Guide · Free IFC takeoff tools
Best free IFC quantity takeoff tools (2026)
“Free IFC takeoff” hides a catch worth naming up front: most software that is free to view an IFC paywalls the part where you actually get quantities out. So this list separates the tools and software that genuinely produce a takeoff for free from the ones that only let you look — browser apps, desktop software and open-source alike. We publish this guide, and ifcreport.app is on it — where a free competitor beats us on a specific axis, we say so.
What to check before you trust a number
Three questions sort the field: Does the free tier actually export a takeoff, or only view the model? Where is the file processed — locally in your browser/desktop, or uploaded to a vendor cloud (which matters under NDA)? And what format do you get — a readable PDF, or spreadsheet data you can pivot? Every tool below is rated against those.
1. ifcreport.app
Full disclosure: this is our tool, so weigh the rest of the list accordingly. ifcreport.app parses the IFC locally in the browser and produces a structured takeoff PDF — element schedule, storey breakdown, quantity columns — with no template setup. It is opinionated on purpose: there is no query builder and, today, no Excel export.
- +Zero configuration — drop a file, get a report
- +Files never leave the browser
- +Branded PDF on Pro
- −PDF only — no Excel/CSV export yet
- −Free tier is capped at 3 reports a month
Best for — Handing a non-modeller a finished, readable PDF without any setup. Try it →
2. QTOpro (qto.app)
The tool most similar to ifcreport.app: browser-based, local processing, paid tier around $19/month. The difference is that QTOpro is a configurable bill-of-quantities workbench — you build sheets, columns, filters and filename-mapping rules, and export to PDF, CSV, JSON or XLSX. On export breadth it beats us.
- +Configurable sheets and extraction templates
- +Exports PDF, CSV, JSON and XLSX
- +Local in-browser processing
- −Free tier caps exports at 100 rows per file
- −Requires setup before the first useful result
Best for — Quantities you want as flexible, manipulable spreadsheet data. Full comparison →
3. Sortdesk
A web-based IFC viewer that, on a free account, genuinely produces quantity take-offs and exports them to Excel or CSV — processing local files in the browser unless you opt into cloud sync. On the specific axis of "free and actually exports quantities," Sortdesk is more generous than we are.
- +Free tier exports quantities to Excel/CSV
- +3D viewer included
- +Local file processing by default
- −Cloud sync is opt-in but exists — read the data settings
- −Broader viewer scope, less focused on a clean report
Best for — A free option when you need a quantity spreadsheet and a viewer in one.
4. IFClite
A newer open-source, in-browser IFC toolkit (Rust + WebGPU) that parses, views, queries and edits IFC entirely client-side — the model never leaves the browser tab, the strongest privacy posture on this list. It is a query-and-export tool rather than a report generator: you filter entities and pull their quantities out to CSV or JSON, but there is no formatted takeoff sheet.
- +Genuinely free, open source, no caps
- +Provably local — no backend, no upload
- +Fast viewer; exports CSV / JSON
- −No formatted takeoff or BoQ — you export raw query results
- −No PDF or XLSX output
- −Newer, smaller ecosystem
Best for — Developers and power users who want free, private, queryable IFC data.
5. BIMcamel
A set of 40+ free browser tools for IFC — view, validate, clean, convert, and an "Extract Data" tool that pulls element data and quantities out to Excel. Ad-hoc use is free with no install; scheduled automation that keeps pushing quantities to a spreadsheet appears to need an account. It markets in-browser processing, but its own retention / auto-delete wording implies some server-side handling — so it is not as provably local as IFClite.
- +Free, no-install browser tools
- +"Extract Data" exports IFC → Excel
- +Cross-platform; also handles COBie
- −Not provably local — retention window implies server handling
- −Recurring automation likely needs a paid account
- −Data extraction, not a designed report
Best for — Quick, free IFC → Excel data pulls in the browser. Full comparison →
6. IfcOpenShell + Bonsai (formerly BlenderBIM)
The open-source route. Bonsai is a Blender add-on with a Quantity Take-off panel that computes IFC4 base quantities; IfcOpenShell is the Python toolkit underneath it for scripted, repeatable takeoff. Fully free with no tier at all — the cost is learning curve.
- +Genuinely free forever, no caps
- +Scriptable for repeatable/automated takeoff
- +Cross-platform, fully local
- −Needs Blender familiarity and often Python
- −Real gotchas: unit inconsistencies, missing base quantities
Best for — Technical users who want automation or zero licensing cost.
7. BIMvision
A well-built, long-running free Windows IFC viewer. The base viewer is free for commercial use, but quantity reporting lives in paid plugins — Advanced Reports (€150 one-time, VAT excl.) and Takeoff Reports (€130) — which export to Excel.
- +Mature, free 3D viewer
- +One-time plugin cost, not a subscription
- +Excel export via plugin
- −Windows only
- −Takeoff is not free — it is a paid plugin
- −Desktop install required
Best for — Windows desktop users who want a viewer plus occasional paid reports. Full comparison →
8. PriMus IFC (ACCA)
ACCA’s dedicated IFC takeoff app, and the tool most often named when people ask for free takeoff "software." Takeoff is built in — not locked behind a separate product — and it exports a real bill of quantities to Word and Excel. The catch: the free version caps the takeoff (commonly reported at the first ~60 selected entities) and reads as a time-limited trial in ACCA’s own wording; uncapped use needs a paid licence. Students and educators get it free.
- +Real formatted BoQ export to Word / Excel
- +Purpose-built 5D takeoff, mature
- +Free for students and educators
- −Free tier is capped (~60 entities) / reads as a trial
- −Windows desktop install only
- −Paid pricing not published openly
Best for — Windows estimators who want a full BoQ and will pay once past the cap.
9. usBIM.viewer+ (ACCA)
A free, buildingSMART-certified IFC viewer that can also edit and convert IFC files. Worth knowing for openBIM work, but quantity takeoff is not part of it — for that ACCA has the separate PriMus IFC app above.
- +Free IFC viewing and editing
- +openBIM / buildingSMART certified
- −No quantity takeoff in the free viewer
- −Takeoff lives in the separate PriMus IFC app
Best for — Free IFC viewing and editing — not takeoff on its own.
10. Solibri Anywhere
Solibri Anywhere was the free desktop viewer for the Solibri model-checking platform. Heads up: it is being discontinued through 2026, and quantity-takeoff authoring (Information Takeoff) has always required a paid Solibri tier. Don’t build a workflow on the free viewer right now.
- +Backed by a serious model-checking platform
- −Free viewer is being retired in 2026
- −Takeoff authoring is paid (tiers up to ~€2,772/yr)
- −Desktop only
Best for — Teams already invested in the paid Solibri ecosystem.
Two cloud tools worth knowing: Autodesk Viewer and Nomic
Autodesk Viewer is free and web-based, and it opens IFC — but it uploadsyour model to Autodesk's cloud and only lets you view, measure and mark up. There is no quantity schedule to export. Convenient for a quick look; not a takeoff tool, and not one for NDA-bound files.
Nomic's IFC Viewer is also free and browser-based, and it goes further than viewing: an AI agent can run a quantity takeoff by category and level and answer questions grounded in the model. The trade-off is the same one — it uploadsyour model to Nomic's servers, stored under your organisation's access controls. Capable, but a cloud tool rather than a local one, so weigh it before dropping an NDA-bound file into it.