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Kreo vs Beam AI

Two AI-first takeoff vendors with published prices that sell different things. Kreo is self-serve cloud takeoff and estimating software priced per user, with AI takeoff, the Caddie agent and APIs on its Pro and Business plans. Beam AI sells annual licenses for either do-it-yourself AI takeoffs (HVAC, plumbing and steel) or Done For You takeoffs and estimates that its team QA-checks and delivers in 24-72 hours, plus aerial-imagery takeoffs and bid management. Vendor pages read Oct 22, 2026; desk research, not tested, no winner.

DESK RESEARCH, NOT TESTED. Compiled from vendors' public websites (accessed Oct 22, 2026). Vendor claims are not verified by Means & Methods Lab. No scores or rankings.

In short: Kreo (Takeoff; vendor publishes prices) vs Beam AI (Takeoff & estimating; vendor publishes prices). Facts last checked Oct 22, 2026. No winner declared; not tested.

Side by side

Kreo vs Beam AI: vendor-published facts side by side
Sheet rowKreoBeam AI
CategoryTakeoffTakeoff & estimating
AI role (our label)AI-firstAI-first
What it doesCloud-based AI takeoff and estimating software for PDF, CAD and image plans, whose agentic AI detects elements and turns measurements into estimates. Vendor says its agentic AI detects elements, cross-references data across sheets, generates reports, and turns measurements into cost estimates. Re-checked Oct 19, 2026: the pricing page lists Pro AI features as one-click area and line measurements, auto symbol counting, AI takeoff of rooms, walls, doors and windows, custom AI takeoff requests, AI scale detection and drawing naming, batch AI takeoff across sheets, the Caddie AI assistant and Reusable Skills automation; Business adds API access for projects and AI, and Enterprise a custom AI allowance and AI fine-tuning. Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: the Pro AI feature list is unchanged. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026 (pricing rendered in a headless browser): the Pro AI feature list, Pilots and API add-ons are unchanged. Re-checked Oct 22, 2026: the homepage now leads with agentic AI takeoff and announces Auto Measure 3.0, which Kreo says adds a second review pass inside the model that checks and re-fits its outlines before returning results; it also describes the Caddie agent with a self-serve skill builder and ready-made skills, and an AI Scope Builder that breaks drawn assemblies into materials. The Auto Measure 3.0 accuracy percentages, review rating and customer logos are vendor material and are not used.AI takeoff and estimating offered two ways: QA-checked takeoffs and estimates delivered in 24-72 hours, or instant do-it-yourself AI takeoffs. The vendor calls these "Done For You" (from uploaded plans and specs) and "Do It Yourself". Part of Attentive.ai. Vendor claims 99%+ accuracy (vendor claim, not verified). Re-checked Oct 19, 2026: the pricing page still lists Do It Yourself for HVAC, plumbing and steel, Done For You construction-plan takeoffs for all trades (up to 2 takeoffs in parallel on that tier), Done For You aerial imagery takeoffs for landscaping, snow, paving and striping with access to the Attentive.ai OnSite mobile app, and Bid Management tools on the Done For You tiers. Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: the homepage still offers Done For You QA-checked takeoffs and estimates in 24-72 hours and do-it-yourself AI takeoffs, now framed for commercial contractors across construction and field services with estimating through bid management in one workflow; the 99%+ accuracy figure is still a vendor claim. Customer quotes on the pricing page were not used. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: homepage unchanged in substance (Done For You QA-checked takeoffs and estimates in 24-72 hours, Do It Yourself instant AI takeoffs for HVAC, plumbing and steel, aerial and blueprint takeoffs for maintenance and construction); it now spells out instant Excel estimates across trades with in-platform estimating for HVAC and plumbing, and bid management that captures ITBs from your inbox and tracks bid statuses, due dates, owners, RFIs and addenda. The pricing page adds auto-addenda detection to its feature list. Accuracy, bid-capacity and customer-count figures, customer quotes and star reviews are vendor material not used here. Re-checked Oct 22, 2026: homepage and pricing page unchanged in substance (Done For You QA-checked takeoffs and estimates in 24-72 hours, Do It Yourself AI takeoffs for HVAC, plumbing and steel, aerial and blueprint takeoffs, Excel estimates and bid management); a site banner now promotes Beam AI's own annual precon conference (Convergence) on November 4-5, 2026, and the login menu separates Construction and Field Services. Accuracy, capacity and customer-count figures, quotes and star reviews remain vendor material not used here.
Who it's forAEC professionals and estimating teams.Commercial contractors and field service businesses; trades listed include HVAC, electrical, concrete, utility/civil, paving, earthwork, and more.
Pricing (as publicly stated)Per-user subscription, billed annually. Essential $100/user/mo (listed as without AI); Pro $175/user/mo adds AI tools (Auto Measure, One-Click Area, Auto Count); Business $250/user/mo with 5 seats included (billed at $15,000 every 12 months); Enterprise custom. 7-day free trial on Essential, Pro and Business. (Pricing re-checked Oct 17, 2026; Lite and Plus tiers no longer listed.) Re-checked Oct 19, 2026: unchanged (Essential billed at $1,200 and Pro at $2,100 every 12 months; Business $15,000 every 12 months with 5 seats). Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: plan prices unchanged ($100, $175 and $250 per user per month billed annually; Business includes 5 seats and is billed at $15,000 every 12 months). The pricing page also says Pro covers up to 4 users and Business 5 to 20, and that guests who only view and comment are free. It lists paid Pilots (a 1-month Pro Pilot and a 1- to 3-month Business Pilot, with the fee credited to an annual plan if you move within 14 days; no Pilot fee shown) and API add-ons on Pro: Core Platform API $140 per user per year, Items and Assemblies API $160 per user per year, and Auto Measure API $840 a year plus per-launch usage. Business includes all three APIs and 200 Auto Measure API launches a month, with extra launches 25% cheaper than on Pro; an Excel Add-in is in early access and currently free. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: unchanged ($100, $175 and $250 per user per month billed annually; Pro up to 4 users, Business 5 to 20 users with 5 seats included at $2,100 per user a year; Core Platform API $140 and Items and Assemblies API $160 per user per year, Auto Measure API $840 a year plus per-launch usage; guests free). Re-checked Oct 22, 2026: unchanged ($100, $175 and $250 per user per month billed annually; Business includes 5 seats and is billed at $15,000 every 12 months; Pro up to 4 users, Business 5 to 20; same Pilots and API add-ons; guests free). The pricing page also shows GBP (Essential £80, Pro £125, Business £210) and EUR (€90, €150, €220) per user per month billed annually; prices exclude VAT and sales tax.Annual license. Do It Yourself (construction plans): starts at $8K annual license per trade, available for HVAC, plumbing & steel. Done For You (construction plans): starts at $25K annual license, based on trade and volume, available for all trades. Done For You (aerial images): starts at $10K annual license per trade, based on site acreage and service. Enterprise: custom pricing. (Pricing re-checked Oct 15, 2026; unchanged Oct 19, 2026: DIY from $8K, Done For You construction plans from $25K, aerial from $10K annual license; Enterprise custom.) Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: unchanged (DIY from $8K annual license, Done For You construction plans from $25K annual with up to 2 takeoffs in parallel, Done For You aerial from $10K annual license; Enterprise talk to us). The page says licenses are sized to annual bid capacity rather than per project or per takeoff. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: unchanged (DIY from $8K annual license per trade, Done For You construction plans from $25K annual, Done For You aerial from $10K annual license per trade, Enterprise custom; licenses sized to annual bid capacity). Re-checked Oct 22, 2026: unchanged (DIY from $8K annual license per trade for HVAC, plumbing and steel; Done For You construction plans from $25K annual based on trade and volume, up to 2 takeoffs in parallel; Done For You aerial from $10K annual license per trade based on site acreage and service; Enterprise custom; licenses sized to annual bid capacity).
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Vendor links
Sources

Facts last checked: Oct 22, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor page before relying on them.

Where the vendor descriptions differ

  • Who does the takeoff: with Kreo the estimator runs it, using Auto Measure, One-Click Area, Auto Count and batch AI takeoff across sheets on Pro and above and checking the output; its homepage announces Auto Measure 3.0, which Kreo says adds a second review pass inside the model. Beam AI's Done For You tiers take uploaded plans, specs and legends, extract quantities with AI and QA-check every takeoff before delivery in 24-72 hours; its Do It Yourself tier gives instant AI takeoffs the customer runs, for HVAC, plumbing and steel only.
  • Beyond takeoff: Kreo lists live-linked estimates, custom items and assemblies, a shared company cost database, Excel import and export, IFC export on Business, the Caddie AI agent with reusable and self-built skills, and an AI scope builder. Beam AI lists Excel estimates across trades, in-platform estimating for HVAC and plumbing, auto-addenda detection, and bid management that captures ITBs from your inbox and tracks bid statuses, due dates, RFIs and addenda.
  • Inputs: Kreo works on PDF, DWG, DXF, DWF, DGN and raster files. Beam AI takes PDF plans, specifications, legends and supporting documents, and on its aerial tier uses aerial imagery of sites for landscaping, snow, paving and striping work, with the Attentive.ai OnSite mobile app.
  • Pricing (checked Oct 22, 2026): Kreo lists Essential $100 (no AI), Pro $175 (up to 4 users) and Business $250 (5 seats included, 5 to 20 users, billed at $15,000 a year) per user per month billed annually, Enterprise custom, with GBP and EUR prices also shown, a 7-day free trial, paid Pilots credited to an annual plan, and API add-ons on Pro. Beam AI lists annual licenses: Do It Yourself from $8K per trade, Done For You construction plans from $25K based on trade and volume, Done For You aerial from $10K per trade based on site acreage and service, and Enterprise custom, sized to annual bid capacity rather than per project or per takeoff. One buys software seats and the other buys capacity that includes the vendor's QA work, so the figures are not like for like.
  • Who it is for: Kreo names quantity surveyors, cost estimators and contractors, with trade pages for flooring, concrete, electrical, framing, drywall, painting, steel and masonry. Beam AI names subcontractors, suppliers and distributors, and general contractors, with trades including HVAC, electrical, concrete, utility and civil, paving and earthwork. Beam AI is part of Attentive.ai.
  • AI tags: both are tagged AI-first.
  • Not used here: Kreo's Auto Measure 3.0 accuracy percentages, review rating and customer logos, and Beam AI's 99%+ accuracy, 3X capacity and customer-count lines, customer quotes and star reviews (vendor material). 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

  • Quantity error compared with your own takeoff of a real bid
  • How long an estimator spends checking Kreo's Auto Measure output on your drawings
  • How Beam AI sizes annual bid capacity for your trade, and what turnaround looks like in a busy bid week
  • Whether either handles your civil or sitework sheets as well as building plans
  • 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?

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