The On-Screen Takeoff alternative at one-tenth the cost.
On-Screen Takeoff (OST) is ConstructConnect's flagship desktop takeoff product, sold by quote. Published industry estimates put single-user pricing around $1,850 a year and multi-seat or enterprise tiers materially higher. BidScreen XL is $400 a year or $750 perpetual. Both measure from PDF and DWG drawings. BidScreen XL lives inside Excel; OST has its own canvas and exports to spreadsheet.
BidScreen XL vs On-Screen Takeoff
| Dimension | BidScreen XL | On-Screen Takeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Annual price | $400 / yr or $750 perpetual | Quote-only (industry estimates from ~$1,850 / seat / yr) |
| Deployment | Windows Excel add-in | Windows desktop + Takeoff Boost (browser) |
| Where measurements live | In your Excel workbook | OST canvas, export to Excel |
| Drawing formats | PDF, DWG, DXF, TIF | PDF, DWG, and other formats |
| Perpetual license | $750 one time | Not offered |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Public pricing | Yes, published | No, contact for quote |
| Best for | Estimators bidding out of Excel | ConstructConnect bid-network teams |
The case for BidScreen XL
Estimators move from On-Screen Takeoff to BidScreen XL for two reasons.
Cost. OST has been one of the more expensive products in this comparison set, and its pricing is opaque (quote-only). BidScreen XL is published, predictable, and one of the cheapest options. The gap on a 3 seat 5 year window is in the $20,000+ range based on published industry pricing.
The Excel workflow. OST is a strong product, but it asks the estimator to do takeoff in one application and bidding in another. BidScreen XL collapses that into one application, because the canvas IS the bid workbook.
Every dimension, side by side
Measurement
| Feature | BidScreen XL | On-Screen Takeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Areas, lengths, counts | Yes | Yes |
| Quantities as Excel formulas | Yes | Exports values to Excel |
| Symbol count automation | Yes | Yes |
File formats
| Feature | BidScreen XL | On-Screen Takeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | |
| DWG | Yes | Yes |
| DXF | Yes | Not explicitly advertised |
| TIF | Yes | Not explicitly advertised |
Workflow
| Feature | BidScreen XL | On-Screen Takeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas is Excel | Yes | No |
| Bid math lives in workbook | Yes | Workbook is downstream of OST |
| AI first-pass takeoff | No | Yes (Takeoff Boost, browser) |
| ConstructConnect bid network | No (subscribe to SmartBidNet directly) | Yes, native integration |
Pricing
| Feature | BidScreen XL | On-Screen Takeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost per seat | $400 / yr | Quote-only, ~$1,850 / yr and up |
| Perpetual option | $750 | Not offered |
| Published pricing on vendor site | Yes | No |
Support
| Feature | BidScreen XL | On-Screen Takeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Phone + email support | Yes (US, M-F business hours) | Yes |
Five-year cost of ownership
3 seats over 5 years
Save $21,750 with VertigraphBidScreen XL lease: 3 seats at $400 per year for 5 years ($6,000). On-Screen Takeoff: estimating from published industry sources at $1,850 per seat per year, 3 seats for 5 years lands around $27,750. Real OST pricing is quote-only and varies materially by tier and contract length; larger teams have been quoted multiples of this.
When On-Screen Takeoff is actually the right choice
OST is the right tool when your team is already deeply integrated with ConstructConnect's broader bid network (SmartBidNet, bid invitations, document hosting).
If your bids depend on receiving thousands of invitations through ConstructConnect and OST is integrated with that flow, leaving the bid network is a bigger decision than leaving OST.
BidScreen XL has no equivalent native bid-network integration. Most contractors handle that with separate ConstructConnect or BidClerk subscriptions alongside their takeoff tool.
Switching from On-Screen Takeoff to BidScreen XL
How to migrate
- Identify whether your team uses ConstructConnect's bid network beyond OST itself. If not, the migration is straightforward.
- Install BidScreen XL as an Excel add-in.
- Open the last OST bid and the original PDF.
- Re-trace one trade in BidScreen XL and validate the quantity matches OST.
- Run a parallel bid on one project.
- If results match, schedule the OST subscription cancellation at the next renewal.
Frequently asked
What does On-Screen Takeoff actually cost? The website does not show prices.
On-Screen Takeoff is quote-only. Published industry sources estimate single-user pricing around $1,850 a year, with multi-seat enterprise quotes running materially higher (10 user estimates around $17,000 a year, per ITQlick). BidScreen XL publishes prices on the website; $400 a year lease or $750 perpetual.
Will BidScreen XL work with our existing OST takeoffs?
Not directly. OST exports to Excel, and those exported values can be pasted into a BidScreen XL workbook, but the typical migration path is to redo the takeoff on the next bid in BidScreen XL since the measurement is faster in the spreadsheet.
Can BidScreen XL handle commercial drawings the way OST does?
Yes. BidScreen XL is used on commercial construction bids of every size, from $50,000 fit-outs to $200 million ground-up. The drawing formats and measurement primitives are the same.
What if we leave OST but still need ConstructConnect bid invitations?
Subscribe to SmartBidNet or BidClerk independently. BidScreen XL plus a bid-network subscription is still substantially cheaper than the bundled OST deal.
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.