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Facts: desk research, not tested · Reviews: members' opinions

Civils.ai vs STACK

Two takeoff tools with public prices that charge on different units. Civils.ai measures civil and site drawings from plain-English prompts, with QA-reviewed output and AI drawing checks, priced by monthly takeoff allowance; STACK is a multi-trade takeoff, estimating and field platform with AI assists, priced per user. Desk research from vendor pages read Oct 24, 2026; not tested, no winner.

DESK RESEARCH, NOT TESTED. Compiled from vendors' public websites (accessed Oct 24, 2026). Vendor claims are not verified by Means & Methods Lab. No scores or rankings.

In short: Civils.ai (Takeoff & document checks; vendor publishes prices) vs STACK (Takeoff & estimating; vendor publishes prices). Facts last checked Oct 24, 2026. No winner declared; not tested.

Side by side

Civils.ai vs STACK: vendor-published facts side by side
Sheet rowCivils.aiSTACK
CategoryTakeoff & document checksTakeoff & estimating
AI role (our label)AI-firstAI features added to established product
What it doesAI quantity takeoffs from PDF drawings using plain-English scope prompts (areas, lengths, volumes, counts) plus discrepancy and compliance checks. Covers groundworks, landscaping, utilities, drainage, and concrete. Output is described as human/QA-reviewed. Vendor claims 97%+ accuracy on takeoffs (vendor claim, not verified). Homepage re-read Oct 17, 2026: AI agents are grouped by scope (quantity takeoffs; groundworks, landscaping and geotechnical takeoffs; issue and discrepancy checks). The checks flag issues as critical, high, medium or low risk, cross-check sheets against each other (for example civil vs landscape, architectural vs structural), and can be customized and saved as templates. Uploads can be scanned, historic or multi-sheet PDFs, with an option to extract CAD data; results export to Excel and annotated PDF. The FAQ says a human-in-the-loop QA process reviews all AI-extracted data, workflows aim to return results within 24 hours, accuracy is over 97% on modern PDFs but cannot be guaranteed on hand-drawn or pre-1975 drawings, data is stored on US servers, documents are anonymized and users can delete their data; the site also cites up to 90% less manual effort (vendor claims, not verified). Free cut-and-fill, concrete, rebar and haulage calculators and 32 engineering calculators are listed. The company is Civils.ai PTE LTD, Singapore. Re-checked Oct 19, 2026: homepage and FAQ unchanged in substance (human-in-the-loop QA, over 97% accuracy on modern PDFs, results aimed within 24 hours, US data storage); the site now also cites 200+ firms across 8 countries, and the pricing page cites $3bn+ of projects supported and says uploads are never used to train models (vendor claims, not verified). Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: the homepage still cites 200+ firms across 8 countries, 97% accuracy and up to 90% less takeoff time (vendor claims, not verified) and says there are no setup fees and you can cancel anytime. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: homepage and pricing page unchanged in substance (quantity takeoffs, groundworks and subsurface takeoffs, issue and discrepancy checks; free estimating and engineering calculators). The 97%+ accuracy, $3bn+ and 200+ firms lines remain vendor claims not used here. Re-checked Oct 22, 2026: homepage and pricing page unchanged in substance (plain-English takeoff prompts, QA-reviewed results, discrepancy checks graded by risk, free estimating and engineering calculators). The 97% accuracy, 90% less manual effort, $3bn+ and 200+ firms lines and client quotes remain vendor claims not used here. Re-checked Oct 23, 2026: homepage and pricing page unchanged in substance (plain-English takeoff prompts, QA-reviewed results, discrepancy checks graded by risk, free estimating and engineering calculators). The homepage now also shows a 4.8/5 client-feedback rating and a customer ROI case study; those, the 97% accuracy, 90% less manual effort, $3bn+ and 200+ firms lines and client quotes are vendor material not used here. Re-checked Oct 24, 2026: homepage and pricing page unchanged in substance (plain-English takeoff prompts, semi-automated QA checking, discrepancy checks graded by risk with reusable templates, free calculators). Accuracy, effort, projects and firm-count figures, ratings and quotes remain vendor material not used here.Cloud-based construction software covering digital takeoff, estimating and proposals, and field/project management ("Build & Operate"). The vendor now describes STACK as an AI preconstruction platform: AI that reads uploaded sheets, auto-names pages, and flags revisions; AI auto-counting of symbols and suggestions of scope that may be missed; and AI described as pressure-testing pricing and flagging risk, gaps, and pricing drift in estimates. Unlimited viewer seats. Re-checked Oct 19, 2026: the homepage announces STACK for Excel, an integration launched with partner Velixo that connects takeoff and estimating data directly in Excel. Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: the homepage still calls STACK an AI preconstruction platform (AI that reads sheets, auto-names pages and flags revisions; auto-counting and missed-scope suggestions; estimates that flag risk, gaps and pricing drift) with unlimited viewer seats, a jobsite mobile app and Try It Free and Create Free Account options. The STACK for Excel (Velixo) announcement seen Oct 19 was not on the homepage in today's read. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: homepage unchanged in substance (AI that reads sheets, auto-names pages and flags revisions; AI takeoff, integrated estimating, a field app); the STACK for Excel partnership with Velixo is back in the navigation as a featured partner item. Revenue, win-rate and speed lines are vendor claims not used here. Re-checked Oct 22, 2026: homepage unchanged in substance (AI that reads sheets, auto-names pages and flags revisions; AI auto-counting and missed-scope suggestions; estimates that flag risk, gaps and pricing drift; field app; unlimited viewer seats). The menu lists STACK IQ, version compare, STACK for Excel (Velixo) and ERP connectors, and the homepage describes a regional cost data integration for material and labor items. Revenue, win-rate and speed lines and the 5-out-of-5 rating are vendor claims not used here. Re-checked Oct 23, 2026: homepage unchanged in substance (AI that reads sheets, auto-names pages and flags revisions; AI auto-counting and missed-scope suggestions; estimates that flag risk, gaps and pricing drift; field app; unlimited viewer seats; STACK IQ and STACK for Excel with Velixo in the menu). Revenue, win-rate and speed lines and ratings remain vendor claims not used here. Re-checked Oct 24, 2026: homepage unchanged in substance (AI that reads sheets, auto-names pages and flags revisions; AI auto-counting and missed-scope suggestions; estimates where AI pressure-tests pricing; jobsite app; STACK IQ and STACK for Excel with Velixo in the menu). Revenue, win-rate and speed lines and ratings remain vendor claims not used here.
Who it's forCivil contractors.Specialty contractors, general contractors, suppliers and manufacturers, owners and developers.
Pricing (as publicly stated)Subscription. Starter listed at US$90/month, billed monthly, single user, 10 takeoffs/month; Professional US$270/month, billed monthly, single user, 30 takeoffs/month (adds revision requests from comments, learns your standards, priority support); Enterprise custom (volume pricing and annual contracts). (Pricing re-checked Oct 14, 2026.) Re-checked Oct 17, 2026: Starter US$90/month and Professional US$270/month unchanged. The page adds 2 GB (Starter) and 50 GB (Professional) project storage, unlimited AI searches and checks under fair use, and API and MCP integrations and SSO/SAML on Enterprise; its FAQ says takeoffs are counted per drawing sheet by scale (1 takeoff up to 1:365, 2 up to 1:505, 3 up to 1:720, 5 above) and that multi-step agent workflows beyond standard searches may be priced separately. Re-checked Oct 19, 2026: Starter US$90 and Professional US$270 per month unchanged; the pricing FAQ says both are month-to-month, cancellable from the dashboard with data export, and that Enterprise adds a custom DPA and security review with bank transfer or invoicing. Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: plan structure unchanged (Starter 10 and Professional 30 takeoffs a month, each billed monthly, cancel anytime, single user; Enterprise custom with volume pricing, annual contracts and a custom DPA and security review), but the dollar amounts did not render in our read, so the US$90 and US$270 figures were not re-confirmed today. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: the dollar amounts rendered again and are unchanged (Starter US$90 a month with 10 takeoffs, Professional US$270 a month with 30 takeoffs, each billed monthly, cancel anytime, single user; Enterprise custom with volume pricing and annual contracts); takeoff counting by sheet scale is unchanged. Re-checked Oct 22, 2026: unchanged (Starter US$90 a month with 10 takeoffs and 2 GB storage; Professional US$270 a month with 30 takeoffs and 50 GB; each billed monthly, cancel anytime, single user; Enterprise custom with volume pricing, annual contracts, API and MCP integrations and SSO/SAML; takeoffs counted per sheet by scale). Re-checked Oct 23, 2026 (pricing rendered in a headless browser): unchanged (Starter US$90 a month with 10 takeoffs and 2 GB storage; Professional US$270 a month with 30 takeoffs and 50 GB; each billed monthly, cancel anytime, single user; Enterprise custom with volume pricing, annual contracts, API and MCP integrations and SSO and SAML). Re-checked Oct 24, 2026: unchanged (Starter US$90 a month with 10 takeoffs and 2 GB; Professional US$270 a month with 30 takeoffs and 50 GB; billed monthly, single user, cancel anytime; Enterprise custom with API and MCP integrations and SSO and SAML; takeoffs counted per drawing sheet).Per-user subscription. Takeoff & Estimate $299/user/mo; Build & Operate $49/user/mo; full platform $348/user/mo. A free version of Takeoff & Estimate is offered; Build & Operate has a two-week free trial. (Pricing re-checked Oct 14 and Oct 19, 2026; unchanged, shown as "as low as" per user per month.) Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: unchanged (Takeoff & Estimate $299, Build & Operate $49, full platform $348 per user per month; a free account is still offered). The pricing FAQ still asks whether a free trial is available, but its answer was collapsed in our read, so the two-week Build & Operate trial was not re-confirmed. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: unchanged (Takeoff & Estimate $299, Build & Operate $49, full platform $348 per user per month); the FAQ answer rendered this time and again confirms a free version of Takeoff & Estimate and a two-week free trial for Build & Operate. Re-checked Oct 22, 2026: unchanged (Takeoff & Estimate $299, Build & Operate $49, full platform $348 per user per month, shown as as low as; free version of Takeoff & Estimate; two-week free trial for Build & Operate). Re-checked Oct 23, 2026: unchanged (Takeoff & Estimate $299, Build & Operate $49, full platform $348 per user per month, shown as as low as). Re-checked Oct 24, 2026: unchanged (Takeoff & Estimate $299, Build & Operate $49, full platform $348 per user per month, shown as as low as; free version of Takeoff & Estimate; two-week free trial for Build & Operate).
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Vendor links
Sources

Facts last checked: Oct 24, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor page before relying on them.

Where the vendor descriptions differ

  • What each does (vendor pages): Civils.ai's homepage describes takeoffs from PDF drawings where you type the scope in plain English to measure areas, lengths, volumes and counts, covering groundworks, landscaping, utilities, concrete and more, with results reviewed through rounds of semi-automated QA checking and exported to Excel and annotated PDF; it also runs automated drawing reviews that flag critical, high, medium and low risk issues, cross-checks sheets (for example civil against landscape) and saves checks as templates, and lists free cut and fill, concrete, rebar and haulage calculators. STACK's homepage describes takeoff, estimating and proposals plus Build & Operate field and project management: AI that reads every sheet, auto-names pages and flags revisions; linear, area, count and volume measuring with AI auto-counting and missed-scope suggestions; quantities that flow into live estimates; and a jobsite app for markups, daily reports and punch lists. Site Work is one of the trades it lists.
  • Who drives the takeoff: on Civils.ai you describe what to measure and the vendor's QA process reviews the result. On STACK your estimator measures in the tool, with AI suggesting counts and missing scope.
  • Scope: Civils.ai is focused on civil and site work and on checking drawings for discrepancies. STACK covers many trades and carries the job from bid into the field.
  • Pricing (checked Oct 24, 2026): Civils.ai Starter US$90 a month (10 takeoffs, 2 GB storage) and Professional US$270 a month (30 takeoffs, 50 GB, revision requests from comments), each billed monthly for a single user and cancel anytime; Enterprise custom with volume pricing, annual contracts, API and MCP integrations and SSO and SAML. Its FAQ says takeoffs are counted per drawing sheet, based on the sheet's scale. STACK lists Takeoff & Estimate as low as $299 per user a month, Build & Operate as low as $49 and the full platform as low as $348; Takeoff & Estimate has a free version and Build & Operate a two-week free trial.
  • Our reading: Civils.ai's cost grows with the number of sheets you measure, STACK's with the number of people using it. Compare both against your monthly sheet count and estimator headcount rather than the headline price.
  • Not used here: Civils.ai's manual-effort, accuracy, projects-supported and firm-count figures, client rating and quotes, and STACK's revenue and win-rate lines, rating and customer quotes. Neither tool has been tested by Means & Methods Lab.

Paraphrased from the sources listed above. Vendor claims are reported as claims.

What users say

The facts above come from vendor websites. Whether either tool is any good for your work is something only people who use them can say. These are member reviews, all ratings shown, never edited or removed for being negative.

Used either of these? Share your take

Good or bad, an honest review from an estimator, PM or super helps the next team more than another vendor demo. You post under a handle; your email is never shown.

Questions to ask in your review

  • Whether your takeoffs are mostly civil and site sheets (Civils.ai's focus) or multi-trade work that also needs field tools (STACK)
  • How many sheets a month you would measure against Civils.ai's takeoff allowances
  • Whether STACK's free Takeoff & Estimate version covers your needs before paid seats
  • What did you use it for, on what kind of work and project size?
  • How long did setup and training take, and who on your team did it?
  • What does it cost you in practice, compared with what the sales call said?

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