PlanSwift: Manual on-screen takeoff (Windows desktop)
The PlanSwift alternative
that does the takeoff for you.
PlanSwift is a proven point-and-click takeoff tool: you trace, count and measure every item yourself on a Windows desktop. Vereyo does the takeoff for you. Upload the plan set and it reads the sheets, paints everything it counted on the plan, and prices each trade from local sub bids.
100+ Los Angeles builders trust Vereyo
The short answer
- Choose Vereyo if you estimate residential new construction, ADUs or remodels and want the takeoff done and priced for you.
- Choose PlanSwift if you want to control every measurement by hand, work offline on Windows, or do mostly commercial work.
- PlanSwift makes manual takeoff faster. Vereyo removes the manual step, and you review a finished takeoff on the plan instead.
What Vereyo does that PlanSwift doesn't
Every trade, drawn on your plans
Not just areas or one trade's highlights: every wall, outlet, light, fixture, door, window, cabinet, room and roof plane Vereyo reads is painted right on the sheet, for all trades at once. You check the takeoff by looking at it, not by trusting a number. See something wrong? Fix it on the plan and the price updates.
Pricing calibrated on real local sub bids
Other tools hand you quantities and leave the prices to you. Vereyo prices every trade from assembly rates calibrated against real subcontractor bids in your market, and you can override any rate with your own.
State-of-the-art plan reading
Vereyo reads the PDF's own text layer for exact labels and dimensions, then uses modern vision AI to read the drawings: floor plans, elevations, RCPs, site plans, door, window and finish schedules. It sorts the sheets, finds each structure, and cross-checks one sheet against another.
Built by a GC with 25 years in the field
Vereyo wasn't designed by a software company guessing how builders estimate. It was built by a general contractor with 25 years of residential experience, and the trade breakdown matches how a builder actually prices a job.
Vereyo vs PlanSwift: side by side
| Vereyo | PlanSwift | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the takeoff | AI reads every sheet and builds the takeoff for you | You click, trace and count every item |
| Seeing what was counted | Every trade painted on the plan (walls, devices, fixtures, openings, rooms, roof) to check and edit | Your own traces, one item at a time |
| Estimate pricing | Priced from rates calibrated on real local sub bids | Bring your own prices via assemblies |
| Trade coverage | 32 residential trades, broken out one by one | Any trade, once you build the assemblies |
| Multi-structure projects | Main house, ADU and detached garage split and priced separately | Manual: you separate the pages yourself |
| Schedules & callouts | Reads door, window and finish schedules and checks them against the plan | You read them and enter quantities |
| Sub bidding | Send trade bid packages to vetted subs, then compare and award | Not included |
| Platform | Browser: Mac, Windows or iPad, nothing to install | Windows desktop install |
| Subscription price | First project free on your own plans. GC plan $299/mo, or $2,999/yr (about $250/mo). | About $1,749 per license per year (published list price); support after year one is extra. |
PlanSwift details are from its public website and listings as of September 2026. Features and prices change, so check with the vendor for current terms. PlanSwift is a trademark of its respective owner.
Comparing more than two tools? See our roundup of the best construction takeoff software for home builders.
Who does the takeoff?
PlanSwift is a better way to do manual takeoff. It beats a scale ruler and highlighters, but a person still traces every wall run, clicks every outlet and counts every door, trade after trade.
Vereyo moves that work from you to the software. It reads the floor plans, elevations, RCPs, site plan and schedules, then paints what it found on the sheets: walls for drywall, device pins for electrical, fixtures for plumbing, roof planes, rooms, doors and windows. Your job becomes checking the plan and fixing what's wrong.
Quantities vs a priced estimate
PlanSwift gives you quantities. Turning them into a number means building assemblies and maintaining your own price lists. Vereyo prices each trade with assembly rates calibrated on real local subcontractor bids, and you can override any rate with your own.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Vereyo if…
- You bid residential new construction, ADUs, additions or remodels.
- Takeoff is your bottleneck and you'd rather review than trace.
- You want a priced, trade-by-trade estimate, not just quantities.
- You're on a Mac, or want to work from any browser.
Choose PlanSwift if…
- You need pixel-level manual control over every measurement.
- You work mostly on commercial or industrial projects.
- Your team has years of PlanSwift assemblies built and wants to keep them.
How Vereyo turns plans into an estimate
- 1
Upload the plan set
Drop in the whole PDF: architectural, structural, MEP, site. Vereyo sorts the sheets and finds each structure.
- 2
AI does the takeoff
Every trade is read off the drawings: rooms and areas, walls, openings, devices, fixtures, roof, cabinets, tile, and more.
- 3
Review, price, send
Check any quantity on the plan, adjust rates, export a client-ready estimate, and send trade packages to subs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best PlanSwift alternative for residential contractors?
If your time goes into takeoff, look for automated takeoff rather than faster manual takeoff. Vereyo reads the full residential plan set, paints every item it counts on the plan, and prices each trade from local sub bids.
Does Vereyo run on a Mac?
Yes. Vereyo runs in the browser on Mac, Windows and iPad with nothing to install. PlanSwift is a Windows desktop application.
Can I still edit the takeoff in Vereyo?
Yes. Everything Vereyo reads is drawn on the plan. Add or remove counts, redraw areas or override a quantity, and the priced estimate updates.
How does PlanSwift pricing compare to Vereyo?
PlanSwift lists at about $1,749 per license per year for takeoff only (as of September 2026). Vereyo's GC plan is $299/mo or $2,999/yr and includes the automated takeoff, local pricing, and sub bidding. Your first project is free.
See Vereyo next to PlanSwift on your own plans
Upload a real plan set and compare the estimate to how you do it today. Your first project is free, and no credit card is needed.
Upload your first plan