Home › Toolie vs Buildxact
Made in NZ · For NZ buildersThe NZ-built Buildxact alternative
Buildxact-grade estimating, but NZ-only — automatic NZS 3604 take-off off a ~30-region pricebook, H1 zones, H&S, crew portal and NZ contracts at one flat NZD price.
No credit card · Cancel anytime · Works offline on site · Flat NZD pricing
The honest answer
Buildxact is a capable, popular tool that does the job-admin basics well. It is an estimating and job-management tool aimed at builders, with takeoff and a supplier price feed. If that is all you need, it is a fine choice.
Where Toolie is different: Toolie is built around the New Zealand Building Code itself, not bolted onto a generic global product. Describe a job in plain English or drop in a PDF plan and Toolie runs the NZS 3604 take-off, prices it off a real NZ QS pricebook, keeps the crew compliant (H1 6th edition, Healthy Homes, CCA 2002 retentions), and does it for one flat price for your whole crew — not per user.
Why builders move from Buildxact to Toolie
- Buildxact does estimating well but is priced at the high end and is generic to AU/US/NZ — it does not encode NZS 3604 spans, H1 zones or CCA 2002 retentions.
- Toolie's quote starts from a plain-English description or a PDF plan and applies NZ wind/coastal/seismic site intelligence automatically.
- Toolie includes a full H&S system, a crew portal, maintenance plans and the NZ compliance paperwork — Buildxact is estimating-led.
- Toolie is flat-priced from NZ$49/mo and has no lock-in contract.
Buildxact vs Toolie, side by side
| Capability | Toolie | Buildxact |
|---|---|---|
| Estimating & takeoff | ✓ | ✓ |
| Supplier pricing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Entry price under NZ$199/mo | ✓ | — |
| Instant quote from a plain-English description | ✓ | — |
| Automatic NZS 3604 take-off | ✓ | — |
| H1 & Healthy Homes compliance | ✓ | — |
| CCA 2002 retention ledger | ✓ | — |
| Health & safety module | ✓ | — |
| Crew portal & timesheets | ✓ | — |
| Recurring maintenance & service | ✓ | — |
| No lock-in contract | ✓ | 12-mo |
Comparison compiled May 2026 from public competitor information; competitor features and pricing change — check their current sites.
Switching is low-risk
Import your QS/BOQ schedules, run a job or two on the 14-day free trial (it works offline on site), and export your data any time. No lock-in contract, no per-user billing surprises when you put on another chippie.
See the full picture on the feature guide, try the on-site calculators, or read why Toolie exists.
Common questions
Is Toolie a cheaper Buildxact alternative?
Toolie starts at NZ$49/mo flat (ex-GST) with no lock-in, where Buildxact's plans sit higher and can carry a 12-month term. Toolie also includes H&S, a crew portal, maintenance and NZ compliance paperwork beyond estimating.
Does Toolie do takeoff like Buildxact?
Yes — measure lengths and areas straight off a PDF plan, or use one-tap auto-analyse, then Toolie runs the NZS 3604 take-off and prices it off a NZ QS pricebook with ~30-region pricing.
Which is better for NZ residential builders?
If you want estimating plus NZ Building Code compliance, a crew portal, H&S and the contract/consent paperwork in one flat-priced tool, Toolie is purpose-built for NZ. Buildxact is a solid generic estimator.
Quote, comply and get paid — in one place
Start free today. NZS 3604, H1, Healthy Homes & CCA 2002 built in. One flat price for your whole crew.
Start your 14-day free trial →