Bobyard vs. Togal.AI

Bobyard and Togal.AI both use AI to speed up construction takeoffs, but their output, accuracy, and how they build the AI differ quite drastically. They also differ greatly in depth, functionality, automation, and time-savings they offer across different construction trades. Here, we’ll discuss what each platform does, and why sticker price shouldn't be the only factor in your decision.

Table of contents

1. What is Bobyard?
2. What is Togal.AI?
3. Bobyard vs. Togal.AI at a glance
4. Bobyard vs. Togal.AI general features
5. Bobyard vs. Togal.AI trade-specific features
6. Togal.AI pricing vs. real ROI
7. See the Bobyard difference
8. Frequently asked questions

What is Bobyard?

Bobyard is an AI-native takeoff and estimating platform. Each trade has a custom suite of AI features, functionality, and model backing it. Its computer vision models are developed and trained per trade to read blueprints the way an estimator does, while picking up on trade-specific nuances. Bobyard automatically extracts symbols, patterns, materials, quantities from construction drawings and turns those quantities into a priced estimate inside the platform. Everything you measure in Bobyard flows into an interactive estimate table, so there’s no need to export to other software.

What is Togal.AI?

Togal.AI is a cloud-based takeoff-only tool. It offers some AI features and automation, with the “Togal Button” limited to architectural floor plans and reflected ceiling plans to calculate total gross square footage, gross and net areas, lines, and counts. AI-powered search and chat help users find specific details. Togal.AI detects, measures, and counts features on architectural drawings, then exports quantities to external estimating software or Excel. It does not include a native estimating module.

Bobyard vs. Togal at a glance

In the simplest terms, Bobyard is an AI-native trade-specific takeoff and estimating platform while Togal.AI is a cloud-based takeoff tool with general-purpose AI features that exports to Excel for estimating. On the surface, Togal.AI covers more trades, but its per-trade depth is lacking compared to Bobyard’s.

Togal.AI offers each trade a generic AI toolkit with image and text search, auto-naming, and chat, with its “Togal takeoff Button” unavailable for most trades. Generic AI tools won’t detect each trade’s unique symbols, materials, and conventions.

Landscaping has hundreds of unique plant symbols, needs clean irrigation line detection, pipe network detection, and aerial takeoff for maintenance work. Electrical needs circuit-to-panel cross-referencing, riser equipment counting, homerun routing. Finishes trades need room-by-room detection and door/window counts that a generic floor-plan tool doesn't track as distinct items. Not reading or counting these components correctly brings inaccuracies and slowdowns.

Bobyard vs. Togal.AI general features

 

Bobyard’s trade-specific capabilities unavailable in Togal.AI

Bobyard and Togal.AI pricing vs. real ROI

Togal.AI’s public starting price is around $299 per user per month, with additional customer support, training, and resources available on a custom business plan. Bobyard is a premium subscription priced for serious commercial bid volume, with customer success managers included with every subscription.

The per-seat price isn’t the only comparison that matters. Here's how Bobyard customers justify the price.

1. Bobyard’s models are more accurate per trade

Togal.AI works well on clean architectural floor plans, but public G2 and Trustpilot reviews say it stumbles on trade-specific items like plumbing parts or structural quantities. This leaves some feeling like they’re paying a premium for AI capabilities that don’t cover trade-specific work they need.

There’s the frustration of an inaccurate count you can see, but the ones you can’t can impact your margin or bring change orders you didn’t account for. Bobyard's models are trained per trade specifically so it can read trade-specific drawings and not drift if it deviates from a generic floor plan.

2. Bobyard includes takeoffs and estimates

Togal.AI is takeoff only. Once the takeoff is done, quantities export to Excel or another estimating tool to actually build the bid. This translates to more tools, logins, and room for error across these handoffs that can impact the final bid.

Bobyard's estimate table is built in, so quantities flow directly into pricing without separate exports, data re-entry, or additional spreadsheets to keep in sync.

3. Bobyard scales and grows with you

Togal's current product and public roadmap are focused on takeoffs only. Bobyard's roadmap extends into estimating, and further into the rest of the preconstruction workflow as new trades launch. You're not paying for a tool that does one thing today and roughly the same thing in a year or two, but a platform that's built to cover more of your bidding process as it matures.

4. Bobyard includes a hands-on training and support model

Togal.AI's onboarding, training, and dedicated support are reserved for its custom Business tier. Every Bobyard subscription includes a dedicated customer success manager from day one, regardless of team size.

See the difference in a demo

Bobyard and Togal.AI both offer time-saving solutions that automate construction takeoffs, but they’re building toward different futures, and open up distinct futures for your business and its growth. Togal.AI offers a solid all-purpose takeoff tool that hands off to the rest of your stack, while Bobyard is becoming the AI infrastructure for the construction trades, built on AI that understands each trade specifically.

The right choice depends on your trade, your existing estimating setup, and what your needs will be in the short and longer-term.

Want to see Bobyard’s takeoff-to-estimate platform using your own drawings? Book a demo →

Evaluating other tools? Check out our other comparisons:

• BeamAI vs. Bobyard
• Takeoff Monkey vs. Bobyard
• On-Screen Takeoff vs. Bobyard

Bobyard vs. Togal.AI FAQs 

Is Togal.AI cheaper than Bobyard?
The initial sticker price of Togal.AI is currently less than Bobyard, but Bobyard offers more per-trade depth, AI models trained on each trade instead of generic models, it includes takeoffs and estimates, as well as a customer success manager for training, onboarding, and support. You should factor in total ROI and product offering, not just the sticker price.

Does Togal.AI include estimating?
Togal.AI is takeoff only and exports quantities to Excel or another estimating tool, while Bobyard includes a native estimate table so takeoff and estimating happen in one workflow.

Is Togal.AI's AI accurate for trades outside floor plans, like electrical or landscaping? Togal.AI's own users report on G2 and Trustpilot that its AI needs improvement on trade-specific takeoffs like plumbing parts, while Bobyard trains separate AI models for each trade it serves for higher accuracy.

What's the difference between Bobyard's AI and Togal.AI's AI?
Togal.AI applies the same general-purpose AI features across most trades, with its “Togal Button” only available for select trades. Bobyard builds and trains a distinct computer vision model for each trade, including landscaping, electrical, finishes, plumbing, with more trades out this year.

Which is better for my trade, Bobyard or Togal.AI?
Togal.AI can appeal to commercial GCs and floor-plan trade subs doing primarily architectural takeoff, while Bobyard fits trade contractors in landscaping, electrical, finishes, or plumbing who work off of trade-specific drawings and want estimating in the same platform.