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Software · head to head

Chief Architect vs Raken

Chief Architect logo

Chief Architect

Software

Professional home design and construction software

From
$695/perpetual
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Raken logo

Raken

Software

Daily reporting and field production tracking

From
$40/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; Raken the Internet Archive's capture of Raken's pricing page on 13 December 2019 confirmed a 15-day free trial after which customers can purchase a paid plan or continue on a free Starter plan indefinitely, with annual billing saving 20% versus monthly; specific dollar figures per tier were not present in the captured page.
  • They diverge on capability: Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, Raken covers Daily reporting.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Chief Architect and Raken differ
AttributeChief ArchitectRaken
Starting price$695/perpetual$40/month
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
PlatformsWindows, MacWeb, Ios, Android
Founded19912014

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

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 Raken

  • Daily reporting
  • Photo documentation
  • Time tracking
  • Production tracking
  • Safety toolbox talks
  • Procore
  • Autodesk BIM 360
  • Sage

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

Raken

  • Daily logsnot Chief Architect
  • Field documentationnot Chief Architect
  • Progress trackingnot Chief Architect
  • Time managementnot 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

Raken

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Raken's pricing page on 13 December 2019 confirmed a 15-day free trial after which customers can purchase a paid plan or continue on a free Starter plan indefinitely, with annual billing saving 20% versus monthly; specific dollar figures per tier were not present in the captured page.

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

Raken

$40/month
  • Lite$40/month
    • Daily reports
    • Photo documentation
    • Time tracking
  • Pro$80/month
    • Everything in Lite
    • Production tracking
    • Toolbox talks
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Custom workflows
    • API access
    • SSO

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 Raken if

  • You need daily reporting.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want photo documentation.
Raken review

Questions people ask

Is Chief Architect or Raken better?
Neither clearly leads. Chief Architect starts at $695/perpetual and Raken at $40/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chief Architect or Raken?
Chief Architect starts at $695/perpetual and Raken at $40/month.
Does Chief Architect or Raken run on more platforms?
Chief Architect runs on Windows, Mac. Raken 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 Raken is typically brought in for.
What can Chief Architect do that Raken cannot?
Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, Floor plan creation, Construction documentation, Material lists. Raken covers Daily reporting, Photo documentation, Time tracking, Production tracking.
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