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ES-24 · Estimating

RIB Candy

Estimating, planning, cash flow and project control software for contractors, with takeoff and earned value.

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01

Overview

RIB Candy is construction estimating, planning and project control software that links bills of quantities, resource-based pricing, critical path schedules, cash flow forecasts and valuations in one system.

Best for: Contractors that want estimating, planning and cost control tied together, especially in South Africa and the UK.

02

What RIB Candy does

Candy covers the contractor's cycle from tender to final account. Estimators use on-screen 2D takeoff to compile bills of quantities and resource-based pricing for tender analysis, then link BOQ items to critical path schedule activities to produce cash flow and cost/value forecasts and resource histograms. During delivery, valuations, variations, budget versus work done, cost to completion, subcontract management and earned value tracking with CPI and SPI curves support commercial control.

Candy Cloud is a hosted desktop-as-a-service option with a central database, and Candy combines with RIB BuildSmart for procurement-to-pay control as the CanBuild solution. Master library templates are available in South Africa, where Candy is especially widely used, and RIB lists customers in the UK, US, Hong Kong and the UAE.

RIB Software was founded in 1961 in Stuttgart, Germany, and has been owned by Schneider Electric since 2020. Candy is licensed for single or multiple users with quote-based pricing, and RIB offers a 14-day free trial.

  • 2D takeoff
  • Bills of quantities
  • Resource-based estimating
  • Tender analysis
  • Critical path planning
  • Cash flow forecasting
  • Valuations
  • Variations and final accounts
  • Subcontract management
  • Earned value management
03

Key features

  1. 01

    On-screen 2D takeoff

    Compile bills of quantities from drawings

  2. 02

    Resource-based pricing and tender analysis

    Price and settle tenders

  3. 03

    BOQ-linked scheduling

    Tie BOQ items to critical path activities

  4. 04

    Cash flow and cost/value forecasts

    Plus resource histograms

  5. 05

    Valuations and variations

    Commercial control during delivery

  6. 06

    Cost to completion and subcontract management

    Budget vs work done

  7. 07

    Earned value tracking

    CPI and SPI curves

  8. 08

    Candy Cloud

    Hosted desktop with a central database

  9. 09

    CanBuild

    Combine with RIB BuildSmart for procurement-to-pay control

04

Company details

Company
RIB Software GmbH
Founded
1961
Headquarters
Stuttgart, Germany
Employees
1,001–5,000
Ownership
Acquired · Schneider Electric
Deployment
Both
Support
24/7 support lines, Knowledge base, Accredited training
Website
rib-software.com
05

Who it is for

Company size
Small, Mid-size, Enterprise
Project type
Civil engineering, Commercial, Infrastructure, Mining, Residential
Roles
Estimators, Planners, Quantity surveyors, Commercial managers, Project managers
06

Third-party reviews

Sources checked 2026-11-08

Reviewers like

  • Estimating, takeoff, planning and cost control in one tool
  • Strong cost estimating
  • Subcontractor adjudication and Excel import/export
  • Helpful support staff

Reviewers flag

  • Steep learning curve
  • Dated interface
  • Slower response on urgent issues
  • No undo and slowdowns with very large jobs

Summary written by our editors from public reviews. Ratings link to the original source.

07

Pricing

Model

Custom quote

Starts at

Custom quote

Quote-based single-user or multi-user licenses

Free trial

Yes

Free plan

No

See current pricing (opens in a new tab)
08

Alternatives

09 · Sources & notes

Compiled from the vendor’s website and public review platforms. Last reviewed 2026-11-08.

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