Two Fundamentally Different Approaches
PlanSwift is one of the most widely used takeoff tools in construction. It's a desktop application where you open a PDF, click on the plan to measure lengths and areas, and build up material quantities point by point. It covers every trade from concrete to drywall to roofing — and steel is one of many.
Steelflo is a web-based AI tool built specifically for structural steel. You upload a PDF, the AI detects every steel member automatically, and your estimator reviews the results. No clicking, no measuring, no manual entry of section designations.
The core question: do you want to click on every member yourself, or let AI find them and verify the results?
How Each Tool Handles a Steel Takeoff
PlanSwift: Click, Measure, Classify
A steel takeoff in PlanSwift follows this workflow:
- Open the structural PDF in the desktop app
- Scroll through each page, visually scanning for steel members
- Click on each member to place a count marker or trace a length
- Manually type the member designation (W12X26, HSS6X6X1/4) into a custom field
- Look up section weight from an external reference — PlanSwift has no built-in steel database
- Repeat for every member on every page
- Export to Excel
The estimator does 100% of the identification, classification, and data entry. PlanSwift provides the digital canvas and measurement tools.
Steelflo: Upload, Detect, Verify
A steel takeoff in Steelflo:
- Upload the structural PDF
- Set the drawing scale
- Run detection — AI identifies W-shapes, HSS, channels, angles, pipes, plates automatically
- Review results: every detection shown on the source page with a bounding box
- Confirm or reject flagged items
- Export: CSV, BOM, order sheet with nesting, or highlighted PDF
The AI handles identification and classification. The estimator handles judgment and verification.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| | Steelflo | PlanSwift | |---|---|---| | Detection method | AI-powered automatic | Manual point-and-click | | Steel section database | 550+ AISC + 1,104 EN/BS + 55 AS/NZS profiles | None built-in | | Weight lookups | Automatic per-section | Manual external reference | | Platform | Web browser (any OS) | Windows desktop only | | International standards | AISC, EN, BS/IS, AS/NZS auto-detected | None — manual entry | | Trade focus | Structural steel only | All trades | | Pricing | Free trial, then $399–$1,499/mo | ~$2,000/year subscription | | Free trial | Yes — 1 AI takeoff, no credit card | 14-day trial | | Learning curve | Low (6-step wizard) | Moderate to high | | Collaboration | Single-user | Single-user (file-based) | | Nesting/cut optimization | Built-in | Not included |
When PlanSwift Makes Sense
You work across many trades. If you're a GC or multi-trade sub and steel is 10% of your takeoff work, PlanSwift's multi-trade flexibility makes sense. You don't want a different tool for every trade.
You need total manual control. Some estimators want to physically click on every member. If trusting AI detection isn't something you're ready for, PlanSwift gives you that control.
You already own it. If your team has PlanSwift licenses and custom assemblies built out for steel, the switching cost is real. The question becomes whether the time savings justify the move.
When Steelflo Makes Sense
You do a lot of steel takeoffs. If steel is your primary trade, the time difference is dramatic. A 20-page structural package that takes hours of clicking in PlanSwift takes minutes in Steelflo. Multiply that by your monthly bid volume.
You need a steel section database. PlanSwift ships with no steel intelligence — no AISC shapes, no weight-per-foot lookups, no section properties. Everything must be manually configured or looked up externally. Steelflo has 550+ AISC profiles plus EN, BS, and AS/NZS databases built in.
You work on a Mac or want browser access. PlanSwift is Windows-only. Steelflo runs in any browser. If your estimator works on a Mac, iPad, or switches between machines, cloud-based access matters.
You work with international standards. PlanSwift has no concept of steel naming conventions. Steelflo auto-detects whether a drawing uses AISC, EN, BS/IS, or AS/NZS notation and routes to the correct pattern library.
You want nesting optimization. Steelflo's export includes cut list optimization with waste percentages. PlanSwift doesn't offer fabrication-side optimization.
The Steel Database Gap
This is PlanSwift's biggest weakness for steel fabricators. The tool ships as a blank canvas — no steel shapes, no section weights, no properties. You can build custom assemblies with formulas for weight calculations, but you're building the database yourself from scratch.
Steelflo ships with weight data for every section across four international standards. When the AI detects an HEA200 on a European drawing, it already knows the section weighs 42.3 kg/m. In PlanSwift, you'd need to manually identify the section, manually look up the weight, and manually enter it.
For a structural steel fabricator, this isn't a minor inconvenience — it's hours of redundant work that a purpose-built tool eliminates.
A Note on Pricing
PlanSwift runs approximately $2,000 per year. Steelflo's Pro plan is $399/month ($4,788/year) — more expensive on paper. But the calculation that matters isn't license cost — it's cost per takeoff, and cost per bid.
If PlanSwift takes your estimator 4 hours per takeoff and Steelflo takes 30 minutes, and your estimator bills at $60/hour, each takeoff saves $210 in labor. At 5 takeoffs per month, that's $1,050/month in time savings against a $399/month subscription.
Run the math for your own volume.
Is PlanSwift Good for Steel Takeoffs?
PlanSwift works for steel takeoffs, but it's a manual process. There's no built-in steel section database, no automatic member detection, and no weight lookups. Everything is manually configured by the estimator.
Can Steelflo Replace PlanSwift?
For structural steel takeoff, yes. For other trades (concrete, electrical, HVAC, drywall), no — Steelflo only does steel. If steel is your primary trade, Steelflo is purpose-built for it.
Is PlanSwift Available on Mac?
No. PlanSwift is Windows-only desktop software. Steelflo runs in any web browser on any operating system.
Which Is Faster for Steel Takeoffs?
Steelflo is significantly faster because AI handles the detection step. A 20-page structural package that takes hours of manual clicking in PlanSwift takes minutes in Steelflo. The estimator's time shifts from identification to verification.
Does PlanSwift Have a Steel Section Database?
No. PlanSwift ships with no steel shapes, weights, or section properties. Users must build custom assemblies manually or reference external databases.
Try Steelflo on Your Own Drawings
Upload a structural PDF you've already estimated in PlanSwift. Compare the quantities and time the workflow. The free trial gives you one AI takeoff — no credit card, no demo call.
Start free at steelfloai.com.