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Construction & Architecture · head to head

Chief Architect vs Trimble

Chief Architect logo

Chief Architect

Construction & Architecture

Professional home design and construction software

From
$695/perpetual
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trimble logo

Trimble

Construction & Architecture

Construction and building information platform

From
$500/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; Trimble listed on UK G-Cloud 14 at £30 to £50 per user per month for Viewpoint Field View, Trimble's construction field management product, submitted directly by Trimble UK Limited
  • They diverge on capability: Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, Trimble covers Project management.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Chief Architect and Trimble differ
AttributeChief ArchitectTrimble
Starting price$695/perpetual$500/month
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
PlatformsWindows, MacWeb, Ios, Android
Founded19911978

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
  • SketchUp
  • CAD
  • Google Drive

Only in Trimble

  • Project management
  • BIM collaboration
  • Document management
  • Field coordination
  • Analytics
  • AutoCAD
  • Procore
  • Oracle Aconex

Both cover

  • Revit

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

Trimble

  • BIM collaborationnot Chief Architect
  • Project coordinationnot Chief Architect
  • Document managementnot Chief Architect
  • Field operationsnot 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

Trimble

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud 14 at £30 to £50 per user per month for Viewpoint Field View, Trimble's construction field management product, submitted directly by Trimble UK Limited

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

Trimble

$500/month
  • Connect$500/month
    • Project management
    • Collaboration
    • Document control
  • EnterpriseFree
    • BIM integration
    • Advanced analytics
    • Custom workflows

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 Trimble if

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

Questions people ask

Is Chief Architect or Trimble better?
Neither clearly leads. Chief Architect starts at $695/perpetual and Trimble at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chief Architect or Trimble?
Chief Architect starts at $695/perpetual and Trimble at $500/month.
Does Chief Architect or Trimble run on more platforms?
Chief Architect runs on Windows, Mac. Trimble 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 Trimble is typically brought in for.
What can Chief Architect do that Trimble cannot?
Chief Architect covers 2D and 3D design, Floor plan creation, Construction documentation, Material lists. Trimble covers Project management, BIM collaboration, Document management, Field coordination. Both handle Revit.
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