Comparison
On-Screen Takeoff alternatives
Mirage vs On-Screen Takeoff
On-Screen Takeoff (OST), from On Center Software, part of ConstructConnect, is a Windows desktop takeoff application. It is not manual-only: its AI suite, Takeoff Boost, detects and measures areas, linears, counts and wall types and gives the estimator an initial takeoff to review. Mirage is not a desktop tool. Its engineers deploy an agent that reads the whole set and returns the takeoff itself, each quantity traced to its sheet, into the system your estimators already price in.
Published Last updated Vendor facts last verified
Short answer
If your estimators should keep drawing the takeoff with better tools, the choice is between staying on OST with Takeoff Boost, ConstructConnect's browser-based Takeoff and the other AI takeoff products. If the bottleneck is the volume of sets to measure, or scanned and mixed drawings, Mirage produces the takeoff for review instead of helping someone draw it.
Executive Summary
On Center Software dates back to 1988 and calls On-Screen Takeoff the first digital takeoff software for the preconstruction industry. It has been part of ConstructConnect since 2016. OST runs on Windows, is installed by a local Windows administrator, and connects to ConstructConnect's cloud services for its AI functions. The estimator works by point, click and drag, with tools built for repetitive work: the patented Multi-Condition Takeoff, Typical Areas, Groups and Repeating Pages, Bid Areas and Zones, and Overlay to compare two versions of a drawing.
The AI sits in Takeoff Boost, ConstructConnect's suite built into OST, PlanSwift and ConstructConnect Takeoff. In OST it includes Auto Takeoff, which detects footprint areas, net areas, counts and wall types and creates the conditions for them, up to five pages at a time; Auto Count, for any symbol or shape on up to 20 pages; Auto Link, between plan and detail pages; and Auto Name, for sheet numbers and names. In On Center's own words: "Takeoff Boost creates your initial takeoff, so you can review it for accuracy instead of drawing from scratch." How much of Auto Takeoff a company can run depends on its subscription or maintenance tier.
Mirage Metrics works differently. Its forward-deployed engineers build an agent around your drawings and conventions; the agent reads plan, section and detail sheets together with the specification, PDF, DWG and IFC, scanned or vector, and returns the takeoff with the sheet, detail and spec reference on every line, in Excel or in your estimating system's import format. Your estimators review and sign off. It runs at OCBM, John Cockerill and Rouandi; at John Cockerill, piping takeoff takes 80 to 90% less time.
So the question is less which tool measures faster than who does the measuring. OST makes an estimator faster inside the ConstructConnect workflow. Mirage takes the measuring off the estimator's desk and hands back a takeoff to check.
Key Takeaways
- On-Screen Takeoff is Windows desktop takeoff from On Center Software, part of ConstructConnect, with the Takeoff Boost AI suite built in. It is not manual-only.
- OST's AI gives the estimator an initial takeoff to review; Mirage's agent produces the whole takeoff, each line traced to its sheet, for review.
- OST's price is not published; ConstructConnect Takeoff, the browser product, lists $100 and $205 a month per seat. Mirage costs from $10,000 to launch, then from $1,000 a month.
- Stay on OST if your team works well in the ConstructConnect suite; look at Mirage when the volume or the condition of the drawing sets is the bottleneck.
At a Glance
| Aspect | Mirage | On-Screen Takeoff |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI agents for contractors' document work, built and operated in your environment by Mirage's forward-deployed engineers | Windows desktop takeoff software from On Center Software, part of ConstructConnect, with the Takeoff Boost AI suite built in |
| Who does the takeoff | The agent produces it; your estimators review the lines and sign off | The estimator, with point-and-click tools; Takeoff Boost creates an initial takeoff to review |
| AI and automation | Reads plan, section and detail sheets with the specification and resolves each element in context | Auto Takeoff (areas, linears, counts, wall types, up to five pages at a time), Auto Count (up to 20 pages), Auto Link, Auto Name |
| Where it runs | Built and run by Mirage engineers in your environment; no new software for the estimating team to learn | Windows application, installed and updated by a local Windows administrator; internet connection required; AI functions use ConstructConnect's cloud services |
| Mac and browser | Not a desktop application: the quantities arrive in Excel or in your estimating system | Certified on Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise; on a Mac only through Boot Camp or virtualization, the latter without technical support. ConstructConnect Takeoff is the vendor's browser product |
| Inputs | PDF, DWG and IFC; scanned and vector sheets in the same pass | PDF, DWG and other formats, with direct downloads from many planrooms, ConstructConnect Project Intelligence included |
| Output | Quantities with sheet, detail and spec reference, in Excel or your estimating system's import format | Takeoff on the plan pages, a built-in estimating worksheet, Quick Bid for full estimating, Microsoft Excel integration |
| Revisions | The new set run against the previous one: what changed, in which quantities, on which sheets | Overlay of two versions: removed content in red, added in blue |
| Team work | Output delivered into the files and systems the team already uses | Designed for individual use per session; projects and bids shared by email or a cloud drive, according to On Center |
| Setup | Proof of concept on your own drawings one week after the first meeting; first workflow in production in 4 to 6 weeks | Install and license; a 14-day free trial is offered |
| Pricing | Fixed-price pilot; from $10,000 to launch, then an annual subscription from $1,000 a month, priced by volume | Not published: ConstructConnect says it varies with licensing options. Full Auto Takeoff access depends on the subscription or maintenance tier |
| Facts checked | Mirage's own pages | oncenter.com, constructconnect.com and the ConstructConnect knowledge base, read on 5 November 2026 |
Key Differences
Faster tools for the estimator, or a takeoff to review
OST's AI gives the estimator a head start: Auto Takeoff draws an initial takeoff, Auto Count finds repeated symbols, and the estimator reviews, corrects and finishes it in OST. Mirage's agent produces the whole takeoff from the set, with its source on every line, and the estimator's job becomes checking it. Both keep a person in charge of the number; they differ in who does the measuring.
A desktop seat, or a deployed workflow
OST is licensed software installed on each estimator's Windows machine. Mirage is a workflow its engineers build around your drawings, conventions and estimating system, then run with your team. At OCBM, the agents were adapted to the contractor's own drawings and conventions, and the estimators kept their existing workflow.
Inside the ConstructConnect suite, or in front of what you already use
OST's strength is the connected ConstructConnect workflow: projects from Project Intelligence, takeoff in OST, the estimate in Quick Bid, labor tracking in Digital Production Control. Mirage does not replace an estimating system; it puts structured quantities in front of whichever one you price in.
Advantages and Limitations
Mirage
Advantages
- Produces the takeoff from the set instead of assisting someone who draws it
- Sheet, detail and spec reference on every line; at OCBM, 100% of quantities are traceable to a source drawing
- Scanned and vector sheets, PDF, DWG and IFC, in one pass
- Built around your own drawings and conventions by engineers who stay on it
Limitations
- Not a self-serve tool: each workflow is a deployment, 4 to 6 weeks to the first one in production
- A launch fee before the first workflow: from $10,000 to launch, then from $1,000 a month
- Publishes no accuracy percentage; its case studies report time and traceability
- Does not check drawings against building codes
On-Screen Takeoff
Advantages
- Long-established, with tools built for repetitive projects: Multi-Condition Takeoff, Typical Areas, Groups and Pages, Bid Areas and Zones
- Takeoff Boost AI built in: Auto Takeoff, Auto Count, Auto Link, Auto Name
- Connected to Quick Bid, Project Intelligence, Digital Production Control and Excel
- A 14-day free trial before buying
Limitations
- Windows desktop only, installed by an administrator; on a Mac only through Boot Camp or unsupported virtualization
- No real-time multi-user takeoff, by On Center's own account
- Price not published, and full Auto Takeoff access depends on the tier
- The estimator still runs and finishes the takeoff
Real-World Use Cases
An estimating team already on OST and Quick Bid
The team knows the tools, its projects come from ConstructConnect and its estimates live in Quick Bid. Takeoff Boost and Multi-Condition Takeoff cut the repetitive drawing. Staying on OST is the sensible default; Mirage becomes worth a look when the volume of sets outgrows the estimators.
A team on Macs, or one that wants the browser
OST is certified on Windows only. ConstructConnect's own answer is ConstructConnect Takeoff, which runs in the browser on Mac or Windows and is built for interior trades: drywall, acoustical ceiling tile, painting and flooring. Other cloud AI takeoff products fit the same need.
Heavy, scanned or mixed drawing sets
Piping, structural steel and MEP sets, often partly scanned, where an element only makes sense read across plan, section and detail sheets. At John Cockerill, Mirage's agent reads piping, boilermaking and structural steel drawings: piping takeoff takes 80 to 90% less time and the fabrication bill of materials is produced ten times faster, with engineers reviewing instead of measuring.
A revision after the estimate
OST's Overlay shows the estimator what was removed and added between two versions of a drawing. Mirage runs the new set against the previous one and lists each change with its sheet and the quantity difference, so the team reviews the delta instead of the whole set.
Mirage Workflows
Takeoff and estimating
Mirage's AI agent for quantity takeoff: plan, section and detail sheets read together, every quantity traced to its source, with a buyer's guide to the tools.
See the pageDrawing revision comparison
Every change between two revisions flagged with its sheet, its location and the quantity difference.
See the pagePiping takeoff
Isometrics, P&IDs and line lists read into the material take-off and the fabrication bill of materials.
See the pageOCBM case study
Three agents in production at a Moroccan general contractor, every quantity traceable to a source drawing.
See the pageJohn Cockerill case study
Piping takeoff at John Cockerill: 80 to 90% less time, and the fabrication bill of materials produced ten times faster.
See the pageHow to Choose
Start with who should be measuring. If your estimators should keep drawing the takeoff, with AI to speed up the repetitive parts, compare OST with Takeoff Boost against the cloud AI takeoff tools, and weigh Windows desktop against the browser and the ConstructConnect suite against what you already use.
If the measuring itself is the bottleneck, because there are more sets than estimators or because the drawings are scanned, mixed or heavy in MEP and piping, the question becomes who produces the takeoff and how you check it. That is where Mirage is deployed: a takeoff produced from your set, each line traced to its sheet, reviewed by your team.
A team can run both. OST stays the estimator's tool for the bids it suits; Mirage handles the sets nobody has time to draw.
The On-Screen Takeoff alternatives, by job
The tools buyers weigh against OST do different jobs. On Center publishes its own comparisons of OST with Togal.ai, STACK, Beam AI, Bobyard, BuzzBID and zzTakeoff; the list below sorts the options by what changes for the estimator.
- OST with Takeoff Boost. Stay on the desktop tool and use its AI. The fit for a team already on Windows, Quick Bid and Project Intelligence, bidding large repetitive projects where Multi-Condition Takeoff and the Typical tools pay off.
- ConstructConnect Takeoff. The same vendor's browser product, on Mac or Windows, with Auto Name, Auto Scale and, on its Professional plan, Auto Takeoff. Built for interior trades. Its pricing page lists Starter at $100 a month for one seat and Professional at $205 a month per seat, both on annual contracts, as of 5 November 2026.
- PlanSwift. ConstructConnect's other desktop takeoff tool, point-and-click and assembly-based, with Takeoff Boost tools too. See PlanSwift alternatives.
- Cloud AI takeoff products. Self-serve AI takeoff platforms your team runs itself, such as Togal.AI, STACK and Kreo, each compared on its own page: Togal.AI, STACK, Kreo.
- A produced, traced takeoff. Mirage: the takeoff produced from the set by an agent your team reviews, each line traced to its sheet, delivered in the format you price in. See takeoff and estimating.
Where Mirage fits on US and UK projects
The takeoff is only part of the document work around a bid, and that work follows different rules on each side of the Atlantic. Mirage's construction workflows are built on those rules.
- US, specifications. Specs and submittals organized by CSI MasterFormat division, each item traced to its source. See CSI MasterFormat extraction.
- US, after the award. Certified payroll checked against prevailing wage determinations, and AIA G702/G703 pay applications. See prevailing wage compliance and AIA pay applications.
- UK, quantity surveying. Quantities taken from the drawings into an NRM2-structured bill of quantities for the quantity surveyor to price, each line traced to its source drawing. See NRM quantity surveying.
- UK, the contract. Early warnings and compensation events tracked against the contract's own deadlines. See NEC4 contract administration.
- What Mirage does not do. It does not check drawings against building codes and does not verify the engineering; the designers keep that judgement.
Sources
- 01oncenter.com, On-Screen Takeoff, accessed 5 November 2026
- 02oncenter.com, Takeoff Boost, accessed 5 November 2026
- 03oncenter.com, On-Screen Takeoff vs. Togal.ai, accessed 5 November 2026
- 04oncenter.com, About On Center, accessed 5 November 2026
- 05constructconnect.com, On-Screen Takeoff, accessed 5 November 2026
- 06constructconnect.com, ConstructConnect Takeoff, accessed 5 November 2026
- 07constructconnect.com, Pricing, accessed 5 November 2026
- 08ConstructConnect knowledge base, On-Screen Takeoff, Quick Bid and Digital Production Control: system requirements, accessed 5 November 2026
- 09ConstructConnect knowledge base, On-Screen Takeoff: activating Takeoff Boost and Boost Lite, accessed 5 November 2026
FAQ
For the measuring, yes; for the desktop tool, no. OST is software your estimators run to draw the takeoff, with AI that gives them a head start. Mirage is a deployed agent that produces the takeoff from the set, each quantity traced to its sheet, detail and spec reference, for your estimators to review. Teams that want to keep drawing their own takeoffs should compare OST with other takeoff tools instead.
Yes. Takeoff Boost, ConstructConnect's AI suite, is built into OST: Auto Takeoff detects and measures areas, linears, counts and wall types, up to five pages at a time; Auto Count counts a symbol or shape on up to 20 pages; Auto Link links plan and detail pages; Auto Name names the sheets. According to ConstructConnect's knowledge base, full Auto Takeoff access comes with some subscription and maintenance tiers, and others get a limited number of runs or a trial.
OST is a Windows desktop application; ConstructConnect certifies it on Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise. On a Mac it runs only through Boot Camp, which newer Apple processors no longer offer, or through virtualization such as Parallels, for which ConstructConnect provides no technical support. The vendor's browser product is ConstructConnect Takeoff, which runs on Mac or Windows.
ConstructConnect does not publish an OST price: it says pricing varies with licensing options and business needs, and offers a 14-day free trial. Its browser product, ConstructConnect Takeoff, is priced on its pricing page at $100 a month for a one-seat Starter plan and $205 a month per seat for Professional, on annual contracts, as of 5 November 2026. Mirage costs from $10,000 to launch, then from $1,000 a month.
OST is the Windows desktop application, with advanced takeoff tools such as Multi-Condition Takeoff, the Typical tools and Bid Areas and Zones, and connections to Quick Bid and Project Intelligence. ConstructConnect Takeoff is a web app that runs in the browser on most devices, built for interior trades such as drywall, acoustical ceiling tile, painting and flooring. Both carry Takeoff Boost tools, which vary by product.
Neither side publishes a comparable accuracy figure: no accuracy percentage for Takeoff Boost appears on the On Center and ConstructConnect pages read for this comparison, and Mirage publishes none either. Mirage's case studies report time and traceability: 80 to 90% less time on piping takeoff at John Cockerill, and 100% of quantities traceable to a source drawing at OCBM. The test that settles it is both on your own drawings.
Mirage returns quantities in Excel or in the import format of the estimating system you price in, so the estimators keep the system they use. No integration with On-Screen Takeoff, Quick Bid or ConstructConnect is claimed here.
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Mirage's AI agent reads plan, section and detail sheets together and returns quantities with their source attached, deployed by engineers who work inside your estimating workflow.
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