slighty fresher interface (like SmartSuite), but I'm willing to sacrifice that for the better price and great customer service.
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Support Rating
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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Extremely responsive, helpful, and friendly support (unlike many other SAAS teams out there).
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Alternatives Considered
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 tab for any assistance needed.
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I have also tried Ora.Pm. Infinity has better graphical interface, but nowhere near as many features and the UI isn't as effective (i.e, moving around with keys). Grist has a much more technical interface and it comes from being more of a database/interactive spreadsheet vs Stackby. Grist has much more functionality in terms of formulas, but is much harder to learn to use and less other functionalities. Ora.PM is more of a test at a task management app, and doesn't compare - Stackby is much better.
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Return on Investment
  • 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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  • By its customisation, I have seen business intelligence that was not evident or available by using other software
  • Has helped to organise all my data (work and personal) into interesting relationships that help with better decision making
  • Has created extra curiosity in its flexibility and customisation to have all my datasets used and manipulated into meaningful ways
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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

Stackby Screenshots

Screenshot of the Grid ScreenScreenshot of some of the 25 column typesScreenshot of the Calendar ViewScreenshot of a Kanban ViewScreenshot of a Custom Form