Skip to main content
TrustRadius
Bluebeam

Bluebeam

Overview

What is Bluebeam?

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.

Read more
Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Bluebeam Revu is a widely accessible tool for the construction industry, enabling users to transform paper-based workflows to electronic …
Continue reading

Making Markups Easy

8 out of 10
January 14, 2020
Incentivized
It is utilized to put together presentation pdfs for clients, meetings, etc. We also use it to aid in space planning and laying out …
Continue reading

Great for the price

9 out of 10
December 13, 2019
Incentivized
Bluebeam Revu is a PDF reader and editor tool. It also does measurements and other markups. Right now only a handful of staff has this …
Continue reading
Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 21 features
  • Plan markups & sharing (50)
    9.1
    91%
  • Plan distribution & viewing (48)
    9.0
    90%
  • Document sharing (44)
    9.0
    90%
  • As-built drawings (42)
    9.0
    90%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

View all pros & cons
Return to navigation

Pricing

View all pricing

Revu Standard

$349

On Premise
per seat

Revu CAD

$449

On Premise
per seat

Revu eXtreme

$599

On Premise
per seat

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.bluebeam.com/pricing

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

Starting price (does not include set up fee)

  • $240 per year per user
Return to navigation

Product Demos

Veebinar "Bluebeam Revu 20 versiooni uued võimalused " 29. märts 2021

YouTube

Bluebeam Revu

YouTube

Bluebeam Revu Make it easy - Takeoff

YouTube

COMMERCIAL PAINTING Takeoffs demo - fast version

YouTube

ALL CAD Northwest - Bluebeam Revu 12 Feature Demo

YouTube

Bluebeam Revu AEC Demo

YouTube
Return to navigation

Features

Reporting & Analytics

Users can report on and analyze usage, performance, ROI, and/or other metrics of success.

8.7
Avg 8.1

Construction Project & Field Management

Features related to collaboration between construction management and project execution (e.g. the office and the job site, general contractors and subcontractors)

8.8
Avg 7.4

Estimating

A set of tools and applications that allow contractors to forecast, track, monitor, and adjust the cost of building a structure. Cost estimates are used by project owners to determine the scope and feasibility of a project, and also for budget allocation. Contractors also use cost estimates when deciding whether or not to bid on a project and for bid creation.

8.9
Avg 8.2
Return to navigation

Product Details

What is Bluebeam?

Bluebeam develops technology solutions that according to the vendor support project efficiency and collaboration for over two million design and construction professionals worldwide. Bluebeam Revu and Bluebeam Cloud aim to give teams the flexibility to work together anywhere through design, build and handover. And with Bluebeam's desktop and cloud collaboration solutions built on open standards, documents and data can be accessed on any web or iOS device, onsite or off.


Bluebeam Revu®

Revu offers customizable document management, markup and automation tools with a built-in collaboration space, Studio.

• Log in to any desktop with Revu installed and access projects and tool sets

• Mark up and measure together with teammates in real time using Studio

• Share the latest drawings and documents with teams in the field using Bluebeam Cloud

• Increase security and simplify user login with single sign-on (SSO)

Bluebeam Cloud (Web & Mobile)

Connect office and field and complete workflows on the go with Bluebeam Cloud, a suite of web and mobile solutions that connects with documents and tool sets in Revu.

• Work from anywhere via web or iOS device — no set-up or installation required

• Access tool sets and Studio Project files from Revu

• Invite team members to markup and collaborate in real time with the Markup Editor

• Manage punch, RFIs and submittals on the go with Field Tools

Services

Get more out of Revu and Bluebeam Cloud with Bluebeam services designed to help finish the job faster.

• Unlimited centralized cloud storage

• Access to technology partner integrations to support custom workflows

• Access to Bluebeam University training courses at no additional cost

• Technical support via email and phone

• Geolocational insights to help visualize, connect and organize data

Bluebeam Features

Construction Project & Field Management Features

  • Supported: Plan distribution & viewing
  • Supported: Plan markups & sharing
  • Supported: Document sharing
  • Supported: Issue tracking & punchlists
  • Supported: Photo documentation
  • Supported: Jobsite reports
  • Supported: RFI tools
  • Supported: Collaboration & approvals
  • Supported: As-built drawings
  • Supported: Mobile app
  • Supported: Submittal design and management
  • Supported: Checklists
  • Supported: Change orders

Estimating Features

  • Supported: Takeoff tools
  • Supported: Bid creation

Reporting & Analytics Features

  • Supported: Dashboards
  • Supported: Standard reports
  • Supported: Custom reports
  • Supported: Data exportability

Additional Features

  • Supported: Digital stamps and signatures

Bluebeam Screenshots

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

Bluebeam Videos

What Does Bluebeam Do?
Comparing Bluebeam Revu to Procore and e-builder by Trimble

Bluebeam Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsWindows
Mobile ApplicationApple iOS, Mobile Web
Supported CountriesUSA, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Australia
Supported LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Japanese, Korean

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Bluebeam starts at $240.

Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro, Autodesk Build, and Procore are common alternatives for Bluebeam.

Reviewers rate Plan markups & sharing and Collaboration & approvals highest, with a score of 9.1.

The most common users of Bluebeam are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(359)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Bluebeam Revu is a widely accessible tool for the construction industry, enabling users to transform paper-based workflows to electronic formats. It has been widely adopted by project managers, estimators, safety managers, and accounting staff for various purposes such as takeoffs, markups, form building, electronic signatures, and stamp approvals. Users have found Bluebeam Revu to be a user-friendly tool for tasks like takeoff quantities, PDF manipulation, detail markups, phasing plans, invoice billing, change orders, and creating illustrations for presentations. The software's markup tools are highly valued for expediting the design process and building punch lists from site visits. Additionally, Bluebeam's Studio feature facilitates real-time collaboration and markups on the same document by multiple users, preventing duplication of work. Overall, Bluebeam Revu addresses the business problem of communicating issues using visual aids and provides a centralized location for updating and maintaining construction documents.

Efficiency in Batch Processes: Several users have praised Bluebeam Revu for its efficiency in batch processes, saving significant time compared to manual alternatives. This has been highlighted by reviewers who found the software to be a powerful tool for streamlining tasks and improving productivity.

Seamless Collaboration with Bluebeam Studio: Many reviewers have commended Bluebeam Revu's cloud-based collaboration feature, Bluebeam Studio, for its ease of use and effectiveness in facilitating collaboration among team members. Users appreciate the seamless collaboration capabilities provided by Bluebeam Revu, which enhance teamwork even when working from different locations or offices.

User-Friendly Markup Tools: The intuitive markup tools in Bluebeam Revu have received positive feedback from multiple users. They find it easy to annotate and mark up PDF documents using the software's user-friendly interface. This feature allows for efficient document editing and enhances the overall user experience.

Difficulties with Typewriter and Textbox Tools: Some users have found the typewriter and textbox tools in Bluebeam to be functional but not user-friendly, stating that they could be easier to use and more precise. Aligning text with specific areas on a form using the typewriter tool can be frustrating for some users.

Laborious Flattening Process: Users have expressed frustration with the process of flattening documents before sharing them in Bluebeam. They believe it could benefit from a default setting that automates this process, as manually flattening documents is time-consuming.

Complexity of Stamp Creation: The creation of stamps in Bluebeam involves several steps and can be confusing for some users. They feel that the process could be streamlined or macro automated to save time, creating a bottleneck for stamp creation.

Users recommend reaching out to other users and utilizing the support team for tricks and tips. They also suggest customizing the interface and exploring tutorials to fully utilize Bluebeam Revu's capabilities. Users highly recommend taking training to learn how to use the software effectively. Additionally, users recommend trying the free trial before purchasing to determine if Bluebeam Revu meets their needs.

Overall, these recommendations highlight the importance of seeking assistance from other users and the support team, as well as investing time in learning how to customize and optimize Bluebeam Revu through tutorials and training. The free trial option is also suggested as a way to evaluate the software before making a purchase decision.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 59)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Bluebeam I believe is much better then Smartsheets because there are way more features that just make sense and are construction minded. I am able to host and share these documents with other users who do not need to have a Bluebeam license to view or download them from the cloud.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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.
Heather MacLean | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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.
Christian Maxwell | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I have used Adobe PDF viewers and editors and they do their job alright and I was able to easily use them. But when it comes down to which program better suits the work I do in the construction Bluebeam is far more focused in its design to meet my needs and uses in the construction industry. I think this could be similar in many industries but my experience has been limited to construction.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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 compared to some of our other options available due to the ease of use, functionality and layout.
January 24, 2020

Great for scaled markups

Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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 good, and have no equivalent in Acrobat, to my knowledge. The collaborative aspect of Studio / Sessions allows for easier communication with our clients and consultants vs individually-transmitted PDF files.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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 Acrobat DC.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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 of the way!
Bob Kramer, RCDD, LEED AP | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized

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 computer or laptop.

We also tried some of the freeware or shareware applications, which were very limited in their functionality and lacking technical support.

December 13, 2019

Great for the price

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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 or a third as much.
Jill Liegghio | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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 employees can access the same document and add their own edits or approvals.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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 the A-E-C industry.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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 compared to some of the others.
Michael Savala | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
The only software I've ever used that even comes close to Revu is Adobe Acrobat Pro, which I find is most confusing and has a less attractive interface. Since Revu 2015 (the oldest version I've used), there's always been a dark mode Adobe does not have. PlanGrid and Procore, cloud-based construction management software, have many other robust features that Revu simply doesn't have. That said, I use PlanGrid and Procore in conjunction with Revu, as each of the CM software have very subpar PDF mark-up tools. The Adobe suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) all serve niche purposes, whereas Revu is a jack of all trades--it can accomplish many things, and in use with the right software can be a very valuable asset.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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 only know 50% of it's capabilities. This software is in depth enough that you would benefit from taking a class on it.
February 22, 2019

Bluebeam Review

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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.
Return to navigation