A PlanSwift alternative built only for electrical counts

PlanSwift is takeoff and estimating software for every trade, sold by ConstructConnect from $2,000 a year for the first seat, and it runs on Windows¹². Its Auto Count finds matching symbols after you box one⁵. AmpCount is built only for electrical: it reads the legend and counts every device and fixture on all sheets without marking anything first, checks the fixture schedule, and costs $149 a month in the browser for up to 3 people.

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Written by Agustín Policano, founder of AmpCount. Facts about PlanSwift come from ConstructConnect's public pages, checked November 3, 2026. Sources at the end.

What PlanSwift is

PlanSwift measures areas, lengths and counts on PDF, CAD and image plans, with drag-and-drop assemblies that build the estimate as you measure²³. Its Takeoff BOOST tools include Auto Count, which finds matching symbols on up to 10 selected pages per run after the user boxes one instance⁵. PlanSwift Essential is $2,000 a year and Core is $3,000 a year for the first seat, with lower prices for additional seats and a 14-day trial¹².

AmpCount vs PlanSwift at a glance

	AmpCount	PlanSwift
What it is	Electrical takeoff for commercial contractors. Counts devices and fixtures on vector PDF plans.	Takeoff and estimating for all trades: areas, lengths, counts and assemblies².
How counts start	Reads the legend, then matches every symbol on every sheet by its drawn geometry. No clicking to start.	Auto Count: box one instance of a symbol and it finds the matches on up to 10 selected pages per run⁵.
Uncertain symbols	Anything not an exact match is marked uncertain and stays out of the count until you confirm it.	PlanSwift says Auto Count results should be reviewed before they go into an estimate⁵.
Fixture schedule check	Checks counts against the fixture schedule and shows the sheet with the difference.	Not described on PlanSwift's public pages²⁵.
Price	$149 a month or $1,490 a year, published. Up to 3 people, no sheet limits.	Essential $2,000/yr, Core $3,000/yr for the first seat. Additional seats discounted¹².
Billing	Monthly or yearly. Cancel anytime. Full refund within 14 days.	Annual plans¹.
Runs on	Browser, on Windows or Mac.	Windows 10 and 11 desktop².
Export	Excel, CSV and an estimating sheet with your item codes per drawing.	Live Excel Link, and exports to PDF, Excel, CSV, XML or HTML².

Prices as listed on November 3, 2026. Check the vendor for a current quote.

To see PlanSwift next to the rest of the field, the electrical estimating software guide lists 14 tools with their published prices, and the electrical takeoff software guide explains the four ways software counts a plan set.

Where PlanSwift is strong

Covers every trade, with areas and lengths, not just counts².
Estimating built in: assemblies carry materials and labor as you measure².
Strong Excel integration, plugins and trade starter packs, plus an Auto Count library to reuse saved symbols on future jobs²⁴.
A big user base: PlanSwift says more than 41,000 estimators use it².

Where AmpCount is different

No first symbol to mark

AmpCount takes the symbols from your legend, so every device type is counted on every sheet from the start. You don't set up a count per symbol.

Made for electrical sets

It understands legends, type tags like A2 or B1, and fixture schedules. It filters to electrical layers when the PDF has them, so furniture and architecture don't get counted.

Nothing counted silently

Every mark is confirmed, dismissed or uncertain. The uncertain list is your review, and every number links to its marks on the sheet.

Monthly or yearly, in the browser

PlanSwift is an installed Windows application sold on annual plans¹². AmpCount is $149 a month for the team, cancel anytime, and opens in a browser on Windows or Mac.

The matching is plain geometry, step by step, as shown in how AmpCount works. A vision model helps read titles, legends and schedules but never confirms a mark or counts, as the AI electrical takeoff guide explains.

Where the time goes in a PlanSwift count

PlanSwift's Auto Count starts from a symbol you select: you box one receptacle, it finds the matches on up to 10 pages you choose, and you review them⁵. Then you do the same for the GFCI, the floor box, each switch type and every fixture type. On an electrical set that's a dozen or more device types across power and lighting sheets, more if the bid carries low voltage and data devices, each one set up and checked on its own, and fixture counts still have to be reconciled with the schedule by hand.

AmpCount skips the per-symbol setup because the legend already tells it what to look for. Every device and fixture type is counted on every sheet in one pass, and the fixture schedule is compared automatically. The estimator's job becomes reviewing what's flagged, not building a count for each symbol.

Cost for a 3-person estimating team

PlanSwift's features page lists Essential at $2,000 a year for the first seat and $1,500 for each additional seat, and Core at $3,000 and $2,500². For three estimators that's $5,000 a year on Essential or $8,000 on Core, as of November 1, 2026. Both are annual plans¹.

AmpCount is $149 a month for all three of those estimators, or $1,490 a year if you pay yearly, and the monthly plan cancels anytime. It does less: no areas, lengths or built-in estimating. If your team only opens PlanSwift for electrical counts, that difference is the point. If you price inside PlanSwift, you may keep it and use AmpCount for the counts.

Run the numbers for your shop

Switching from PlanSwift for electrical counts

Export your current bid's sheets to a vector PDF from the design files, the way they came from the engineer.
Upload the set to AmpCount. It reads the legend and counts all sheets.
Clear the flagged marks and look at any fixture type the schedule check calls out.
Add your item codes to each symbol once, so exports match your estimate.
Export to Excel or the estimating sheet and price where you price today, or paste the counts into a blank electrical takeoff sheet first.

Pricing the counts by hand for now? The electrical estimate template and the electrical estimate calculator take quantities straight from the export.

Before you switch

Check which PlanSwift features you use beyond counting: areas, lengths, assemblies, plugins.
Confirm your sets are vector PDFs. PlanSwift reads images and CAD²; AmpCount needs vector PDFs.
Note when your PlanSwift subscription renews, so you can test AmpCount on live bids before then.
Attach your item codes to symbols in AmpCount so exports drop into your pricing sheet.

Choose PlanSwift if

You estimate several trades, or you need areas and lengths as well as counts. The construction takeoff software guide puts PlanSwift next to the other multi-trade measuring tools.
You build priced estimates inside PlanSwift with its assemblies and want to keep that.

Choose AmpCount if

You're an electrical contractor and running Auto Count once per symbol type is where the takeoff hours go.
You want fixture totals reconciled with the schedule without a trip through Excel.
You'd rather pay monthly, work in the browser, or use a Mac.

Get started, $149/mo

Cancel anytime. Full refund within 14 days if it doesn't fit your plans.

Questions

Is PlanSwift estimating software or takeoff software?

Both. PlanSwift estimating software measures areas, lengths and counts on the plans for any trade and builds assemblies that turn those quantities into an estimate². Some electrical estimators use it for takeoff and keep pricing and labor units in a dedicated electrical estimating program. AmpCount only does the electrical count.

Is AmpCount cheaper than PlanSwift?

AmpCount is $149 a month for up to 3 people, or $1,490 a year on the yearly plan. PlanSwift lists $2,000 a year for the first Essential seat and $3,000 for Core, as of November 1, 2026¹². PlanSwift also does estimating and other trades², which AmpCount doesn't.

Does AmpCount measure lengths or areas like PlanSwift?

No. PlanSwift measures areas, lengths, slopes and volumes²; AmpCount only counts devices and fixtures. Feeders and branch runs still need PlanSwift or another measuring tool, such as the low-cost Windows app Easy PDF Takeoff.

What plans does AmpCount accept?

Vector PDFs exported from Revit, AutoCAD and other CAD software. PlanSwift also opens DWG, DXF, JPG and TIFF files²; AmpCount refuses scanned or image-only sheets instead of guessing at them.

How many estimators does one AmpCount plan cover?

Up to 3 people, who share bids and the symbol library, with no sheet limits. In PlanSwift each estimator is a separate seat².

Does AmpCount work on a Mac?

Yes. AmpCount runs in the browser on Windows or Mac, with nothing to install. PlanSwift lists Windows 10 and Windows 11².

Can I keep PlanSwift for other trades?

Yes. Some contractors keep PlanSwift for areas, lengths and other trades and use AmpCount only for electrical device and fixture counts. If you're reviewing your ConstructConnect tools anyway, the same company sells On-Screen Takeoff, its other Windows takeoff program⁶.

Other comparisons

Guides and calculators

Sources

PlanSwift is a trademark of ConstructConnect. AmpCount is not affiliated with ConstructConnect. If something here is out of date, email support@ampcount.com and we'll fix it.