Is ArchiCAD or Siteline better?

Neither clearly leads. ArchiCAD starts at $177/month and Siteline at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, ArchiCAD or Siteline?

ArchiCAD starts at $177/month and Siteline at On request.

Does ArchiCAD or Siteline run on more platforms?

ArchiCAD runs on Windows, macOS. Siteline runs on Web.

What is ArchiCAD best used for?

ArchiCAD is most often used for architectural design with bim capabilities, real-time team collaboration via bimcloud, automated documentation generation from design changes, mixed windows and macos team environments. Of those, architectural design with bim capabilities and real-time team collaboration via bimcloud are not what Siteline is typically brought in for.

What can ArchiCAD do that Siteline cannot?

ArchiCAD covers BIM modeling, Design tools, Documentation, Rendering. Siteline covers Pay application generation, Lien waiver management, Compliance document tracking, Billing status visibility.

Construction · head to head

ArchiCAD vs Siteline

ArchiCAD

Construction

BIM software for architects

From: $177/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

Siteline

Construction

Pay application and billing workflow built only for speciality subcontractors

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: ArchiCAD available on Windows and macOS only, no native Linux support; Siteline it serves subcontractors only, so a general contractor evaluating it is looking at the wrong side of the transaction entirely.
They diverge on capability: ArchiCAD covers BIM modeling, Siteline covers Pay application generation.
Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArchiCAD and Siteline actually diverge.

Attributes where ArchiCAD and Siteline differ
Attribute	ArchiCAD	Siteline
Starting price	$177/month	On request
Pricing model	subscription	quote
Platforms	Windows, macOS	Web
Founded	1982	Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Construction).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ArchiCAD

BIM modeling
Design tools
Documentation
Rendering
Energy analysis
IFC support
Teamwork collaboration
Library parts

Only in Siteline

Pay application generation
Lien waiver management
Compliance document tracking
Billing status visibility
Accounting system integration
Accounts receivable reporting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ArchiCAD

Architectural design with BIM capabilitiesnot Siteline
Real-time team collaboration via BIMcloudnot Siteline
Automated documentation generation from design changesnot Siteline
Mixed Windows and macOS team environmentsnot Siteline

Siteline

A trade contractor whose billing team rebuilds the same pay application in four different general contractor formats each monthnot ArchiCAD
A subcontractor losing a billing cycle to rejected applications over missing lien waiversnot ArchiCAD
A finance director trying to forecast collections across dozens of general contractors and retention balancesnot ArchiCAD
A growing subcontractor whose billing process depends entirely on one person and a spreadsheetnot ArchiCAD

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ArchiCAD

Available on Windows and macOS only, no native Linux support
Subscription-only licensing model with no perpetual licence option
Studio tier does not include MEP Designer - requires Collaborate tier at $208/month

Siteline

It serves subcontractors only, so a general contractor evaluating it is looking at the wrong side of the transaction entirely.
It does not do job costing, project management or payroll, so it is an addition to your systems rather than a consolidation of them.
Value depends on a clean integration to your construction accounting system, and contractors with heavily customised or elderly installations should confirm the connection before signing.
General contractor portals and billing formats change without warning, and although the vendor absorbs that maintenance you still feel it as occasional friction in a month-end window with no slack.
The billing team has to adopt it fully in the first month-end or they revert to spreadsheets under deadline pressure, which makes the implementation timing more delicate than the software suggests.

Pricing, plan by plan

ArchiCAD

$177/month

Archicad Studio$177/month
- Archicad Windows & macOS
- BIMx Pro
- BIMcloud Basic
Archicad Collaborate$208/month
- Archicad Windows & macOS
- MEP Designer
- BIMx Pro

Siteline

On request

Siteline$undefined/year
- Pay application workflow
- Lien waiver and compliance tracking
- Accounting system integration

Which should you pick?

Choose ArchiCAD if

You need bim modeling.
You work on Windows, macOS.
You also want design tools.

ArchiCAD review

Choose Siteline if

You need pay application generation.
You also want lien waiver management.

Siteline review

Questions people ask

Is ArchiCAD or Siteline better?: Neither clearly leads. ArchiCAD starts at $177/month and Siteline at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArchiCAD or Siteline?: ArchiCAD starts at $177/month and Siteline at On request.
Does ArchiCAD or Siteline run on more platforms?: ArchiCAD runs on Windows, macOS. Siteline runs on Web.
What is ArchiCAD best used for?: ArchiCAD is most often used for architectural design with bim capabilities, real-time team collaboration via bimcloud, automated documentation generation from design changes, mixed windows and macos team environments. Of those, architectural design with bim capabilities and real-time team collaboration via bimcloud are not what Siteline is typically brought in for.
What can ArchiCAD do that Siteline cannot?: ArchiCAD covers BIM modeling, Design tools, Documentation, Rendering. Siteline covers Pay application generation, Lien waiver management, Compliance document tracking, Billing status visibility.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ArchiCAD: What is the cost of Archicad's subscription plans?

Archicad Studio starts at $177/month or $2,123 upfront annually. Archicad Collaborate, the most popular tier, is $208/month or $2,497 upfront annually. Both include local and cloud teamworking capabilities.

Source

Siteline: Does it replace our accounting system?

No. It reads from Sage 300 CRE, Vista, Foundation and similar systems and handles the billing workflow those systems handle poorly.

ArchiCAD: What is the difference between Archicad Studio and Archicad Collaborate?

Studio includes architectural modeling and BIMcloud Basic for local teamwork. Collaborate adds MEP Designer for MEP modeling and BIMcloud SaaS for cloud-based global teamwork, and costs $31 more per month.

Source

Siteline: What should we measure in a trial?

Days sales outstanding and the number of rejected or delayed pay applications. The case is about cash timing, not headcount.

ArchiCAD: Is Archicad free for students?

Yes, Archicad offers free educational licenses for students, educators, and academic institutions. Archicad Studio is available free for 30 days as a trial.

Source

Siteline: Is it useful for general contractors?

No. It is built for the party submitting pay applications, not the party receiving them.

ArchiCAD vs Siteline

ArchiCAD

Siteline

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in ArchiCAD

Only in Siteline

What people use each for

ArchiCAD

Siteline

Where each one falls short

ArchiCAD

Siteline

Pricing, plan by plan

ArchiCAD

Siteline

Which should you pick?

Choose ArchiCAD if

Choose Siteline if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on ArchiCAD

More on Siteline

Keep looking

Other head to heads