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Chief Architect vs Vectorworks: catalog facts
Chief Architect	Vectorworks
Best for: Builders, remodelers and designers producing residential home plans	Best for: Architects, landscape designers and stage or lighting designers
Paid Subscription at $1,995 per year or $229 per month, with a downloadable trial.	Paid Commercial software sold by Vectorworks, Inc.
Windows, macOS	Windows, 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	Covers sketching, modeling and presentation in one program Dedicated products for architecture, landscape and entertainment design All 3 strengths for Vectorworks Covers sketching, modeling and presentation in one program Dedicated products for architecture, landscape and entertainment design Training options from the developer
Expensive subscription aimed at professionals Specialised for homes rather than general-purpose CAD	Paid commercial software Closed source
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 Vectorworks vectorworks.net Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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