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Construction & Architecture · head to head

Chief Architect vs Dubsado

Chief Architect logo

Chief Architect

Construction & Architecture

Professional home design and construction software

From
$695/perpetual
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dubsado logo

Dubsado

Proposal & Quote

Business management for creatives

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Chief Architect chief Architect Premier is $229 per month or $1,995 per year, with the monthly option costing 27% more than annual; Dubsado automated workflows, scheduling and public proposals all require the Premier plan at $525 a year
  • They diverge on capability: Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, Dubsado covers Scheduler.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chief Architect and Dubsado actually diverge.

Attributes where Chief Architect and Dubsado differ
AttributeChief ArchitectDubsado
Starting price$695/perpetual$20/month
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
PlatformsWindows, MacWeb
CategoryConstruction & ArchitectureProposal & Quote
Founded19912016

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 Chief Architect

  • 2D and 3D design
  • Floor plan creation
  • Construction documentation
  • Material lists
  • Rendering
  • Revit
  • SketchUp
  • CAD

Only in Dubsado

  • Scheduler
  • CRM
  • Invoicing
  • Contracts
  • Automation workflows
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook
  • QuickBooks

What people use each for

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

Chief Architect

  • Producing construction documents, elevations and 3D renderings for residential architecturenot Dubsado
  • Automatic generation of framing, roofs and material lists from a building modelnot Dubsado
  • Kitchen and bath design with manufacturer cabinet catalogsnot Dubsado

Dubsado

  • Client management and project workflows for freelancers and studiosnot Chief Architect
  • Sending proposals, contracts and invoices with automated follow upnot Chief Architect

Where each one falls short

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

Chief Architect

  • Chief Architect Premier is $229 per month or $1,995 per year, with the monthly option costing 27% more than annual
  • Software rentals have been replaced with subscriptions and access to the software ends at the conclusion of the current billing period once cancelled
  • The $995 upgrade price for existing legacy licence holders applies to the first year only, after which standard rates apply

Dubsado

  • Automated workflows, scheduling and public proposals all require the Premier plan at $525 a year
  • The Starter plan allows a single lead capture form
  • Zapier and bookkeeping integrations are excluded from Starter
  • Additional brands are $10 a month each
  • Only 3 users are included, with 4 to 10 costing $25 a month and 21 to 30 costing $60

Pricing, plan by plan

Chief Architect

$695/perpetual
  • Standard$695/perpetual
    • 2D and 3D design
    • Floor plan creation
    • Construction documentation
  • Architectural$1595/perpetual
    • Advanced architectural tools
    • BIM capabilities
    • Rendering

Dubsado

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 3 clients
    • Core features
    • Scheduler
  • Premier$40/month
    • Unlimited clients
    • All features
    • Automation

Which should you pick?

Choose Chief Architect if

  • You need 2d and 3d design.
  • You work on Windows, Mac.
  • You also want floor plan creation.
Chief Architect review

Choose Dubsado if

  • You need scheduler.
  • You also want crm.
Dubsado review

Questions people ask

Is Chief Architect or Dubsado better?
Neither clearly leads. Chief Architect starts at $695/perpetual and Dubsado at $20/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chief Architect or Dubsado?
Chief Architect starts at $695/perpetual and Dubsado at $20/month.
Does Chief Architect or Dubsado run on more platforms?
Chief Architect runs on Windows, Mac. Dubsado runs on Web.
What is Chief Architect best used for?
Chief Architect is most often used for producing construction documents, elevations and 3d renderings for residential architecture, automatic generation of framing, roofs and material lists from a building model, kitchen and bath design with manufacturer cabinet catalogs. Of those, producing construction documents, elevations and 3d renderings for residential architecture and automatic generation of framing, roofs and material lists from a building model are not what Dubsado is typically brought in for.
What can Chief Architect do that Dubsado cannot?
Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, Floor plan creation, Construction documentation, Material lists. Dubsado covers Scheduler, CRM, Invoicing, Contracts.
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