Both use AI to eliminate manual counting. The difference is what happens next, and how long you wait.
Beam AI (ibeam.ai) is an AI takeoff service: upload plans, define scope, and a QA-reviewed takeoff comes back in roughly 24 to 72 hours, covering many trades for GCs, subs, and suppliers. Monaro is a self-serve platform built for HVAC and mechanical distributors: the takeoff is on your screen in under 20 minutes, in your control, and connected to the rest of your quote, including supplier RFQs, branded quote generation, submittals, and ERP sync.
You bid across many trades and are comfortable outsourcing the takeoff itself. Send plans out, get a spreadsheet back, and run your estimate elsewhere. For overflow capacity across diverse trades, a service model works.
Response speed is the game. When a contractor RFQ lands at 9am, a 24 to 72 hour turnaround means quoting tomorrow or Thursday. Monaro means quoting before lunch, from a platform your team controls, with the takeoff flowing straight into RFQs, pricing, and a branded quote. And your drawings never leave your organization's workspace.
The delivery model. Beam AI is takeoff-as-a-service with human QA in the loop and a 24 to 72 hour turnaround. Monaro is software your team runs: results in minutes, verified in-house, connected to quoting and ERP.
Your team does. Anything ambiguous is flagged for a second look. Verified takeoffs are what plans are metered on.
No. Customer content is isolated to your organization and never used to train AI models. See our security page.
.jpeg)
