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Construction · head to head

ArchiCAD vs Togal.AI

ArchiCAD logo

ArchiCAD

Construction

BIM software for architects

From
$177/month
Rated
-
Togal.AI logo

Togal.AI

Construction

Automated drawing takeoff that measures and labels spaces without manual tracing

From
$299/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ArchiCAD available on Windows and macOS only, no native Linux support; Togal.AI annual billing is mandatory at $299 per user per month, so an estimating team that ramps up and down for bid seasons pays a full year for seats it uses intermittently.
  • They diverge on capability: ArchiCAD covers BIM modeling, Togal.AI covers Automatic space detection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArchiCAD and Togal.AI actually diverge.

Attributes where ArchiCAD and Togal.AI differ
AttributeArchiCADTogal.AI
Starting price$177/month$299/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
PlatformsWindows, macOSWeb
Founded1982Unknown

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 Togal.AI

  • Automatic space detection
  • Drawing comparison
  • Natural language search
  • Automated counts
  • Excel export
  • Plan set management
  • Team sharing

What people use each for

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

ArchiCAD

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

Togal.AI

  • A commercial general contractor bidding repetitive multifamily or hospitality floor plates where room-by-room area takeoff dominates the effortnot ArchiCAD
  • An estimating team that needs to requantify quickly when an architect issues a revised set two days before a bidnot ArchiCAD
  • A finishes subcontractor pricing flooring, paint and ceiling areas across hundreds of roomsnot ArchiCAD
  • A preconstruction group producing early order-of-magnitude budgets from schematic plans before a full estimate is justifiednot 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

Togal.AI

  • Annual billing is mandatory at $299 per user per month, so an estimating team that ramps up and down for bid seasons pays a full year for seats it uses intermittently.
  • Detection is tuned to architectural floor plans and space-based quantities; civil, structural detail and MEP riser takeoff still need a conventional tool, so most firms end up paying for two.
  • Automatically generated quantities still require estimator review before they enter a bid, so the saving is in tracing time rather than in checking time, and firms that skip the check are exposed on a hard-money bid.
  • The company spun out of a single general contractor, and drawing conventions that differ from that firm's typical project types produce weaker detection until the set is cleaned up.
  • It is a takeoff tool, not an estimating system, so pricing, rate build-up and bid assembly still happen elsewhere and the Excel handoff is the seam where errors get introduced.

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

Togal.AI

$299/month
  • Growth$299/month
    • One or two licences
    • Unlimited AI takeoffs
    • Drawing comparison and search
  • Business$undefined/year
    • Three or more licences
    • Quoted by the vendor
    • Team administration and shared takeoffs

Which should you pick?

Choose ArchiCAD if

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

Choose Togal.AI if

  • You need automatic space detection.
  • You also want drawing comparison.

Questions people ask

Is ArchiCAD or Togal.AI better?
Neither clearly leads. ArchiCAD starts at $177/month and Togal.AI at $299/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArchiCAD or Togal.AI?
ArchiCAD starts at $177/month and Togal.AI at $299/month.
Does ArchiCAD or Togal.AI run on more platforms?
ArchiCAD runs on Windows, macOS. Togal.AI 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 Togal.AI is typically brought in for.
What can ArchiCAD do that Togal.AI cannot?
ArchiCAD covers BIM modeling, Design tools, Documentation, Rendering. Togal.AI covers Automatic space detection, Drawing comparison, Natural language search, Automated counts.

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
Togal.AI: What does Togal.AI cost?

$299 per user per month billed annually for one or two licences. Three or more users are quoted individually.

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
Togal.AI: Can I pay monthly?

No. The published Growth plan requires annual billing.

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
Togal.AI: Does it replace an estimating system?

No. It produces quantities. Rates, markup and bid assembly still happen in your estimating software or a spreadsheet.

Togal.AI: Who owns the drawings and takeoffs I upload?

You do, and quantities export to Excel, but check the contract for how uploaded drawing sets are retained and whether they inform model training.

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