Procore Estimating vs RSMeans Data Online

AutoCAD

Contractor Foreman

Jobber

AutoCAD is a design and drafting platform which supports automated design tasks and offers features such as 2D drafting, drawing and annotation, 3D modeling and visualization, and more.

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.

Jobber is field service management software that helps home service businesses stay organized and deliver great customer experiences. With AI tools like Jobber Copilot and automated marketing features, teams can manage more work while delivering five-star service.

Cloud-based takeoff and estimating software purpose built for specialty and general contractors. Upload plans and perform a quantity takeoff and counts flow to estimating where you can adjust material price, labor units, add profit and margin and create a customer facing quote.

Accounting Integration

Activity Dashboard

Alerts/Notifications

Assembly Takeoff

Audit Trail

Automatic Backup

Bid Management

Budgeting/Forecasting

Built-In Database

CAD Tools

Calendar Management

Change Order Management

Collaboration Tools

Commercial/Industrial

Cost Database

Cost Estimating

Cost Tracking

Customer Management

Customizable Reports

Customizable Templates

Data Import/Export

Document Management

Drag & Drop

Electrical Estimating

Electronic Plans

Estimating

For AEC Industry

For General Contractors

For HVAC Companies

For Plumbing Industry

Historical Database

HVAC Estimating

Job Costing

Job Management

Labor Cost Reporting

Labor Rates

Mobile Access

Plumbing Estimating

Prebuilt Assembly

Progress Reports

Project Estimating

Projections

Project Management

Project Planning

Project Templates

Project Tracking

Project Workflow

Proposal Generation

Quotes/Estimates

Real-Time Analytics

Real-Time Data

Real-Time Notifications

Real-Time Reporting

Reporting/Analytics

Reporting & Statistics

SSL Security

Subcontractor Monitoring

Takeoff

Task Management

Task Scheduling

Third-Party Integrations

Time Tracking

Visual Assemblies

What-if Analysis

Work Order Management

Procore Estimating

Web-based

STACK

Bluebeam Revu

FOUNDATION

Buildertrend

Basic

VP of Sales and Estimating

Procore has become a central platform for keeping our construction projects aligned, especially when coordinating between the field, estimators, and office teams.

Project Manager

It is nice that it integrates well with the project management platform.

IT Services Associate

Procore Estimating is robust in ensuring all maintenance costs and distribution expenses are well managed.

What I liked most about Procore Estimating is the ease of use and user friendly interface.

Internal Operations Manager

The ease of connecting to many people from one platform

general manager

Esticom has become an integrated Procure tool recently, however during the transition Procore users with non-profit or free licenses are not able to use the tool.  

I'm hoping that changes over the next year because this is the main function that Procore lacks and I currently pay for a separate third party app integration to compensate.  

It works very well with the mouse, and it is web based so I could access it anywhere.

Student

sometimes when using this software to do bid management it can be confusing

What I liked the most about Esticom is how easy it is to measure blueprints and download them with legends.

I can't go back to using Esticom because I found a software that saves me more time and is cheaper!

Estimator

The navigations between plans and scaling are also easy.

I can almost find everything I want in their libraries.

Integrations

Internet Access

Team Collaboration

Labor and Material Costs

User Interface

Copy and Paste Functionality

Navigation

Bidding

Legend Options

Freelancers

Large Enterprises

Small Business

Mid-size Business

Procore Technologies

Procore

Procore is a cloud-based construction management platform connecting field and office teams throughout the project lifecycle. It offers tools for project execution, cost, resource, and lifecycle management, including bid management, estimating, scheduling, quality tracking, budgeting, invoicing, and workforce management. With document management, analytics, and mobile access, it supports contractors, owners, specialty contractors, and public agencies across various construction projects.

Groundplan

Groundplan is a cloud-based takeoff software used by estimators to measure, design, store, markup, and collaborate on construction project plans

Autodesk Forma

Autodesk Forma provides best-in-class solutions to unite office and field teams throughout the entire project lifecycle. Connect workflows and collaborate securely from one single source of truth.

Autodesk Construction Cloud is now part of Autodesk Forma some resources may still use previous names.

RSMeansData Online on Gordian CLoud Platform is an estimating solution for the construction industry providing users with access to a construction cost database and offers tools for budget planning, estimate creation, cost validation, industry price trend tracking, square foot modelling and more.

Multiple Projects

Reviewers indicate that the comprehensive, frequently updated database can justify the subscription cost for some. However, many reviewers feel RSMeans Data Online is expensive, and they express concerns about unclear pricing, costly upgrades, and limited lower-tier features.

Value for money

By industry, RSMeans Data Online reviewers are most commonly professionals in construction (49%). The most frequent use case cited by reviewers is construction estimating (94% of reviewers).

Proprietary

RSMeans Data Online

Core

Complete

Complete Plus

Rigid and frustrating search

61% of reviewers feel negative about RS Means’ search functionality. Some reviewers find the search feature too rigid, requiring exact terminology to yield results, which they say makes it difficult to locate items without industry-specific language. Users report frustration with the lack of filtering options and the inability to refine or narrow down large result sets. They indicate that the search can be slow, sometimes unresponsive, and often fails to recognize similar terms, leading to inefficiency and repeated attempts to find needed information.

Convenient online accessibility

88% of reviewers feel positive about RS Means’ online access. Reviewers appreciate being able to access estimates and project data from any location with an internet connection, which they say streamlines their workflow and increases flexibility. Some users mention that the web-based format allows for up-to-date information and eliminates the need for software installations or updates. They find the platform easy to navigate and value the convenience of having comprehensive data available on demand, which supports collaboration and standardization across teams and locations.

Sr. Project Manager

Working on a medical university setting I find that the the program is good for basic costing but it is difficult to compare the complications of the environment that I work in, for example, I can be involved in project on campus in active lab spaces, medical equipment/chemical usage and storage, and even nuclear materials, RS means can not help with the complications that we deal with in these scenarios.   

The ability to search the data base and have the latest up to date data information drove the transition from the books to the online data base.

Cost Estimator 

User interface and search for lines could be slicker and include filters. When scrolling lines it tends to load new lines every 20 or so and is slow

Project Manager 

Intuitive features, lots of options, i do like to cost per sf estimator

Owner

We are do a lot of drywall finishing and Black Iron for ceiling  support, and there are not much details for pricing labor.

Personal Assistant

The least about this software I liked, was that the free trial was limited on fearures

The quick estimates are predominantly building types and combinations not relevant to the types of buildings we build on the west coast.  

Senior Operations Manager

Provides 99% of cost data, to accurately project costs for a construction project.  

Principal

It provides what I need without having another piece of software to maintain, update and take up space on my laptop.

I need the ability to individually choose more options in order to make a ROM estimate meaningful and useful.

Owner/ Designer

While it is a very detailed software, it's not very intuitive, nor easily self-taught.

We are an open shop but even using the union scale datasets, it is sometimes as low as 50% of actual.  

Librarian

Depending on projects students need all data and the academic version RSMeans has does not work for our students.

Architect

With the move to the software I'm finding it doesn't really allow me to have a short cut into my purchased program.  

Manager, EE Dept.

It csts extra to be able to add my own line items/cost datat.

From a subcontractor POV, these rates are extremely inaccurate but it's currently data that contracts are being bound to.

Sr. V.E. Coordinator

I can few information and based on that it has capability to generate estimate.

I'd like a simple option to create a desktop link without going to RS Means on-line every time.  

I have not found it to be even close at all in cost to qualified bids on individual scopes of work on projects.  

We use it to reference data on all our bids.

Senior Estimator

Trying to get it intergrated wioth Sage estiamting so that the ionformation is "at my fingertips" so to speak.  

Project Consultant

However, there is no option to export this information on an excel file.

Access in academia works best with ip addresses and not by seats.

I have used RS Means for years in book form for quick reference and always found it accurate and easily accessible.

Senior Associate

Access to data is compartmentalized (commercial, residential, earthwork, etc.).

President

I cannot scroll through without it stopping to look for the data to insert.  

Vice President

I have used this for several projects and it has proven to be accurate when compared to bids received.

Favorites section of data to not have to manually dig each time

Easy and effective platform to provide cost estimates with reliable cost data.

Sales/estimator

This is understandable, especially when the client request is for a particular brand of equipment.

It sucks that there is no unit conversion with this software.

Development Manager

Many times the alternate was a less expensive simpler version of the item I was trying to price out.  

We are currently looking for alternative Estimating & Database solutions

As a result, I will be credited at a lower amount than the actual construction cost.

Having synonyms for lookup would be helpful.

I wish there is a unit conversion in the tool.

This could be my issue, but a short cut hasn't been available that I can find.

Environmental Engineer

Hard to navigate, unless your search is exact, nothing similar will come up

sometimes I couldn't find what I need in the maintenance section.

Wish it was easier to search for specific data.  

Associate Principal

I like that I am able to use it for the government work.

I wish I had the ablility to do both with the standard package.

The process of changing the city/state locations

I used the software for maintenance purposes.

Procore Estimating vs RSMeans Data Online Comparison (2026)

Procore Estimating

RSMeans Data Online

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives