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Construction & Architecture · head to head

Chief Architect vs Kahua

Chief Architect logo

Chief Architect

Construction & Architecture

Professional home design and construction software

From
$695/perpetual
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kahua logo

Kahua

Construction & Architecture

Cloud platform for construction and capital projects

From
$400/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; Kahua pricing is by quote only, with no rate or minimum published; the vendor states pricing is based on organization type, program or construction scale, selected package, deployment environment and implementation requirements
  • They diverge on capability: Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, Kahua covers Project management.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Chief Architect and Kahua differ
AttributeChief ArchitectKahua
Starting price$695/perpetual$400/month
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
PlatformsWindows, MacWeb, Ios, Android
Founded19912007

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

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 Kahua

  • Project management
  • Document control
  • Collaboration
  • Issue tracking
  • Reporting
  • Microsoft 365
  • Slack
  • Box

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 Kahua
  • Automatic generation of framing, roofs and material lists from a building modelnot Kahua
  • Kitchen and bath design with manufacturer cabinet catalogsnot Kahua

Kahua

  • Acting as the system of record for a capital construction program across the asset lifecyclenot Chief Architect
  • Public agencies and program managers tracking portfolios of projectsnot Chief Architect
  • General contractors standardising project delivery and cost control across active projectsnot Chief Architect
  • Specialty contractors managing crews, work orders and project financialsnot 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

Kahua

  • Pricing is by quote only, with no rate or minimum published; the vendor states pricing is based on organization type, program or construction scale, selected package, deployment environment and implementation requirements
  • Packages are split by organization type into Owners and Program Managers, General Contractors and Specialty Contractors rather than by feature tier

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

Kahua

$400/month
  • Professional$400/month
    • Project management
    • Document control
    • Collaboration
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced analytics
    • Custom workflows
    • API access

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 Kahua if

  • You need project management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want document control.
Kahua review

Questions people ask

Is Chief Architect or Kahua better?
Neither clearly leads. Chief Architect starts at $695/perpetual and Kahua at $400/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chief Architect or Kahua?
Chief Architect starts at $695/perpetual and Kahua at $400/month.
Does Chief Architect or Kahua run on more platforms?
Chief Architect runs on Windows, Mac. Kahua runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Kahua is typically brought in for.
What can Chief Architect do that Kahua cannot?
Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, Floor plan creation, Construction documentation, Material lists. Kahua covers Project management, Document control, Collaboration, Issue tracking.
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