A STACK takeoff software alternative for electrical counts
STACK is cloud construction takeoff and estimating software for every trade14. Its Autocount places a count on each match of a symbol you box on a plan page2, and its paid plans start at $299 per user a month, billed annually on a 12-month term1. AmpCount works from the legend instead of a boxed template: it counts electrical devices and fixtures on every sheet rather than one page at a time, keeps uncertain marks out of the count and checks the fixture schedule, for $149 a month for up to 3 people with no 12-month term on the monthly plan.
What STACK is
STACK runs 100% in the cloud and measures areas, lengths, pitched surfaces, volumes and counts on PDF plans14. Premium ($299 per user a month, billed annually) adds unlimited projects, symbol search and recognition, AI Takeoff, version overlay and unlimited viewer seats1. Pro ($349) adds worksheet estimating with items and assemblies, STACK for Excel, a regional BNI cost library and proposals1. A free plan allows 1 active project a month, up to 300 plan pages and 50 measurements per project1. STACK says every Takeoff & Estimate subscription is a 12-month term, paid upfront or monthly1.
AmpCount vs STACK at a glance
| AmpCount | STACK | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Electrical takeoff for commercial contractors. Counts devices and fixtures on vector PDF plans. | Takeoff and estimating for all trades: areas, lengths, volumes and counts, with estimating on Pro14. |
| How counts start | Reads the legend, then matches every symbol on every sheet by its drawn geometry. No clicking to start. | Autocount: box one clear symbol and it places a count on each match on that plan page2. |
| Uncertain symbols | Anything not an exact match is marked uncertain and stays out of the count until you confirm it. | STACK's help center says a poor template symbol may not give the results you expect2. |
| Fixture schedule check | Checks counts against the fixture schedule and shows the sheet with the difference. | Not described on STACK's public pages14. |
| Price | $149 a month or $1,490 a year, published. Up to 3 people, no sheet limits. | Premium $299, Pro $349 per user a month, billed annually. Free plan with limits1. |
| Billing | Monthly or yearly. Cancel anytime. Full refund within 14 days. | 12-month terms, paid upfront or in monthly payments1. |
| Runs on | Browser, on Windows or Mac. | Browser, any device with an internet connection1. |
| Export | Excel, CSV and an estimating sheet with your item codes per drawing. | Print and export, reports, and STACK for Excel on Pro1. |
Prices as listed on November 3, 2026. Check the vendor for a current quote.
To see STACK 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 STACK is strong
Where AmpCount is different
The legend does the setup
STACK's Autocount starts from a symbol you box, and its help center says not to use legend symbols for it2. AmpCount starts from the legend on purpose, so every device and fixture type is counted on every sheet without a template per symbol.
Whole set, one pass
Autocount searches the plan page you're on2. AmpCount counts all sheets in the set at once and gives you a count per type and per sheet.
A review list and a schedule check
Marks that aren't an exact geometric match wait in a review list. Fixture counts are compared with the fixture schedule by type tag, with the sheet where they disagree.
No 12-month term required
$149 a month for up to 3 people with no term, cancel anytime. A yearly plan at $1,490 is optional. Three users on STACK Premium list at $10,764 a year on a 12-month term1.
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 counting in STACK
In STACK you create a Count takeoff, zoom in to a clean example of the symbol, draw a box around it and let Autocount place counts on the matches on that page, which STACK says can take up to three minutes2. A symbol with lines crossing it makes a poor template, and STACK recommends its search feature over Autocount for text2. On an electrical set that's one setup per device and fixture type, repeated across power and lighting sheets, plus a check of each result.
AmpCount reads the legend once and counts every type on every sheet in the same pass, with no template to pick per page. What's left is one review list and a schedule check by fixture type.
Cost for a 3-person team
STACK lists Premium at $299 per user a month and Pro at $349, billed annually, as of November 3, 20261. Three estimators come to $10,764 a year on Premium or $12,564 on Pro, on 12-month terms1. Togal.AI's Growth plan lists the same $299 per user a month, billed yearly5. Those plans cover every trade and, on Pro, full estimating14.
AmpCount is $149 a month for up to 3 people, paid month to month, or $1,490 a year if you'd rather pay yearly. It only counts electrical devices and fixtures on vector PDFs. If your team uses STACK mainly for electrical counts, that gap matters. If you price in STACK or take off other trades, it covers ground AmpCount doesn't.
Running an electrical bid through AmpCount
- Download the electrical sheets from the project as a vector PDF.
- Upload them to AmpCount instead of creating a Count takeoff per symbol.
- Confirm or dismiss what's flagged and look at the fixture schedule result.
- Map each symbol to the item names you use in your estimate.
- Export counts per drawing to Excel or CSV, or into a printable takeoff sheet.
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
- List what you use STACK for beyond electrical counts: areas, lengths, estimating, proposals.
- Open a few recent electrical sets and confirm they're vector PDFs rather than scans.
- Note your STACK term end date, since subscriptions run 12 months1.
- Re-run a finished STACK bid in AmpCount and see where the device totals differ.
Choose STACK if
- You measure areas, lengths and volumes for several trades, not only electrical counts.
- You want takeoff and estimating with a cost library and proposals in one browser tool1.
Choose AmpCount if
- Most of your STACK time on electrical bids goes into Autocount setups, one symbol and one page at a time.
- You want each count to point at its marks on the plan, with fixtures held against the schedule.
- You want one monthly price for a team of up to 3, without a 12-month term.
Cancel anytime. Full refund within 14 days if it doesn't fit your plans.
Questions
How much does STACK takeoff software cost?
STACK lists Premium at $299 and Pro at $349 per user a month, billed annually, as of November 3, 20261. Its FAQ says Takeoff & Estimate subscriptions are 12-month terms, paid upfront or monthly1. A free plan allows 1 active project a month, 300 plan pages and 50 measurements per project1. That plan is one of the options in the roundup of free takeoff software.
How is AmpCount different from STACK's Autocount?
Autocount searches the page you're on for a symbol you box, and STACK's help center says not to use legend symbols as the template2. AmpCount reads the legend first and counts every symbol type on every sheet at once, then holds back anything that isn't an exact match for review.
Does STACK's AI Takeoff count electrical devices?
STACK describes AI Takeoff as a first pass, one plan sheet at a time, that counts doors and windows, measures room areas and takes off walls; the same page also lists automated counts for symbols3. For a specific device or fixture symbol, STACK's help center describes Autocount2. The guide to AI takeoff across trades compares STACK's approach with Togal and others.
Does AmpCount measure lengths or areas?
No. STACK measures areas, lengths, pitched surfaces and volumes4; AmpCount only counts devices and fixtures. Keep STACK or another measuring tool, such as PlanSwift on Windows, for conduit and feeders.
Can I keep STACK and add AmpCount?
Yes. Keep STACK for lengths, areas, other trades and its unlimited viewer seats1, and use AmpCount for electrical device and fixture counts, exported to Excel.
Other comparisons
Guides and calculators
Sources
- STACK takeoff and estimate pricing
- STACK help center: Autocount
- STACK AI Takeoff
- STACK takeoff software
- Togal.AI pricing
STACK is a trademark of STACK Construction Technologies. AmpCount is not affiliated with STACK Construction Technologies. If something here is out of date, email support@ampcount.com and we'll fix it.