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CAD · head to head

Bentley MicroStation vs Dalux

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
Dalux logo

Dalux

Construction

BIM viewing, snagging and field quality control for construction and facilities teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Dalux has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Dalux no pricing is published for any paid module, so comparing Dalux against Procore or Autodesk Construction Cloud on cost requires entering a sales process and waiting for a quote you cannot benchmark.
  • They diverge on capability: Bentley MicroStation covers DGN modelling, Dalux covers Mobile BIM viewer.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bentley MicroStation and Dalux actually diverge.

Attributes where Bentley MicroStation and Dalux differ
AttributeBentley MicroStationDalux
Starting price$2284/yearFree
Pricing modelPer user per yearquote
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWeb, iOS, Android, Windows
CategoryCADConstruction

Identical on both: 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 Dalux

  • Mobile BIM viewer
  • Field snagging
  • Dalux Box
  • InfraField
  • Dalux FM
  • Handover
  • Checklists and forms
  • Free viewer tier

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 Dalux
  • A rail or utility owner-operator maintaining decades of legacy DGN drawings that would lose data in a DWG round tripnot Dalux
  • An engineering firm standardising on OpenRoads or OpenBuildings, which require the MicroStation platform underneathnot Dalux
  • A survey or asset team draping design geometry over point clouds and reality meshes for existing-conditions worknot Dalux

Dalux

  • A Nordic main contractor wants every subcontractor raising and closing snags in one system without paying a seat fee for each trade, so the free Field Basic tier carries the supply chain.not Bentley MicroStation
  • An engineering consultancy needs site staff to interrogate a federated model on a phone in a basement with no signal, where a browser-based viewer would be useless.not Bentley MicroStation
  • A public asset owner wants the as-built model and asset register to survive handover into an FM system rather than arriving as a pallet of ring binders.not Bentley MicroStation
  • A rail or highways contractor needs quality records located by chainage along a route rather than by level and grid on a building floor plan, which is what InfraField exists for.not 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.

Dalux

  • No pricing is published for any paid module, so comparing Dalux against Procore or Autodesk Construction Cloud on cost requires entering a sales process and waiting for a quote you cannot benchmark.
  • There is no cost management, estimating, budgeting or payment application functionality, so commercial teams keep a separate system and someone reconciles the two by hand.
  • The integration catalogue is thin next to the American incumbents, and ERP or finance connections generally mean custom work through the API rather than a listed connector.
  • Support, documentation and product terminology are strongest in Danish and Northern European construction conventions, and teams working to AIA or other North American contract norms will find the workflows do not map cleanly.
  • The free tier is deliberately limited: Field Basic has no checklists, no document control and no reporting, so the free users your subcontractors get are consumers of information rather than participants in a controlled process, and upgrading them is a paid conversation.

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

Dalux

Free
  • BIM Viewer and Field Basic$undefined/year
    • Federated model viewing on desktop and mobile
    • Basic snagging against drawings and BIM
    • Unlimited invited project members at no cost
  • Dalux Field, Box, InfraField, Handover, FM$undefined/year
    • Full quality, safety and document control workflows
    • Handover and tender modules
    • Facilities management on the as-built model

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 Dalux if

  • You need mobile bim viewer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want field snagging.
Dalux review

Questions people ask

Is Bentley MicroStation or Dalux better?
Neither clearly leads. Bentley MicroStation starts at $2284/year and Dalux at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bentley MicroStation or Dalux?
Dalux has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2284/year for Bentley MicroStation and Free for Dalux.
Does Bentley MicroStation or Dalux run on more platforms?
Bentley MicroStation runs on Windows. Dalux runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
Can I use Dalux for free?
Yes. Dalux has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bentley MicroStation starts at $2284/year.
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 Dalux is typically brought in for.
What can Bentley MicroStation do that Dalux cannot?
Bentley MicroStation covers DGN modelling, DWG editing, Reality modelling, Parametric components. Dalux covers Mobile BIM viewer, Field snagging, Dalux Box, InfraField.

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.

Dalux: Is Dalux really free?

BIM Viewer and Field Basic are genuinely free with unlimited invited users. Dalux Box, the full Field product, InfraField, Handover, Tender and FM are paid and quoted privately.

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.

Dalux: Does Dalux work offline on site?

Yes. Models, drawings and snags sync to the device and the mobile apps are built to work in basements and lift shafts, syncing when signal returns.

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.

Dalux: Can Dalux replace Procore?

Not on the commercial side. It covers field quality, safety, documents and handover, but has no cost control, budgets or payment applications.

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.

Dalux: Is it available outside Europe?

It is sold globally and the apps are multilingual, but the customer base, partner network and support hours are centred on Northern Europe.

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