A Kreo alternative that is Mac-native too.
Kreo works on a Mac. It is a browser tool, so nothing about macOS gets in its way. If you are looking for a Kreo alternative for Mac anyway, you probably want a tool that does more of the takeoff for you, or one that does not charge by the seat. Here is the Mac-native field and how to pick from it.
Does Kreo run on a Mac, and what are the alternatives?
Yes, Kreo is cloud-based and runs on macOS in Safari or Chrome. Mac-native alternatives in 2026 are Pilars, Togal.ai, STACK, Bobyard, Beam AI and PataBid Quantify, all browser-based. Pilars is the one that fully automates the takeoff across the whole plan set and spec book, at $100 per trade per plan set with no per-seat fee.
Kreo deserves a fair description. It is a modern browser tool that pairs AI auto-measure for 2D takeoff with an estimating layer, so measurements flow into costs. It is popular with quantity surveyors and cost estimators, and for that audience the auto-measure workflow is a real step up from tracing in a PDF viewer. It is priced per seat, roughly $125 and up per month, which is at the friendlier end of the market.
The people who land on this page are typically Mac-based estimators doing one of two things: surveying every AI takeoff option that runs on macOS before committing, or leaving Kreo because they want full-set automation rather than assisted measuring, or because the seat count is creeping. Both are worth a structured look.
Mac-native takeoff tools, 2026
| Tool | On Mac | Pricing model | What the AI does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilars | Browser | $100 per trade, per plan set; unlimited users | Reads the whole set and spec book, counts, measures, traces, flags code; you review |
| Kreo | Browser | Per seat, roughly $125+ per month | Auto-measure on 2D drawings, assisted, with estimating |
| Togal.ai | Browser | $299 per user per month, annual | Detects and measures spaces on floor plans |
| STACK | Browser | $2,599 to $3,588 per user per year | Assisted takeoff and estimating |
| Bobyard | Browser | Per project or custom | AI-assisted takeoff |
| Beam AI | Browser | Custom credits | AI-assisted takeoff |
| On-Screen Takeoff, PlanSwift, Bluebeam Revu | Windows only | Per seat or per licence | Manual |
Based on public documentation as of 2026. Kreo and the other names are trademarks of their owners; this is an independent comparison.
The bottom row is there for completeness. On-Screen Takeoff and PlanSwift are Windows desktop products, and Bluebeam dropped its Mac version, so none of them are a Kreo alternative for a Mac shop unless you count Parallels, which we do not. The full matrix, including the Windows-only estimating suites, is on Togal.ai alternative for Mac.
What to look for beyond "runs in a browser"
Once every candidate is browser-based, Mac compatibility stops being the deciding factor and four other things take over.
- Assisted or automated. Kreo's auto-measure still has you driving sheet by sheet. If what you want is to upload the set and get a reviewable quantity list back, that is a different category of tool, and you should ask each vendor which one they are.
- Drawings only, or drawings plus specs. A surprising amount of scope lives in the spec book and the schedules, not on the plan. A tool that reads only the sheet you are on will miss the fixture the schedule swapped, or the basis-of-design the spec section changed.
- Per seat or per plan. At roughly $125 a month, one Kreo seat is inexpensive. Three seats, an annual commitment and a slow quarter are less so. Per-plan pricing means quiet months cost nothing and extra reviewers cost nothing.
- The Mac details. Safari as well as Chrome, no helper app to install, big PDFs uploading and rendering on a MacBook Air, and an Excel export that opens cleanly in Excel for Mac and in Numbers. Test all four before you buy, on your own machine.
The general Mac buying guide is at takeoff software for Mac.
Where Kreo is the right choice
If you are a QS or cost estimator whose value is in the pricing rather than the counting, and you like doing the measurement yourself with a good auto-measure assist, Kreo is a sensible tool at a sensible price. Its estimating layer is a real feature, not a bolt-on, and it runs on your Mac without complaint. We are not going to pretend otherwise; the direct comparison is at Kreo alternative if you want the feature table.
The case for moving is narrower and more specific. It is the electrical or mechanical sub whose takeoff is hundreds of devices across thirty sheets and a schedule, not areas on a floor plan. It is the shop that wants the estimator reviewing a finished takeoff rather than producing one. And it is the team of four where two people bid and two people need to read, and nobody wants to explain four seats to the owner.
How Pilars works for a Mac shop
Upload and review
Upload the plan set as PDF from Safari or Chrome on any Mac. Pilars reads every sheet and the spec book together, resolves cross-sheet references and the door, window, fixture and equipment schedules, counts devices and fixtures, measures lengths, areas and volumes, traces runs and flags code issues against IBC, NEC, IPC, IMC, ADA and NFPA. Every quantity carries a confidence score and the sheet it came from.
No seats, no install
$100 per trade, per plan set, unlimited users and projects. There is nothing to install and no Windows version hiding the good features. Apple Silicon or Intel, it does not matter.
Trade models
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fire protection, drywall, concrete, rebar, structural steel, roofing, masonry, framing, painting, flooring, glazing, insulation, earthwork, doors and windows, finishes and millwork. On a duplex receptacle count benchmark Pilars scored 97.5% against 82% for Kreo; the plan and method are on the benchmark page.
Excel out
Takeoff summary and BOQ export to Excel, which opens in Excel for Mac and Numbers, so it goes straight into whatever you price in.
The reliable way to decide is to run one set through both. Kreo will show you good auto-measure. Pilars will show you what comes back when you do not measure at all. The demo runs on your own set.
Questions estimators actually ask
Does Kreo work on a Mac?
Yes. Kreo is cloud-based and runs in Safari or Chrome on macOS with nothing to install. Searches for a Kreo alternative for Mac are usually about wanting full automation or avoiding per-seat pricing rather than any Mac compatibility problem.
What is the best Kreo alternative for Mac?
Pilars, for teams that want the takeoff fully automated across the whole plan set and spec book and priced per trade per plan set rather than per seat. Togal.ai, STACK, Bobyard and Beam AI are also browser-based and run on Mac.
Which AI takeoff tools run natively on macOS?
Pilars, Kreo, Togal.ai, STACK, Bobyard, Beam AI and PataBid Quantify all run in the browser on Mac. On-Screen Takeoff, PlanSwift, Active Takeoff, Accubid Classic, McCormick and ConEst are Windows desktop products, and Bluebeam Revu for Mac was discontinued.
Is Pilars cheaper than Kreo?
It depends on headcount and volume. Kreo is a per-seat subscription at roughly $125 and up per month. Pilars is $100 per trade per plan set with unlimited users, so a three-person team running four one-trade bids a month pays $400 that month, and nothing in a month with no bids.
Do I need Parallels to run takeoff software on a Mac?
Not for browser-based tools like Pilars, Kreo or Togal.ai. Parallels or a spare Windows machine is only needed for Windows desktop tools such as On-Screen Takeoff and PlanSwift, and Boot Camp is not an option on Apple Silicon.
Does Pilars export to Excel on a Mac?
Yes. The takeoff summary and BOQ export as an Excel file that opens in Microsoft Excel for Mac and in Numbers.