Revit vs Archicad: which one fits your office?
The short answer: choose Revit when the people you work with want RVT models, or you model structure and services as well as architecture. Choose Archicad if your studio runs on Macs or you want a cheaper seat: $3,960 a year against $4,802, both inc GST.
Quick answer
Choose Revit ifYou swap Revit models with others
- Your head consultant or client wants native RVT files
- You model structure or MEP too: those toolsets come in the one licence
- Some staff only need it now and then: Flex charges by the day used
Choose Archicad ifYou work on a Mac, or watch the cost per seat
- Your studio runs on Macs: Archicad is native on Apple silicon
- You want the lower seat price: Studio is $3,960 a year inc GST
- You'd like to lock the price in with a 3-year term
How we make money: the Revit button is an affiliate link. Autodesk pays us 9% of a new subscription, at no cost to you. Graphisoft pays us nothing. The verdict comes from the published prices and vendor-stated facts below, and every one has a source link. Disclosure.
Category by category
Who comes out ahead on each thing an office weighs up. “Depends” means the answer turns on how you work.
Every fact, with its source
One seat, entry plan, AUD with GST added where the vendor quotes ex GST. A tick only where the vendor's own page confirms it; “?” means not confirmed yet.
| Checked 21 Oct 2026 | RvRevitAutodesk · BIMTry free | AcArchicadGraphisoft · BIMVisit site |
|---|---|---|
| Price per user | ||
| Per yearAUD inc GST unless marked | $4,802/yr1 user, 1-year term source | $3,960/yrStudio, 1 seat, 1-year term source |
| Billed monthly instead | $605/mo | $550/mo |
| Prices include GST? | No, GST added | No, GST added |
| Other plans (per year) | Revit LT $891 Also in the AEC Collection (Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D and more) | Collaborate $4,631 Max $8,690 |
| Fit | ||
| Runs on | Windows 11 only source | Windows and Mac source |
| Native on Mac | No. Autodesk lists Parallels Desktop (a Windows virtual machine) for Mac source | Yes, native on Apple silicon source |
| IFC (open BIM) import/export | Yes, import and export (IFC4, IFC2x3) source | Yes (IFC2x3, IFC4, IFC4.3) source |
| Opens and saves DWG | Links and exports DWG (its own file is RVT) source | Opens and saves DWG/DXF source |
| Free trial | Yes, length not stated on the AU page source | 30 days, no card source |
| Buy outright (perpetual licence) | Not confirmed yet | Not confirmed yet |
| Working as a team | Worksharing: the team syncs to one central model source | Studio: teamwork on your own server (BIMcloud Basic). Collaborate adds cloud teamwork (BIMcloud SaaS) source |
| Structure and MEP modelling | Architecture, structure, MEP and construction toolsets in one licence source | MEP Designer is included in Collaborate and Max, not Studio source |
| Cheaper, lighter edition | Revit LT, A$810/yr ex GST: Autodesk rates its collaboration and documentation as limited source | No lighter edition; Studio is the entry plan source |
| Pay only for the days you use it | Flex: 10 tokens per day used; tokens from A$144 for 33 source | No. The shortest term is one month, A$500 + tax source |
| Lock the price in | Not confirmed yet | 3-year term locks the price, paid yearly source |
| Honesty | ||
| Do we earn from this link? | Yes: 9% of a new subscription (not renewals), via Commission Factory | No. Plain link, no commission |
| Try Revit free | Visit Graphisoft | |
What a team pays per year
List price for the entry plan, before any reseller discount. Where one is at least 10% cheaper, it is marked.
| Per year | 1 seat | 3 seats | 5 seats | 10 seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revit1 user, 1-year term | $4,802 | $14,405 | $24,008 | $48,015 |
| ArchicadStudio, 1 seat, 1-year term | $3,960 | $11,880 | $19,800 | $39,600 |
List price × seats, before any volume or reseller discount (none are published). AUD prices include GST. * GST not stated.
Decide on file exchange first, then platform, then price
Start with the people you swap models with. If your main clients or head consultants run Revit and expect RVT back, Revit saves you a conversion step on every job, and that matters more than the price gap. If they're happy with IFC, or you lead the design yourself, the choice opens up.
Then look at your machines. A studio on Macs will find Archicad the natural fit: Revit needs Windows, and running it through Parallels adds a cost and a layer between you and the model. Last comes price: Archicad Studio saves about $842 a seat each year, and its 3-year term fixes the price. If you need MEP inside the same licence, compare full Revit with Archicad Collaborate rather than Studio.
Whichever way you lean, open a real project in both trials: a consultant's IFC, your title block and a 10-sheet set. Our design-office trial checklist lists the six tests.
The Revit button is an affiliate link. Weighing up Vectorworks, AutoCAD, BricsCAD or SketchUp as well? See the six-tool comparison.
Offices ask
Is Archicad cheaper than Revit?
Per seat, yes. Archicad Studio is $3,960 a year and Revit is $4,802 a year, both including GST, so Archicad costs about $842 less per seat each year, or about $4,208 less for five seats. Revit LT is cheaper again at $891 a year including GST, but Autodesk rates its collaboration and documentation tools as limited.
Can Revit and Archicad work on the same project?
Through IFC, the open BIM format. Revit imports and exports IFC4 and IFC2x3, and Archicad does IFC2x3, IFC4 and IFC4.3. Ask your consultant for a sample model and test the exchange in both free trials before you commit.
Does Revit run on a Mac?
Not natively. Autodesk lists Windows 11 and, for Mac, Parallels Desktop, which runs Windows in a virtual machine. Archicad runs natively on Mac, including Apple silicon.
Can I pay for Revit only on the days I use it?
Yes, with Autodesk Flex: Revit uses 10 tokens for each day you use it, and tokens start at A$144 for 33 on Autodesk's Australian page. Archicad has no pay-per-day option; its shortest term is one month at $550 including GST.