The Bluebeam alternative that lives inside Excel.
BidScreen XL is the Bluebeam alternative for estimators who already work in Microsoft Excel. Where Bluebeam Revu measures inside a PDF and exports to a spreadsheet, BidScreen XL adds PDF, DWG, DXF, and TIF measurement directly to the workbook your estimating team has already built. $400 a year, or $750 perpetual.
BidScreen XL vs Bluebeam Revu
| Dimension | BidScreen XL | Bluebeam Revu |
|---|---|---|
| Annual price | $400 / yr | $260 / $330 / $440 per yr (Basics / Core / Complete) |
| Perpetual license | $750 one time | Not offered |
| Where measurements live | In your Excel workbook, as formulas | Inside the PDF, exported to a spreadsheet |
| Drawing formats | PDF, DWG, DXF, TIF | PDF only |
| Deployment | Windows Excel add-in | Windows desktop + Bluebeam Cloud (web and mobile) |
| Best for | Estimators bidding from Excel templates | PDF markup and team collaboration |
| Free trial | 14 days | Trial available |
| Phone + email support | Included (US, M-F business hours) | Included (all tiers) |
| Years in market | Since 1991 (BidScreen XL since 2001) | Since 2002 |
The case for BidScreen XL
Three reasons keep coming up when estimators move to BidScreen XL from Bluebeam.
Their estimating workbook does not change. They keep the formulas they built over a decade and the formatting their PM team is already trained on. BidScreen XL measures into those exact cells.
The math is on the spreadsheet, not inside the PDF. A Revu takeoff exports a flat number. A BidScreen XL takeoff is a formula that updates as soon as a price input or quantity scope changes.
Ownership. $750 buys the seat outright, and the seat keeps working in five years even if the maintenance fee lapses. Bluebeam stops working the day the subscription stops.
Every dimension, side by side
Measurement
| Feature | BidScreen XL | Bluebeam Revu |
|---|---|---|
| Areas (square footage) | Yes | Yes |
| Lengths (linear ft) | Yes | Yes |
| Counts and symbol detection | Yes | Yes (Core and Complete tiers) |
| Perimeter, angle, volume | Yes | Core and Complete only (Basics is length and area) |
| Quantities land as formulas, not values | Yes (every measurement is an Excel formula) | Quantity Link pushes values to Excel (Complete tier) |
File formats
| Feature | BidScreen XL | Bluebeam Revu |
|---|---|---|
| PDF (vector and raster) | Yes | Yes |
| DWG / DXF native open | Yes | No |
| TIF / TIFF native open | Yes | No |
| Multi-page drawings | Yes | Yes |
Workflow
| Feature | BidScreen XL | Bluebeam Revu |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas is Microsoft Excel | Yes | No |
| Edit estimating cells while measuring | Yes | No |
| Reuse your existing bid template | Yes | Template lives in Revu |
| PDF markup for project team | Limited | Yes |
| iPad / mobile workflow | No | Yes (Bluebeam Cloud) |
Pricing
| Feature | BidScreen XL | Bluebeam Revu |
|---|---|---|
| Annual subscription | $400 / yr | $260 / $330 / $440 per yr by tier |
| Perpetual purchase | $750 one time | Not offered |
| Maintenance after perpetual | $150 / yr Full Serve | Bundled |
Support
| Feature | BidScreen XL | Bluebeam Revu |
|---|---|---|
| Phone + email support | Yes (US, M-F business hours) | Yes (all tiers) |
| Free training videos | Yes | Yes (Bluebeam University) |
| Years in business | 35 | 24 |
Five-year cost of ownership
5 seats over 5 years
Save $4,250 with VertigraphBidScreen XL: 5 perpetual licenses at $750 each, plus $150 per seat per year Full Serve after year 1 ($3,750 + $3,000). Bluebeam: 5 Revu Complete annual subscriptions at $440 per seat per year for 5 years ($11,000). Complete tier is the one with Quantity Link to Excel; Core ($330) and Basics ($260) cost less but lack the Excel integration.
5 seats over 5 years
If you compare BidScreen XL's annual lease ($400 per seat per year, $10,000) against Bluebeam Revu Basic ($260 per seat per year, $6,500), Bluebeam is cheaper on the subscription scenario. Perpetual is where Vertigraph pulls ahead.
When Bluebeam Revu is actually the right choice
Bluebeam wins on three fronts.
If your team marks up PDFs for the project after the bid (RFIs, punchlists, as-builts), the Revu annotation and Studio collaboration tools are unmatched in this category.
If your iPad and mobile workflow matters, Bluebeam Cloud handles browser and tablet access in a way BidScreen XL does not.
And if your team does not bid out of Excel, the Excel-native pitch does not apply. Plenty of contractors run a Revu-plus-Excel workflow successfully; the takeoff is in Revu, the bid math is in Excel, and the friction is in the export step. BidScreen XL removes that step. If you do not feel the friction, you do not need the change.
Switching from Bluebeam Revu to BidScreen XL
How to migrate
- Download the BidScreen XL trial and install it as an Excel add-in. Excel restart, ribbon appears.
- Open your existing estimating template. BidScreen XL adds a ribbon tab. The workbook is untouched.
- Drop one of your last bid PDFs into the BidScreen XL viewer.
- Set the scale. Auto-detect picks up most architectural scales; override if it does not.
- Trace one measurement. The quantity lands as a formula in the active cell.
- Repeat through your takeoff. If you have Revu measurements, export to CSV and paste alongside.
- Submit the bid from the same workbook your team already uses.
Frequently asked
Can I keep using Bluebeam alongside BidScreen XL?
Yes. BidScreen XL is a measurement add-in for Excel; it does not touch your Revu installation. Most teams that try BidScreen XL run both for a few bids before deciding which one belongs in the regular workflow.
Does BidScreen XL open Bluebeam PDFs?
Yes. BidScreen XL opens any PDF, including PDFs that have already been marked up in Revu. Revu markups stay visible but BidScreen XL does not modify them.
How does the price compare for a 5 seat team?
Five seats of BidScreen XL perpetual is $3,750 one time plus $150 per seat per year Full Serve after year 1. Five seats of Revu Complete (the tier with Quantity Link to Excel) is $2,200 per year, every year. BidScreen XL is cheaper from year 2 onward; the gap widens every year after.
Can BidScreen XL import a Revu takeoff?
Not directly. You can export dimensions from Revu to CSV and paste them into the BidScreen XL workbook, but most teams just redo the takeoff once in BidScreen XL on the next bid since measurement is faster inside the spreadsheet they already use.
Which product is better for civil and earthwork bids?
Neither in most cases. For roadway and site earthwork, look at SiteWorx/OS. Revu is built for vertical construction and BidScreen XL is the vertical-side counterpart. If your bids are predominantly civil, see our SiteWorx/OS vs AGTEK comparison.
Try BidScreen XL free for 14 days.
No credit card, no setup call. Download the installer, pick a job, run the takeoff. If it fits the way you bid, keep it.