RIB Candy vs On-Screen Takeoff

Contractor Foreman

STACK

PlanHub

Contractor Foreman is an all-in-one construction management software designed for small to medium-sized contractors. It offers a range of features, including project management, financial tracking, team collaboration, and document management, all in an easy-to-use and affordable platform.

STACK is the best, cloud-based takeoff and estimating software for construction contractors. STACK software is easy-to-use, Mac & PC compatible, and has powerful, time-saving AI features.

PlanHub is a preconstruction software that helps construction professionals find projects, manage bids, network, and more. The platform offers a range of tools, including project finder, takeoff and estimation, prequalification, and bid management, all designed to simplify the preconstruction process and enable construction professionals to work more efficiently.

The ultimate Construction Project Management Software, Candy is unique, powerful, and dynamically focused on project control in the construction & engineering industry.

Accounting

Accounting Integration

Agile Methodologies

Audit Trail

Bid Management

Bills of Material

BIM Modeling

Budgeting/Forecasting

Change Order Management

Collaboration Tools

Contract/License Management

Contractor Management

Cost Database

Cost Estimating

Cost-to-Completion Tracking

Cost Tracking

Due Date Tracking

Electrical Estimating

Estimating

File Sharing

Forecasting

Historical Database

HVAC Estimating

Invoice Management

Job Costing

Job Scheduling

Milestone Tracking

Mobile App

Multiple Projects

Overrun Reporting

Percent-Complete Tracking

Planning Tools

Plumbing Estimating

Portfolio Management

Prioritization

Production Cost Tracking

Progress Tracking

Project Accounting

Project Estimating

Projections

Project Management

Project Planning

Project Planning/Scheduling

Project Scheduling

Project Tracking

Proposal Generation

Quotes/Estimates

Reporting/Analytics

Reporting/Project Tracking

Rescheduling

Resource Management

Scheduling

Subcontractor Management

Subcontractor Monitoring

Takeoff

Task Management

Time Tracking

Traditional Methodologies

Visualization

What-if Analysis

RIB Candy

Web-based

Windows

Smartsheet

Basic

Head of Estimating

I work in a large organisation with multiple remote estimators working on highly complex tenders and need to view my teams portfolio and learn from job to job.

Senior Estimator

My duties and responsibilities include coordinating project tasks, preparing BOQs, updating documentation, and ensuring smooth workflow support.”

Senior Planner

I will always promote this software because a company use this software from tender, procurement, measuring, planning, estimating, cost control - full packages within a company.

Estimator

For example the filter function in the BoQ module does not filter in the same way as the filter function in the planning module with regards to headings, the quantity calculation worksheets differ from module to module.

There is no functionality to use global variables, there is no copy and paste functionality, there is no ability to assign figures to use variables.

Project Controls

Overall, RIB Candy has helped streamline our processes, reduce manual effort, and improve accuracy, which makes a noticeable difference to productivity and confidence in the data we’re working with.

The limitation of 40 characters in the resource file results in the need to abbreviate descriptions that are readily available for materials/resources from supplier price lists.

Commercial Manager

Its a very safe estimating product, provides a thorough breakdown of margin, , labour and material, would have been nice if there can be a master library on all rejects.

Civils Manager

Tried and tested, cost effective, secure construction management software that serves to effectively create, manage and share estimating documents.

MEP Estimation Manager

The main concern I have i, If a colleague resigns and moves to a competitor, it’s very easy to export the master file with all the resource lists and custom worksheets. Since I’ve invested a lot of effort building simple resources and complex worksheets with formulas tailored to specific tasks, there should be more restrictions or security layers to protect this data.

Sr. Estimation Engineer

This software is a must for every estimator who seeks accuracy, control, ability to analyse, cost control, quantity take off, and many many other essential features.

For example, users / friends from different company's interchange company data amongst themselves.   When employees leave company's, they take the previous company's CCS data with them.

The integrated applications that cover all contract commercial and planning administrative functions in a way that makes errors less likely to occur other than by human error

In all modules, there is no ability to readily copy a selected range of values within a column, to another input column.

Director

Powerful estimating tool with strong Bill of Quantities structure, cost control and good reporting for projects.

This should be a generalized function across all modules, that values can be copied into a column from what is in the clipboard.

Quantity Surveyor

With the built in auto save function, i know that my work is always safe in case of any accidental errors. and lastly, i cannot express how grateful i am for the constant support from RIB, whenever i need assistance, they are eager to help and very knowledgeable about the product itself.

Senior Civil Engineering Estimator

I love the fact that you can link the programme to the BoQ which then opens up a whole feast of extremely useful data and forecasting information.

The fact that it has not integrated AI into the pricing or quantity take off leaves RIB Candy behind other construction software.

Allows transparency amongst users and accurate take offs of quantities from drawings.

Candy currently does not work well with one drive and we've experienced issues where the current working file was saved through a one drive path, but then the next time i wish to use that file, it is then an issue with how it is saved.

The ability to copy values into Candy input columns from Excell should also be a standard function.

I’m able to respond to more RFQs, pricing errors are completely eliminated, and the review process during negotiation stages is much more effective.

GM Construction

However, vertical construction in New Zealand does not use bill of quantities and therefore a large portion of candy have become non-usable.

Project Planner

No clear description available on how to fix import/export disparities between candy and MPP or P6 files.

one platform that covers all aspects of the construction industry, planning, estimating, job remodeling, forecast, QTO, subcontractor management.

Reporting and tracking are standout strengths – it’s easy to see the information you actually need, and the system feels stable and reliable day to day.

Construction Cost consultant

The integration with QTO is exceptional to me since it can handle both PDF and DWG files, making measurements easy and precise.

Senior Commercial Manager

Candy has a very powerful reporting function and works smooth and efficient, which allows the user to ensure all elements are considered prior to tender submission.

It significantly improves productivity and reduces manual errors compared to traditional Excel-based estimating.

Network Master is unstable on cloud storage so I cannot manage libraries centrally

Performance can sometimes lag when handling very large datasets or complex BOQs.

Tendering Director

friendly user, provide accuracy and wide problem solutions, database makes the user not repeating the same job, comparison has a lot of options.

Integrating valuations with planning and cost reporting allows very accurate reporting and forecasting

The Sub Contractor Manager does not allow for flexibility to execute the works and a different procurement strategy without huge rearrangement of the architecture of pricing methodology.

There’s also a bit of a learning curve at the start, and occasional slowdowns when working with larger data sets.

It's still a best system with a few tweaks required to meet the latest technology the package will still be the leading industry's preferred.

Cannot assess carbon against subcontractors that make up 80% - 90% of our direct costs

The collaboration features also make it easier to work within teams and maintain consistency across projects.

this makes it difficult when sharing across platforms like Zoom, especillay tender review process.

Hard to build estimates for highly complex items all in one worksheet

In estimating, there is no option to edit the master while working on a job.

Some minor bugs - but working around them, keen to have some feedback on improvements ideas - sorting the projects alphabetically as default,

The lack of development mean that it is no longer fit for purpose in the current connected digital environment.

Estimation deputy director

Strong organization, secure system all your Data treated as confidential, reliable task tracking, and excellent customer support

Updates need to be managed by individual IT requests locally as deemed a fresh software install

There is no clip and paste functionality within the worksheets.

Sometimes while using a tool the curser seems to jump to other areas of the screen not being used.

Contract Manager

Our company uses Candy and all the feedback that I have received from people that have used it is overwhelm positive too, this goes for our Site Managers, Contract Managers and Quantity Surveyors.

It has directly helped me win more projects without post-award issues. Except for the security aspect, I find the software extremely reliable and indispensable for MEP estimation.

Estimation

Security and Access Control

Import and Export

Tendering

Construction Project Management

Worksheets

Pricing

Cost Reporting

Freelancers

Small Business

Large Enterprises

Mid-size Business

RIB Software

On-Screen Takeoff® is the trusted digital takeoff solution that contractors use to measure plans faster, smarter, and more accurately.

2D Drawing

Annotations

Assembly Takeoff

Bill of Materials

Document Management

Electronic Plans

For AEC Industry

For Residential

Issue Management

Proprietary

On-Screen Takeoff

Linux

PlanSwift

Sage Construction Suite

Senior Project Manager

Working in Multifamily construction, this software is a must have for estimating.

I liked the ability to accurately estimate radius' and curved structures.

Estimator - Project Manager

Software is easy to use and with the right training and knowledge, which is very well provided, we can provide accurate budgets for our customers.

This software is a great tool for those looking for an easy use and learn estimating software.

Landscape Designer

you can overlay different versions of the plan on top of each other the old will be red and new blue that way you can see purple if noting changed or moved and blue if something changed.

Electrical Engineer

Civil Designer

It does not identify CAD files and does not have a smart algorithm to identify the elements.

best tool in construction industry for quantity take.

Its pretty simple and easy to perform takeoffs.

Estimator 

Another feature I wish it had was preconstructed conditions so you wouldn't have to build them.

people cant be in the same file at the same time and edit.

It does not do automated quantity recognition.

However, whenever I had projects which are very specialized, this software did not help much.

It is very fast, does not require much of a space on hard drive and works perfectly!

RIB Candy vs On-Screen Takeoff Comparison (2026)

RIB Candy

On-Screen Takeoff

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives