XtimatePro vs. Xactimate: which is right for you?
Xactimate is the heavyweight champion for insurance-only estimators working at the carrier level. XtimatePro is built for the residential contractor who runs both insurance claims and cash work — and wants one tool that does both without per-seat licensing.
Quick answer
Choose XtimatePro if you're a 1–25 person residential contractor who needs estimates, e-sign, deposit collection, and insurance-claim-ready PDFs at a flat monthly rate.
Choose Xactimate if you work exclusively with national insurance carriers that mandate ESX file uploads, you need their regional pricebook, or your team is already Xactimate-certified.
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | XtimatePro | Xactimate |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $39–$149/mo flat | ~$130/mo per seat |
| Per-job fees | None | Some plans |
| Photo-attached line items | ✓ | ✓ |
| Public e-sign + Stripe deposit | ✓ built-in | Not native |
| Trade-specific templates | 50+ across 5 trades | Generic line catalog |
| EN / ES / PT native | ✓ | EN only |
| Mobile-first | ✓ phone-first design | Desktop-first |
| Regional pricebook (ZIP-by-ZIP) | User-defined | ✓ monthly updates |
| Native .esx export | Roadmap (PDF + Symbility today) | ✓ |
| Carrier integration (XactAnalysis) | No | ✓ |
| Sketch / room-layout CAD | No | ✓ |
| Setup time | ~10 min to first estimate | Days to weeks |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card | Demo only |
The honest take
Xactimate owns the insurance-claim workflow at carrier level — they have a 20-year head start, a monthly pricebook update machine, and direct XactAnalysis integration with State Farm, Allstate, USAA, and others. If your job is to submit ESX files to a national carrier, you need Xactimate.
But most residential contractors don't live there. They do some insurance work and some cash-pay work. They juggle two tools (or worse, a spreadsheet and a PDF template) and lose deposits because there's no signing flow. XtimatePro is built for that contractor: one tool, both workflows, flat-rate pricing.
FAQ
Can XtimatePro output a real Xactimate (.esx) file?
Not yet. v1 ships PDF + Symbility-compatible export. Native .esx write-support is on the roadmap for v2, prioritized when paying customers tell us specific carriers require it.
Will adjusters accept XtimatePro's claim-ready PDF?
Most regional carriers and independent adjusters accept signed PDF scopes with cause-of-loss, ACV, RCV, and depreciation columns. Large national carriers may require ESX — check with your specific adjuster.
Do I have to build my own pricebook?
Yes — XtimatePro ships with template skeletons (line items + units) but you set your own prices. This keeps you in control and avoids generic pricing that's wrong for your market.