Comparison

HCSS Plans vs USA North

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HCSS Plans

This app facilitates real-time collaboration on construction plans for heavy civil projects. It allows teams to upload, annotate, and share PDF plans, ensuring everyone works with the latest revisions. Features include smart revision control, instant document access, and built-in calculators for accurate quantity takeoffs.

Highlights
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Smart revision control
  • PDF plan upload and markup
  • Instant document access
  • Built-in heavy civil calculators
  • Location services for field use
  • Sheet overlays for conflict detection
Features
Read full description

Get everyone on the same (digital) page with this easy app, designed for heavy civil construction. Upload PDF plans from the office, and then collaborate with your entire project team in real time, no matter where they are, using markups, call-outs, notes, photos/videos, and more. Smart revision control ensures everyone works off the latest set of plans and site instructions so your crews can build correctly the first time, every time. ~~~~~ Collaboration ~~~~~ SEAMLESS TEAMWORK Align your entire project team — from foremen and managers to estimators, executives, and owners. • Management gains detailed insight into how the project was bid. • Foremen get instant access to project managers’ notes, clarifications, and calculations. • All team members can add and share layers, annotations, notes, photos, and videos. • Subcontractors can collaborate with your team for free while your sensitive information is protected. SMART REVISION CONTROL Avoid rework and delays when everyone works off the most up-to-date set of plans. • Sync revisions, annotations, and photos between the office and field. • Overlay new and old versions to identify design changes immediately. INSTANT ACCESS TO DOCS Digitally store all project documents in one, easy-to-use system for instant access in the office and field, even without Internet. • Organize your permits, contracts, shop drawings, vendor agreements, manuals, specs, and more. • Pin RFIs, issues, dig permits, and submittals directly onto plan sheets to quickly reference relevant info. ~~~~~ Heavy Civil Focused ~~~~~ CALCULATIONS & QUANTITIES Save time and money with effortless calculations, right in your app. • Accurately determine volume, tonnage, trucking, and more with built-in, heavy civil calculators. • No more guessing — report true quantities rather than eyeballing. • Supports both horizontal and vertical measurements for profile views. REAL-TIME LOCATION SERVICES No other digital plans solution provides this level of location services for your construction sites. • Easily locate yourself on the plans sheet, even in a green field, without a survey crew. • Catch issues early by walking the site to identify any obstacles that may not be accounted for in drawings. • Auto-pin photos in the exact place they were taken to more clearly communicate issues or work progress. SHEET OVERLAYS Overlay sheets to gain a more comprehensive view of your project. • Stack related sheets, such as electrical and sewer, to verify there are no conflicts in the area before each stage of work. • Stitch sheets over Apple Maps to see your plans in relation to existing structures in road or satellite view. ~~~~~ Smart Integrations ~~~~~ HCSS Plans is part of the HCSS suite, providing even more efficiency and accuracy across your teams. HeavyBid estimating software • Takeoff integration: Import HCSS Plans takeoff quantities into HeavyBid. • Easy reference: Link biditems and activities to relevant sheets for easy reference. • Better collaboration: Instantly share estimators’ notes and calculations with your Operations team after winning the bid. HeavyJob field entry & job management software • Accurate quantities: Pull in sheet calculations for accurate production quantities without double entry. • Quick reviews: Relevant sheets are one click away for easy quantity checks during web time card reviews. • Issue alerts: Get notified when an issue is logged on a sheet, and elevate it to an RFI if necessary.

About

USA North

Submit locate requests for excavation and utility work directly from your mobile device. Register through the app to start submitting requests for underground utilities.

Highlights
  • Submit locate requests
  • Register for service
  • Mobile utility locating
  • Excavator and utility tool
Read full description

The USA North App allows excavators, utilities, homeowners to submit Locate Requests directly from their phones. You first need to register with the service which can be done from the App and then you are ready to begin submitting your locate requests.

Screenshots

HCSS Plans3 screens
USA North4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: HCSS Plans at 392 against USA North's 3. HCSS Plans also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). USA North's advantage is iOS requirement (13.1 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for HCSS Plans against 4.7 for USA North. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HCSS Plans has 392 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HCSS Plans ships an update every 3 weeks, USA North every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HCSS Plans versus USA North: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHCSS PlansUSA North
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (392 ratings)4.7 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings392 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size201 MB192 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHeavy Construction Systems Specialists, Inc.PelicanCorp

Customer experience

HCSS Plans

All ratings392 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

USA North

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

HCSS Plans

No in-app purchases

None

USA North

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HCSS Plans free?
HCSS Plans is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is USA North free?
USA North is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HCSS Plans or USA North?
USA North is rated higher. HCSS Plans averages 4.6 out of 5 from 392 ratings, while USA North averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.
Do HCSS Plans or USA North have ads?
Neither HCSS Plans nor USA North shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HCSS Plans or USA North?
HCSS Plans ships an update every 3 weeks, and USA North every 3 months. Most recently, HCSS Plans was updated on September 24, 2026 and USA North on September 9, 2026.

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