PDF markup for drawings: Bluebeam, Drawboard or Acrobat?
Every set of drawings ends up as a PDF, and every builder, certifier and consultant sends PDFs back. Here are the three tools Australian offices mark them up with, priced per user in AUD with GST shown, with the features that matter for drawings rather than for office paperwork.
Which one fits your business
You measure and mark up drawings every dayBluebeam Revu
Made for construction drawings. Basics measures length and area; Core adds counts, volume, overlay and batch compare, and can start live Studio sessions. $451 a year for Basics or $550 for Core, tax included. Revu itself runs on Windows only.
No commission. 14-day trial on the Max plan.
Your team works on iPad and WindowsDrawboard Projects
Australian-made and built for iPad, with calibrated measuring, overlays of two revisions and real-time markup syncing across the team. US$270 a user a year on the Team plan (US dollars, about A$425 with GST; up to 25 users), or US$29 a month.
No commission.
You mostly edit, sign and compare PDFsAdobe Acrobat Pro
The general PDF tool, on Windows and Mac. It measures distance, perimeter and area to a scale you set, and compares two versions of a PDF. $37.99 a month on the annual plan for teams ($455.88 a year), GST included.
Affiliate link. Free trial for up to 10 licences.
How we make money: the Acrobat button is an affiliate link. Adobe pays us 85% of the first month on monthly plans, or 8.33% of the first year on prepaid plans, at no cost to you. Bluebeam and Drawboard pay us nothing and get plain links. The order and the advice come from published facts, never from commission. Disclosure.
The three tools compared
One user, entry plan for drawing work. AUD with GST shown where the vendor quotes in AUD; Drawboard quotes US dollars only, so we show its price as listed with an AUD estimate under it (Reserve Bank rate of 20 Oct 2026, GST added). Every price and confirmed fact links to the vendor's own page.
| Checked 21 Oct 2026 | BbBluebeam RevuBluebeam (Nemetschek) · PDF markupVisit site | DbDrawboard ProjectsDrawboard Pty Ltd · PDF markupVisit site | AcAcrobat ProAdobe · General PDF editorTry free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per user | |||
| Per yearAUD inc GST unless marked | $451/yrBasics, 1 user, billed annually source | US$270/yr≈ A$425Team (up to 25 users), billed yearly source | $455.88/yrAcrobat Pro for teams, 1 licence, annual plan source |
| Billed monthly instead | – | US$29/mo≈ A$45.68 | $37.99/mo |
| Prices include GST? | Yes, inc GST | USD only, GST not stated | Yes, inc GST |
| Other plans (per year) | Core $550 Complete $737 Max $979 | Growth US$370 | Standard $323.88 Studio $575.88 |
| Fit | |||
| Runs on | Revu on Windows; web and mobile apps. No native Mac source | Windows, iOS and web; Mac via web app source | Windows and Mac desktop, plus mobile and web source |
| iPad or tablet app | Bluebeam iOS app (join Studio); Revu for iPad ended 2025 source | iOS app from App Store, built for iPad source | Mobile apps mentioned; iPad not named on page source |
| Measure and quantity takeoff to scale | Basic length/area in Basics; counts, volume in Core source | Calibrated length and area; takeoff not stated source | Distance, perimeter, area tools; scale ratio settable source |
| Overlay or compare drawing revisions | Overlay and batch compare in Core; not in Basics source | Overlay two drawings or revisions source | Compare versions of a PDF in Pro and Studio, not Standard source |
| Live shared markup sessions | Studio: Basics can join, Core and up can start source | Real-time markup syncing source | Share-by-link review; live sessions not stated source |
| Free trial | 14 days, on the Max plan source | 30 days source | Free trial, up to 10 licences source |
| Honesty | |||
| Do we earn from this link? | No. Plain link, no commission | No. Plain link, no commission | Yes: 85% of the first month (monthly plans) or 8.33% of the first year (prepaid), via Partnerize |
| Visit Bluebeam (Nemetschek) | Visit Drawboard Pty Ltd | Try Acrobat Pro free | |
What a team pays per year
List price per user times seats. Ask each vendor about volume pricing once you pass ten users.
| Per year | 1 seat | 3 seats | 5 seats | 10 seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluebeam RevuBasics, 1 user, billed annually | $451 | $1,353 | $2,255 | $4,510 |
| Drawboard ProjectsTeam (up to 25 users), billed yearly | US$270≈ A$425 | US$810≈ A$1,276 | US$1,350≈ A$2,126 | US$2,700≈ A$4,253 |
| Acrobat ProAcrobat Pro for teams, 1 licence, annual plan | $455.88 | $1,367.64 | $2,279.40 | $4,558.80 |
List price × seats, before any volume or reseller discount (none are published). AUD prices include GST. Foreign-currency prices are shown as listed, with ≈ an AUD estimate at the RBA rate of 20 Oct 2026 plus GST. * GST not stated.
What actually matters for drawings
- Measuring to scale: all three measure length and area once you set the scale. If you count fixtures or price quantities off plans every day, Bluebeam Core's counts and volumes save the most time.
- Comparing revisions: overlaying Rev B on Rev C is how most offices catch what changed. Bluebeam has it from Core (not Basics), Drawboard on its paid plans, and Acrobat Pro compares two versions of a PDF.
- Mac and iPad: Revu itself is Windows only; Bluebeam's iOS app joins Studio sessions. Drawboard is built for iPad and runs on a Mac in the browser. Acrobat has native Mac and mobile apps.
- Live sessions with consultants: Bluebeam Studio and Drawboard's real-time syncing let several people mark up one set at once. We couldn't confirm live sessions for Acrobat, which reviews by shared link.
- What everyone else uses: if your builders and consultants already run Bluebeam, ask what they need back from you. Working in the same tool is usually the least friction, but test their files in your trial before you assume it.
The markup trial checklist
- Open a real A1 setUse 20 or more sheets from a live job. Check scrolling and zoom on your slowest laptop, not your best workstation.
- Calibrate and measure a known dimensionSet the scale off a dimension string and measure a wall you know. Then measure an area and a count.
- Overlay two revisionsOverlay or compare Rev B and Rev C of the same sheet. Does the change jump out, or do you still have to hunt?
- Run a markup session with someone outsideInvite a consultant or builder. Can they join without buying a licence?
- Flatten, print and issueFlatten markups, print to PDF and send. Open the result on a phone to check nothing moved.
Offices ask
Does Bluebeam Revu run on a Mac?
Not natively. Bluebeam lists Revu for Windows, plus web and mobile apps. Drawboard Projects runs on a Mac through its web app, and Adobe Acrobat Pro has a Mac desktop app.
How much is Bluebeam in Australia?
Bluebeam's Australian pricing page lists Basics at $451, Core at $550 and Complete at $737 per user per year, billed annually, and says the prices are tax-inclusive.
Can Adobe Acrobat measure drawings to scale?
Yes. Acrobat Pro has distance, perimeter and area tools, and you can set the scale ratio. It doesn't offer Bluebeam-style quantity takeoff, so offices that measure all day usually look at Bluebeam or Drawboard.
Why is Drawboard in US dollars?
Drawboard's pricing page says "All prices USD". We show the price as listed, plus an AUD estimate: about A$425 a year per user at the Reserve Bank rate of 20 Oct 2026, with GST added. Exchange rates move and card fees vary, so your bill will differ a little.