STACK Alternative
By Phazahn Odom | Founder of Phixmo | Former bookkeeper for residential GCs | Former NFL tight end, Pittsburgh Steelers
STACK is a capable takeoff and estimating platform built for commercial preconstruction teams. If you have a dedicated estimator doing detailed manual takeoffs on large commercial plan sets, STACK has the tools for that.
But most residential GCs don't have a dedicated estimating department. They need takeoffs that are fast and accurate without a steep learning curve, and they need the rest of the project to be managed too: job costing, contracts, invoicing, change orders. STACK stops at the estimate. Phixmo runs the whole project.
STACK is powerful, but it's built for a different user.
STACK is designed for commercial estimators working on large, complex plan sets with detailed manual takeoffs. For a residential remodeler doing kitchens and ADUs, it is more tool than the job requires.
STACK takeoffs involve manually measuring and counting on the plans. It's accurate, but it's time-consuming. Phixmo's AI does the initial extraction automatically, then you review and adjust. Minutes instead of hours.
STACK is a takeoff and estimating tool. Once you have the estimate, you still need separate tools for contracts, job costing, invoicing, change orders, and customer communication. Phixmo includes all of that.
STACK's pricing is built for commercial teams. For a small residential GC, paying for a dedicated takeoff platform on top of separate project management tools adds up fast.
Phixmo gives you AI takeoffs as one part of a complete residential project platform.
Upload a blueprint PDF, calibrate the scale with two clicks on a known dimension, and AI extracts the measurements automatically. Every measurement shows how it was derived, and you review and adjust instead of manually tracing every wall and counting every door. This is fundamentally faster than manual takeoff tools.
On STACK, the takeoff produces an estimate and that's where it ends. On Phixmo, the takeoff becomes an estimate, the estimate becomes a contract, the contract becomes a project with job costing, and the project generates invoices. One continuous flow. And because Phixmo tracks your actuals, estimates are priced from your own completed jobs, not generic cost data.
Job costing, contracts with e-signature, invoicing, change order approval, customer portal, time tracking, daily logs, and verified reviews. Everything after the estimate, included.
The templates, cost categories, and workflows are designed for residential remodels, ADUs, and additions, not commercial construction.
Side by side
STACK is a dedicated takeoff tool for commercial estimating teams. Phixmo is AI takeoffs plus the full residential project platform.
Phixmo Pro
$169/mo
STACK
Commercial pricing
Built for
Takeoff method
AI estimation from description
Job costing
Contracts + e-signature
Invoicing
Change order approval
Customer portal
Time tracking
Verified reviews
Detailed commercial takeoffs
Material / assembly databases
Free plan / trial
Best for
STACK pricing and features reflect publicly available information and are for comparison only.
We'll be honest about this.
For complex commercial plan sets with dozens of trades and detailed material assemblies, STACK's manual takeoff precision and material databases are built for that scale. Phixmo's AI takeoffs are tuned for residential plans.
If you have full-time estimators who do takeoffs all day on large projects, STACK's depth serves them well. Most residential GCs don't have this.
STACK has extensive databases for commercial materials and assemblies. Phixmo's estimation is tuned for residential cost categories.
For residential general contractors who do their own estimates and run the whole project.
AI takeoffs in minutes versus manual takeoffs in hours. For a GC doing their own estimates at night, this is the difference between bidding two jobs and bidding six.
STACK stops at the estimate. Phixmo runs the entire project from takeoff through final invoice.
One affordable platform versus a commercial takeoff tool plus separate project management software.
Everything is designed for the work small residential GCs actually do.
See how the AI takeoff works, where it flows into job costing, or compare against Procore.
Phixmo is free to start, free forever. Pro is $169/mo with AI takeoffs (5/month), full project management, and unlimited free field workers. Growth at $299/mo includes unlimited takeoffs.
Free
$0/mo
Free forever. Unlimited projects, field workers free.
2 office seats
+ unlimited free field workers
Pro
$169/mo
5 AI takeoffs/mo + full platform.
5 office seats + $25/extra
+ unlimited free field workers
Growth
$299/mo
Unlimited AI takeoffs.
10 office seats + $25/extra
+ unlimited free field workers
For residential plans, Phixmo's AI takeoff gets you 80 to 90% accuracy in minutes, and you review and adjust from there. You calibrate the drawing's scale in 2 clicks before the analysis runs, and every measurement carries a badge showing how it was derived: labeled dimension, calibrated scale, or estimate. STACK's manual takeoffs can be more precise on complex commercial plans but take significantly longer. For residential remodels and ADUs, Phixmo's speed-to-accuracy tradeoff is well suited.
Phixmo is built for residential. For large commercial plan sets with detailed assemblies, STACK or a similar commercial tool is better suited.
Yes, for residential. Upload plans, get a takeoff, generate an estimate, and the estimate flows into contracts, job costing, and invoicing. One platform end to end.
Phixmo's estimation is tuned for residential cost categories. If you need extensive commercial material and assembly databases, STACK has more depth there.
The rate you subscribe at stays your rate.