Read the drawings.
Ship the estimate.
One app.
MAGE ID's AI Quantity Takeoff reads your architectural PDFs and returns editable linear-feet, square-feet, and count quantities — with confidence per row, source-page tracing, spec-book matching, and one-tap conversion to sub-trade buyout packages. Bundled into the Pro tier instead of sold as a $200–$500/month standalone tool.
vs. other AI takeoff tools.
We grouped the alternatives by what they actually are — a commercial takeoff platform, a desktop legacy tool, or a residential AI estimator that bolts a plan-upload feature onto a chatbot. Here's how MAGE ID compares to each.
| Capability | MAGE ID Takeoff | Tool A — commercial takeoff platform1 | Tool B — legacy desktop takeoff2 | Tool C — residential AI estimator3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reads PDF drawings (Vision AI) | Yes — Gemini Vision | Yes | No — manual point-and-click | Partial — text-prompt-led |
| Auto-detects scale (e.g. 1/4" = 1'-0") | Yes | Yes | Manual scale-set required | No |
| Returns LF / SF / EA / CY by category | 7 categories — walls, floors, doors, windows, finishes, fixtures, bulk | Yes | Yes (manual) | Rolls into one estimate, not separated |
| Per-row confidence rating | High / medium / low — strict rules per item | No | No | No |
| Source-page tracing (tap row → see drawing) | Yes — Page Inspector with related-quantities sidebar | Page reference only | No | No |
| Spec-book matcher (PT-1 → manufacturer / product / SKU) | Yes — separate AI pass on the spec PDF | No | No | No |
| Wall categorization (interior partition / exterior / demising / foundation) | Yes — drives buyout splits | Generic wall-type tagging | No | No |
| CSI MasterFormat tagging | Yes — per item | Manual | No | No |
| Edit-after-AI (override quantities, "edited" badge) | Inline edit per row, reset-to-AI button | Yes | Yes | Edit pricing, not the structured quantity |
| One-tap takeoff → sub-trade buyout packages | Concrete, framing, doors, windows, drywall, painting, flooring, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, appliances | No | No | No |
| Field verification (camera + GPS per row) | AI vs. field delta with success / warning tone | No | No | No |
| Drawing-revision compare (what changed) | Roadmap | Yes | No | No |
| Bounding-box overlay on drawings | Roadmap (region-level highlight) | Yes | No | No |
| Native iOS app for field use | Native iOS + Android + web | Web only | Windows desktop only | Yes |
| Offline-first sync (airplane mode safe) | Every write through the offline queue | No | No | No |
| Voice form fill (speak it, AI structures it) | Universal mic + per-form parsers | No | No | No |
| Bundled with the rest of the GC stack (estimating, scheduling, AIA pay app, RFI, submittals) | All included | Takeoff only | Takeoff only | Estimating + invoicing only |
Standalone takeoff tools are designed to do one thing well — measure drawings. MAGE ID's takeoff is the front door of a complete contractor OS, so the quantities flow into estimates, sub-trade buyouts, AIA pay applications, and field verification without ever leaving the app.
The price math.
Standalone takeoff tools price per user per year. MAGE ID's Pro tier includes the takeoff plus the rest of the platform — at a lower monthly cost than most takeoff-only subscriptions.
| Setup | Per user / year4 | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Tool A — commercial takeoff platform | $3,500–$3,600 | Takeoff only — no estimating, scheduling, RFI, AIA, etc. |
| Tool A2 — commercial takeoff platform (mid) | $2,200–$3,000 | Takeoff + plan markup |
| Tool B — legacy desktop takeoff (Windows-only) | $1,750–$2,000 | Manual takeoff, no AI, no mobile |
| Tool C — residential AI estimator (mid tier) | $1,400–$1,500 | AI estimating + photo upload, weak takeoff per published reviews |
| Tool D — legacy PDF markup tool (industry-standard) | $440 | Manual takeoff, no AI |
| MAGE ID Pro — AI takeoff bundled | $300/yr5 | Takeoff + estimating + scheduling + AIA + RFI + submittals + cash flow + portals |
$1,100–$3,300 cheaper per user per year.
And the rest of the platform's included.
Standalone takeoff tools are priced for an estimator who lives in one app all day. MAGE ID Pro is priced for the owner-operator GC who wears six hats — one subscription replaces the takeoff app, the estimator, the scheduler, the punch app, the client portal, and the pay app.
The four moves no other tool ships.
These are MAGE ID's real differentiators in the takeoff lane — features that require the rest of the contractor OS to even make sense.
PT-1 → Sherwin Williams Eggshell SW7036
Upload the architect's spec PDF and the AI pairs every callout code on the drawings with the actual manufacturer, product, finish, and SKU. Unmatched codes get flagged as RFIs before you bid them.
One tap. Eight to twelve sub-trade packages.
The takeoff turns into draft buyout packages — concrete, framing, doors, drywall, plumbing, electrical, HVAC — with auto-written scope text including quantities and matched specs. A Friday-afternoon job, in 60 seconds.
AI vs. field, side by side.
Tap a row on site, snap a photo with your iPhone, type what you measured. GPS attaches automatically. Green if within 5%, yellow up to 15%, red beyond. Patterns surface in the corrections panel.
Trace any number to where it came from.
Every quantity carries a high / medium / low confidence rating with strict rules. Tap the source-page badge to open Page Inspector — see the rendered drawing with a sidebar of every other quantity from that page.
Where the others still win — for now.
We'll tell you straight where the alternatives have the edge. If any of these matter more than what we ship today, pick them. We'll be back.
| If you need… | MAGE ID | Where it's better today |
|---|---|---|
| Bounding-box highlights on every measurement | Roadmap — we return source pages today | Tool A (commercial takeoff) |
| Drawing-revision comparison (set A vs. set B) | Roadmap | Tool A (commercial takeoff) |
| Five years of empirical accuracy on commercial sets | Brand-new product, accuracy data publishing soon | Tool A — longest track record |
| Excel quantity export with formulas | CSV / PDF exports today; Excel formulas roadmap | Tool B (legacy desktop) |
| Real-time supplier pricing by ZIP | Materials database with regional factors today; live SKU feeds roadmap | Tool C (residential AI estimator) |
| Cost catalog with assemblies tied to your historical jobs | Roadmap once you have 5+ projects in the system | Tool B — deep custom assemblies |
Honesty earns trust. If you need a bounding-box overlay on every measurement today, Tool A is the better fit. If you want a takeoff that's the front door of a complete contractor operating system — field, finance, scheduling, RFI, AIA, portals, all integrated — that's us.
Want to see it on a real drawing?
30-minute live demo, on us.
Pick a 30-minute window. We'll walk you through the full flow on one of your own plan sets — uploaded right there on the call. You keep the takeoff and the spec-matched product list whether you sign up or not.
Notes:
1 "Tool A" refers to commercial-focused AI takeoff platforms typically priced $2,200–$3,600/user/yr, sold via demo-gated sales motions, marketed at $50M+ commercial GCs.
2 "Tool B" refers to legacy desktop takeoff applications running on Windows only, priced $1,749–$2,000/user/yr, with no AI auto-detection.
3 "Tool C" refers to residential AI estimators with photo / plan upload at $39–$299/month tiered pricing, where the AI primarily generates estimates from text descriptions plus reference imagery rather than running structured quantity takeoff with confidence ratings.
4 Annual prices reflect publicly-listed pricing and category buyer guides as of Q2 2026. Per-user, billed annually unless noted.
5 MAGE ID Pro published price as of Q2 2026. Includes the AI Quantity Takeoff, AI Drawing Analyzer, AI Spec Book Matcher, AI Estimate Validator, AI Schedule Generator, AIA G702/G703, Cash Flow Forecaster, RFI / Submittal / Punch / Warranty modules, Client Portal, Sub Portal, and the rest of the platform — no add-on fees.