Field Notes · · positioning
Why we built a web-based takeoff tool when Bluebeam already exists
The incumbents are great desktop PDF tools that estimators stretched into takeoff workflows. We wanted something built for the actual job, in a browser, for free.
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The setup
Bluebeam, PlanSwift, and On-Screen Takeoff are all great products. They’ve also been the only serious options for two decades, are all Windows-only, and cost between $240 and $3,500 a year. None of that is necessary in 2026.
What we wanted instead
- Web-based — runs anywhere there’s a browser, including a MacBook on a job site.
- Priced for small contractors — free during beta, sane pricing later, none of the $2K-a-seat enterprise math.
- Built for the property/grouping workflow estimators actually use, not retrofitted on top of a PDF markup tool.
What’s different
This is where the property-and-grouping deep dive goes. Walk through a real example (lighting fixture takeoff) and contrast TakeOn’s approach with Bluebeam tool sets and PlanSwift assemblies.
What’s not different
Honest about the gaps: collaboration, exports, AI assist, mobile. Roadmap link.
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