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Construction · head to head

ArchiCAD vs Trunk Tools

ArchiCAD logo

ArchiCAD

Construction

BIM software for architects

From
$177/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trunk Tools logo

Trunk Tools

Construction

Answers questions from a project document set with citations, so field staff stop hunting drawings

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ArchiCAD available on Windows and macOS only, no native Linux support; Trunk Tools nothing about pricing is published, and because it is quoted by project rather than by seat, the cost of standardising it across a portfolio of jobs is hard to model before a sales process
  • They diverge on capability: ArchiCAD covers BIM modeling, Trunk Tools covers Question answering with citations.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArchiCAD and Trunk Tools actually diverge.

Attributes where ArchiCAD and Trunk Tools differ
AttributeArchiCADTrunk Tools
Starting price$177/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWindows, macOSWeb, iOS, Android
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 Trunk Tools

  • Question answering with citations
  • Text message interface
  • Submittal review
  • RFI drafting
  • Schedule agent
  • Drawing and specification ingestion
  • Change awareness

What people use each for

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

ArchiCAD

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

Trunk Tools

  • A superintendent on a data centre project who needs to know the required fire rating of a specific partition type without leaving the decknot ArchiCAD
  • A project engineer reviewing 300 submittals who wants conflicts against the specification flagged before the architect sees themnot ArchiCAD
  • A contractor whose RFIs are being rejected as already answered in the specification and wants the document checked firstnot ArchiCAD
  • A team that has just received a revised drawing set and needs to know which in-progress work is now affectednot 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

Trunk Tools

  • Nothing about pricing is published, and because it is quoted by project rather than by seat, the cost of standardising it across a portfolio of jobs is hard to model before a sales process
  • Answer quality is bounded entirely by the discipline of the underlying document control, and on a project with stale drawing revisions it will cite superseded sheets with the same confidence as current ones
  • It is an overlay on Procore or Autodesk rather than a system of record, so a contractor is now paying two vendors for the same document set and depends on the integration continuing to be maintained
  • The company is young and the product category is new, so there is little independent long-run evidence on accuracy, and a contractor putting field decisions on it should build its own verification sampling rather than trust vendor claims
  • Answers with citations do not carry contractual weight; an RFI response or a specification still governs, so the tool reduces search time without reducing the contractual review burden

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

Trunk Tools

On request
  • Trunk Tools$undefined/year
    • Quoted by project, user count and modules taken
    • Pilot projects commonly priced separately from an enterprise agreement
    • Document ingestion and integration setup scoped per customer

Which should you pick?

Choose ArchiCAD if

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

Choose Trunk Tools if

  • You need question answering with citations.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want text message interface.
Trunk Tools review

Questions people ask

Is ArchiCAD or Trunk Tools better?
Neither clearly leads. ArchiCAD starts at $177/month and Trunk Tools at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArchiCAD or Trunk Tools?
ArchiCAD starts at $177/month and Trunk Tools at On request.
Does ArchiCAD or Trunk Tools run on more platforms?
ArchiCAD runs on Windows, macOS. Trunk Tools runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Trunk Tools is typically brought in for.
What can ArchiCAD do that Trunk Tools cannot?
ArchiCAD covers BIM modeling, Design tools, Documentation, Rendering. Trunk Tools covers Question answering with citations, Text message interface, Submittal review, RFI drafting.

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
Trunk Tools: Does it replace Procore?

No. It reads from Procore or Autodesk Construction Cloud and adds retrieval and review on top. You still pay for the document platform.

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
Trunk Tools: What does it cost?

Trunk Tools does not publish pricing. Expect a quote scoped by project, users and which modules you take.

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
Trunk Tools: Can it be wrong?

Yes. It cites its source, which lets you check, but if the document set contains superseded drawings it will answer from them. Document control discipline is a prerequisite, not an optional extra.

Trunk Tools: Can field staff use it without the app?

Yes. TrunkText answers questions by text message, which is the main reason foremen adopt it.

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