For Bluebeam Revu users
A Bluebeam alternative for Mac, Windows, and iPad.
Vellum runs in the browser, so there's no Parallels and no Windows license to manage. Snap to the linework in your PDFs, measure to scale, offset and trim like CAD, and export DXF.
10-day free trial · No credit card required · Pro is $12 per user/month
Bluebeam Revu plans run $260 to $590 per user per year (prices checked ). See what each plan includes
What it costs
The plan you need for each capability.
Several capabilities teams switch for sit on Bluebeam's higher tiers. Here is the Revu plan each one requires, next to Vellum Pro.
Markup, plus length and area measurement
- Bluebeam
- Basics · $260/user/year
- Vellum
- Pro · $144/user/year ($12/user/month)
Measure perimeters
- Bluebeam
- Core · $330/user/year
- Vellum
- Pro · $144/user/year ($12/user/month)
Host real-time collaboration sessions
- Bluebeam
- Core · $330/user/year
- Vellum
- Pro · $144/user/year ($12/user/month)
Fill regions bounded by linework
- Bluebeam
- Complete · $440/user/year
- Vellum
- Pro · $144/user/year ($12/user/month)
Offset
- Bluebeam
- Max · $590/user/year
- Vellum
- Pro · $144/user/year ($12/user/month)
Export geometry to CAD as DXF
- Bluebeam
- Not among Revu's documented export formats
- Vellum
- Pro · $144/user/year ($12/user/month)
| Capability | Bluebeam Revu needs | Vellum |
|---|---|---|
| Markup, plus length and area measurement | Basics · $260/user/year | Pro · $144/user/year$12 per user per month |
| Measure perimeters | Core · $330/user/year | Pro · $144/user/year$12 per user per month |
| Host real-time collaboration sessions | Core · $330/user/year | Pro · $144/user/year$12 per user per month |
| Fill regions bounded by linework | Complete · $440/user/yearDynamic Fill | Pro · $144/user/year$12 per user per month |
| Offset | Max · $590/user/yearMagic Markups | Pro · $144/user/year$12 per user per month |
| Export geometry to CAD as DXF | Not among Revu's documented export formats | Pro · $144/user/year$12 per user per month |
Bluebeam prices are per user, billed annually, as published on bluebeam.com on ; the Max price is introductory. Vellum Pro is $12 per user per month during the public beta. Bluebeam's higher plans also include capabilities Vellum doesn't offer, such as 3D PDF markup, Batch Slip Sheet, and Quantity Link with Excel.
- Vellum Pro
- $1,440
- Revu Basics
- $2,600
- Revu Core
- $3,300
- Revu Complete
- $4,400
- Revu Max
- $5,900
List prices for a year: Vellum Pro at $12 per user per month (beta price), Bluebeam Revu per user per year, billed annually.
The approach
Two different ideas of what a markup is.
In Bluebeam, a markup is a PDF annotation on the page. In Vellum, a markup is vector geometry: you can trim and extend it, dimension it live, and send it back into CAD as DXF. Which one you need depends on the work in front of you.
Where Bluebeam is strong
- A long track record in construction PDF markup
- Quantity takeoff, counts, and estimating
- Studio sessions and projects for team review
- Overlay and compare drawings (Core and above)
Where Vellum is different
- CAD-style editing (offset, trim, extend, mirror, fillet) and typed exact input, all in Pro. Revu's Offset tool requires its Max plan
- The full workspace in a browser on any machine, including Mac
- One live document shared by link, with presence, comments, and follow camera, and no separate session to set up or close out
- A plain-language drafting assistant that needs no AI account, plus a connector for your own Claude for counts, takeoff, and sheet compare. Revu's AI features require its Max plan, and its MCP connector also requires Revu desktop on Windows
- Direct DXF export back to CAD, which is not among Revu's documented export formats
Feature by feature
Where Vellum and Revu differ.
| Capability | Vellum | Bluebeam Revu |
|---|---|---|
| Precision & geometry | ||
| Typed exact input & live dimensionsType a length, angle, slope, or roof pitch, with math expressions and cross-unit entry | Included | Limited |
| Construction & editing commandsOffset, trim, extend, mirror, fillet, and arc & bezier segment editing. Revu's Offset tool requires its Max plan | Included | Limited |
| Object extractor & vector screenshotPull PDF content out as individually editable vector entities | Included | Limited |
| Region fill bounded by lineworkRevu's Dynamic Fill requires its Complete or Max plan | Included | Included |
| Measure & scale | ||
| Quantity takeoff & countsIn Vellum, counts and takeoff quantities run through your own connected Claude (beta) | Limited | Included |
| Collaboration | ||
| Live presence & follow cameraIncluded in Vellum Pro. Hosting a Studio session requires Revu Core or above | Included | Included |
| Platform | ||
| Full workspace in the browserRevu is a Windows desktop app. Bluebeam also offers a lighter Bluebeam on web and mobile | Included | Limited |
| Windows & MacRevu for Mac reached end of life in 2023. Bluebeam documents running Revu on a Mac through Parallels | Included | Limited |
| 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 |
| Bring your own AIConnect your own Claude via MCP to count, compare sheets, and mark up. Bluebeam's MCP connector requires the Max plan and Revu desktop on Windows | Included | Included |
| Export | ||
| Direct DXF export to CAD | Included | Not found in vendor documentation |
Both include
- Pen, highlighter & text
- Polyline, polygon, rectangle, circle & ellipse
- Revision cloud & leader callout
- Image placement
- Layers, linetypes & hatch patterns
- Snap to drawing geometry
- Editable dimensions with live labels
- Calibrated scale & measurement
- Share links with roles & permissions
- Comment threads on the drawing
- Annotated PDF export
- PNG image export
Comparison reflects Bluebeam's public documentation as of September 29, 2026; some Revu features depend on plan (Basics, Core, Complete, or Max). It is provided for general guidance, so confirm current capabilities and pricing with Bluebeam before making a purchasing decision.
Adoption
You don't have to switch to start.
Vellum exports standard PDFs, flattened or with editable annotations, so anything you mark up in Vellum opens cleanly in Bluebeam, Acrobat, and the rest of your project's toolchain. Your team can run Vellum for design review and drafting on drawings while the wider project stays wherever it already is.
Open anywhere
Exported PDFs open in Bluebeam and Acrobat, flattened or as editable annotations.
Back to CAD
DXF export carries the drawing, the markups, or both into your CAD workflow.
Share by link
Reviewers open a shared link in the browser. No install and no version mismatch.
Questions from Bluebeam users.
More general questions are answered on the full comparison page. On a Mac? Read Bluebeam on a Mac: your options in 2026.
- Is there a Bluebeam alternative that runs on a Mac?
- Yes. Vellum runs entirely in the browser, so the same workspace opens on Mac, Windows, and iPad with nothing to install, and Apple Pencil works for annotation on iPad. Revu for Mac reached end of life in 2023, and Revu today is a Windows desktop application. Bluebeam documents running it on a Mac through Parallels, and offers a lighter Bluebeam on web and mobile.
- How is Vellum different from Bluebeam Revu?
- Vellum treats every markup as editable geometry. CAD-style commands (offset, trim, extend, mirror, fillet) and typed input with math expressions, slopes, and roof pitch are part of Pro, arcs and bezier segments stay editable after placement, and finished work exports directly to DXF so it lands back in CAD as real geometry. DXF and DWG are not among Revu's documented export formats, and Revu's Offset tool and AI features require its premium Max plan.
- Can I use Vellum alongside Bluebeam?
- Yes. Vellum exports standard PDFs, flattened or with editable annotations, so drawings marked up in Vellum can be reviewed in Bluebeam, Acrobat, and other common PDF tools. Teams can adopt Vellum for review and drafting without asking anyone else to switch.
- Does Vellum do quantity takeoff like Bluebeam?
- Vellum measures lengths and areas to a calibrated scale, and with your own Claude connected, the assistant can count symbols and build takeoff quantities you can export as CSV. The assistant is in beta. Bluebeam has deeper, dedicated takeoff tooling and remains a strong choice for heavy estimating work.
- Can Vellum markups go back into CAD?
- Yes. Vellum exports DXF directly, with the option to include the drawing, the markups, or both, and presets that map styles and layers, so redlines and extracted geometry continue in CAD as editable linework rather than a flattened image.
- Do I need a Claude or other AI account to use Vellum?
- No. Markup, measurement, CAD-style drafting, collaboration, and PDF and DXF export are built into Vellum, and the assistant's drafting commands run on their own in the browser. Counting symbols, building takeoff quantities, comparing sheets, and drafting documents run on your own Claude account, connected to Vellum (beta). Vellum doesn't run its own AI model or bill you for tokens.
- Do I need to install anything to try Vellum?
- No. Vellum opens in the browser on any machine. Start the 10-day free trial, with no credit card required, open a sheet, and try it on your own drawings.
Try it on your own drawings.
Open a sheet in the browser, snap to the linework, and export it back out. Twenty minutes will tell you more than any comparison table.
10-day free trial · No credit card required · Pro is $12 per user/month