Free Electrical Estimating Software: What Is Actually Free
Very little electrical estimating software is free to keep using. In October 2026, SparkQuote is free during its beta (5 AI takeoffs a month, unlimited estimates, no credit card) and STACK has a limited free version (2 concurrent projects for 7 days, no Autocount or export). Everything else is a free trial: PlanSwift and TurboBid for 14 days, Countfire for 7, BuildVision for 14 with a card. The only option that stays free with no limits is a spreadsheet template.
We make SparkQuote, so read its entry with that in mind. Every other fact comes from the vendor's own pages or review sites, checked October 15–18, 2026. Free terms change often; check the vendor's page before you rely on one for a bid.
Free, free trial or free beta?
| Kind of free | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan or tier | Free with no end date, with limits on projects, features or exports | STACK's free version |
| Free beta | Free while the product is in beta; paid plans are planned | SparkQuote |
| Free trial | Full or partial access for a set number of days, then you pay | PlanSwift, TurboBid, Countfire, BuildVision |
| Demo only | A sales call, no self-serve access | Accubid, ConEst, McCormick |
| Free templates and calculators | Spreadsheets and calculators you keep | Estimate templates, bid calculators |
What's free in each tool (October 2026)
| Tool | Free option | Limits | Paid price after |
|---|---|---|---|
| SparkQuote | Free beta | 5 AI takeoffs a month; one user per account | Planned from $99/month |
| STACK | Limited free version | 2 concurrent projects for 7 days, 10 takeoffs per project; no Autocount, cost data, API or export | From $299/user/month |
| PlanSwift | 14-day trial | Every feature; no credit card | $2,000–$3,000 per seat per year |
| TurboBid | 14-day trial | No refunds after purchase | $135/month + $350 setup, or $1,395 |
| Countfire | 7-day trial | Full access, including Smart Select | Not published |
| BuildVision | 14-day trial | Credit card required | $299/month for up to 5 users |
| Procore Estimating | 14-day trial listed on Capterra | Not described on Procore's own pages | Not published |
| McCormick | Demo; Software Advice lists a free trial | Not confirmed by McCormick | Not published |
| Accubid, ConEst | Demo through sales | No self-serve trial found | Not published |
1. SparkQuote: free during the beta
SparkQuote is the full product, free while it's in beta: AI takeoff from your PDF plans, an editable library of labor units and assemblies, estimates with alternates and unit prices, and a proposal with your logo, exported to PDF and Excel.
- What's free: 5 AI takeoffs a month, unlimited estimates, no credit card and no sales call.
- What it costs later: planned plans after the beta are $99, $199 and $399 a month; see pricing. Nothing is billed during the beta.
- Limits: one user per account, and no licensed supplier price service.
Also free and not tied to the beta: our NEC calculators for wire size, voltage drop, conduit fill and box fill.
2. STACK: a free version for trying the takeoff
STACK's free Takeoff & Estimate tier is enough to try the takeoff on a real plan, but not to run a business on: 2 concurrent projects for 7 days, 10 takeoffs per project, and no Autocount, cost data, API or export.
- Paid: Takeoff & Estimate from $299 per user per month.
- Full comparison: STACK alternative.
3. Free trials worth running
A trial is the right way to test a paid tool on your own plans. Run a job you've already bid, so you know the right answer.
- PlanSwift: 14 days, every feature, no credit card, nothing charged at the end. See PlanSwift alternative.
- TurboBid: 14 days. TurboBid doesn't refund purchases because the trial exists, so test it fully. See TurboBid alternative.
- Countfire: 7 days of full access, including Smart Select and uncapped projects. See Countfire alternative.
- BuildVision: 14 days, with a credit card up front.
4. Free templates and calculators
If you bid a few small jobs a month, a spreadsheet is free forever. You count by hand and keep prices current yourself.
- Electrical estimate template: line items, labor units, burdened rate and markup, in Excel or PDF.
- Electrical bid calculator: checks material, labor, overhead and margin on a bid.
- Bid proposal template: the scope, inclusions and exclusions the customer signs.
The catch with "free download" estimating software
Search results for "free electrical estimating software download" include old versions and cracked copies of paid programs. Skip them: they don't get price or code updates, and installers from unofficial sites are a common way to get malware. Use a vendor trial or a browser app instead.
How to choose a free option
- Bid a few jobs a month? Start with the free template and the bid calculator.
- Want the counting done for you? Use SparkQuote's free beta, or a 7–14 day trial of a paid tool timed to a real bid.
- Comparing paid tools? Line the trials up so each one gets the same plan set. Then see the best electrical estimating software or the best options for small contractors.
Frequently asked questions
Is there free electrical estimating software?
Yes, but only a little. SparkQuote is free during its beta, with 5 AI takeoffs a month and unlimited estimates, and STACK has a limited free version. Most other tools offer a 7–14 day trial, and spreadsheet templates are free.
Is there free electrical takeoff software?
SparkQuote's beta includes AI takeoff free, 5 takeoffs a month. STACK's free version has manual takeoff without Autocount. PlanSwift offers a 14-day trial with Auto Count.
Which electrical estimating software has a free trial?
PlanSwift (14 days, no card), TurboBid (14 days), BuildVision (14 days, card required) and Countfire (7 days). Capterra lists a 14-day trial for Procore Estimating.
Do Accubid, ConEst or McCormick have a free version?
No. They're sold through sales demos, and we found no self-serve trial on their pages. Software Advice lists a free trial for McCormick, which McCormick doesn't advertise.
Is a spreadsheet good enough for electrical estimating?
For a few small jobs a month, yes. Once counting plans takes hours per bid, AI takeoff saves more time than it costs.
Sources (checked 2026-10-15 to 2026-10-18): vendor pages and review listings cited on each comparison page in our comparison hub; BuildVision pricing. STACK, PlanSwift, TurboBid, Countfire, BuildVision, Procore, Accubid, ConEst and McCormick are trademarks of their owners; SparkQuote is not affiliated with any of them.