Question 1

How is Vellum different from other PDF markup software?

Accepted Answer

Vellum is built around the linework in your drawings, not just the page image. When you upload a sheet, Vellum analyzes its vector content, so markups snap to the real geometry, measurements run to a calibrated scale, and the drawing stays sharp at any zoom.

On top of that, Vellum adds CAD-style drafting on the PDF itself: typed lengths, angles, and slopes, plus offset, trim, extend, mirror, and fillet. When the review is done, export a flattened or editable PDF, or DXF to carry the geometry back into CAD.

Question 2

Is Vellum a Bluebeam alternative?

Accepted Answer

For design review and drafting on drawings, yes. Vellum runs in the browser on Windows, Mac, and iPad, snaps to the PDF's linework, adds CAD-style editing, and exports DXF back to CAD. Bluebeam remains a strong choice for dedicated takeoff and estimating.

Because Vellum exports standard PDFs, the two can work side by side while your team tries it. The full side-by-side is on our Vellum vs. Bluebeam page.

Question 3

Does Vellum work on Mac and iPad?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Vellum runs in any modern browser, so the same workspace opens on Windows, Mac, iPad, and phones with nothing to install. On iPad you can annotate with Apple Pencil, and on tablets and phones a compact style bar keeps common edits one tap away.

Question 4

Can I measure lengths and areas on a PDF to scale?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Set the drawing scale from a standard ratio or a custom equation, then use the Measure and Area tools for real-world lengths, areas, and perimeters. You can type an exact length for a dimension, and its label stays live when the endpoints, scale, or units change.

As with any tool, confirm the scale against a known dimension on the sheet before relying on the numbers.

Question 5

Does Vellum preserve the original PDF geometry?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Vellum reads the vector content of each sheet so you can snap to it, extract it as editable entities, and measure it, and it renders the drawing as vectors rather than a fixed-resolution image.

Vector PDFs exported from CAD work best. Scanned PDFs still display and can be marked up, but snapping and object extraction rely on vector content.

Question 6

What file formats can Vellum export?

Accepted Answer

Flattened PDF for distribution and archiving, editable PDF that keeps markups as annotations other tools can edit, DXF with the drawing, the markups, or both for your CAD workflow, and PNG images for slides and email.

Question 7

Will Vellum markups open in Bluebeam, Acrobat, or other PDF viewers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Exported PDFs are standard files. Choose editable export to keep markups as PDF annotations, or flatten them into the page. Vellum-specific behavior, such as live dimension labels, won't stay editable in third-party viewers. Choose flatten when the PDF is for distribution or archiving.

Question 8

Can teams collaborate in Vellum?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Share a document with an invite link and set each person's role, from viewing to full editing. Collaborators see each other's cursors, edits sync in real time, comment threads stay pinned to the drawing, and follow camera lets you walk someone through a sheet as you pan and zoom. Real-time collaboration is included in Pro.

Question 9

Does Vellum have AI features?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in beta, and you don't need AI for anything else: markup, measurement, drafting, collaboration, and export are built in. The assistant runs drafting commands in plain language, such as setting the scale, measuring a selection, or clouding every markup on a page, with no AI account required. For bigger jobs you can connect your own Claude account through Vellum's MCP connector to count symbols, build takeoff quantities, compare two sheets, and draft RFIs or review summaries.

Vellum doesn't run its own AI model or bill you for tokens, and assistant memory holds derived metadata only, never drawing content.

Question 10

How much does Vellum cost, and is there a free trial?

Accepted Answer

Pro is $12 per user per month during the public beta, includes real-time collaboration, and comes with a 10-day free trial that needs no credit card. Enterprise pricing is custom, for firms that need shared workspaces, team management, SSO, and custom deployment.

Question 11

Is Vellum secure for project drawings?

Accepted Answer

Vellum is built for professional project work. You own your content, and it is never sold or used to train AI models without your consent. Documents are shared by invitation with explicit roles, from view-only to full editing, and the AI assistant never stores drawing content.

If your organization has specific security or procurement requirements, our team is glad to work through them with your IT or security group.

Capability	Vellum	Bluebeam Revu	Adobe Acrobat	Drawboard
Markup & annotation
Pen, highlighter & text	Included	Included	Included	Included
Polyline, polygon, rectangle, circle & ellipse	Included	Included	Included	Included
Revision cloud & leader callout	Included	Included	Included	Limited
Image placement	Included	Included	Included	Included
Layers, linetypes & hatch patterns	Included	Included	Limited	Included
Precision & geometry
Snap to drawing geometryEndpoints, midpoints, and intersections on the underlying PDF linework. Acrobat snaps in its measuring tool only	Included	Included	Limited	Included
Typed exact input & live dimensionsType a length, angle, slope, or roof pitch, with math expressions and cross-unit entry	Included	Limited	Not found in vendor documentation	Limited
Construction & editing commandsOffset, trim, extend, mirror, fillet, and arc & bezier segment editing. Revu's Offset tool requires its Max plan	Included	Limited	Not found in vendor documentation	Not found in vendor documentation
Editable dimensions with live labelsCustom label text around a measurement that stays live as endpoints, scale, or units change	Included	Included	Limited	Limited
Object extractor & vector screenshotPull PDF content out as individually editable vector entities	Included	Limited	Not found in vendor documentation	Limited
Region fill bounded by lineworkRevu's Dynamic Fill requires its Complete or Max plan	Included	Included	Not found in vendor documentation	Not found in vendor documentation
Measure & scale
Calibrated scale & measurement	Included	Included	Included	Included
Quantity takeoff & countsIn Vellum, counts and takeoff quantities run through your own connected Claude (beta)	Limited	Included	Limited	Limited
Collaboration
Share links with roles & permissions	Included	Included	Included	Included
Live presence & follow cameraIncluded in Vellum Pro. Hosting a Studio session requires Revu Core or above	Included	Included	Limited	Included
Comment threads on the drawing	Included	Included	Included	Included
Platform
Full workspace in the browserSome Drawboard tools, such as hatch and Snapshot, are Windows only	Included	Limited	Limited	Limited
Windows & Mac	Included	Limited	Included	Included
Assistant & automation
Plain-language drafting assistantType a command to draw, measure, set the scale, or cloud changes, with no AI account needed (beta). Bluebeam's AI requires the premium Max plan	Included	Limited	Limited	Not found in vendor documentation
Bring your own AIConnect your own Claude via MCP to read, measure, count, compare sheets, and mark up. Bluebeam's MCP requires the Max plan and Revu desktop; Adobe's Claude connector covers Acrobat document tools	Included	Included	Limited	Not found in vendor documentation
Export
Annotated PDF export	Included	Included	Included	Included
Direct DXF export to CAD	Included	Not found in vendor documentation	Not found in vendor documentation	Not found in vendor documentation
PNG image export	Included	Included	Included	Limited

Vellum vs. Bluebeam, Acrobat, and Drawboard

Feature by feature.

Forty-plus tools, built on vectors.

An established name in construction PDF markup.

Adobe is excellent at documents. Vellum is built for drawings and linework.

Built for pen markup. Vellum adds CAD-style drafting.

Questions, answered.

See it on your own drawings.