AreaSum vs PlanSwift
A focused flooring tool against a full construction estimator. Different jobs. Here is the honest split so you pick the right one.
PlanSwift, owned by ConstructConnect, is a Windows desktop takeoff and estimating tool that covers every trade — concrete, framing, drywall, roofing, flooring, the lot. AreaSum is browser-based and only does flooring takeoffs. If you measure floors for a living, AreaSum is built for the way you quote. If you estimate a whole building across every trade, PlanSwift is the right call.
In one line
Pick AreaSum if flooring is the job. Pick PlanSwift if you are estimating a whole building across multiple trades.
AreaSum vs PlanSwift
PlanSwift is general-purpose construction takeoff (ConstructConnect). Here is the honest split feature by feature.
| Feature | AreaSum | PlanSwift |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | Flooring takeoffs only | All-trade construction estimating |
| Platform | Browser (macOS, Windows, iPad in beta) | Windows desktop only |
| Setup time | Minutes — sign in, upload a PDF, draw | Install + training; typically a day to ramp |
| Pricing model | Monthly SaaS (Solo / Pro / Business) | Annual license per seat |
| Materials catalogue | Per-project flooring types with wastage | Full assemblies and parts catalogues |
| Output | Branded PDF report with per-room area + linear metres | BOQ / estimate export to Excel + Sage / Quickbooks |
| Multi-page plans | Yes, each page has its own scale + rooms | Yes |
| Wastage applied automatically | Yes, per material | Configurable in assemblies |
Pick AreaSum if…
You only measure floors
Carpet retailer, vinyl installer, commercial flooring estimator. Everything in AreaSum is shaped around per-room area, linear metres for trims, and wastage per material.
You quote on a Mac or iPad
PlanSwift is Windows-only. AreaSum runs in any modern browser, so you can quote in the showroom on whatever hardware you already use.
You want to be quoting in ten minutes
No install, no training course. Upload the PDF the customer brought in, set scale from a known dimension, trace the rooms.
Pick PlanSwift if…
You estimate whole buildings
If a quote includes framing, concrete, roofing and flooring, PlanSwift gives you one tool across every trade with material assemblies built in.
You need parts catalogues + BOQ export
PlanSwift maintains assemblies (e.g. partition wall = stud + drywall + screws + plate) and exports a structured BOQ. AreaSum does not.
You live in Windows already
If your estimating team is on Windows desktops with PDFs in Bluebeam and quotes in Sage, PlanSwift slots into that toolchain without changing anything.
Common questions about AreaSum vs PlanSwift
Is AreaSum cheaper than PlanSwift?
For most flooring contractors, yes. PlanSwift is a perpetual or annual license per seat, typically running into the thousands per year. AreaSum is a monthly SaaS plan that scales with how many seats you actually use. Whether it works out cheaper depends on team size — but for a one-to-three person flooring shop it is materially less.
Can PlanSwift do everything AreaSum does?
In principle yes — PlanSwift can measure area, perimeter and apply wastage. In practice the flooring-specific affordances (per-material wastage, linear metres reported alongside area on every room, branded customer-facing PDF) take more setup in PlanSwift because the tool is built for the general case.
Does AreaSum integrate with PlanSwift?
No. The two tools serve different workflows. AreaSum exports a structured PDF report; the totals can be copied into any estimating spreadsheet but there is no PlanSwift import path.
Compare AreaSum against…
Try AreaSum on a real plan
Five minutes from sign-in to first quote. No card needed during early access.