Chief Architectvs
ArchiCAD
ArchiCAD: BIM software for architects
Chief Architect
Professional home design and construction software
As of 30 August 2026, Chief Architect has a free plan and paid plans start at $166.25/month. Chief Architect is professional home design software that combines architectural and construction capabilities. Softwr lists it under Construction. Chief Architect is made by Chief Architect Inc, launched in 1991, available on Windows, macOS.
Overview
What Chief Architect does
Chief Architect is professional home design software that combines architectural and construction capabilities. It allows architects, builders, and designers to create detailed 2D and 3D designs with accurate construction documentation for residential and commercial projects.
What people use it for
- Home design and architectural planning
- Kitchen and bathroom design
- Interior design and remodeling
- Professional building design
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Chief Architect.
- No free tier after trial
- Monthly subscription at $229/month is significantly higher than annual equivalent ($166.25/month)
- Trial download available but duration and features not specified
- No mention of team or multi-user plans
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of Chief Architect
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- Chief ArchitectvsAutodesk Revit
Autodesk Revit: BIM software for architects and engineers
- Chief ArchitectvsProcore
Procore: All-in-one construction management platform
- Chief ArchitectvsSketchUp
SketchUp: 3D design software for everyone
Pricing
What Chief Architect costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Monthly Subscription
$229 /mo
- Software upgrades
- Premium catalog downloads
- Priority technical support
- Trial download available free
Annual Subscription
$1,995 /yr
- 27% savings vs monthly
- All monthly benefits included
Legacy License Upgrade
$995 /yr
- 50% discount first year
- Then $1,995/year
- For existing Chief Architect users
Capabilities
Features
2D and 3D design
Floor plan creation
Construction documentation
Material lists
Rendering
Revit
Integration with Revit
SketchUp
Integration with SketchUp
CAD
Integration with CAD
Google Drive
Integration with Google Drive
SSL encryption
SSL encryption security feature
Data backup
Data backup security feature
User authentication
User authentication security feature
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
How much does Chief Architect cost?
Chief Architect costs $229/month on a monthly subscription, or $1,995/year ($166.25/month equivalent) for annual billing, representing a 27% discount.
SourceIs there a free trial available?
Yes, a free trial download is available for prospective customers to evaluate Chief Architect before purchase.
SourceIs there a discount for existing Chief Architect license holders?
Yes, legacy license holders can upgrade to an annual subscription for $995 the first year (50% discount), then $1,995/year thereafter.
SourceWhat is included in the subscription?
Chief Architect subscription includes software upgrades, premium catalog downloads for design assets, and priority technical support.
SourceBehind it
Who makes Chief Architect
- Company
- Chief Architect Inc
- Based in
- Bend, OR
Keep looking
Where to go from Chief Architect
- Chief Architect alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Chief Architect pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Chief Architect badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Construction softwareThe full category
- Best Construction softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Construction software for
Compare Chief Architect with
- ArchiCAD
- SketchUp
- Autodesk Revit
- Procore
- Raken
- Vectorworks Architect
- CoConstruct
- Houzz Pro
- Buildertrend
- Sage 300 Construction
- Openspace
- Oracle Textura Payment Management
- Reconstruct
- Smartsheet Construction
- STACK Construction Technologies
- Trimble Pay
- Autodesk Construction Cloud
- Sage Estimating
Other Construction software
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Pricing on request12 researched notesUnified platform for construction project delivery
Pricing on request11 researched notes
Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Chief Architect, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on Chief Architect
Chief Architect alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
Chief Architect pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare Chief Architect
Put it head to head with anything we hold
Chief Architect badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
Best Construction software alternatives
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