Purple Hammer vs PlanSwift, feature by feature.
The takeoff and the estimate in one native app — Mac included — without the Excel round-trip PlanSwift is built around.
| Ability | Purple Hammer | PlanSwift* |
|---|---|---|
| // Platform | ||
| Windows desktop | Yes | YesWindows 10 / 11 Pro |
| Native Mac desktop | Yes | No |
| Runs on Apple-silicon Macs (M-series) | Yes | No supported path |
| Web / mobile | No | No |
| // Measure & takeoff | ||
| Length, area, perimeter, count | Yes | Yes |
| Volume takeoff | Yes | Yes |
| Per-page scale & calibration | Yes | Yes |
| Metric & imperial | Yes | Yes |
| Assemblies & cost databases | Infinite flexibility — any database & formula configuration | Pre-managed defaultsTrade plug-ins sold separately |
| // AI takeoff | ||
| Count by visual example | YesMagic Count | YesAuto Count · Takeoff Boost |
| One-click flood-fill area measure | YesMagic Measure | Not published |
| AI / MCP — drive the full app (human parity) | Native · full-app | Not published |
| // Revisions & comparison | ||
| Overlay two revisions | Yes | Yes |
| Colour-coded additions / deletions | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-align | Yes · ~2 s typical | Manual placement |
| Blink compare | Yes | Not published |
| Multiple alignment candidates | Yes | Not published |
| Unevenly shifted drawings | Yes | Not published |
| Export comparison as PDF / PNG / GIF | Yes | Not published |
| Revision-linked takeoff carry-forward | Yes | Not published |
| // Estimating & Excel | ||
| Price the job inside the app | Yes | YesAssemblies + parts |
| Full spreadsheet beside the drawing | Yes | No |
| Estimating formula language | YesPower Syntax | Not published |
| Cost / rate lookup tables | Yes | Via assemblies |
| Project-wide rollups across drawings | Yes | Not published |
| Live quantity link into Excel | Built-in sheets — no Excel needed | Via the Live Link plugin |
| Excel (XLSX) export | Yes | Yes |
| Exported formulas keep working | Yes | Not published |
| // Document control | ||
| Watched folders / new-PDF detection | Yes | Not published |
| Revision history per drawing, markups per revision | Yes | Not published |
| Rename-safe & move-safe tracking | Yes | Not published |
| Performance maintained in big sets | Yes | Not published |
| // Performance | ||
| Published pan / zoom target | 120 FPS | Not published |
| Sharp render after zoom | ~100 ms typical | Not published |
| Load a 500+ sheet set | ~1 second | Not published |
| // Markup | ||
| Full PDF markup suite (clouds, callouts, stamps, signatures) | Yes | Clouds, notes, stamps, callouts |
| Flatten / export marked-up PDF | Yes | YesPrint to PDF |
| // Price | ||
| Free trial | 30 days · no card | 14 days · no card |
| Entry price | $12.99/mo founding | ≈$1,749–$2,000 first year |
| Trade plug-ins | Everything included | Sold separately |
| Updates & support after year one | Included | ≈$250–$300 / licence / yr |
| Feature tiers | None | Base + paid plug-ins |
| Price lock | Until 2029 | Not published |
* Comparison based on a best-efforts review of PlanSwift’s published materials — planswift.com product pages and the ConstructConnect support knowledge base — as of 13 July 2026. PlanSwift pricing varies by source and promotion (≈$1,749 one-time to ≈$2,000/year Professional at that date; trade plug-ins, training, and later-year updates & support sold separately) — verify current pricing at planswift.com. “Not published” means PlanSwift may have a related capability but does not appear to publish the same explicit claim. Purple Hammer statuses reflect the current product. PlanSwift® is a trademark of ConstructConnect, Inc.; this page is an independent comparison and is not affiliated with or endorsed by PlanSwift or ConstructConnect.
Every PlanSwift cell on this page traces to PlanSwift’s own published materials — the planswift.com product pages and the ConstructConnect support knowledge base — reviewed 13 July 2026. Where PlanSwift doesn’t publish an explicit claim, the cell says “Not published” rather than “No”. Where PlanSwift genuinely delivers — Auto Count, colour-coded overlays, in-app assemblies — the table credits it.
Full detail — sources, criteria, dates
Sources
PlanSwift platform support: the ConstructConnect knowledge base states PlanSwift installs only on Windows 10/11 Pro, cannot be installed on a Mac directly, and has no supported path on Apple-silicon (M-series) machines. Revision comparison: the knowledge base documents Standard and Comparative Overlay — a second page placed manually over the current one, with additions and deletions colour-coded. Excel: the knowledge base documents the Excel Integration (Live Link) plugin, linking Excel cells to takeoff items in real time. Markup: the knowledge base documents revision clouds, notes, rubber stamps, sticky tabs and a highlighter, plus printing plans with markups to PDF. AI: planswift.com documents Takeoff Boost (Auto Takeoff, Auto Count, Auto Scale, Auto Bookmark). Pricing: planswift.com and software directories (G2, Capterra), which vary by promotion.
Criteria
“Yes” means a published, currently shipping capability. “Not published” means we could not find the explicit claim in official materials — the capability may exist in some form. “Manual” means the published workflow requires hand placement or repeated steps. Cells never rest on third-party reviews alone.
The Purple Hammer column
Reflects the current shipped product. Performance figures follow the same envelope policy documented in the technical details on the performance page: conservative headline numbers, typical results faster.