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Cella PDF

PDF markup and takeoff for construction drawings

Redline drawing sets, measure to scale and get quantity takeoffs with automatic totals. Everything is saved right in the PDF.

Download Pricing

Mac, Windows and Linux · Free 14-day trial · $149 once, no subscription

Cella PDF on a Mac showing sheet A-101, the first floor plan of a clinic, covered in review markups: red revision clouds with a revision tag, blue callouts, area measurements of 680.06 SF and 453.37 SF, counts of 14 EA and 7 EA, and Reviewed and For Coordination stamps. The Properties panel shows the selected cloud's revision, description and status, the Markups List lists the set's 32 markups, and the filmstrip shows the twelve sheets of the set.
$149 onceNo subscription. Updates included.
14-day free trialNo sign-up, no card.
Mac, Windows, LinuxThe same app everywhere.
Your files stay yoursNo account, no cloud.

Review, measure and price drawing sets

Redlines that look the part

Clouds, callouts, text, arrows, stamps and highlights, plus numbered revision clouds and a revision schedule. Reply to markups and track their status.

A clinic floor plan in Cella PDF with review markups: Reviewed and For Coordination stamps, red revision clouds with a revision triangle, blue callouts, a selected cloud in the corridor, a 180'-0" length, counts of 14 EA and 7 EA and areas of 680.06 SF and 453.37 SF.
Clouds, callouts, stamps and revision tags on a floor plan

Measure to scale

Calibrate once, then measure lengths, areas, perimeters, angles and counts. Click inside a room and Cella PDF measures its area for you.

A selected area measurement of 680.06 SF over a room on a clinic floor plan in Cella PDF, with a length of 11'-6", a count of 7 EA and an area of 453.37 SF beside it.
Areas and counts measured to scale

Quantity takeoff with automatic totals

Every measurement lands in the Markups List, grouped by type with subtotals. Add your unit costs and export to Excel or CSV.

Cella PDF's Markups List with 32 markups grouped by subject: Area Measurement, 4, totalling 3,159.75 SF; Data Outlet, count 7 EA; Duplex Receptacle, count 14 EA; and collapsed groups, with the totals line Length 221'-6", Area 3,159.75 SF, Count 21 EA.
Every measurement, totalled

Compare revisions

Compare two issues of a sheet and Cella PDF clouds every change. Do a whole set at once, sheet by sheet.

A clinic floor plan in Cella PDF after comparing two issues: magenta revision clouds mark each change, including items taken out, new boxes and a new room name, OFFICE 114.
Every change between two issues, clouded

A folder is a set

Open a folder of PDFs as one drawing set. Search every sheet, jump between them and name the files from their sheet numbers.

Cella PDF with a folder of drawings open as a set: the Set list at the left shows twelve PDFs, from A-000 Cover Sheet to A-602 Door and Window Schedules, and the open cover sheet shows the Riverside Clinic title, a colour rendering of the building and the drawing index.
A folder of drawings open as one set

Works with Bluebeam

Open PDFs marked up in Bluebeam Revu with markups and custom columns intact. Import your Revu tool sets. Markups you make in Cella PDF show up exactly right in Revu and Acrobat.

Bluebeam and Revu are trademarks of Bluebeam, Inc. Acrobat is a trademark of Adobe. Cella PDF isn't affiliated with or endorsed by either.

More tools, built in

Everything is included in the one price.

Compare revisions

Cloud every change between two issues.

Whole drawing sets

Open a folder as one set and search every sheet.

Visual Search

Find and count every instance of a symbol.

OCR for scans

Make scanned sheets searchable.

Split View

Two sheets side by side, in sync.

Edit Text

Fix a wrong label right in the drawing.

Digital signatures

Sign and certify PDFs with your certificate.

Redaction

Remove sensitive content for good.

PDF forms

Fill RFIs, transmittals and checklists.

Page tools

Split, combine, crop, resize and stamp sheets.

Exports

Excel, CSV, DXF and PDF/A.

Office standards

Share tool sets and lock your firm's styles.

See it in action

Cella PDF showing sheet A-201 Exterior Elevations of the twelve-sheet Riverside Clinic set, with a filmstrip of sheet thumbnails labelled with their sheet numbers along the bottom.
Every sheet in a filmstrip, labelled with its number
Cella PDF in Split View: the floor plan A-101 on the left and the reflected ceiling plan A-121 on the right, at the same zoom.
Split View: two sheets side by side
Cella PDF in dark mode with a text box selected on a clinic floor plan and the Markups List grouped by author.
Light or dark, your choice
The Rectangle tool in Cella PDF showing a dashed cyan alignment guide where its edge lines up with a revision cloud.
Snapping guides line markups up
Cella PDF with a revision cloud selected on sheet A-101 of the Riverside Clinic set: the People section of Properties shows its author, created and modified dates, a reply, and a history of who created it, modified it, set its status to Accepted and replied.
See who changed each markup, and when
Cella PDF Profiles window showing the Acme Standard profile with locked tool styles, status values and default scale, beside the Tool Style and Status values editors.
Firm standards, locked on every seat

One price. No subscription.

Cella PDF
$149
one time
  • For Mac, Windows and Linux
  • Every 1.x update included
  • Every feature, nothing held back
  • 14-day free trial first, no sign-up
Download

Try it free

  1. Download Cella PDF and open it.
  2. Use every feature free for 14 days.

Buy in the app

  1. In Cella PDF, choose Buy Cella PDF… and check out. Your license key arrives by email.
  2. Choose Enter License Key… and paste it.

Download Cella PDF

Try every feature free for 14 days. No sign-up.

The Cella PDF Welcome window: the app icon, Version 1.0, Open PDF and Open Folder as Set buttons and a drop zone at the left, and six recent drawings and sets of the Riverside Clinic project as cards with a picture of each first sheet at the right.
Cella PDF opens on your recent drawings and sets

Mac

Download for Mac 20.6 MB

Requirements

macOS 12 Monterey or later, Apple silicon or Intel.

Install

Open the .dmg and drag Cella PDF into Applications.

Windows

Download for Windows 84.5 MB Or the .zip, no installer (84.0 MB)

Requirements

Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.

Install

Open CellaPDF-1.1-Setup.msi. Cella PDF is added to the Start menu.

Linux

Ubuntu .deb (x86_64) 42.2 MB Ubuntu .deb (arm64) 40.7 MB Arch package (x86_64) 42.5 MB

Requirements

Ubuntu 24.04 or later, or Arch Linux (including Omarchy).

Install

sudo apt install ./cella_1.1.0-1_amd64.deb
sudo pacman -U cella-bin-1.1.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst

Ready to buy? Choose Buy Cella PDF… in the app, or Enter License Key… if you have one. · User Guide

Built for architects and builders

Architects

Redline progress sets, cloud revisions and issue clean PDFs.

Construction administration

Track RFIs and submittal comments with status and replies.

Estimators

Measure, count and price takeoffs, then export to Excel.

The whole project team

Consultants and clients can view every markup free.

Work together in real time

With Atrium, Cella PDF's sync server, everyone's markups reach the whole project team as they're made. Work offline and changes sync when you're back.

Run it yourself

Free

One Docker container on your own server, with everything it needs included.

Hosted by Sorted Solution

We run and look after it for your firm. Ask about hosting →

What's new in Cella PDF 1.0

Cella PDF 1.0

  • Markup and measurement. Clouds, callouts, stamps, and calibrated lengths, areas and counts.
  • Quantity takeoff. Automatic totals, unit costs and Excel export.
  • Compare revisions. Cloud every change between two issues, or a whole set.
  • Scans and signatures. OCR, Edit Text, Visual Search and digital signatures.
  • Real-time collaboration. Share markups live with Atrium.

FAQ

How much does Cella PDF cost?
$149, once. No subscription, and every 1.x update is included. See pricing.
How does the free trial work?
The 14-day trial starts the first time you open Cella PDF. Everything works. No sign-up, no card.
What happens when the trial ends?
Cella PDF becomes a free viewer: open, search and print drawings and read every markup. Marking up and measuring need a license key.
Who needs a license?
Anyone who marks up or measures. Everyone else on the project can open, search and print drawings and read every markup free.
Does Cella PDF run on Windows and Linux?
Yes. Cella PDF runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. Download it.
How do I move my license to a new computer?
On the old computer, open Cella PDF License… and choose Deactivate This Device…. Then enter your key on the new one.
Does it need an internet connection?
Only to activate your key and re-check it now and then. Cella PDF keeps working offline for up to 30 days.
Are my drawings uploaded anywhere?
No. There's no account and no cloud. Your drawings stay on your computer and your network. See our Privacy policy.
Do I need Atrium?
No. Atrium is optional, for teams who want markups shared live. More about Atrium.
What are the system requirements?
Mac: macOS 12 Monterey or later, Apple silicon or Intel. Windows: Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. Linux: Ubuntu 24.04 or later, or Arch Linux (including Omarchy).
Where is the user guide?
In the app under Help, and online: Cella PDF User Guide.

Try Cella PDF free for 14 days

No sign-up, no card. $149 once when you're ready.

Download See pricing

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