Xactimate Pricing: Complete Breakdown (2026)
Xactimate is the estimating software that runs the insurance restoration industry. If you write estimates, review estimates, or supplement estimates, you've used it or you will. But the pricing structure is not straightforward, and paying for the wrong tier is one of the most common mistakes new contractors and adjusters make.
Here's what you actually need to know before you commit.
How Xactimate Pricing Works
Xactimate is sold by Verisk (formerly Xactware) on a subscription model. There is no one-time purchase option. You pay monthly or annually, and the price depends on which version you choose and how many users you need.
Verisk updates their pricing periodically, so specific dollar amounts change. Rather than printing numbers that will be outdated in six months, here's how to think about the tiers and what each one actually gives you.
The Subscription Tiers
Xactimate comes in several flavors. The main ones most contractors and adjusters will encounter:
Xactimate Online (X1)
This is the browser-based version. You log in from any computer, and your estimates live in the cloud. It's the most accessible entry point and typically the lowest-cost option.
What's included:
- Full estimating capabilities in your browser
- Access to regional pricing databases (updated monthly)
- Sketch for floor plans and measurements
- Connection to XactAnalysis for assignment management
- Cloud storage for all your estimates
Best for: Independent adjusters who work from different locations, small contractors who need basic estimating, anyone who wants to avoid installing software on their machine.
Xactimate Desktop
The installed version that runs on your Windows computer. More powerful, more features, works offline.
What's included (in addition to everything in online):
- Offline estimating (critical for field work in areas with poor connectivity)
- Advanced Sketch tools for complex structures
- Full macro support for automating repetitive line items
- Custom template creation
- Local backup and storage
Best for: Full-time estimators, supplement companies, adjusters who work in rural areas, anyone building complex multi-story or commercial estimates.
XactAnalysis SP (Service Provider)
This is the version designed for restoration companies and contractors who receive assignments from carriers through XactAnalysis. It integrates the estimating tools with the carrier's claims workflow.
Best for: Restoration companies on carrier programs, contractors who receive direct assignments from insurance companies.
Monthly vs. Annual Billing
Like most SaaS products, Xactimate offers both monthly and annual billing. The annual plan costs less per month but requires upfront commitment.
When monthly makes sense:
- You're a cat adjuster who only deploys during storm season
- You're testing whether Xactimate is right for your business
- You need it for a specific project with a defined end date
When annual makes sense:
- You use Xactimate year-round
- You're a full-time estimator or adjuster
- You run a supplement company
If you're only using Xactimate 3-4 months per year for storm season, do the math on monthly vs. annual. Sometimes paying the higher monthly rate for fewer months costs less than a full annual subscription.
What's Not Included in the Base Price
A few things that catch people off guard:
Certification exams are separate. If you want to get Xactimate certified, the exam is purchased separately through Verisk (check their website for current pricing per level). Training courses from third-party providers are also separate.
Training is separate. Verisk offers their own training courses, and there are dozens of independent training providers. None of these are included in your subscription. Check out our Xactimate training guide for a breakdown of your options.
Additional users cost extra. Each person who needs to create or edit estimates needs their own license. There's no "share the login" option that's compliant with the terms of service.
How to Choose the Right Plan
Here's a straightforward decision framework:
| Your situation | Recommended approach |
|---|---|
| You receive PDF estimates and need them in Xactimate + production | Add CapOut to your Xactimate subscription (conversion, profit breakdown, material/labor orders, AI claims) |
| You write 1-5 estimates per month | Xactimate Online (X1) |
| You write estimates daily | Xactimate Desktop |
| You run a supplement company | Xactimate Desktop (one seat per estimator) |
| You're a cat adjuster (seasonal) | Monthly billing during deployment months |
| You're on carrier programs | XactAnalysis SP |
The Hidden Cost Most People Miss
The subscription price is only part of the total cost. Here's what the full picture looks like for a new user:
| Cost item | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Xactimate subscription | Monthly or annual |
| Training course | One-time (varies by provider) |
| Certification exam | Every 2 years (check Verisk for current pricing) |
| Computer hardware (if desktop version) | One-time |
| External mouse + second monitor | One-time (strongly recommended for Sketch) |
| Time to learn the software | 2-8 weeks depending on your background |
That last one is the real hidden cost. Xactimate has a learning curve. The first few estimates take 3-4x longer than they will after a few months of practice. Factor that into your decision.
When You Can Save Time on Xactimate Data Entry
This is the part most people don't think about until they've wasted hours re-keying PDFs and building production spreadsheets.
If your primary need is getting insurance PDF estimates into your Xactimate account so you can review line items and check the scope, you don't need to re-key every line by hand. CapOut processes PDF estimates and sends the export to your Xactimate account in seconds. But it doesn't stop at conversion. From the same upload, CapOut gives you a full profit breakdown by trade, context-aware material orders, and crew-specific labor orders with real-time margin updates. If an adjuster denies a line item, the AI Claim Assistant builds documented, cited responses.
Many contractors use CapOut to handle conversion and production planning, then keep a single Xactimate seat for the person on their team who actually writes supplements. That cuts the data entry and spreadsheet time significantly.
CapOut is free to start with 300 tokens and no credit card required. If getting from PDF to production is your bottleneck, try it.
Getting Current Pricing
Because Verisk adjusts pricing periodically, here's how to get an accurate quote:
- Verisk's website: Check xactware.com for current published pricing
- Contact sales directly: If you need multiple seats or want to discuss team pricing, their sales team can provide a custom quote
- Ask your network: Other contractors and adjusters in your area can tell you what they're paying. Pricing can vary based on when you signed up and what promotions were available
Don't sign up for the first plan you see. Understand what you actually need, choose the tier that matches, and factor in the full cost of getting productive with the software.
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About the author
Matt Fruge
Founder & CEO, CapOut
Matt Fruge is the founder of CapOut, the PDF-to-ESX conversion platform for insurance restoration professionals. With deep experience in insurance claims technology, Matt built CapOut to eliminate the hours contractors spend manually re-keying estimates into Xactimate.
Frequently asked questions
Xactimate pricing varies by subscription tier and whether you choose monthly or annual billing. Verisk (the company behind Xactimate) adjusts pricing periodically, so check their website or contact their sales team for current rates. Monthly plans are more expensive per month than annual plans, but they give you flexibility if you only need the software during storm season.
No. There is no permanently free version of Xactimate. Verisk occasionally offers trial periods or promotional access, but the software requires a paid subscription for ongoing use. If you only need to convert PDF estimates into Xactimate format, tools like CapOut handle that conversion and send the result directly to your Xactimate account.
Xactimate online (Xactimate X1) runs in your browser and stores everything in the cloud. Desktop Xactimate installs on your computer and can work offline. The online version is generally the more affordable entry point, while the desktop version offers more power for complex estimates with large Sketch files. Both connect to XactAnalysis for assignment management.
No. Xactimate licenses are per-user. Each person who needs to create or edit estimates needs their own subscription. Some plans offer multi-user pricing or volume discounts for teams, but each seat is individually licensed. Contact Verisk for team pricing.
It depends on how you use it. If you're writing your own estimates from scratch and submitting supplements to carriers regularly, the subscription pays for itself quickly. A single successful supplement can recover more than a year of subscription costs. But if you primarily receive PDF estimates from adjusters, tools like CapOut handle conversion and send it directly to your Xactimate account. CapOut also gives you profit breakdowns by trade and production-ready material and labor orders from the same upload, saving you hours of manual re-keying and spreadsheet work.
Yes. You need an active Xactimate subscription to use CapOut. CapOut converts your PDF and sends it directly to your Xactimate account, where you can review it, write supplements, or modify the estimate. CapOut also handles production: profit breakdowns by trade, material and labor orders, and AI-assisted claim dispute responses. Many contractors use CapOut to eliminate re-keying and spreadsheet work, and only maintain one Xactimate seat for the person who writes supplements.
Yes, all Xactimate subscriptions include access to pricing databases. The database updates monthly with current labor and material costs for your region. This is one of the core features that makes Xactimate the industry standard - the pricing data is sourced from actual supplier and contractor costs across the country.
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