On-Screen Takeoff alternative
On-Screen Takeoff earned its place as a dedicated Windows desktop takeoff tool. ContractorCounter covers the same job — measure and count from the drawing, on screen — without the desktop half: it runs in the browser on Windows, Mac, and iPad, and the takeoff flows into a live Bill of Quantities and a priced quote.
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Upload PDF or image drawings, calibrate the scale once per sheet, and take off on screen: linear runs, areas, height-driven volumes, perimeters, and grouped symbol counts, each measurement pinned to the geometry that produced it.
Dedicated desktop takeoff tools are Windows-first and licensed per seat with maintenance — capable, but tied to the machine the license lives on. A browser workspace removes that layer: nothing to install, no license server, and the same takeoff opens at the office, on site, or on a Mac or iPad without a virtual machine.
Quantities land in a live Bill of Quantities as they're measured, and the BOQ flows into multi-version quotes — the step desktop takeoff tools usually hand to separate estimating software or a spreadsheet.
The AI assistant can propose counts, markups, and the scale; nothing commits until you approve it. It removes the repetitive clicking that on-screen takeoff is famous for, while the numbers stay yours.
Every account starts with a 14-day free trial — no credit card — so the practical comparison is an afternoon: run one live job through the takeoff workflow and see whether the browser covers what your desktop tool does. Pro is US$14/month (from US$5/week weekly), or the lifetime license is US$249 one-time — no per-seat maintenance contract.
A practical comparison for contractors choosing a markup and drawing review workflow.
| Category | ContractorCounter | On-Screen Takeoff (desktop) |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Any modern browser: Windows, macOS, iPad. No install. | Windows desktop install; Mac users need a VM or second machine. |
| Licensing | 14-day free trial; Pro US$14/month (from US$5/week); Lifetime US$249 one-time. | Per-seat license plus maintenance. |
| Takeoff to quote | Live Bill of Quantities flows into multi-version quotes. | Takeoff-focused; pricing typically happens in separate estimating software. |
| AI assistance | AI first pass on counts, markups, and scale — you review. | Manual takeoff workflow. |
| Where you work | Office, site, or home — the same cloud workspace. | The machine the license is installed on. |
Common questions
For the core on-screen takeoff job — calibrate the drawing, measure lengths, areas, and volumes, count symbols — yes, and it runs in the browser on Windows, Mac, and iPad instead of a per-seat Windows install. It also carries quantities into a live Bill of Quantities and versioned quotes, the step dedicated takeoff tools usually leave to separate estimating software. Estimating shops built around deep desktop-specific workflows should trial it on a real job before switching.
On-Screen Takeoff is a Windows desktop product, so Mac users typically run a virtual machine or keep a Windows laptop for takeoff. ContractorCounter is browser-based and runs natively on macOS and iPad — the usual reason OST users go looking for an alternative.
There's no import wizard between takeoff tools in either direction — but your drawings are PDFs or images, so starting a job here means uploading the same files and calibrating. The honest migration path is the one that works for any takeoff switch: run one live job in parallel during the free trial and let the overlap retire itself.
Yes. Measurements and counts pulled from the drawing feed a live Bill of Quantities, and those quantities flow into multi-version quotes, so the takeoff and the price stay connected.
Yes. Upload PDF or image drawings, calibrate the scale once, and run the takeoff in a browser workspace, no desktop install.
Yes. Every account starts with a 14-day free trial — no credit card — for markup, calibrated measurement, counts, BoQ workflows, previews, and a trial AI allowance. Clean production exports ask for billing details first, and you only pay if you subscribe.
Open a plan set, mark it up, and take quantities off the sheet — in your browser, on any device, with nothing to install.
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