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CAD · head to head

Bentley MicroStation vs Prospect

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
Prospect logo

Prospect

Proposals

VR for architectural visualization

From
$225/month
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.; Prospect no longer available as a standalone product; has been discontinued and replaced by other solutions
  • They diverge on capability: Bentley MicroStation covers DGN modelling, Prospect covers BIM visualization.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bentley MicroStation and Prospect differ
AttributeBentley MicroStationProspect
Starting price$2284/year$225/month
Pricing modelPer user per yearUnknown
PlatformsWindowsVR Headsets (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Meta Quest)
CategoryCADProposals
FoundedUnknown2014

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 Prospect

  • BIM visualization
  • Real-scale viewing
  • Collaboration
  • Annotations
  • Revit
  • SketchUp
  • Rhino
  • Navisworks

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

Prospect

  • VR Gamingnot Bentley MicroStation
  • AR Marketingnot Bentley MicroStation
  • Virtual Trainingnot Bentley MicroStation
  • 3D Visualizationnot Bentley MicroStation
  • Immersive Experiencesnot 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.

Prospect

  • No longer available as a standalone product; has been discontinued and replaced by other solutions
  • Acquisition by The Wild in 2021 resulted in product discontinuation and transition to Workshop XR
  • No ongoing development, bug fixes, or feature updates since acquisition

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

Prospect

$225/month
  • Team$350/month
    • Multiuser VR collaboration
    • Design review tools
    • Voice communication

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 Prospect if

  • You need bim visualization.
  • You work on VR Headsets (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Meta Quest).
  • You also want real-scale viewing.
Prospect review

Questions people ask

Is Bentley MicroStation or Prospect better?
Neither clearly leads. Bentley MicroStation starts at $2284/year and Prospect at $225/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bentley MicroStation or Prospect?
Bentley MicroStation starts at $2284/year and Prospect at $225/month.
Does Bentley MicroStation or Prospect run on more platforms?
Bentley MicroStation runs on Windows. Prospect runs on VR Headsets (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Meta Quest).
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 Prospect is typically brought in for.
What can Bentley MicroStation do that Prospect cannot?
Bentley MicroStation covers DGN modelling, DWG editing, Reality modelling, Parametric components. Prospect covers BIM visualization, Real-scale viewing, Collaboration, Annotations.

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.

Prospect: What is Prospect by IrisVR?

Prospect was an immersive VR application that converted 3D design files from Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, and Navisworks into virtual reality walkthroughs with one click. It enabled AEC teams to conduct design reviews, collaborate in VR, and present projects to clients immersively.

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.

Prospect: Is Prospect still available?

No. Prospect by IrisVR was acquired by The Wild in February 2021 and has been discontinued. Autodesk Workshop XR is now the recommended successor for AEC teams migrating from Prospect.

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.

Prospect: How was Prospect priced?

Prospect's Team plan cost approximately $350 per workstation per month when billed annually. Earlier pricing information from 2020 showed starting prices around $225. Custom enterprise pricing was available.

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.

Prospect: What VR headsets did Prospect support?

Prospect was compatible with major VR headsets including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and later Meta Quest. Support depended on the runtime and connection method available.

Source
Prospect: What was Prospect's biggest advantage?

Prospect's one-click conversion from native design files (Revit, Rhino, SketchUp) into immersive VR experiences was its primary value proposition, enabling non-VR specialists to easily create compelling design reviews and client presentations.

Source
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