Comparison
Project Blueprint vs PDF Expert for construction drawings
Both are native Mac apps, and both can measure a drawing to scale. PDF Expert is an everyday PDF editor with a measuring toolset added; Project Blueprint is built around takeoff and construction review.
Use PDF Expert for everyday PDF work, iPad markup and the odd quick measurement. Use Project Blueprint when you need a real takeoff: counts, volumes, deductions, per-sheet scales and totals you can export, plus construction review tools and markups that work with Bluebeam users.
At a glance
| PDF Expert | Project Blueprint | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Everyday PDFs: reading, editing, forms, signing | Construction drawings: takeoff, markup, review |
| Platforms | Mac, iPhone and iPad | Mac only (macOS 14+, Apple silicon and Intel) |
| Price (USD) | $79.99 a year (construction tools included); $139.99 one-off also offered | $19 one-off (first 100), then $79, two Macs |
| Scale | Auto-detect or calibrate | Calibrate or set per sheet; separate X and Y; viewports with their own scale |
| Measurements | Distance, area, perimeter | Length, polylength, perimeter, area, volume, diameter, angle, radius, count |
| Deductions | Not mentioned in its help | Cutouts deduct only what is inside an area, once |
| Quantity totals and export | Not mentioned in its help | Markups List grouped and totalled; CSV and PDF summaries |
| Takeoff checks | None listed | Check Takeoff and Verify Scale |
| Edit PDF text, forms, signing | Yes | Not a focus |
| AI features | Yes (PDF Copilot, translation) | None |
PDF Expert details from its pricing page and Readdle's help on 13 October 2026. Readdle says the construction toolset is part of the paid subscription.
Where PDF Expert is the better choice
- Editing the text and images inside a PDF.
- Forms, contracts and signatures.
- Reading and marking up on an iPad with an Apple Pencil, synced with your Mac.
- A quick length or area check when you don't need a full takeoff.
- AI summaries and translation of long documents.
Where Blueprint is the better choice
- Full takeoffs: counts, volumes and deductions, organised by subject and totalled.
- Checking your work: Check Takeoff and Verify Scale catch scale errors and double counting before quantities go out.
- Sets with mixed scales, where each sheet, or part of a sheet, needs its own.
- Construction review: clouds, callouts, RFI status and replies, and comparing revisions.
- Working with Bluebeam users, with markups that open and save both ways.
- Paying once instead of every year for the measuring tools.
Using both
Both apps save standard PDF annotations, so they get along. A sensible split: PDF Expert for contracts, forms and reading on the go; Blueprint for drawings and quantities.
Frequently asked questions
Can PDF Expert measure drawings to scale?
Yes. Since 2024, PDF Expert's paid subscription includes construction tools: calibrate a scale, then measure distance, area and perimeter, in mm, m, inches or feet. Readdle's help pages don't mention counts, volumes or a quantity summary.
Which is better for a full takeoff?
Project Blueprint. It adds counts, volumes, deductions, per-sheet scales, takeoff checks and a Markups List that totals and exports quantities to CSV. PDF Expert suits quick measurements.
Can I use both?
Yes. Both save standard PDF annotations, so you can sign or edit text in PDF Expert and do your takeoff in Blueprint.
Which works on iPad?
PDF Expert has iPhone and iPad apps with Apple Pencil support. Project Blueprint is Mac only.
Sources
Prices and product details were checked on 13 October 2026. They change, so check each vendor's site before you buy.