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Chief Architect vs Archicad: catalog facts
Chief Architect	Archicad
Best for: Builders, remodelers and designers producing residential home plans	Best for: Architecture practices producing building models and construction drawings
Paid Subscription at $1,995 per year or $229 per month, with a downloadable trial.	Paid Paid plans with a free trial available.
Windows, macOS	macOS
Automatic generation of roofs, foundations and framing Produces dimensions, schedules and materials lists from the model All 4 strengths for Chief Architect Automatic generation of roofs, foundations and framing Produces dimensions, schedules and materials lists from the model Focused specifically on residential design Trial version available	Full BIM workflow from concept to construction documents Modelling with architectural elements like walls and roofs All 3 strengths for Archicad Full BIM workflow from concept to construction documents Modelling with architectural elements like walls and roofs OpenBIM collaboration with other disciplines
Expensive subscription aimed at professionals Specialised for homes rather than general-purpose CAD	Commercial software aimed at professional practices Specialised for buildings rather than general 3D work
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Not open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Chief Architect chiefarchitect.com Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Archicad graphisoft.com/en-us/plans-and-products/archicad Catalog checked September 23, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.