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About Chief Architect
Chief Architect is desktop CAD software built for residential home design. Its building tools automatically generate roofs, foundations, framing, dimensions, product schedules and materials lists as you lay out walls and rooms, and the model can be viewed in 3D throughout.
It is aimed at home builders, remodelers, architects and interior designers rather than hobbyists. The current version is X18, sold as an annual or monthly subscription, and a trial version can be downloaded before buying.
Strengths
- Automatic generation of roofs, foundations and framing
- Produces dimensions, schedules and materials lists from the model
- Focused specifically on residential design
- Trial version available
Limitations
- Expensive subscription aimed at professionals
- Specialised for homes rather than general-purpose CAD
Details
- Pricing
- PaidSubscription at $1,995 per year or $229 per month, with a downloadable trial.
- License
- Proprietary
- Developer
- Chief Architect, Inc.
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Best suited for
- Builders, remodelers and designers producing residential home plans
- Categories
- 3D and CAD
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to Chief Architect
Compare allSoftware that can replace Chief Architect for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
Sweet Home 3D
Interior design software for drawing a floor plan, arranging furniture on it, and walking through the result in 3D.
Sweet Home 3D is free, open-source interior layout software on desktop and web, with large model libraries, but lacks automatic roofs, framing and professional construction documentation.
Planner 5D
A web and mobile tool for drawing floor plans and designing home interiors in 2D and 3D.
Planner 5D is a freemium web and iOS tool for drawing floor plans and interiors with 4K renders, aimed at homeowners rather than precise technical drawing.
Homestyler
An online 3D floor plan and interior design tool with a large furniture library and cloud rendering.
Homestyler is a freemium online floor plan and interior tool with cloud rendering and a large furniture library, requiring an internet connection and offering fewer construction features.
Floorplanner
Browser-based editor for drawing 2D floor plans and viewing rooms in 3D.
Floorplanner is a freemium browser editor for 2D floor plans with 3D views, suited to quick sketches, and it needs an account and internet connection to save work.
Archicad
Graphisoft's BIM software for architectural design, construction documentation and team collaboration.
Archicad is commercial BIM for macOS covering full architectural projects to construction documents, broader than residential design and aimed at professional practices.
Autodesk Revit
Commercial BIM software for designing, documenting and coordinating architectural, structural and MEP building projects.
Autodesk Revit is commercial Windows BIM for architectural, structural and MEP projects, general building design rather than residential-specific tools, and requires a paid licence.
Vectorworks
Commercial CAD and BIM software for architecture, landscape design and entertainment lighting and stage design.
Vectorworks is paid CAD and BIM for Windows and macOS covering architecture and landscape design, with sketching, modeling and presentation in one program rather than residential automation.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
Enscape
A real-time rendering and VR plugin that works inside architectural CAD and BIM tools.
Lumion
Real-time 3D rendering software that turns architectural CAD and BIM models into visuals.
Twinmotion
A real-time 3D visualization tool from Epic Games for architecture, products and design presentations.
D5 Render
Real-time ray-traced rendering and visualization software for architecture and spatial design.
SketchUp Free
Browser-based 3D modeler that offers an easy start into 3D design.
