Softwr

CAD · head to head

Bentley MicroStation vs Rhino 3D

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
Rhino 3D logo

Rhino 3D

CAD

3D computer graphics and CAD application

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Rhino 3D 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.; Rhino 3D windows-only for certain features including 3D digitizing hardware support
  • They diverge on capability: Bentley MicroStation covers DGN modelling, Rhino 3D covers NURBS modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bentley MicroStation and Rhino 3D actually diverge.

Attributes where Bentley MicroStation and Rhino 3D differ
AttributeBentley MicroStationRhino 3D
Starting price$2284/yearFree
Pricing modelPer user per yearone-time
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Mac, iOS
FoundedUnknown1980

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (CAD).

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 Rhino 3D

  • NURBS modeling
  • Surface modeling
  • 3D visualization
  • Grasshopper
  • Rendering
  • Grasshopper
  • KeyShot
  • V-Ray

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 Rhino 3D
  • A rail or utility owner-operator maintaining decades of legacy DGN drawings that would lose data in a DWG round tripnot Rhino 3D
  • An engineering firm standardising on OpenRoads or OpenBuildings, which require the MicroStation platform underneathnot Rhino 3D
  • A survey or asset team draping design geometry over point clouds and reality meshes for existing-conditions worknot Rhino 3D

Rhino 3D

  • NURBS-based 3D modelling for product design and engineeringnot Bentley MicroStation
  • Precision engineering and prototyping (aerospace, automotive, jewellery)not Bentley MicroStation
  • Generative design with Grasshopper visual programmingnot Bentley MicroStation
  • Mesh editing and point cloud processingnot 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.

Rhino 3D

  • Windows-only for certain features including 3D digitizing hardware support
  • Performance depends on hardware capabilities; complex projects require better equipment
  • Pre-release/Work-in-Progress builds may contain bugs and are not production ready

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

Rhino 3D

Free
  • EvaluationFree
    • 90-day trial
    • All features included
    • No credit card required
  • Student License$195/mo
    • Perpetual license
    • Support included
    • Service releases
  • Commercial License$995/mo
    • Perpetual license
    • Support included
    • Service releases
  • Student Upgrade$95/mo
    • Perpetual license
    • Requires prior license key
    • Support included

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 Rhino 3D if

  • You need nurbs modeling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, iOS.
  • You also want surface modeling.
Rhino 3D review

Questions people ask

Is Bentley MicroStation or Rhino 3D better?
Neither clearly leads. Bentley MicroStation starts at $2284/year and Rhino 3D at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bentley MicroStation or Rhino 3D?
Rhino 3D has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2284/year for Bentley MicroStation and Free for Rhino 3D.
Does Bentley MicroStation or Rhino 3D run on more platforms?
Bentley MicroStation runs on Windows. Rhino 3D runs on Windows, Mac, iOS.
Can I use Rhino 3D for free?
Yes. Rhino 3D 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 Rhino 3D is typically brought in for.
What can Bentley MicroStation do that Rhino 3D cannot?
Bentley MicroStation covers DGN modelling, DWG editing, Reality modelling, Parametric components. Rhino 3D covers NURBS modeling, Surface modeling, 3D visualization, Grasshopper.

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.

Rhino 3D: How much does Rhino 3D cost?

Student licenses cost EUR 195, commercial licenses cost EUR 995. Both are perpetual one-time purchases. Upgrades from prior versions cost EUR 95 for students and EUR 595 for commercial users.

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.

Rhino 3D: Is there a free trial?

Yes, a 90-day evaluation license is available free with no credit card required. Full features are included and commercial use is allowed.

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.

Rhino 3D: Can Rhino 3D licenses be shared across multiple users?

Commercial versions support floating licenses that can be shared. Student licenses are limited to single-user perpetual licenses. All licenses include support and service releases.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Bentley MicroStation

More on Rhino 3D

Keep looking

Other head to heads