ArchiCAD VS Revit

ArchiCAD VS Revit

ArchiCAD VS Revit

What Is The Best BIM Software?

Are you an architectural drafter or engineer just starting out your career? If so, then you must be in search of the very best Building Information Modeling (BIM) software currently out for use. At this time, two of the top-most BIM software utilized by professionals from all across the globe are ArchiCAD and Revit.

These two are ideal BIM software that may be considered best suited for this job. However, when the question arises as to which of these two is a better BIM software, a much vast discussion evolves. This article discusses all the pros and cons of each software as well as the final conclusion of which of these two is a better BIM software.

What Is Building Information Modeling (BIM)?

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a highly popular intelligent 3D modeling, utilized by architects from all across the world. BIM provides the insight and tools to instantly plan, design, and construct buildings and infrastructure as 3D models.

BIM was initially introduced in 1980 as an attempt to create a database for the digital model. A user working on BIM sets up the design on a 2D plane as well as a 3D plane simultaneously. Furthermore, BIM greatly decreases the workload on architects and the time required to upgrade from design to construction. As a result of this, the user can easily keep track of the systems involved in a building during its formation.

New and improved BIM software have been introduced with the passage of time. Some of the honorable mentions include Bentley, Allplan, Vectorworks, IntelliCAD, and RhinoBIM. Two of the most well-known BIM software, as you might’ve guessed, are ArchiCAD and Revit.

Archicad VS Revit perpetual license price  comparison

Revit Archicad ( full )
Revit software is available with a subscription only. €3950
https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/subscribe?plc=RVT&term=1-YEAR&support=ADVANCED&quantity=1 https://simbim.es/en/graphisoft/79-350-archicad-24-perpetual.html

 

ArchiCAD

ArchiCAD is a remarkable BIM software introduced in the market in 1982 and invented by Graphisoft. At this time, ArchiCAD was the only software that allowed BIM. With the passage of time, ArchiCAD has undergone multiple updates and improvements to make it one of the most competitive BIM software with thousands of users from all across the world.

With ArchiCAD, you can draw, model, and display building designs in simple and efficient ways. ArchiCAD is a more object-oriented software, which implies that it allows you to produce and modify 2D drawings and 3D building models. Below are some of the most prominent pros and cons of ArchiCAD.

Pros Of ArchiCAD

  • ArchiCAD has a much user-friendly interface in comparison to other BIM software.
  • It provides developed support for IFC, decent rendering, good drafting, and layout approach.
  • The parametric objects used by ArchiCAD are very flexible and efficient.

Cons Of ArchiCAD

  • Custom parametric objects require GDL scripting to work properly.
  • A few extensions aren’t sufficiently updated.

Pricings And Licensing Of ArchiCAD

Even though Graphisoft has not released the official pricing of ArchiCAD online, you can contact a local seller for a custom price quote. The pricing depends on the type of licensing that you’re looking to purchase. ArchiCAD comes in four different versions namely Trial, Educational, Academic, and Commercial.

The commercial version offers four different types of licensing namely full license, solo license, pay-per-use license, and rental license. As an estimate, purchasing a full ArchiCAD 24 license would cost around 4500 EU + VAT. And yearly subscription about 600 + VAT.

Revit

Revit was introduced to the BIM market in 2002 by a company named Autodesk. Autodesk popularized the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) by its AutoCAD feature. Revit allows you to fully design a building in a 3D form and interpret the model with the help of 2D drafting elements.

Revit contains tools that can help you track and plan multiple stages in the building’s lifecycle. Revit is greatly established among engineers in the construction sector because of its Autodesk Raytracer (ART) engine and its cloud rendering ability.

Pros Of Revit

  • Revit is a strong development platform allowing you to enhance your architectural skills with practice.
  • It has a high demand in the market.
  • It aids you with architecture, structure, and MEP.

Cons Of Revit

  • It is partially multi-threaded; therefore, a much faster computer is required to properly run Revit.
  • Issues regarding file size and scalability often appear when using Revit.

Pricings And Licensing Of Revit

Revit subscriptions are available as two main types of licenses namely Single-user access and Multi-user access. For Single-user access, the user can use Revit on up to three devices. On the other hand, if you purchase Multi-user access, then you can use Revit on as many devices as you want.

This license is best suited for companies with several employees. Revit also comes with three different pricing packages namely Monthly, Annual, and 3 Years. Single-user access can be purchased at 400 EU monthly, 3195 EU annual, or 8628 for 3 years. Revit has a big pricing difference in the EU and the US.

Revit prices –  US vs EU

Revit prices the US Revit Prices EU
MONTHLY $305 € 400
1 YEAR $2,425 € 3.195
3 YEAR $6,550 € 8.628
https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/subscribe?plc=RVT&term=3-YEAR&support=ADVANCED&quantity=1 https://www.autodesk.eu/products/revit/subscribe?referrer=%2Fproducts%2Frevit%2Fsubscribe&plc=RVT&term=3-YEAR&support=ADVANCED&quantity=1

 

Archicad VS Revit US subscription license price comparison

Revit                                                                Archicad Full Version
Subscription License
USD/mo $305 $280
/year $2,425 $2250
https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/subscribe?plc=RVT&term=1-YEAR&support=ADVANCED&quantity=1 https://graphisoft.com/us/subscription-license-pricing

 

ArchiCAD VS Revit

Now that we’ve discussed the backgrounds and the pros and cons of ArchiCAD and Revit, it’s time to answer the question – Revit or ArchiCAD? Honestly, both of these tools are sophisticated software of BIM technology and hold their ground as two of the best BIM software. They equally have pros and cons to their use and their advantages outweigh their disadvantages.

Archicad VS Revit – system Requirements

Revit 2020 Archicad 24
Value: Balanced price and performance Mid-range

Apartment and office

Buildings

Operating System Windows 10 Enterprise

Windows 10 Pro

Windows 10 64-bit

macOS 10.15

CPU Type Single- or MultiCore Intel, Xeon, or i-Series processor or AMD equivalent with SSE2 technology. The highest affordable CPU speed rating recommended.

 

Revit software products use multiple cores for many tasks.

Intel Core i7

AMD Ryzen 7

Memory 16 GB RAM 16+ GB RAM
Video Display Resolutions Minimum:

1680 x 1050 with true color

2K (2560×1600)
Graphics card DirectX 11 capable graphics card with Shader Model 5 4+ GB VRAM OpenGL

4.0 compatible graphics cards

Disk 30 GB free disk space NVMe SSD
Source https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/System-requirements-for-Autodesk-Revit-2020-products.html

 

https://graphisoft.com/resources-and-support/system-requirements

 

¹ Learn more about using Revit or Revit LT software with Bootcamp, part of macOS that enables you to install and run Microsoft Windows (and Windows-based applications) on a Mac computer or with Parallels Desktop, a system utility available from Parallels, Inc. that allows applications to run in each operating system without restarting the computer.

 

In order to conclude with which of these two is a better BIM software, we must take a look at the similarities and differences between the two. As for similarities, both have a level of complexity in their level of design. Both software encourages the digital model that integrates information for all elements included in the design. On the other hand, Revit has a more complex structure and takes longer to understand and use than ArchiCAD. Files produced by Revit are typically larger in size than those produced by ArchiCAD.

Additionally, there are several more factors that need to be taken into consideration when concluding with which is the better BIM software; however, after what we’ve observed until now, it can be easily inferred that ArchiCAD acts superior to Revit in a number of different field of BIM. ArchiCAD is much more user-friendly and is much easier to understand and work with, so if you want your work done with minimum effort and in the least time, then ArchiCAD is your tool to use!

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