ArchiCAD vs Revit

Architectural designs are one of the precious assets of any country as it reflects their culture over different civilizations. In ancient times it was really difficult to build bridges, buildings, temples, etc. because most of the work needs to be done manually with limited tools. Over the years trends shifted from manual designs to digital 3D designs. To build these models, special software is required. Two commonly used software for this purpose is ArchiCAD and Revit. So let’s compare these to find out the right one.

What is ArchiCAD?

ArchiCAD is proprietary software developed by Graphisoft to fulfill design and modeling tasks. It was mainly used in Building Information Modelling to design 3D models of buildings, machines, railways, etc. It is advanced software that comes with all the designing, texturing, modeling, and rendering tools. It is compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems.

Advantages of ArchiCAD

• It supports data interoperability among different file formats.
• It allows programmers to custom-design the interface according to project needs or personal preferences. 
• Powerful rendering engines can easily produce realistic and high-quality design work.
• It comes with a large number of assets that helps in effective 3D design.

Disadvantages of ArchiCAD

• Sometimes conversion of files from one format to another leads to data loss.
• Community support is limited as it is not open-source software.

What is Revit?

Revit is a building information modeling software, developed using C++. It was initially built by Revit Technology Corporation but later Autodesk acquired it. It is used in parametric and CAD designing works. All the components of a building or machine can be designed separately for reuse in different architectural works.

Advantages of Revit

• It has a special feature that converts 3D models to 2D designs automatically.
• It has a prebuilt asset library that contains railway tracks, roofs, doors, walls, etc. for fast development.
• All the complex mathematical work for building designs can be done easily using measurement features.
• It is compatible with nearly all types of 3D and 2D file formats like DXF, RFA, DWG, etc.

Disadvantages of Revit

• Only supports Windows Operating systems.
• It lacks backward compatibility means models designed in the older versions do not work in newer versions.

Following is a table of differences between ArchiCAD and Revit:

Categories	ArchiCAD	Revit
Definition	ArchiCAD can be defined as construction software used in creating 2D and 3D designs.	Revit can be defined as a special BIM and CAD software that simplifies architectural and engineering drawing work.
Design Pattern	It follows a free-form design pattern.	It follows a component designing pattern.
Supported Platforms	It supports both Windows and Mac operating systems.	Compatible with Windows operating systems only.
Nature	It is not open-source software.	It is open-source software.
Subscription	Its subscription is available at $2250 per year per user.	Its subscription starts at $2425 per year for a single user.
Launch Date	ArchiCAD was launched in 1987.	Revit was launched on April 5, 2000.
Progress Tracking	It has features for progress tracking and generating reports.	It lacks progress-tracking features.
File Size	The output file of ArchiCAD is smaller in size.	The output file of Revit is larger in size compared to ArchiCAD.

Conclusion/Summary

On comparing the different features of ArchiCAD with those of Revit, it is clear that ArchiCAD is the best choice in respect of industry-specific works and also it is less expensive compared to Revit. On the other hand, Revit is good for Windows systems only as it has a simple interface that is easy to use.