Construction & Architecture · alternatives
Alternatives to ArchiCAD
22 construction & architecture tools sit alongside ArchiCAD in this directory. Below is what separates each from ArchiCAD on the figures we hold, price, model, tier count and rating, and a direct comparison for every one.
- Alternatives listed
- 22
- With a free tier
- 6
- Cheaper to start
- 13
- ArchiCAD starts at
- $177/month
Why people look past ArchiCAD
Only what the record supports. Each point below is a figure on the ArchiCAD entry measured against the tools listed beside it.
It costs more than the category median
ArchiCAD starts at $177/month. Across the 14 construction & architecture tools listed beside it that publish a price, the median entry point is $99/month.
There is no free tier
The record for ArchiCAD carries no free tier, so evaluating it means paying first. 6 of the 22 alternatives below can be used without paying.
What each alternative does differently
Ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry. Differences are drawn from price, pricing model, tier count and rating, the fields the category listing carries. For a feature-level difference, follow the head-to-head link on each card: those pages read both full records.
BIM software for architects and engineers
- Starts $148 a month cheaper, at $29/month.
All-in-one construction management platform
Priced and rated the same as ArchiCAD on the figures we hold. The difference, if there is one, is in the feature records.
3D design software for everyone
- Can be used without paying; ArchiCAD cannot.
- Starts $177 a month cheaper, at Free.
- Sold on a freemium model rather than subscription.
3D design and modeling software for architects and designers
- Starts $143.75 a month cheaper, at $33.25/month.
Estimating and construction management for builders, remodelers and material dealers
- Can be used without paying; ArchiCAD cannot.
- Sold on a freemium model rather than subscription.
Business management platform for home builders and remodelers
- Can be used without paying; ArchiCAD cannot.
- Starts $177 a month cheaper, at Free.
Every ArchiCAD alternative at a glance
A dash means the catalogue entry carries no figure, not that the answer is nothing.
| Tool | Entry price | Model | Tiers | Head to head |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArchiCAD (this page) | $177/month | Subscription | - | |
| Autodesk RevitBIM software for architects and engineers | $29/month | Subscription | 2 | vs ArchiCAD |
| ProcoreAll-in-one construction management platform | On request | Subscription | - | vs ArchiCAD |
| SketchUp3D design software for everyone | Free | Freemium | - | vs ArchiCAD |
| SketchUp Pro3D design and modeling software for architects and designers | $33.25/month | Subscription | - | vs ArchiCAD |
| Buildxact | Free | Freemium | - | vs ArchiCAD |
| Houzz Pro | Free | Subscription | 2 | vs ArchiCAD |
| Builderbox | Free | Subscription | 2 | vs ArchiCAD |
| BuildingConnected | Free | Freemium | 2 | vs ArchiCAD |
| Fieldwire | Free, then $39/month | Freemium | - | vs ArchiCAD |
| HammerTech | $500/month | Subscription | 2 | vs ArchiCAD |
| CMiC | $300/month | Subscription | 2 | vs ArchiCAD |
| BricsCAD BIM | €1060/year | - | - | vs ArchiCAD |
| eSUB | $49/month | Subscription | 2 | vs ArchiCAD |
| ConstructConnect | $99/month | Subscription | 3 | vs ArchiCAD |
| Autodesk Construction Cloud | $85/month | Subscription | 3 | vs ArchiCAD |
| CoConstruct | $99/month | Subscription | 3 | vs ArchiCAD |
| Egnyte | $60/month | Subscription | 2 | vs ArchiCAD |
| Contractor Foreman | On request | Subscription | - | vs ArchiCAD |
| Bluebeam Revu | On request | Subscription | - | vs ArchiCAD |
| Chief Architect | $695/perpetual | One-time | 2 | vs ArchiCAD |
| Buildertrend | $99/month | Subscription | 3 | vs ArchiCAD |
| e-Builder | $400/month | Subscription | 2 | vs ArchiCAD |
Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry; Softwr hosts no reviews of these products. How each figure is used is set out on the ArchiCAD badges page.
Cheaper ways to solve the same problem
Free to start (6)
These publish a tier that costs nothing, so they can be evaluated before any money changes hands.
- SketchUp , Free
- Buildxact , Free
- Houzz Pro , Free
- Builderbox , Free
- BuildingConnected , Free
- Fieldwire , Free, then $39/month
Cheaper than ArchiCAD (13)
Entry price under ArchiCAD's $177/month. The record does not say what unit that price is charged in, so confirm per-seat versus flat rate before comparing budgets.
- Autodesk Revit , $29/month
- SketchUp , Free
- SketchUp Pro , $33.25/month
- Houzz Pro , Free
- Builderbox , Free
- BuildingConnected , Free
- Fieldwire , Free, then $39/month
- eSUB , $49/month
What you would be giving up
ArchiCAD is most often brought in for architectural design with bim capabilities, real-time team collaboration via bimcloud, automated documentation generation from design changes, mixed windows and macos team environments. Anything replacing it has to cover the ones you actually depend on, and a cheaper tool that misses one of them is not cheaper.
Two things this page cannot settle. It compares on price, model, tier count and rating, because those are the fields the category listing carries, feature-level differences need both full records, which is what the head-to-head pages load. And the ratings are third-party aggregates imported with each entry rather than reviews written here, so a 0.2 difference between two tools is noise rather than a finding.
If ArchiCAD is broadly right and the question is cost, the ArchiCAD pricing breakdown covers every tier and what each one adds. If you want the whole field rather than a shortlist, the Construction & Architecture category lists everything the directory holds, and best construction & architecture tools ranks them.
ArchiCAD runs on windows, macos. Platform coverage is not carried on the category listing for the alternatives, so it is one more thing to check on each head-to-head page rather than here.
Questions about ArchiCAD alternatives
- What are the main alternatives to ArchiCAD?
- 22 other construction & architecture tools are listed in this directory, led by Autodesk Revit, Procore, SketchUp, SketchUp Pro. They are ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry, not by any Softwr ranking.
- What is the best free alternative to ArchiCAD?
- 6 of the alternatives listed here can be used without paying: SketchUp, Buildxact, Houzz Pro, Builderbox, BuildingConnected.
- Is there a cheaper alternative to ArchiCAD?
- Yes. 13 of the alternatives below start under ArchiCAD's $177/month: Autodesk Revit at $29/month, SketchUp at Free, SketchUp Pro at $33.25/month, Houzz Pro at Free.
- Why do people look for an alternative to ArchiCAD?
- On the figures on record, 2 things stand out: it costs more than the category median; there is no free tier. Each is set out with the numbers behind it above.
- What would I give up by switching from ArchiCAD?
- ArchiCAD is most often brought in for architectural design with bim capabilities, real-time team collaboration via bimcloud, automated documentation generation from design changes, mixed windows and macos team environments. Anything you replace it with has to cover the ones you actually rely on, the side-by-side comparisons linked from each alternative below put the two feature records against each other.
- Is there an open-source alternative to ArchiCAD?
- None of the construction & architecture tools listed here are recorded as open source. That is what the licence field on each entry says, and the field is not always filled in, so it is worth checking directly for any tool you are serious about.
- How were these ArchiCAD alternatives chosen?
- They are the tools filed in the same category, Construction & Architecture, ordered by the aggregated rating on each entry. There is no editorial shortlist, and nothing on this page is paid: no sponsored slot runs on alternatives pages and the order cannot be bought. Softwr has not used these products.
- Where can I compare ArchiCAD against one of these directly?
- Every alternative below has a side-by-side page against ArchiCAD covering price, platforms, features and what each one is used for. Those pages read the full record for both products rather than the summary shown here.
- Does this list cover every construction & architecture tool?
- No. It covers what this directory holds in the Construction & Architecture category, 22 tools beside ArchiCAD. The category page lists the rest of the catalogue as it grows.