# Construction Cost Estimator vs ContractorTools

The clearest difference is price: ContractorTools at Free against Construction Cost Estimator's $19.99. ContractorTools also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (1.8K vs 516). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

ContractorTools is free to download; Construction Cost Estimator costs $19.99 up front. Construction Cost Estimator sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and ContractorTools sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Construction Cost Estimator against 4.7 for ContractorTools. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 516 and 1.8K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Construction Cost Estimator's written reviews are positive against 82% of ContractorTools's.

Construction Cost Estimator ships an update every 4 months, ContractorTools every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Construction Cost Estimator | ContractorTools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (516 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/construction-cost-estimator/id480486428/reviews)** | [4.7 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contractortools/id707055968/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 516 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 77.4% of reviews | **81.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#155** | #188 |
| Size | 66 MB | 118 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Contractor Tools](https://appshunter.io/developer/707055953) | [Contractor Tools](https://appshunter.io/developer/707055953) |

## What reviewers say

### Construction Cost Estimator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/construction-cost-estimator/id480486428)

**Currently charting:** #155 Top Paid · Business (US App Store)

Quickly generate on-site construction and repair estimates. Break down costs by material, labor, and more. Save custom items or purchase detailed costbooks for thousands of construction items. Email professional PDF estimates to clients.

**Highlights:** On-site estimate creation, Customizable PDF reports, Company branding on estimates, Organized cost breakdown, Customizable costbook, International currency support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NHI Costbook 2014 | $49.99 | one-time |
| NRI Costbook 2013 | $49.99 | one-time |
| NCE Costbook 2013 | $49.99 | one-time |
| NHI Costbook 2013 | $49.99 | one-time |
| NCE Costbook 2014 | $49.99 | one-time |
| NCE Costbook 2015 | $49.99 | one-time |
| NHI Costbook 2015 | $49.99 | one-time |
| NCE Costbook 2016 | $49.99 | one-time |
| NHI Costbook 2016 | $49.99 | one-time |
| NRI Costbook 2016 | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simplicity
- 🚀 Fast and easy billing
- 👍 Great for small businesses
- 👍 Customizable and comprehensive
- 👍 Professional-looking estimates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with other devices
- 💡 Lack of syncing/backup options
- 💡 Limited customization of reports
- 💡 Expensive cost books

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing on login screen
- Incompatibility with older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to sync estimates across devices
- More customization options for reports
- Integration with accounting software
- Desktop version for office use
- Multiple custom cost books


### ContractorTools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contractortools/id707055968)

**Currently charting:** #188 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

Streamline your contracting business with tools for creating estimates, invoices, and managing payments. Sync data seamlessly with QuickBooks Online and collaborate with your team across multiple devices. Focus on your work while this app handles the paperwork.

**Highlights:** Estimating, Invoicing, Payment tracking, QuickBooks Online sync, Multi-device sync, Offline functionality, Job templates

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Craftsman Costbooks | $12.99 | per month |
| Basic Plan | $24.99 | per month |
| Essentials Plan | $34.99 | per month |
| Pro Plan | $64.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great solution for estimating
- 👍 Easy to learn and operate
- 🚀 Convenient and professional
- 👍 Seamless access across devices
- 👍 Integrates with QuickBooks

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive for small contractors
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🔒 Limited payment processor options
- 📄 Limited customization for invoice templates
- 🔒 Frequent layout/hierarchy changes

**Reported bugs**

- Deleting items from estimates causes issues with invoices
- Syncing problems leading to incorrect data
- App crashing and becoming unusable

**Requested features**

- Option to show labor and materials costs separately
- Ability to copy/paste entire sections in estimates
- Quarterly updates for cost books
- Stage manager support
- Basic company financial reports


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Construction Cost Estimator free?

Construction Cost Estimator costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is ContractorTools free?

ContractorTools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Construction Cost Estimator or ContractorTools?

Construction Cost Estimator is rated higher. Construction Cost Estimator averages 4.8 out of 5 from 516 ratings, while ContractorTools averages 4.7 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Construction Cost Estimator or ContractorTools have ads?

Neither Construction Cost Estimator nor ContractorTools shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Construction Cost Estimator or ContractorTools?

Construction Cost Estimator ships an update every 4 months, and ContractorTools every 5 weeks. Most recently, Construction Cost Estimator was updated on September 30, 2026 and ContractorTools on September 28, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Construction Cost Estimator or ContractorTools?

Construction Cost Estimator currently peaks at #155 in the App Store charts, and ContractorTools at #188. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*