IQ Builders vs STACK: takeoff and estimating, priced for different buyers
STACK is one of the best-known names in digital takeoff. IQ Builders is the newer, cheaper option that bundles takeoff with estimating, invoicing, and progress billing. Here is how they actually compare.
The one-paragraph verdict
STACK is a specialist: deep takeoff and estimating tools for commercial contractors and subs who bid from digital plans all day, priced per user from $249/user/mo for the Takeoff & Estimate suite. IQ Builders is a generalist for small GCs: takeoff (AI auto-count available as a paid add-on), estimates, customer approvals, invoices, and progress billing in one place, with a free Starter plan and a flat-rate unlimited-user top tier. If takeoff volume is your whole world and budget is not the constraint, STACK is the specialist. If you want takeoff plus the whole billing chain for a fraction of the per-seat cost, IQ Builders wins on value.
Pricing compared (as of September 2026)
| IQ Builders | STACK | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Starter: free, up to 3 projects | Free account available (limited) |
| Takeoff pricing | Ultimate tier: flat monthly, unlimited users; AI Takeoffs add-on available | Takeoff & Estimate: from $249/user/mo |
| Field/project ops | Included in platform tiers | Build & Operate: from $49/user/mo (separate) |
| Full platform | One flat price covers takeoff through billing | Full STACK Platform: from $298/user/mo |
| Seats | Unlimited users on Ultimate | Per user, per month |
Sources: stackct.com/pricing and iqbuilders.io, checked September 2026.
The seat math is the story. A three-person estimating team on STACK Takeoff & Estimate starts around $747/mo. IQ Builders’ Ultimate tier is one flat price for unlimited users with the full takeoff suite included.
Where STACK is stronger
- Depth of the takeoff toolset itself: markup, measurement, and assembly features refined over many years for high-volume commercial bidding.
- Brand recognition with commercial subs and estimators who already know the workflow.
- A modular platform if you also want field and project operations tooling.
Where IQ Builders is stronger
- Price structure: a free plan to start and a flat unlimited-user tier instead of $249 per seat.
- Everything after the takeoff: quantities roll into an estimate, the customer approves online, and invoices (including progress billing) go out from the same system. STACK’s takeoff suite stops at the estimate.
- AI auto-count (paid add-on): upload a plan set and the AI counts doors, windows, base, and casing while you review.
- Audit trail and approve-before-you-pay controls for vendor bills, built for owners who sign the checks.
Who should pick which
Pick STACK if you are a commercial estimator or sub doing competitive bid volume, you need the deepest measurement toolset, and per-seat cost is secondary.
Pick IQ Builders if you are a small or mid-size GC who wants takeoff, estimating, and billing in one subscription, has several people who need access, and wants the bill to stay flat as the team grows.
Try it on one plan set
Sign up free, then add AI Takeoffs on a paid plan and run the count on a real plan set. Compare the result against your manual takeoff on the same sheets. That is the fairest trial there is.
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