Top Paid & Free BIM Software Tools in 2024

It’s hard nowadays to imagine a construction project lifecycle without collaboration from contractors, engineers, and architects all combining their efforts to achieve their goals, like meeting the client’s expectations, minimizing the construction errors caused by miscommunication, and so on. And, of course, while it is easy to do so on smaller projects, larger, more sophisticated construction projects would have a hard time reaching the same level of cooperation without BIM software.

Overview

BIM – building information modeling – is a complicated process that includes not only 3D modeling, but also planning, design, construction, collaboration, and more. The ability to share relevant data with all project participants makes BIM an excellent collaboration tool in general.

While 3D modeling is an important part of BIM, it is not just a replacement for earlier types of 3D modeling like AutoCAD. Comprehensive BIM also includes maintenance data, project scheduling, cost information, and more.

BIM itself operates with what are called BIM objects – components that can be added to the 3D models in question, like plumbing, electrical components, doors and windows, and other construction elements that affect the final results of construction.

The most significant trend in the BIM industry is the attempt at unification and standardization. There are still too many different interpretations of Publicly Available Specifications from different BIM companies to say that the industry is standardized, but there’s still progress that can be seen on a yearly basis.

Advantages of BIM

The advantages of BIM can be seen with any project size, but it is most impactful when working on large construction projects, which can benefit greatly from clash detection, cost tracking, scheduling, and so on. Here are some of the significant advantages that a BIM solution can offer to different players in the construction market:

• Mobility: The availability of a centralized unified model accessible from anywhere improves productivity and efficiency. Project participants can access the model even without a laptop or PC, allowing for quick response to potential issues or changes.
• Accuracy: The BIM model can be used by all project participants throughout the project, and also to present the structure to owners or for post-construction tasks such as maintenance or the sale of commercial space. It ensures accuracy and facilitates various activities beyond construction.
• Visualization/Simulation: BIM software provides an excellent environment for simulations, including weather conditions, energy requirements, and more. It enables stakeholders to visualize and assess different scenarios.
• Updated timeline: Keeping a variety of information within a single BIM model simplifies resource allocation and enhances project coordination. It enables all participants to stay informed about the current project status.
• Transparent approach: A shared model improves collaboration efforts among project stakeholders, and it ensures transparency, allowing all stakeholders to access the information necessary for their respective roles.
• Clash detection: Using the same model from the design phase onward makes it easier to detect clashes between objects and building components. This early detection significantly reduces unexpected rework and budget overruns.
• Project site evaluation: A BIM model can incorporate geographical information about the construction site, enabling various types of site evaluations from different perspectives.
• Real-time model updates: A centralized and data-rich BIM model can be updated in real-time with input from multiple stakeholders. This helps eliminate misinformation and scheduling conflicts.

Why BIM software is the inevitable future of multiple industries

The construction industry has been grappling with productivity issues for several decades, with the problem dating back to the 1960s. This productivity loss has resulted in equal contract budgets covering larger numbers of labor hours, making the industry less efficient and less appealing to new workers.

A significant portion of the issue can be attributed to the industry’s adherence to traditional approaches throughout the construction process. This includes large construction companies with extensive workforces, conventional project delivery methods, and a heavy reliance on 2D CAD (computer-aided drafting) for modeling and design processes.

Relying primarily on 2D CAD technology presented its own set of problems. The technology lacks the ability to effectively integrate scheduling and cost information, and collaboration among stakeholders is often challenging. The requirement that each team create its own CAD model for presentation to owners and contractors further hindered collaboration between different participants in the construction process for a considerable period.

This situation resulted in confusion, conflicting information, rework, budget overruns, missed deadlines, and other issues. Building information modeling (BIM) has emerged as a transformative approach that offers a solution to the industry’s persistent productivity challenges while addressing many other shortcomings of the traditional approach.

Methodology of choosing the best BIM software

The BIM software market is vast, varied, and highly competitive. Choosing a solution that fits a particular company’s requirements can be a long and arduous process. This article aims to mitigate the problem to a certain degree. We will offer present BIM software options that are considered the best in the industry and describe our methodology for selecting software.

Customer rating

Customer ratings directly represent overall opinions about the product. The product in question is BIM software, and the software options differ from one another. Customer ratings are a quick way of showcasing the average opinion of the public about a specific solution. In this case, resources such as G2, TrustRadius, and Capterra are used to gather such information.

Capterra is a review aggregator platform that ensures review authenticity using a collection of self-made thorough checks on all of its users. No customer reviews can be removed from Capterra at the product’s request. There are over 2 million registered reviews on Capterra right now and a thousand different categories to pick from.

TrustRadius is a review platform that ensures that each review is authentic and real using extensive multistep processes. It also has a separate in-house research team to ensure the reviews are informative and useful. No vendor can edit or delete customer reviews on TrustRadius.

G2 is a notable review platform with a library of more than 100,000 vendors to pick from. It has gathered over 2.4 million verified user reviews, and there is also a built-in review validation system that checks every review for authenticity. G2 also offers numerous other services, if necessary, such as tracking, investment, and marketing.

Advantages/disadvantages and key features

It can be very difficult to list the key features of a solution and their benefits and disadvantages. For one, BIM solutions are well-known for offering massive numbers of different features, meaning that listing all of them for every single solution is not an option. Nevertheless, there are some features that are considered “basic” enough to be included in most examples of BIM software:

• Support for multiple data formats. The BIM industry has plenty of issues with interoperability, and support for multiple file formats makes it easier for teams and companies to collaborate.
• Data centralization. A BIM model acts as a centralized source of information for all project participants, but it should also be presented in a way that makes it easier to work with.
• User friendliness. Plenty of BIM solutions offer some degree of interaction with 3D models, from full-on modeling to creating notes, marking clashes, and so on. A user-friendly interface makes many sophisticated BIM processes much easier to manage.
• Clash detection. Issue tracking is something we touched upon before, but proper clash detection is practically a necessity for most BIM solutions. The sheer size and scale of construction projects creates a requirement that every single detail and element be checked alongside one another to ensure there are no conflicts and clashes.

Pricing

The price of the software is a critical factor and a direct contributor to every potential customer’s choice to purchase a solution or not. BIM solutions are often costly by default, while offering drastically different feature sets. This issue can be very personal and case-specific. Our pricing information also includes the features provided at a given pricing tier (when possible), making it possible to compare the price of the solution with its feature set.

Personal opinion of the author

The opinion of the author about which BIM solution is the best is a completely subjective part of the methodology. There is also some bias involved in one specific case, since Revizto is on our BIM software list. This category can include practically anything, such as the author’s personal opinion about the topic, or additional information about the software in question.

Top BIM software tools of 2024

We’ll now attempt to create a BIM software list with a multitude of different BIM systems, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Since the BIM industry specifically revolves around large structures with big budgets, it is no surprise that all of the options on this list are premium products, though there are some more affordable options: we’ll also outline some free software solutions with similar capabilities in a separate list below.

It should be noted that this list is quite extensive, which is why we have also added a “best of” recommendation for a number of options. These solutions are the ones we consider the most useful in a particular field.

• Revit – Best solution for all-in-one BIM management
• Revizto – Best option for clash coordination 
• Navisworks – Best solution for project simulation
• Vectorworks Architect – Best coordination-oriented BIM software
• Autodesk Construction Cloud – Best solution for process centralization
• SketchUp – Best tool for sketching
• Trimble Connect – Best solution for data connection
• Civil 3D – Best software for civil engineering
• The Wild – Best option for virtual reality use cases
• Allplan Architecture – Best option for architects

Comparison table of best BIM solutions

More information about these solutions, as well as plenty of other examples in the field, can be found below.

Revit – Best solution for all-in-one BIM management

Revit is a well-known BIM construction software application that aims to solve different architectural and design problems. It was developed by Autodesk and is one of the most popular solutions in the industry. Many different specialists can take advantage of Revit’s list of features, including architects, designers, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) specialists, contractors, and more. The software itself offers an intelligent approach to different stages of the construction process via models.

This software is Microsoft Windows exclusive and can significantly reduce miscommunication troubles by managing different parts of the process within the same system. This same system also boosts overall coordination efforts, and different projects’ visuals can be simulated with it. Since Revit uses a 4D BIM model, it can also track the entire lifecycle of a construction project, from first concepts down to regular maintenance and/or demolition.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.6/5 stars based on 382 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.5/5 stars based on 794 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Detailed model creation capabilities
• A massive number of integrations with other solutions and information types
• The versatility of the solution as a whole
• Praise-worthy customer support

Shortcomings:

• Higher than average system requirements for the PC version of the software
• Version compatibility only works one way – upgrading older models is possible, but downgrading existing models is not, which can be a problem with some of the more complicated models that are not updated as often as the rest
• The solution is not particularly user-friendly and has a rather high entry threshold
• Limited automation capabilities

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• Revit can offer two different approaches in terms of its pricing model.
• The first one is a basic subscription that can be paid for on a monthly basis, yearly basis, or every three years:
  • $350 per month
  • $2,805 per year
  • $8,415 per three years
• The second one implies accessing Revit as a part of Autodesk Flex program – a “pay-as-you-go” option that offers a daily price in tokens for a number of Autodesk services. Revit’s Flex cost is 10 tokens per day, and there are at least two token bundles available for purchase:
  • 100 tokens for $300
  • 500 tokens for $1500
  • It is also possible to purchase a custom amount of tokens, depending on the needs of a specific company – and tokens themselves have an expiration period of 1 year after the purchase.

My personal opinion about Revit:

Revit is somewhat standard BIM-CAD software. It is an extremely versatile solution with a wealth of features but also a very high barrier to entry in terms of knowledge and skills. There is also a steep learning curve and a rather high price (even by the standards of the BIM software market), but plenty of BIM/CAD specialists still use it to this day, claiming that the versatility of the software is well worth the price and the effort.

Revizto – Best option for clash coordination

The prime use case for Revizto is providing an integrated collaboration platform in the BIM environment for both 2D and 3D workflows, enabling users to communicate with all participants and stakeholders of the project in a collaborative environment. Revizto’s solutions can be leveraged throughout all stages of the construction process and include features like clash management, issue tracking, synergy of 2D/3D models, and even the ability to explore your models in VR. This tool is a centralized, user-friendly platform to keep everything you need at hand. It makes accurate, critical data available to all stakeholders regardless of skill level, allowing them to make better, faster, and more efficient real-time decisions.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.3/5 stars based on 31 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.2/5 stars based on 21 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Great issue tracking capabilities across the board
• Ability to assign specific clashes to different personnel
• A variety of integrations with popular BIM and CAD solutions
• Useful coordination and collaboration tool with centralized information access

Shortcomings:

• There may be some difficulties with large project files, leading to software slow-downs or even crashes
• The UI may take some time getting used to after solutions such as Navisworks
• Data filtering is difficult to set up properly
• Reporting feature could be more customizable

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• Revizto does not have any pricing information available in public, the only way to obtain such information is to request a quotation from the company and/or schedule a demo of the solution.

My personal opinion about Revizto:

Revizto is an impressive BIM solution that can be helpful to construction firms, architects, engineers, and more. It offers plenty of collaboration-centric capabilities, from information sharing to AR walkthroughs, and its focus on clash detection and issue tracking makes it a great help for practically any construction team or company. It does not try to copy another popular solution’s interface, which can make it somewhat difficult to start working with, but none of its potential shortcomings are significant enough for me not to recommend it. There may be a bit of a bias involved when it comes to my view of Revizto, however.

Navisworks – Best solution for project simulation

Navisworks is another BIM solution created by Autodesk. The main difference between Navisworks and Revit is that Navisworks is more of a project review solution for architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professionals. Like Revit, it works with MS Windows, and it can also work together with other Autodesk 3D solutions to open and combine their models, review them, and navigate through them with barely any difficulty.

Due to its nature, Navisworks is most important in the first stages of any project – namely, the pre-construction stage, controlling and predicting the outcome of the project from the beginning. Both model coordination and clash detection are included to help with detecting any problems before the actual construction begins. There’s also model simulation, animation, data aggregation within a single model, and a plethora of other features.

Autodesk currently offers two variations of Navisworks: Navisworks Simulate and Navisworks Manage. Navisworks Simulate is primarily a model review tool that can also perform tasks such as quantification, simulation, model analysis, and so on. Navisworks Manage, on the other hand, is a more sophisticated tool that can do everything Navisworks Simulate does, along with clash detection, the integration of issues with other Autodesk products, and general coordination between employees.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.7/5 stars based on 23 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.6/5 stars based on 168 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Sheer number of different file formats that can be imported into Navisworks
• Support for the majority of existing BIM “dimensions,” including 4D (time), 5D (cost), and even 7D (sustainability)
• Extensive collaboration capabilities within a single solution
• Clash coordination with other teams is easy and simple

Shortcomings:

• May struggle to perform with larger project files
• Price scaling as a whole is not easy to keep up with
• High desktop hardware requirements
• Difficult to get into without any prior BIM software experience

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• The pricing model of Navisworks Simulate is relatively simple, with a single price that could be paid for every month, every year, or once every three years:
  • $135 per month
  • $1,070 per year
  • $3,210 per three years
• Navisworks Manage, on the other hand, could be paid for as a regular subscription:
  • $330 per month
  • $2,645 per year
  • $7,935 per three years
• Alternatively, it is also possible to pay for Navisworks Manage using Autodesk Flex – a token-based pay-as-you-go system (Navisworks Manage costs 9 tokens per day):
  • 100 tokens for $300
  • 500 tokens for $1500
  • It is also possible to purchase a custom amount of tokens, depending on the needs of a specific company, and the tokens themselves have an expiration period of 1 year after purchase.

My personal opinion about Navisworks:

As another example of Autodesk’s software lineup, Navisworks shines in the field of project reviews and all subsequent tasks, like model analysis, issue tracking, clash detection, and so on. The fact that it has two different “tiers” that vary in both price and feature set also makes it much more accessible to companies of different sizes, which is rather surprising, considering that most of Autodesk’s software is targeted at large or at least mid-sized companies. It still has its issues, from the relative user-unfriendliness of the interface to the high hardware requirements, but none of them are drastic enough to mean that Navisworks is not great BIM collaboration software.

ArchiCAD

ArchiCAD is 3D BIM software with design and modeling as its primary purposes. It was developed by Graphisoft, and it can work with both MS Windows and Mac desktop systems. ArchiCAD is extremely popular in the field of urban planning, design, and architecture because it improves the entire workflow of these professions. All of the features of ArchiCAD are meant to be as useful for visualization purposes as possible, in both aesthetic and technological aspects.

ArchiCAD is also one of the first implementations of BIM, and it can work with both 2D and 3D geometry if needed. ArchiCAD’s  variety of visualization and BIM functions make it useful to any construction or architectural firm, and this is why ArchiCAD is one of the most beginner-friendly examples of BIM software on the market.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.5/5 stars based on 250 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.6/5 stars based on 225 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Can be used throughout the entire project realization process, from design to post-construction operations
• Extensive 3D model creation capabilities
• Can view projects in both 2D and 3D
• Easy navigation between different tools

Shortcomings:

• 2D drawing tools are lackluster
• A tedious detailing tool
• Layout drawing updates take a long time
• The object library could use a lot more customization options

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• ArchiCAD offers three different licensing options – a commercial subscription-based license, a one-year renewable free educational license, and a fully-functional 30-day trial license.
• ArchiCAD’s commercial license can be purchased in three different forms:
  • ArchiCAD – $225+ per month (before tax) – a basic version of ArchiCAD
  • ArchiCAD Solo – $200+ per month (before tax) – a limited version of ArchiCAD with most of its sharing features turned off
  • ArchiCAD Collaborate – $225+ per month (before tax) – a combination of ArchiCAD and BIMcloud

My personal opinion about ArchiCAD:

ArchiCAD’s capabilities are quite vast and varied: as 3D BIM software, it can perform all kinds of modeling-related tasks, making it helpful at any stage of project realization. It also relies quite a lot on the fact that it is one of the first implementations of BIM in a 3D modeling software application, and with an industry as conservative as the construction industry, it is easy to see why so many long-time clients would be hesitant to switch to a different solution. That’s not to say that it cannot offer anything substantial to new customers – quite the contrary, it is a versatile solution with a lot of tools and features to work with, even if it does have its own issues, such as long model update times and lackluster library customization capabilities.

Vectorworks Architect – Best coordination-oriented BIM software

Vectorworks Architect is a solution package that includes both CAD and BIM tools. Its main goal is to work with the design process, both 2D and 3D, without damaging the creative vision of the original model. You can use this package to improve your entire workflow, from conceptualization to actual construction.

There are design-oriented capabilities, parametric objects, industry-leading BIM tools, and more – all of that to streamline the process of creating your virtual representation. It is not a replacement for the creative process, but an extension of it, offering creators much more versatile choices and tools, without forgetting about BIM models and complex construction papers.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.4/5 stars based on 48 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.3/5 stars based on 110 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Relatively easy to learn and get used to
• Great for small and mid-sized projects
• Built-in accurate rendering capabilities
• Widely praised for overall user experience

Shortcomings:

• BIM capabilities are somewhat limited in comparison with other solutions on the market
• Some workflows between 2D and 3D are somewhat cumbersome and not user-friendly
• Potential incompatibilities with older software versions due to new features released
• May struggle with larger project files

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• Vectorworks Architect uses a worldwide network of global distributors to deliver its products around the globe. Unfortunately, that means there is little to no publicly available information about the pricing of Vectorworks Architect, but expect it to differ quite a lot depending on location.

My personal opinion about Vectorworks Architect:

Vectorworks Architect is a rather interesting choice when it comes to 3D BIM software. It is a solution that combines BIM features with CAD features based on the self-proclaimed “most flexible 3D modeling engine available”. It can perform accurate rendering and is generally known as a relatively user-friendly modeling solution. At the same time, it may not be the best fit for companies that expect much from Vectorworks Architect’s BIM capabilities, and there are still some features that are not as polished as the rest. All in all, it is a viable option for the majority of 3D BIM tasks, and it also performs at its best with small-scale projects that rely a lot on creativity instead of sheer size.

Edificius

Edificius is a unique BIM platform for architectural design. It is capable of working in both 2D and 3D, so architectural design is that much easier with all the new technologies and regulations in mind. There’s also garden and landscape visualization, static and real-time rendering, and more.

Some of the BIM features include real-time cost estimating and structural engineering, a list of free interior resources via free catalog, and more.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.2/5 stars based on 6 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.7/5 stars based on 4 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Intuitive user interface
• Real-time rendering and AI rendering capabilities
• Impressive performance even with heavy workloads

Shortcomings:

• Model sharing with cloud services is not possible
• Lack of quick access to necessary features
• Can become more difficult to work with if you need non-standard objects or parts

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• Edificius can be purchased either as a separate solution or in a bundle, its price as a separate solution is as follows:
  • €49 per month
  • €34 per month if paid for a year in advance
  • €30 per month if paid for two years in advance
  • €27 per month if paid for three years in advance

My personal opinion about Edificius:

Edificius represents another niche of the BIM software market: solutions that are relatively small-scale but still manage to offer impressive feature sets for their price. Edificius offers a variety of capabilities, from basic 2D/3D design tools to AI rendering, Virtual Reality support, cost estimating, and more. Everything that Edificius has is also packed in an interface that will be familiar to people who work with Microsoft Office software on a regular basis, which is already an incredibly large potential audience. It can be somewhat difficult to work with, especially when it comes to non-standard objects and projects, but none of its downsides takes away from the fact that Edificius is a tremendous choice purely because of its price.

Autodesk Construction Cloud (formerly Autodesk BIM 360) – Best solution for process centralization

Another creation of Autodesk is their Construction Cloud solution, which works with construction management and project delivery. It unifies the different processes of design, planning, and construction into one single process. At its core, it is a web service based on the cloud to avoid delays and improve decision-making by providing different teams access to relevant data.

The entire lifecycle of your project can be managed with Autodesk Construction Cloud. Some notable features are design review, BIM coordination, safety program checklists, issue management, coordination of deliverables, and more.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.3/5 stars based on 2,072 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.2/5 stars based on 1,907 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Great centralized data storage for drawings, reports, schedules, RFIs, etc.
• Wealth of capabilities for different professions and purposes
• Extremely useful in terms of collaborative capabilities
• Web-based nature means greatly improved accessibility from practically anywhere in the world

Shortcomings:

• Reliance on a web-based platform as the main distribution method could lead to complete paralysis of all work operations if Autodesk servers are down for some reason
• It is not possible to create project templates from scratch, only to duplicate or modify existing ones
• A lot of focus on Autodesk’s internal formats and solutions, with little to no compatibility with other software or platforms
• Update frequency can be an issue for companies that are used to slower update schedules with no compatibility issues

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• Autodesk Construction Cloud is a collection of a multitude of different products, each of which has its own price that can be learned only by requesting a quotation from Autodesk.

My personal opinion about Autodesk Construction Cloud:

Autodesk Construction Cloud is another example of BIM software that cannot perform most 3D modeling capabilities in the first place, but it is still a tremendously useful BIM solution. ACC’s biggest draw is its collaborative nature: it offers project participants web-based access to all kinds of project information. It can improve decision-making, boost collaborative efforts, reduce the number of conflicts, and more. However, most of its capabilities can be rendered useless if the company does not rely on other Autodesk products for its 3D modeling and/or BIM work – ACC is a solution that is very focused on its own data formats and file standards, which makes it less useful for the many companies out there that do not use Revit or Civil 3D in their regular work.

SketchUp – Best tool for sketching

SketchUp is an easy-to-use modeling tool that enables users to transform regular lines and shapes into various 3D forms. There’s no need to do everything from scratch thanks to the built-in collection of 3D models.

SketchUp can include a variety of different tools. The regular free 3D modeling tool can be accessed from a web browser. The more comprehensive Pro solution has its own desktop client and can offer more versatile options for your 3D projects. And, finally, SketchUp Studio allows you to analyze the different real-life parameters of your models and creations before they’re built.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.5/5 stars based on 957 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.5/5 stars based on 895 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Massive library of 3D objects
• User-friendly interface
• Extremely versatile set of modeling tools
• Collaboration capabilities with the help of Trimble Connect

Shortcomings:

• Little to no basic tutorials about the software’s general capabilities
• No native support for importing or exporting to or from most 3D CAD/BIM solutions on the market
• Most of the plugins extending functionality are not free
• Not a complete BIM solution, relies a lot on plugins that rarely work together if at all

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• SketchUp can offer four different pricing tiers:
  • “Free” is the most basic set of features for all users
  • “Go” – $119 per year –  is a rather minor extension of the free version without the limitations on 3D models and cloud storage capacity
  • “Pro” – $299 per year –  is a more serious approach to the topic, with a desktop application, design insights, 2D documentation, and an entire warehouse of extensions
  • “Studio” – $699 per year – is a Windows-only tier with real-time photorealistic visualization, easy file importing from Revit, and many other features

My personal opinion about SketchUp:

SketchUp is one of the most popular 3D modeling and sketching tools on the market, and it is known and loved across different industries, offering a versatile modeling feature set in a user-friendly interface. It can also be picked up by practically anyone, with a free version and a relatively cheap subscription when it comes to purchasing the solution for personal use or for a single architect. The price does increase quite a lot at the highest pricing tier, which is targeted primarily at companies and teams of specialists. However, SketchUp in itself is relatively bare-bones when it comes to collaboration and other BIM capabilities (most of the data sharing is performed via Trimble Connect in the first place), which is why it is more of a 3D modeling solution and less of a BIM solution.

Buildertrend

Buildertrend is a construction-stage BIM tool that is more suitable for remodelers and home builders. This cloud-based BIM product offers a plethora of different features, including access to your project in real-time from anywhere, warranty management, change orders, and access to all of the subsequent data that is attached to the project like photos, documents, and so on.

This toolset makes it a popular pick for residential construction professionals. There are also features like general project management, customer management, financial tools, and the pre-sale process. Each of these features has a variety of functions and possibilities like plan mark-ups, budgets, and more.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.5/5 stars based on 1612 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.2/5 stars based on 144 customer reviews

Advantages:

• General versatility with a wealth of options such as scheduling, budgeting, etc.
• Praise-worthy customer support team
• User-friendly interface
• Regular improvements and content updates

Shortcomings:

• Customization options are quite limited
• Rather steep learning curve
• Inability to track multiple pay rates
• Impossible to work with multiple tabs at once because they are not synchronized with each other

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• Buildertrend’s pricing model is relatively simple, it has three subscription tiers:
  • “Essential” – $339 a month – a basic set of features with scheduling, daily logs, comments, invoices, to-do lists, email marketing, and more
  • “Advanced” – $599 a month – adds budgeting, bills, purchase orders, estimates, lead proposals, change orders, advanced reporting, and more
  • “Complete” – $829 a month – can offer warrantiers, RFIs, selections, etc.

My personal opinion about Buildertrend:

Buildertrend is another interesting BIM software application that does not include any 3D modeling capabilities in the first place, focusing on workflow management and data sharing. It is a user-friendly BIM product with plenty of tools and features to choose from, including project management, financial management, customer management, warranty management, and many others. Buildertrend markets itself as a tool that is most useful for residential construction professionals, and it has a lot of clients in that particular niche in spite of all of its shortcomings, ranging from the solution’s somewhat limited customization and rather expensive entry price to the lack of synchronization between multiple tabs.

Trimble Connect – Best solution for data connection

Trimble Connect is a cloud-based information exchange BIM product. Its primary specialty is in delivering the right data to the right professionals at the right time. Those who can take advantage of this technology include MEP professionals, subcontractors, architects, and others. Trimble attempts to create a collaboration-focused environment.

Delivering critical information on time can prove crucial at various stages of your workflow. Some of the main features are design coordination, on-site/off-site communication, and project management. It can also integrate with a large number of construction tools to make your work easier.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.2/5 stars based on 8 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.3/5 stars based on 8 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Mobile application improves collaboration and efficiency
• Wealth of general BIM capabilities
• Extensive collaboration features

Shortcomings:

• Requires a good Internet connection
• User interface is somewhat cumbersome
• Very few helpful guides in the “help” section

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• There are three main pricing tiers that Trimble Connect can offer:
  • “Free” is a basic set of features for a single project and no more than five members
  • “Business” – $12.99 per month per user – a complete removal of the free version limitations with administrative capabilities
  • “Business Premium” – $23.95 per month per user, can only be billed annually – can offer advanced BIM capabilities, access to extensions and third-party apps, as well as more detailed 3D workflow

My personal opinion about Trimble Connect:

Trimble Connect is how SketchUp (and many other 3D modeling solutions) solve the issue of not being able to share information and collaborate properly. It is a cloud-based information exchange solution that can be integrated with a massive number of different tools and solutions, helping subcontractors, architects, MEP professionals, and more. It has both a mobile application and a free basic version for personal use, and is widely known for creating an efficient collaborative environment within and between project teams. It may not be the most user-friendly solution, and its reliance on constant connection to the Internet creates a very obvious weakness in a collaborative environment, but it is still a great option for companies that do not use a specialized 3D BIM solution with collaborative capabilities.

BIMobject

BIMobject is one of the few free BIM content platforms. The solution is widely used by architects, contractors, and designers to access industry-specific BIM objects. The only requirement to access the platform is free registration. It has thousands of different BIM objects sorted into different categories based on type, size, region, file type, and more. Advanced filtering helps a lot with finding exactly what you need.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.6/5 stars based on 11 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.4/5 stars based on 35 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Search results are accurate and the database is impressively large
• Resource is accessible and user-friendly
• Plenty of object families to choose from

Shortcomings:

• Subcategories could use some work, and many models are only available for specific software, such as 3ds or SketchUp
• Registration is required before any download

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• Since BIMobject is a free platform for BIM models, all of its contents are free of charge and require nothing but user registration to start using any of the objects.

My personal opinion about BIMobject:

BIMobject is a fascinating example of a collaborative effort by experts from all over the planet. It is a massive library of BIM objects that are available to anyone for free, with no restrictions whatsoever. Every BIM object in the library is a combination of a 3D model and a number of different parameters relevant to that object – height, width, weight, and many others. It is difficult to look for shortcomings in a completely free solution, but if I had to say a single bad thing about BIMobject, it would be the fact that many of the models are available only in specific formats for specific 3D CAD/BIM solutions, such as SketchUp, 3dsMax, etc.

Civil 3D – Best software for civil engineering

Civil 3D is another BIM product created by Autodesk focused on civil engineering, but it also offers some BIM features and workflows. Civil 3D helps users develop projects more accurately, with fewer errors and risks, and adapt to project changes faster. Streamlining more difficult and time-consuming tasks is also possible with Civil 3D (intersection and corridor design, site grading, and so on).

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.6/5 stars based on 35 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.3/5 stars based on 283 customer reviews

Advantages:

• 2D and 3D rendering capabilities with impressive rendering speed
• Compatibility with a variety of different data formats
• Ability to create custom object libraries
• Great for creating various surfaces with extreme accuracy

Shortcomings:

• Extreme system requirements for desktop application
• Handling large projects is cumbersome
• Steep learning curve for most of the solution’s features
• Potential compatibility issues with older software versions

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• Civil 3D can offer two different approaches in terms of its pricing model.
• The first one is a basic subscription that can be paid for on a monthly basis, yearly basis, or every three years:
  • $335 per month
  • $2,680 per year
  • $8,040 per three years
• The second one implies accessing Civil 3D as a part of Autodesk Flex program – a “pay-as-you-go” option that offers a daily price in tokens for a number of Autodesk services. Civil 3D’s Flex cost is 9 tokens per day, and there are at least two token bundles available for purchase:
  • 100 tokens for $300
  • 500 tokens for $1500
  • It is also possible to purchase a custom amount of tokens, depending on the needs of a specific company – and tokens themselves have an expiration period of 1 year after the purchase.

My personal opinion about Civil 3D:

Civil engineering is the main focus of Civil 3D as BIM software – it can be used to streamline time-consuming and sophisticated tasks, reduce the number of errors per project, improve general project accuracy, and so on. It is also interesting how several of the BIM solutions from Autodesk have similar benefits and shortcomings: Civil 3D is a solution with a steep learning curve that has high hardware requirements but can offer impressive 3D rendering capabilities. Both Navisworks and Revit have very similar disadvantages and benefits, and the same could be said for the relatively high price, issues with handling large/complex projects, and more.

BricsCAD BIM

Another example of comprehensive BIM software is BricsCAD BIM, a versatile solution that can handle every process of your project, like adding details, sketching, and turning all of that into a fully functional building information model. You can freely control the different elements and properties of your project, no matter its size.

Another way of specifying something in your model is to include additional information like definitions, layers, and so on. There are also smart structural-modeling capabilities that you can use to automatically classify linear solids.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.7/5 stars based on 17 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.5/5 stars based on 125 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Versatile BIM/CAD solution with an interface that resembles AutoCAD quite a lot, making it easy for a lot of people to start using right away
• Acts as a hosting ground for hundreds of third-party utilities
• Support for both Windows and Linux devices
• Affordable lifetime license

Shortcomings:

• Starting screen is difficult to customize
• Overall performance on Linux is slower than on Windows
• Autosaves produce stuttering until the process is complete
• More customization options for the layout are a must

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• BricsCAD BIM is one of several offerings that Bricsys provides.
• It can be purchased for several different time periods, and all of the prices are before tax:
  • $1,010 for a year
  • $2,725 for three years
  • $1,890 for a perpetual license

My personal opinion about BricsCAD BIM:

BricsCAD BIM works great as an AutoCAD replacement for people that are not satisfied with Autodesk’s pricing approach. Its interface resembles AutoCAD quite a lot, while also being a versatile BIM/CAD solution with a variety of tools and features to work with. The solution’s existing functionality can be expanded with third-party utilities, there’s a complete Linux version of the software that is just as feature-rich as its Windows counterpart, and there’s even a lifetime license available for a relatively small price. BricsCAD BIM is an interesting solution that has its own shortcomings, such as a rather basic interface layout with limited customization, but it is definitely a viable option for many different companies.

Sefaira

Sefaira is a design analysis BIM program that works primarily on the early stages of building and construction. Its main goal is to achieve energy, daylight, and comfort goals by studying HVAC and ventilation systems. It can interact easily with apps like SketchUp or Revit and offers a wide range of inputs and controls for its analysis process.

Customer ratings:

• G2 – 4/5 stars based on 5 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Streamlined energy analysis for BIM models
• Can be used to analyze light, energy and water consumption, and carbon emissions for a structure

Shortcomings:

• Cannot be purchased separately from SketchUp
• There is something of a learning curve to get used to

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• Sefaira is a rather niche product,. There is no publicly available pricing information, and the only way to receive it is to contact the software provider.

My personal opinion about Sefaira:

Sefaira might be the most case-specific BIM software application on this list, offering design analysis features at the earliest stages of construction. Its main goal is to achieve various “goals” such as daylight, comfort, energy, and others by studying the HVAC and ventilation systems of a building model. Sefaira can be integrated with a number of other solutions, such as Revit or SketchUp, but it is also inseparable from a SketchUp subscription, which is likely to turn a lot of potential users away from it immediately.

Kreo

In the modern world, it’s only natural that someone would attempt to use the advantages of AI for the benefit of BIM, And this is where Kreo comes in. It is intelligent cloud-based planning software that offers AI capabilities in its work. Kreo is split into two different parts: Kreo Plan and Kreo Design. Kreo Plan can analyze existing BIM models and attempt to fix them via detailed reporting, predictions, and other necessary information. Kreo Design, on the other hand, is a tool that helps companies to create BIM models at the early stages.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.3/5 stars based on 6 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.6/5 stars based on 15 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Support for different file formats
• Ability to overlay drawings for comparison
• Measurements can be linked to the solution’s spreadsheets for better visibility
• Variety of automation features

Shortcomings:

• Displaying large PDF files can be problematic
• Unable to work with DWG files
• Further MEP automatization would be great
• Transferring information from internal spreadsheets to regular Excel tables can be problematic

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• There are three pricing tiers that Kreo can offer:
  • “Team” for $17.81 per month per user with an annual payment schedule
  • “Single User” for $22.28 per month with an annual payment schedule
  • “Enterprise” can only be acquired by communicating directly with Kreo and has no public pricing available

My personal opinion about Kreo:

Artificial intelligence has been implemented in many industries by now, and it is only natural to expect construction software to follow the trend. This is how Kreo was born: it is BIM software with the main goal of improving the results of construction projects with the help of AI. Kreo also follows the same idea as Navisworks does, and the solution is split into two parts that perform drastically different operations (Kreo Design is a model viewer, while Kreo Plan is an AI-supported model analyzer that attempts to predict and/or “fix” existing models). Kreo may not be the most popular solution on the market, but it is an interesting way to approach the topic of design analysis, and there is no doubt in my mind that Kreo has plenty of customers to work with already.

The Wild – Best option for virtual reality use cases

The Wild is another remote collaboration platform, but it can use both virtual and augmented reality to allow time savings, better decision making, and fewer errors by actually visualizing your designs. Both SketchUp and Revit are supported out of the box. The Wild strives to bring everyone to the virtual future of collaboration on an entirely different level than before.

Customer ratings:

• G2 – 4.7/5 stars based on 44 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Multi-user collaboration with the help of virtual reality
• User-friendly interface without any excessive clutter
• Outstanding customer support

Shortcomings:

• Integrating non-VR headsets can be challenging
• Overall entry price of VR technology
• Lack of instructions and guidelines for first-time users

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• The Wild has four different pricing plans
  • “Basic” starts from $295 per month, it is the smallest package available from The Wild, with respectable VR/AR collaboration for smaller teams
  • “Standard” starts at $595 per month and provides a basic package of collaboration-related features and integrations for small or average-sized teams
  • “Premium” starts at $1,795 per month and offers enhanced collaboration capabilities for BIM professionals and design experts
  • “Enterprise” which does not have any public pricing available to it and can only be distributed in custom packages with a custom price

My personal opinion about The Wild:

It is rather difficult to find BIM software as case-specific as The Wild is. It is a remote collaboration platform with a strong focus on working with either augmented or virtual reality hardware and software. The Wild claims to be able to improve communication, save time, and boost the quality of decision-making purely with the help of the expressiveness that VR/AR brings as a technology. The Wild takes a rather specific niche of the BIM software market, where there’s little competition, but also not very many clients in the first place. However, it is still an interesting way to approach the issue of remote communication.

Allplan Architecture – Best option for architects

As the name suggests, Allplan Architecture is a BIM solution built mainly for architects. You can easily use this software to create professional visualizations and drawings while having accurate costs and quantities for the materials needed.

Working with only 3D or a combination of 2D and 3D is easily manageable with Allplan Architecture. At the same time, the user-friendly interface helps with the architect’s overall productivity, and you can easily exchange data with different planning partners for better teamwork and collaboration efforts.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 3/5 stars based on 3 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.4/5 stars based on 25 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Extensive scalability
• Flexibility, being able to create both quick designs and detailed construction models
• User-friendly interface

Shortcomings:

• It is slowly being replaced by other BIM solutions
• The development speed is not fast enough to be on par with the market’s growth
• Performance drops when working with larger files and models

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• Allplan Architecture does not have any form of pricing information available publicly. It is only possible to request a quotation or to schedule a personal demo of the solution’s capabilities.

My personal opinion about Allplan Architecture:

Allplan Architecture is relatively small BIM software with a wealth of features. Architects are its main target audience, which means that Allplan’s solution is practically a highly capable BIM/CAD solution, capable of both creating interesting visuals and calculating various parameters for entire models, from costs to weights and material types. It also has a user-friendly interface and plenty of ways to share data with other specialists in the field. Unfortunately, Allplan Architecture is a relatively old solution that does not get updates frequently enough to stay relevant, so different solutions are replacing it more and more with each passing year.

AECOsim Building Designer (OpenBuildings Designer)

AECOsim Building Designer is BIM software created by Bentley Systems for infrastructure design. It can work with multiple disciplines at once, including architectural, electrical, structural, mechanical, and others.

There has recently been an impressive increase in AECOsim Building Designer’s overall productivity, speed, connectivity, and other parameters. It can also work with mesh modeling to create concepts and parametric BIM content with ease.

Customer ratings:

• G2 – 4.3/5 stars based on 15 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Versatility for geometry-heavy projects
• MicroStation tools allow for an easy way to produce 2D drawings
• Reporting and automation capabilities

Shortcomings:

• Some of the more specific tools have not been up to modern standards for years now
• The overall data system is not unified whatsoever, and this may cause issues when moving data between different systems
• The program itself is very slow and takes a long time to load initially

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• OpenBuildings Designer can be purchased from the official Bentley web store for $3,089 – $5,045 for a year-long subscription license that includes three “keys” (keys can be exchanged for additional services and help courses)

My personal opinion about AECOsim Building Designer:

AECOsim Building Designer is extremely old architecture software that now works as BIM software with a certain level of competence. It is a great modeling solution that specializes in infrastructure design for different fields of work, and it even supports mesh modeling for easier BIM model creation. Unfortunately, some  aspects of it have not been updated to modern standards for quite a while now, and the solution itself remains rather slow by modern standards. However, it is still versatile enough in specific areas that I can recommend it for architects and other specialists that are looking for somewhat classic BIM software.

BIMx

BIMx is a multi-platform solution that allows users to present BIM models in both 2D and 3D, lessening the gap between the design table and the actual construction site. It supports MS Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

The root of this software is a hyper-model concept that allows you to quickly change 3D models in the form of drawing sheets. There are three main apps included: mobile viewer, desktop viewer, and publisher. At the same time, the 3D models themselves are presented in an interactive approach, making the entire interaction even more user-friendly.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.4/5 stars based on 5 customer reviews

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• There is no public information about the pricing of BIMx or BIMx PRO

My personal opinion about BIMx:

Graphisoft is one of the very few companies that has more than one solution on this list, and this particular solution is just as versatile as the previously mentioned ArchiCAD. BIMx is an extremely useful application that offers presentation and coordination capabilities in a single package. It can be used to view and interact with BIM models in either 2D or 3D on mobile platforms (Android, iOS) and desktop devices (Windows, Mac), it can perform project markups and in-context measurements, and more. Mobile applications are not particularly widespread in the architecture/BIM industry, which is why the versatility and speed of BIMx is a welcome addition to this list of BIM software applications.

Procore

Procore is another construction management platform that promotes extensive collaboration between all parts of the construction process. The technology itself is user-friendly and intuitive, and it is easy to use it to streamline your workflow. The overall user-friendliness makes it extremely valuable for people lacking skills with 3D models and such.

Procore is considered one of the best solutions on the market today, and it consists of 4 main parts: field productivity, construction financials, quality and safety, and also project management. Each part represents a specific area within a project, and they can work together to be even more effective when used by both professionals and regular people.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.5/5 stars based on 2,619 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.6/5 stars based on 1,871 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Great for workflow centralization efforts
• Offers a wealth of learning materials for newcomers and experts alike
• Extensive visualization capabilities
• Praise-worthy customer support

Shortcomings:

• Has a steep learning curve
• Cannot toggle between subsequent submittals or RFIs
• Some processes are somewhat time-consuming
• Can be somewhat slow for unknown reasons

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• There is no public pricing information for Procore on its official website, and the only way to receive any relevant information about possible licensing options is to request a quotation directly from the software provider .

My personal opinion about Procore:

Procore is another example of a versatile construction management platform with BIM capabilities. It is a highly-efficient solution packed into a user-friendly interface that has four main “blocks” – project management, construction financials, field productivity, as well as quality and safety. In my opinion, Procore’s workflow centralization capabilities are far greater than what most solutions on the market can offer, even if the solution itself has a really steep learning curve and some of its specific processes are extremely slow for no particular reason.

IrisVR

IrisVR is one of the few companies that offer immersive design review and collaboration by taking advantage of virtual reality capabilities. There are a plethora of integration opportunities with software like Revit, Navisworks, SketchUp, and others, allowing for an easy and immersive VR experience when presenting your projects. IrisVR is represented by a desktop app called Prospect that can operate with HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Microsoft MR headsets. There is also a mobile app available that supports Samsung GearVR, Google Daydream, and Cardboard.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 3.5/5 stars based on 2 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.5/5 stars based on 7 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Amazing customer service
• User-friendly interface
• Responsive controls

Shortcomings:

• Large files may take a long time to load
• Inability to save specific drawings separately
• Few integrations with other types of software and dat

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• IrisVR can offer three different pricing plans:
  • “Individual” – $225 per month for enthusiasts with their own virtual reality headsets
  • “Workspace” – $350 per month for teams that share one or several headsets
  • “Enterprise” – no public pricing available, suitable for bigger companies and enterprises

My personal opinion about IrisVR:

Of course, there are plenty of different BIM software options with VR support on the market, but there are few solutions that can keep up with IrisVR’s capabilities. It started off as a relatively simple plugin, which later turned into an entire platform that provides immersive collaboration experiences (design review, etc.) with the help of virtual reality.  IrisVR supports a number of different CAD/BIM software standards, such as SketchUp, Revit, and Navisworks, and it can be used in two different forms – as a desktop app and as a mobile app. Generally speaking, IrisVR offers quite a lot when it comes to immersive project walkthroughs, and there are not very many VR-adjacent solutions on the market in the first place, which is why IrisVR will always find clientele for themselves.

Free BIM solutions

In this BIM overview, you have seen that the paid solutions are all vast and feature-rich, but there are also a lot of free open source solutions that can do some similar functions with no price attached to help your team get started with BIM. To make it easier, we will split our examples into five different categories: a free BIM viewer, standard office BIM based on an application, BIM as an addition to CAD software, a complete BIM software toolkit, and an entire BIM tool.

As mentioned above, BIMx is an excellent free solution to view your BIM projects. Another alternative is BIM Vision, which can work with models from systems like Revit, ArchiCAD, Advance, Tekla, and others. The software also meets IFC standards which make sure that the software has the basic set of features for data visualization.

Our second example is, surprisingly enough, Microsoft Excel and the COBie initiative(Construction Operations Building Information Exchange). COBie is a specific data format that aims to record the most important data about a particular project. This data can then be saved in a spreadsheet – such as an Excel spreadsheet, for example. The initiative has also proven that BIM itself can easily exist without any drawings whatsoever and work based on data lines from a spreadsheet.

Our third example’s features are a compromise between CAD software and BIM software. The combination of the two is called FreeCAD. FreeCAD is a CAD program that offers BIM features to help users with BIM-related tasks. FreeCAD is also IFC-compliant and can be further developed with Python. It is a good way for any user that is already familiar with CAD software to start using BIM, as well.

Another challenge in our next category is to make a connection between software terminology and practical solutions. One of such examples is xBIM (eXtensive Building Information Modeling). Created initially as a software development toolkit, it can also offer practical examples of real-life building context. It might be tough to understand in some cases, but the usability advantages are far greater than these little troubles.

B-processor is a complete BIM . It was created as BIM software from the get-go, not as an adaption of CAD software, which is why its 3D modeling is somewhat easier to get used to. Users can extend the information about specific models with “tags,” and these tags can then be used to provide information such as cost breakdowns, carbon footprint data, and other info.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are plenty of BIM solutions of different shapes and forms, and it should not be difficult to find the one that suits your company the best while keeping the disadvantages to a minimum. It is essential to recognize that there is no universally “best” solution in the BIM market, as different solutions have their own advantages, shortcomings, and target audiences.

The choice of a specific solution depends on the features and functions that a company currently requires and anticipates needing in the future. Some companies may seek a simple solution focused on one or two specific features, while others may require a comprehensive BIM solution that covers their entire organization and offers a range of capabilities.

For instance, companies looking for BIM solutions with VR capabilities can consider options like Revizto, IrisVR, and The Wild. On the other hand, teams seeking accurate energy analysis may find the combination of SketchUp and Sefaira most beneficial. Additionally, comprehensive BIM solutions with wide arrays of features, such as Revit, Vectorworks, and Buildertrend, are available for those who require extensive capabilities.

Why you can trust us

At Revizto, the team is committed to providing an objective view of information, including about products and technologies. They use expert insight, product data, and strategic methodologies to create informative market overviews, ensuring visitors have access to comprehensive information for making informed decisions. Their materials encompass various factors like pricing, customer reviews, unique features, and more. The review process is conducted with a detailed methodology led by James Ocean, the Revizto’s BIM/VDC specialist.

James Ocean, as Head of BIMspiration, plays a crucial role in supporting and educating clients and the internal team. He guides them on how to best leverage Revizto to maximize workflows, reduce costs, and successfully complete projects of all types.