Comparison

EstiMate vs EstimatorXpress: which suits a UK builder?

EstiMate and EstimatorXpress both handle quotes, jobs and invoices. The difference is what happens before and after: EstiMate reads your drawings with AI take-off, turns the quote into a signed build contract, does VAT and CIS from the jobs, and finds tenders and planning leads. EstimatorXpress's details below come from its own website.

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A builder holding a tablet showing a project quote on site

Price it properly.

Materials, labour and margin in one quote — ready to send from site.

800+

Quotes created

£4.2M+

In quotes sent

£0

Free plan · no card

Any device

Phone, tablet & desktop

What you get

Why builders choose EstiMate

Where EstimatorXpress is strong

EstimatorXpress is an established estimating software. By its own description: Estimating software for builders and developers, from HBXL Building Software. It covers hundreds of project templates for detailed estimates, trace a plan for an automatic estimate and 3d model (take-off & estimate kit), materials, labour and plant quantities and costs, separate tools for cad (plansxpress), job management (buildprojex), health and safety and contracts, and on accounting: Not listed on its pricing page.

Hundreds of project templates for detailed estimates
Trace a plan for an automatic estimate and 3D model (Take-off & Estimate Kit)
Materials, labour and plant quantities and costs

Where EstiMate is different

EstiMate is built for construction rather than general field service. It starts from the drawings, not just the job card: upload the plans and the AI take-off measures and prices them, the accepted quote becomes a build contract the client signs online, and the VAT return, CIS and P&L come from the same jobs.

AI take-off from drawings
Build contract and e-signature from the quote
VAT, CIS and P&L from the jobs

Finding the work, not just running it

TenderPilot lists live UK construction tenders and approved planning applications near you, scored for fit, so the next job comes from the same app that prices it. The RAMS generator writes method statements and risk assessments for the job you've just quoted.

Live UK tenders
Approved planning applications near you
RAMS, COSHH and toolbox talks

Where to be honest

EstiMate keeps Xero, QuickBooks and Sage in step both ways on its EstiMate plan and above (not on Free), including receipts, fuel, wages, PAYE and CIS. If you want detailed, template-driven estimating with its own CAD tool, and you're happy with a 12-month subscription, EstimatorXpress is long established for that.

EstiMate: two-way Xero, QuickBooks and Sage sync (EstiMate plan and above)
EstimatorXpress: Not listed on its pricing page
Try both on a real job

EstiMate and EstimatorXpress side by side

	EstiMate	EstimatorXpress
Who it's for	UK builders, contractors and tradespeople, from small works to new builds and fit-out.	Estimating software for builders and developers, from HBXL Building Software.
Pricing	Free plan (3 jobs a month, no time limit, no card). EstiMate £15.99 a month; EstiMate Pro £39.99 a month with the AI suite; Commercial from £99. Per business, not per user, with one office login; Corp is £249 with 5 office logins.	From £69 + VAT a month on a 12-month subscription (with a one-off charge in the first month), or paid upfront annually. Take-off & Estimate Kit from £109 + VAT a month.
Free trial / free plan	Free plan with 3 jobs a month, no time limit and no card.	14-day free trial, no credit card.
Accounting	Keeps Xero, QuickBooks and Sage in step both ways (EstiMate plan and above): invoices, bills, receipts, fuel, wages, PAYE, CIS and payments.	Not listed on its pricing page.
Main features	AI take-off: upload the drawings and get measured, priced quantities with the working shown (Pro) Build contract generated from the quote and signed online by the client VAT return, CIS and a P&L from the same jobs TenderPilot: live UK tenders and approved planning applications near you RAMS, COSHH and toolbox talks generator AI visualiser: show the client the finished job on the quote (Pro) Built by a working builder for construction, from small works to £400K new builds	Hundreds of project templates for detailed estimates Trace a plan for an automatic estimate and 3D model (Take-off & Estimate Kit) Materials, labour and plant quantities and costs Separate tools for CAD (PlansXpress), job management (BuildProjex), health and safety and contracts

EstimatorXpress details are taken from hbxl.co.uk/pricing/, checked 12 November 2026. Prices and features change; check their site before deciding.

One system

From enquiry to final account

Create the job

Client, site address, project title. Takes 30 seconds.

Quote & win it

Breakdowns, optional extras, one-tap online acceptance.

Sign the contract

A build contract from the quote, e-signed online.

Run the job

Programme, site diary, snagging and variations.

Get paid

Milestones tracked and overdue payments chased.

Pricing

Start free. Upgrade when you're ready.

No contracts. No hidden fees. Cancel monthly subscriptions any time.

Free

£0

Try it on real jobs before you commit.

3 jobs per month
Material & labour breakdowns
Builder's calculators

Get started free

EstiMate

£15.99/ month

Unlimited quotes and the full app.

Unlimited jobs, branded PDFs
Quote sharing, contracts & e-signatures
Receipts, milestones & payment tracking

Start EstiMate

EstiMate Pro

£39.99/ month

Everything, plus the full AI suite.

AI quote writer & AI take-off
Snagging, progress reports & 360° tours
Construction Copilot & priority support

Start Pro

Teams and multi-branch contractors: EstiMate Corp from £249 / month. Compare every plan →

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is EstiMate cheaper than EstimatorXpress?

EstiMate has a free plan (3 jobs a month) and paid plans from £15.99 a month per business rather than per user. EstimatorXpress: From £69 + VAT a month on a 12-month subscription (with a one-off charge in the first month), or paid upfront annually. Take-off & Estimate Kit from £109 + VAT a month.

Does EstimatorXpress do AI take-off from drawings?

Its website lists hundreds of project templates for detailed estimates, trace a plan for an automatic estimate and 3d model (take-off & estimate kit), materials, labour and plant quantities and costs, separate tools for cad (plansxpress), job management (buildprojex), health and safety and contracts. EstiMate Pro reads the drawings and produces measured, priced quantities with the working shown.

Can I move my quotes across?

Yes. EstiMate imports old quotes from PDFs, photos, Excel and Word, rebuilds them as jobs and learns your prices from them.

Which is better for a UK builder, EstiMate or EstimatorXpress?

If you price building work from drawings and want contracts, CIS and tenders in the same app, EstiMate is built for that. If you mainly need job scheduling and service work with live accounting sync, EstimatorXpress is a strong option. The free plan lets you test EstiMate on a real job.

One app for the whole job

TenderPilot — find & win tenders

Live UK tenders for every trade, with AI bid tools.

Local planning applications

Approved domestic & commercial planning applications in your patch, scored and ready to letter.

RankPilot — get found on Google & AI

Google Maps rank, AI answer tracking, website audit and fixes, reviews and citations.

AnswerPilot — AI answering service for companies

Your own number answered by an AI receptionist for any UK business: takes the lead, books the appointment or site visit, texts you the details, with missed-call text-back.

Free AI visibility audit

Score any website on how well Google and AI assistants can read, trust and recommend it.

Construction estimating software

Price materials, labour, plant and margin properly.

Quoting software for builders

Professional quotes clients can accept online.

AI construction estimating

Let AI draft the scope — you keep control of the price.

Construction take-off software

From drawings and specs to quantities and a quote.

AI visualiser

Show the client the finished job, from a site photo and the quote.

Job costing software

Estimate versus actual while the job is still running.

Construction management software

Tender to handover: programme, site, variations, money and close-out.

For contractors & corporate firms

Team seats, roles, spend approvals, multi-branch reporting and the Crew app.

Time & attendance: GPS clock in

Clock in with location, live crew map, self-filling timesheets.

EstiMate on your phone

Watch one job, tender to handover, in the phone layout.

EstiMate Crew: the app for site teams

GPS clock in, self-filling timesheets, mileage, materials, snags, drawings, forms, media and messages, all feeding the office and accounts.

All EstiMate apps

EstiMate, EstiMate Crew, Calculators, Engineering and Docs, with App Store links.

EstiMate vs 10 other trade apps

Prices and features side by side, from each company's own website.

Switching from another trade app

Bring your old quotes across, compare EstiMate with the app you use now, and start free.

EstiMate Crew sign-in for site staff

Pair your phone with the code from the office, then sign in on every job.

Invoicing & getting paid

Invoices, card payments and automatic chasing.

Accounting for builders

P&L, VAT return, CIS and aged debtors from the jobs.

Contracts & e-signatures

A build contract from the quote, signed online.

Variations & extras

Price additional works and get one-tap approval.

Snagging software

Numbered pins on drawings, photos and sign-off.

Site diary app

Daily records, RFIs, quality and progress reports.

Site photo app

Stamped photos, markup, galleries and a live client timeline.

RAMS generator

RAMS, COSHH, toolbox talks and permits in minutes.

Construction CRM

Every client, every quote, automatic follow-ups.

Estimate faster. Run the job. Protect your margin.

Use EstiMate from first enquiry through quotation, project delivery, variations, records and payment tracking.

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