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CAD · head to head

Bentley MicroStation vs BricsCAD BIM

Bentley MicroStation logo

Bentley MicroStation

CAD

CAD and modelling platform for infrastructure design, and the file format the rest of Bentley runs on

From
$2284/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
BricsCAD BIM logo

BricsCAD BIM

Construction

Affordable BIM software with DWG compatibility

From
€1060/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bentley MicroStation bentley licensing has a history of usage-based true-ups, where running the software beyond your entitlement is permitted at the time and invoiced later, so finance teams get bills nobody in the design office authorised.; BricsCAD BIM limited multidisciplinary collaboration features compared to Revit
  • They diverge on capability: Bentley MicroStation covers DGN modelling, BricsCAD BIM covers AI-assisted BIM.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bentley MicroStation and BricsCAD BIM actually diverge.

Attributes where Bentley MicroStation and BricsCAD BIM differ
AttributeBentley MicroStationBricsCAD BIM
Starting price$2284/year€1060/year
Pricing modelPer user per yearUnknown
PlatformsWindowsWindows, macOS, Web
CategoryCADConstruction
FoundedUnknown2002

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

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 Bentley MicroStation

  • DGN modelling
  • DWG editing
  • Reality modelling
  • Parametric components
  • Drawing composition
  • Visualisation
  • MDL and .NET APIs
  • iTwin publishing

Only in BricsCAD BIM

  • AI-assisted BIM
  • DWG compatibility
  • 2D drafting
  • 3D modeling
  • Documentation
  • AutoCAD
  • Revit
  • IFC

What people use each for

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

Bentley MicroStation

  • A civil consultancy bidding on state DOT or national highways work that mandates DGN deliverables and issues a MicroStation workspacenot BricsCAD BIM
  • A rail or utility owner-operator maintaining decades of legacy DGN drawings that would lose data in a DWG round tripnot BricsCAD BIM
  • An engineering firm standardising on OpenRoads or OpenBuildings, which require the MicroStation platform underneathnot BricsCAD BIM
  • A survey or asset team draping design geometry over point clouds and reality meshes for existing-conditions worknot BricsCAD BIM

BricsCAD BIM

  • Architectural designnot Bentley MicroStation
  • Construction documentationnot Bentley MicroStation
  • BIM coordinationnot Bentley MicroStation
  • CAD draftingnot Bentley MicroStation

Where each one falls short

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

Bentley MicroStation

  • Bentley licensing has a history of usage-based true-ups, where running the software beyond your entitlement is permitted at the time and invoiced later, so finance teams get bills nobody in the design office authorised.
  • It is Windows only, with no macOS or Linux build and no browser client, which rules it out for studios that have standardised on Mac hardware.
  • The user base is far smaller than AutoCAD's, so hiring a MicroStation operator is harder and slower in most markets and contract staff command a premium.
  • Value depends almost entirely on whether your clients mandate DGN; outside infrastructure and government work you are paying several times the price of mainstream CAD for a format nobody asks you for.
  • Agency workspaces, seed files and configuration variables make deployment a specialist job, and a firm working for several agencies ends up maintaining multiple incompatible configurations.

BricsCAD BIM

  • Limited multidisciplinary collaboration features compared to Revit
  • Smaller ecosystem of third-party add-ons and integrations
  • Not optimized for complex large-scale projects requiring advanced coordination

Pricing, plan by plan

Bentley MicroStation

$2284/year
  • Virtuoso Subscription$2284/year
    • Single-user MicroStation licence
    • Bentley Keys redeemable for training, mentoring or consulting
    • Bought through Bentley's eStore with a card
  • Practitioner or Enterprise licence$undefined/year
    • Term or perpetual licence sold direct by Bentley
    • Perpetual purchase requires an ongoing SELECT maintenance subscription
    • Volume and enterprise agreements with pooled licence usage

BricsCAD BIM

€1060/year

No published plan breakdown. See the BricsCAD BIM review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Bentley MicroStation if

  • You need dgn modelling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want dwg editing.
Bentley MicroStation review

Choose BricsCAD BIM if

  • You need ai-assisted bim.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Web.
  • You also want dwg compatibility.
BricsCAD BIM review

Questions people ask

Is Bentley MicroStation or BricsCAD BIM better?
Neither clearly leads. Bentley MicroStation starts at $2284/year and BricsCAD BIM at €1060/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bentley MicroStation or BricsCAD BIM?
Bentley MicroStation starts at $2284/year and BricsCAD BIM at €1060/year.
Does Bentley MicroStation or BricsCAD BIM run on more platforms?
Bentley MicroStation runs on Windows. BricsCAD BIM runs on Windows, macOS, Web.
What is Bentley MicroStation best used for?
Bentley MicroStation is most often used for a civil consultancy bidding on state dot or national highways work that mandates dgn deliverables and issues a microstation workspace, a rail or utility owner-operator maintaining decades of legacy dgn drawings that would lose data in a dwg round trip, an engineering firm standardising on openroads or openbuildings, which require the microstation platform underneath, a survey or asset team draping design geometry over point clouds and reality meshes for existing-conditions work. Of those, a civil consultancy bidding on state dot or national highways work that mandates dgn deliverables and issues a microstation workspace and a rail or utility owner-operator maintaining decades of legacy dgn drawings that would lose data in a dwg round trip are not what BricsCAD BIM is typically brought in for.
What can Bentley MicroStation do that BricsCAD BIM cannot?
Bentley MicroStation covers DGN modelling, DWG editing, Reality modelling, Parametric components. BricsCAD BIM covers AI-assisted BIM, DWG compatibility, 2D drafting, 3D modeling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bentley MicroStation: Can MicroStation open and save DWG files?

Yes, it edits DWG natively rather than importing it. Fidelity is good but not perfect on complex dynamic blocks and some annotation styles, so a DWG-mandated deliverable is still safer produced in AutoCAD.

BricsCAD BIM: What does BricsCAD BIM cost?

BricsCAD BIM costs 1,060 EUR per year for subscription or approximately 2,616 USD for a perpetual license.

Source
Bentley MicroStation: Is there still a perpetual licence?

Yes, Bentley still sells perpetual licences alongside term and Virtuoso subscriptions, but a perpetual licence needs an annual SELECT subscription to receive updates and support, so it is not a one-off cost.

BricsCAD BIM: Does BricsCAD BIM support DWG files?

Yes. BricsCAD BIM is fully compatible with industry-standard DWG files, enabling seamless transition from 2D drafting.

Source
Bentley MicroStation: Do I need MicroStation if I have OpenRoads Designer?

No. The Open products include the MicroStation platform, so buying both separately is duplicate spend.

BricsCAD BIM: Can I use BricsCAD BIM for point cloud processing?

Yes. BricsCAD BIM handles scan-to-BIM workflows and can convert building scans into modeled elements.

Source
Bentley MicroStation: What is a Bentley Key?

A prepaid token bundled with a Virtuoso subscription that you redeem for training, mentoring or consulting hours. Unused keys are a real cost if nobody in the team books the sessions.

BricsCAD BIM: Does BricsCAD offer perpetual licenses?

Yes. BricsCAD is one of the few BIM tools offering both perpetual licenses and subscriptions, providing cost control for firms concerned about recurring fees.

Source
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