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Construction & Architecture · head to head

Chief Architect vs Newforma

Chief Architect logo

Chief Architect

Construction & Architecture

Professional home design and construction software

From
$695/perpetual
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Newforma logo

Newforma

Construction & Architecture

Project information management system for construction

From
$300/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; Newforma pricing is by quote only, with no rate, tier or minimum published; the site offers only Book a Demo and Get Started
  • They diverge on capability: Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, Newforma covers Document management.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Chief Architect and Newforma differ
AttributeChief ArchitectNewforma
Starting price$695/perpetual$300/month
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
PlatformsWindows, MacWeb, Ios, Android
Founded19912006

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 Newforma

  • Document management
  • Project collaboration
  • Transmittals
  • RFI tracking
  • Issue management
  • Autodesk BIM 360
  • Box
  • Dropbox

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

Newforma

  • Managing project email, documents and submittals for architecture and engineering firmsnot Chief Architect
  • Keeping construction project information on-premises for control and security through Project Centernot Chief Architect
  • Coordinating issues and RFIs across design and construction teams in Konektnot 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

Newforma

  • Pricing is by quote only, with no rate, tier or minimum published; the site offers only Book a Demo and Get Started
  • The cloud product Konekt and the on-premises product Project Center are separate offerings, so the on-premises option requires a different product rather than a deployment setting

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

Newforma

$300/month
  • Standard$300/month
    • Document management
    • Project collaboration
    • Transmittals
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced workflows
    • Custom reporting
    • 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 Newforma if

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

Questions people ask

Is Chief Architect or Newforma better?
Neither clearly leads. Chief Architect starts at $695/perpetual and Newforma at $300/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chief Architect or Newforma?
Chief Architect starts at $695/perpetual and Newforma at $300/month.
Does Chief Architect or Newforma run on more platforms?
Chief Architect runs on Windows, Mac. Newforma 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 Newforma is typically brought in for.
What can Chief Architect do that Newforma cannot?
Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, Floor plan creation, Construction documentation, Material lists. Newforma covers Document management, Project collaboration, Transmittals, RFI tracking.
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