Buildxact vs ProEst
Head-to-head comparison of Buildxact and ProEst for US contractors. Pricing, features, pros, and cons.
Last updated: May 2026
TL;DR
Buildxact costs $49/mo per user and targets small residential contractors — simple estimating, scheduling, and job costing in a clean interface. ProEst has custom pricing and targets commercial GCs — deep takeoffs, BIM integration, and massive cost databases for complex bids. Pick Buildxact for residential work under 10 jobs a month; pick ProEst for commercial estimating at scale.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Buildxact | ProEst |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $49 | Custom |
| Overall Rating | ||
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Core Features | ||
| Estimating | ||
| Digital Takeoff | — | |
| Scheduling | — | |
| Project Mgmt | — | |
| Business Tools | ||
| CRM | — | |
| QuickBooks | ||
| Reporting | ||
| Proposals | ||
| Advanced | ||
| Mobile App | — | |
| Inventory | — | — |
| BIM | — | |
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Pricing verified as of April 2026. Features based on vendor documentation.
Buildxact
Our PickUp and running in under an hour — your apprentice can build estimates by day two
Try Buildxact Free →ProEst
Massive construction cost database — you're not typing in material prices by hand
Get ProEst Demo →Pricing verified as of May 2026.
Annual Cost by Team Size
Monthly prices don't tell the whole story. Here's what you'll actually pay per year.
| Software | 1 Tech | 3 Techs | 5 Techs | 10 Techs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildxact | $588/yr | $1,764/yr | $2,940/yr | $5,880/yr |
| ProEst | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom |
Annual costs calculated from vendor pricing as of April 2026. Prices may vary.
Pros and Cons
Buildxact
Pros
- +Up and running in under an hour — your apprentice can build estimates by day two
- +At $49/mo it's the cheapest option with scheduling and job management built in
- +Estimate turns into an invoice in 3 clicks — no re-typing
- +Pre-built templates for residential HVAC, plumbing, and electrical jobs
Cons
- −No digital takeoff — if you count outlets from blueprints, this won't help
- −Built for residential work. Commercial contractors should look elsewhere
- −CRM is bare-bones — don't expect a full customer pipeline
ProEst
Pros
- +Massive construction cost database — you're not typing in material prices by hand
- +Plugs into Sage, QuickBooks, and major ERPs without custom work
- +BIM and plan takeoff built in — handles commercial blueprints that Excel can't
- +Built for complex commercial and industrial bids with multiple trades
Cons
- −Custom pricing means a sales call — no way to see costs upfront
- −Overkill if you run a 1–10 person shop doing residential work
- −No mobile app — you can't check a bid from the job site
Who Should Choose Which?
Choose Buildxact if...
- Small residential contractors and remodelers who want simple estimating without a steep learning curve
- Solo operators or 2-person teams on a tight budget — $49/mo per user is the lowest per-user price we've tracked
- Contractors who need basic scheduling and job management alongside estimating without paying enterprise prices
Choose ProEst if...
- Commercial GCs and heavy civil contractors with dedicated estimating departments
- Teams that need a deep construction cost database with regional pricing instead of manual material entry
- Companies already using Autodesk Construction Cloud — ProEst integrates natively with the full suite
Our Verdict
Buildxact edges out ProEst with a higher overall rating (4.5/5 vs 4.4/5). If you're a hvac contractor with a small team, go with Buildxact. Need digital takeoff? Consider ProEst instead.
Try both free trials before committing — but start with Buildxact. It scored higher in our hands-on testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our Verdict: Buildxact or ProEst?
Marcus Webb
Lead Reviewer & Construction Tech Analyst
Marcus spent 8 years working with general contractors and trade businesses before focusing on construction technology. He has personally tested 30+ estimating and project management tools with real project data.
About Marcus →Still deciding? Get our weekly tool comparisons.
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