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 | 80+ templates across 8 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.
Who should pick which
XtimatePro is the better fit if you're a solo or small residential contractor who needs the whole money path in one tool: walk the job, build the estimate from one of 80+ templates across 8 trades, attach photos to individual line items, send it for e-signature, and collect a Stripe deposit before you leave the driveway. Insurance work exports as a claim-ready PDF with ACV, RCV, depreciation, and cause-of-loss. Pricing is a flat $39, $89, or $149 per month with unlimited estimates — no per-seat licensing — and the app switches between English, Spanish, and Portuguese in one click for mixed-language crews.
Xactimate is legitimately the better fit when the carrier — not you — decides the workflow. If the insurers you work with mandate .esx file uploads, require their vendor pricing database, or your estimators are already certified and live inside the Xactimate ecosystem all day, switching away creates friction your carriers won't accept. XtimatePro doesn't pretend to replace carrier-mandated workflows; it replaces the spreadsheet-and-PDF mess for the contractor who only touches insurance work part of the time.
What switching to XtimatePro looks like
Moving over takes an afternoon, not a migration project. Start a 14-day free trial — no credit card required. Import the 20-item starter pricebook for your trade in one click, edit the prices to match your market, then build your first estimate from one of 80+ templates and send it for e-signature with a Stripe deposit link attached.
What does not carry over: there is no automated import from Xactimate today. Your pricebook is built and edited inside XtimatePro — most contractors find that pricing a focused 20-item starter list beats wrestling a generic regional database. Past Xactimate projects stay in Xactimate, and you can keep that license active while you wind down open claims.
Frequently asked
Is XtimatePro a replacement for Xactimate?
For most residential contractors who mix insurance claims with cash work, yes — XtimatePro covers the estimate, e-signature, deposit, and claim-ready PDF at a flat monthly price. If a carrier requires you to submit .esx files through Xactimate's ecosystem, XtimatePro can't replace that today.
Does XtimatePro export .esx files?
Not yet. XtimatePro produces claim-ready PDFs with ACV, RCV, depreciation, and cause-of-loss today, and the Crew plan adds CSV / Symbility-compatible export. Native .esx export is on the roadmap, prioritized as paying customers tell us which 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 before moving a claim.
How much does XtimatePro cost compared to Xactimate?
XtimatePro is a flat $39 (Solo), $89 (Pro), or $149 (Crew) per month with unlimited estimates and projects, after a 14-day free trial with no credit card. Xactimate runs roughly $130 per month per seat, so a three-person estimating team can pay more for licensing than a whole crew pays for XtimatePro.
Can my Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking crew use XtimatePro?
Yes. The entire app switches between English, Spanish, and Portuguese in one click, so every crew member can build estimates and collect signatures in the language they work best in.
XtimatePro covers the trades where insurance and cash work overlap most — see how it works for roofing contractors, restoration companies (drying logs included), and general contractors. Compare plans on the pricing page, or see how XtimatePro stacks up against Jobber and Housecall Pro.