Beam AI vs Stack
Beam AI: The #1 alternative software for Stack in 2026
Beam AI is the only stack alternative with human-reviewed QA for 100% automated AI-based outputs. Save 90% of your time, submit 3-5X as many bids, and enjoy built-in bid tracking.
Trusted by 1200+ businesses across the US & Canada
Stack vs. Beam AI: A Stack alternative that actually saves time
Discover how Beam AI’s zero-manual-effort takeoff software outshines Stack
Features
Beam AI
Stack
100% automated takeoffs
Bid ready, AI-based takeoff outputs
Provides AI tools (e.g., auto-count) to speed up takeoffs, but is a user-input-driven software platform.
Built-in quality checks on takeoffs
Every takeoff is reviewed by a human QA team
No human QA included; accuracy depends on user expertise and internal reviews
Cloud-based software
Fully browser-based; no downloads or device restrictions
Yes, you can access the software from anywhere through a browser
Auto-detected changes in addenda/ revisions
Auto-detects changes and generates a variance report
Provides plan overlay and comparison tools for manual change identification
Collaboration with team
members
Cloud-based software with multiple member access, giving easy collaboration between key stakeholders
Yes, teams can collaborate in real time on plans and projects
Customer Support
Dedicated team for your account, resolving all queries proactively
Offers customer support only during business hours only
Bid tracking capabilities
Provides a bid board that connects to your takeoffs seamlessly - helping you keep track of all essentials in 1 place
Yes, does provide bid tracking capabilities
Unlimited users
Add as many team members as you need at no extra cost
Stack charges per user seat, increasing cost as teams grow
Automated detection of specs
Reads plans/specs and extracts quantities automatically
Can extract some quantities from plans; doesn't offer spec parsing
Automated discrepancy detection
Automatically flags any measurement discrepancies in plans
Discrepancies must be found manually
Stack keeps you away from your bids. And your customer.
Beam AI helps you reclaim the 30-50% of the time during a bid cycle which is spent just on doing takeoffs
Why contractors choose Beam AI as their Stack Alternative
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See What Our Customers Have to Say
From saving time on takeoffs to winning more bids, hear from our customers firsthand how we’re helping them succeed
"With Beam AI, we have cut 80% of the time on takeoffs to focus on bigger projects and send on more proposals."
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Maxwell Henderson
Business Owner, Desert Rat Welding, LLC
"We’re saving a week’s worth of time on takeoffs and recording 1.5x business growth after switching to Beam AI."
Roy Cabrera
Estimator, Pilkington Construction Co.
"With Beam AI, we’re saving 2 days of work/week. Our bid volume has doubled, and we’ve grown from $900K to $2M in just a couple of months!"
Bryan Ramirez
Senior Estimator, Rays Stairs Inc.
"We are now bidding 8 more projects/month without increasing our headcount and have recorded a revenue growth of $500K - $ 1M with increased bid capacity."
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Ryan Meers
Estimator/Project Manager, Bommarito Construction
"With significantly less time spent on takeoffs, we can now focus more on securing better pricing from suppliers and verifying material availability."
Laura De Sanctis
Assistant Director, JBG Flooring and Installation Ltd.
"Beam AI is helping us modernize our business and has become a key part of our bidding process, saving up to 2 days on takeoffs."
Dylan Wiman
CEO & President, Rocky Mountain Steel, Inc
"By adopting Beam AI, we have halved our takeoff time while significantly improving bid accuracy. It is an integral part of our business growth now."
Lead Estimator at a large-sized concrete services company based in Texas
"It has helped us turn around bids faster and free up 5–8 hours a week, time we now spend on pricing strategy and customer needs."
Brent Wright
Senior Estimator, Merritt Contracting
"We are now saving 40+ man-hours per takeoff while ensuring no critical details are missed. Beam AI is helping us build better estimates, faster."
Ricardo Pacheco
CTO, Building Preservation Material Technologies
"I’m saving 4-6 hours a day, and now, I can focus on clients, visit job sites, and grow the business instead of just keeping it running."
Vice President, South Florida-based demolition contractor
"I used to spend 25 hours a week on takeoffs, now it's just 5. Beam AI has freed up enough time that I could potentially handle 800 projects a year instead of 400, without hiring another estimator."
Henry Greenberg
President, Guardian Roofing & Exteriors Inc. and Director of Sales & Marketing, T.U.F.F. Exteriors Inc.
"Since switching to Beam AI, we’ve submitted 10X more bids. I used to spend 2–3 hours per takeoff, but now I’m done in 30 minutes."
Mike Gibson
President, New View Roofing
"We went from 2 bids a week to 8–9, with no extra hires, thanks to Beam AI."
Danell Zarrelli
Assistant Project Manager, Harner Plumbing
"With Beam AI, we’re submitting 25% more bids, without adding another estimator to the team."
Stephen Mendoza
Outside Sales Representative, Cape Cod Winwater
"We’re winning more jobs, growing the business, and doing it all without expanding our team. Beam AI has become an essential part of how we operate."
Viri Ramirez
Co-owner, Cart Construction
"We’re now sending up to 5 bids a week, have taken on larger projects, and even repurposed an estimator to focus on inventory and purchasing."
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Dylan Kaminski
Business Development Manager, Tactical Construction Inc.
"With Beam AI, we’ve doubled our revenue from $6M to $12M and cut our bid turnaround from five days to just two. Beam AI has been exceptionally helpful!"
Project Manager & Business Development Services, Minnesota-based HVAC Contractor
FAQs
What are the major differences between Beam AI and Stackct Takeoff?
Beam AI is a fully automated Stack alternative that delivers ready-to-use quantities—no manual tracing, clicking, or sheet-by-sheet review. It adds human QA, automated spec and revision detection, discrepancy alerts, unlimited users, and 24×7 support.
Stack offers strong digital takeoff tools but relies on the user to measure, review plans, and validate accuracy manually. For teams seeking more automation and less effort, Beam AI is the more advanced Stack software alternative.
Is Beam AI and Stackct available for Mac users?
Yes—both work on Mac via a browser. Beam AI, however, is a fully cloud-native Stack Mac alternative with no downloads or manual setup, and it automates the entire takeoff process. Stack also supports Mac, but the workflow remains user-driven. For Mac teams wanting more automation, Beam AI is the stronger Stack alternative for Mac.
Does Beam AI offer more automation than Stackct?
Yes. Beam AI fully automates takeoffs by reading plans, elevations, sections, and specs to produce ready-to-use quantities. Stack offers helpful measurement tools but still relies on manual work. That’s why Beam AI is seen as the better alternative software for Stack for teams seeking true AI-driven automation.
Which platform is better for team collaboration?
Both support collaboration, but Beam AI offers unlimited software users, real-time collaboration with multiple stakeholders, shareable links for external teams, and adding notes/tags to your takeoffs to communicate with PMs etc. For teams managing multiple simultaneous takeoffs, Beam AI is the more scalable Stack alternative.
Are there free alternatives to Stackct for small contractors?
Beam AI is not a free tool, but there are limited free alternatives to Stack with basic measurement capabilities—these are usually manual and lack automation. Small contractors looking for a Stack free alternative that offers true automation typically find that Beam AI saves enough time and labor cost to pay for itself quickly. Contractors have been able to 2-3X their bid volume after adopting Beam AI.
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