mepsub.net/vs/plangrid
Head-to-Head Comparison

PlanGrid manages drawings.
MEPSub runs your business.

PlanGrid is good at one thing - sharing drawings with field teams. It has no estimating, no cost book, no AI takeoff, no invoicing, no progress billing. You still need 4 other tools to run an MEP sub business. ⚠ Note: PlanGrid is in maintenance mode as of 2021. Autodesk no longer sells it to new customers — users are being migrated to Autodesk Build.

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M
MEPSub
Built for MEP Subcontractors
Starting priceFree to $49/mo
MEP Cost Book13,177 items
AI TakeoffBuilt-in
Commercial MEPPurpose-built
Full lifecycleEstimate to Invoice
Winner for MEP Subs
VS
◀
P
PlanGrid
Drawing Management and Field Collaboration
Starting price~$49-$149/user/mo
Estimating / biddingNot available
MEP Cost BookNone
Invoicing / billingNot available
AI TakeoffNot available
Drawing Viewer - Not a Business Platform
Real Problems

Why MEP subs
leave PlanGrid

We've talked to hundreds of MEP sub owners. Here's what we hear every time.

01 / SCOPE MISMATCH
PlanGrid is a drawing management and field collaboration tool. It was designed to replace paper drawings on job sites - not run an MEP sub business.
"PlanGrid does one thing. We need twelve things."
MEP subcontractors using PlanGrid still need separate estimating, separate invoicing, separate submittal management, and separate RFI tracking. PlanGrid is one piece of a much larger puzzle.
MEPSub is the complete puzzle - estimating, submittals, RFIs, change orders, billing, field service, and AI in one platform.
02 / AUTODESK LOCK-IN
PlanGrid is now Autodesk Build, part of Autodesk Construction Cloud. That means per-user pricing that scales up fast.
PlanGrid became Autodesk Build. Your invoice got bigger.
Autodesk's acquisition of PlanGrid turned a simple drawing tool into an entry point for an expensive enterprise platform. Users report pricing increasing significantly post-acquisition.
MEPSub is independent, focused exclusively on MEP subcontractors, and priced flat at $149/mo regardless of team size.
03 / ESTIMATING
PlanGrid has no estimating module, no cost book, no bid pipeline. If you need to estimate a job, you're using a completely different tool.
You can view drawings in PlanGrid. You cannot bid from them.
The core workflow for an MEP sub is: get drawings, do takeoff, build estimate, bid job. PlanGrid covers step 1 partially. Everything else requires additional software.
MEPSub closes the loop - AI takeoff from PDFs, 13,177-item cost book, full estimate builder, bid pipeline, and one-click PDF proposal.
04 / NO AI
PlanGrid/Autodesk Build has no MEP-specific AI takeoff, no spec parsing, no SOW generation. The drawing viewer is passive - you measure manually.
You're still counting fittings by hand. AI can do that now.
Manual takeoff from PDFs is the biggest time sink in MEP estimating. AI that identifies and counts MEP items automatically is available today - but not in PlanGrid.
MEPSub AI Takeoff processes PDF drawings and identifies MEP items automatically. Bid 3x faster with direct sync to your estimate.
Feature by Feature

The full breakdown

Every feature that matters to a commercial MEP sub - side by side.

FeatureMEPSubPlanGrid
Estimating and bid pipeline✓ Full commercial builder✗ Not available
MEP Cost Book (CSI Div 21-28)✓ 13,177 items✗
AI Takeoff from PDF drawings✓✗ Manual only
Drawing / plan management~ Via Document Manager✓ Core feature
Submittals and GC portal✓ AI-powered✗
RFIs and Change Orders✓~ Basic RFIs
Invoicing and SOV Billing✓✗
Lien Waivers and Certified Payroll✓✗
Field Service Dispatch✓✗
Pricing model✓ Flat $149/mo$49-$149/user/mo
Starting priceFree to $149/mo (Pro)$49-$149/user/mo (Autodesk Build)
How much are you paying PlanGrid?
Move the sliders - see what you'd save switching to MEPSub.
5 users
8 projects
PlanGrid (estimated)
$0
per month
MEPSub
$149
per month, all features
Save $0/mo
"

We had PlanGrid for drawings and three other tools for everything else. $800/mo across four platforms. When we found MEPSub, we got drawing management, estimating, submittals, RFIs, invoicing, and AI takeoff - all for $149. We cancelled four subscriptions the same week.

C
Carlos V.
Project Manager - Mechanical Contractor - New York (9 employees)
★★★★★
Takes 20 Minutes to Switch

Stop duct-taping tools together.
One platform does it all.

MEPSub handles estimating, submittals, RFIs, billing, and field service - plus AI. Start free, no credit card required.

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