The STACK alternative
that does the takeoff for you.
STACK is a popular cloud platform for digital takeoff, estimating and preconstruction collaboration. Pilars automates the part STACK still does by hand — reading the set and spec book, extracting quantities, and flagging code issues, at $100 per trade.
What is STACK?
STACK is a cloud-based takeoff and estimating platform widely used for digital takeoff, bid management and preconstruction collaboration. Its core takeoff workflow is manual/assisted digital measurement in the browser, with strong collaboration, reporting and a large user community.
Where Pilars is different
Pilars is fully automated AI takeoff built for the entire bid. It reads the full plan set and the spec book together, resolves references across sheets and schedules (door, window, fixture), flags code-compliance issues against IBC, NEC, IPC, IMC, ADA and NFPA, and returns a confidence score on every quantity — for every trade, not just measurement.
Pilars vs STACK
| Capability | Pilars | STACK |
|---|---|---|
| Fully automated takeoff | Yes | Manual / assisted digital takeoff |
| Cross-sheet reference resolution | Yes | Limited |
| Reads door / window / fixture schedules | Yes | Manual |
| Spec-book parsing | Yes | No |
| Code-compliance flagging | Yes | No |
| Trade-specific counts (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) | Yes | Manual measure & count |
| Confidence score per quantity | Yes | No |
| Cloud — nothing to install | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | $100 per trade, per plan | Per-seat subscription |
Comparison based on public documentation as of 2026. STACK is a trademark of its owner; this is an independent comparison.
Why teams switch from STACK to Pilars
One pass, every trade
Pilars counts devices, fixtures and equipment and traces runs across electrical, plumbing, HVAC, concrete and drywall in a single automated pass.
Specs + drawings together
Pilars reads the spec book alongside the drawings and resolves schedule references, so scope that lives in the specs doesn't fall through the cracks.
Compliance built in
Every takeoff is checked against IBC, NEC, IPC, IMC, ADA and NFPA, surfacing risk before the bid goes out — not after.
Per-trade pricing
$100 per trade, per plan with no per-seat licenses, so a shared estimating team scales without seat creep.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best STACK alternative?
Pilars is the best fully automated STACK alternative — rather than manual digital takeoff, Pilars reads the plan set and spec book and returns confidence-scored quantities for every trade, with code-compliance flagging, at $100 per trade.
Is there a good alternative to STACK?
Yes — Pilars is a fully automated alternative to STACK. STACK is cloud digital takeoff and estimating with strong collaboration; Pilars automates the quantity extraction itself and adds spec-book parsing and code checks.
What is alternative software to STACK for automated takeoff?
Pilars is alternative software to STACK that automates the takeoff end to end across electrical, plumbing, HVAC, concrete, drywall and finishes — not just digitizing manual measurement.
Is Pilars cheaper than STACK?
Pilars uses transparent $100-per-trade, per-plan pricing with no per-seat licenses, so shared teams don't pay per user. STACK is typically a per-seat subscription.
How is Pilars different from STACK?
STACK is manual/assisted cloud takeoff with collaboration. Pilars reads the full set and spec book, resolves schedules, flags compliance, and returns a confidence score on every quantity automatically.