{
  "id": "bentley-openbuildings-designer-vs-graphisoft-archicad",
  "ids": [
    "bentley-openbuildings-designer",
    "graphisoft-archicad"
  ],
  "title": "Bentley OpenBuildings Designer vs Graphisoft Archicad: building information modelling and design documentation",
  "heading": "Bentley OpenBuildings Designer vs Graphisoft Archicad",
  "kicker": "Engineering software comparison",
  "deck": "OpenBuildings Designer and Archicad should be compared through the building-design workflow and deliverables the team needs. Inspect model exchange, project collaboration and the specific authoring and connected-service rights before changing applications.",
  "description": "Compare Bentley OpenBuildings Designer vs Graphisoft Archicad for building information modelling and design documentation.",
  "answerHeading": "Which option fits the requirement?",
  "answer": "OpenBuildings Designer and Archicad should be compared through the building-design workflow and deliverables the team needs. Inspect model exchange, project collaboration and the specific authoring and connected-service rights before changing applications.",
  "checkedAt": "2026-10-25",
  "researchTag": "Deployment, compatibility and cost scope",
  "researchLimit": "Official product material reviewed. Acceptance checks are proposed exercises, not completed product trials, performance measurements or reliability guarantees.",
  "datasetDescription": "Seven technical differences and four proposed acceptance checks for Bentley OpenBuildings Designer vs Graphisoft Archicad.",
  "type": "workflow-buying",
  "sharedBuyingNeed": "Evaluate alternative approaches to building information modelling and design documentation.",
  "rows": [
    [
      "Application context",
      "Bentley building-design application",
      "Graphisoft building-information modelling application"
    ],
    [
      "Model focus",
      "Building information models and coordinated design",
      "Architectural building models"
    ],
    [
      "Documentation",
      "Selected building drawings and design information",
      "Model-based drawings and project documentation"
    ],
    [
      "Collaboration context",
      "Bentley and supported project-information workflows",
      "Selected Graphisoft and supported collaboration arrangements"
    ],
    [
      "Exchange boundary",
      "Supported model formats and the chosen connected applications",
      "Supported model exchange and downstream tools"
    ],
    [
      "Evaluation focus",
      "Building disciplines, model exchange and required deliverables",
      "Architectural workflow, coordination and deliverables"
    ],
    [
      "Cost components",
      "Application licence, connected services, hardware and implementation",
      "Selected application subscription or entitlement, collaboration and hardware"
    ]
  ],
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Project sample",
      "question": "Can the team recreate an authorised small building model and its key properties?",
      "left": "With Bentley OpenBuildings Designer, recreate an authorised small building model and its key properties.",
      "right": "With Graphisoft Archicad, recreate an authorised small building model and its key properties.",
      "note": "The team can locate the intended geometry and information."
    },
    {
      "name": "Documentation",
      "question": "Can the team produce the required drawings and a sample schedule?",
      "left": "With Bentley OpenBuildings Designer, produce the required drawings and a sample schedule.",
      "right": "With Graphisoft Archicad, produce the required drawings and a sample schedule.",
      "note": "Model and document updates follow the agreed project workflow."
    },
    {
      "name": "Model exchange",
      "question": "Can the team exchange a copied model through the intended supported route?",
      "left": "With Bentley OpenBuildings Designer, exchange a copied model through the intended supported route.",
      "right": "With Graphisoft Archicad, exchange a copied model through the intended supported route.",
      "note": "The receiving team can inspect required geometry and properties."
    },
    {
      "name": "Team handover",
      "question": "Can the team review authoring, coordination and project-information access?",
      "left": "With Bentley OpenBuildings Designer, review authoring, coordination and project-information access.",
      "right": "With Graphisoft Archicad, review authoring, coordination and project-information access.",
      "note": "The selected licences and services support the actual participant roles."
    }
  ],
  "exampleTable": {
    "caption": "Proposed checks using authorised non-production resources. Record the actual account, region, version, configuration and observed outcome.",
    "headers": [
      "Requirement",
      "Proposed exercise",
      "Accept when"
    ],
    "rows": [
      [
        "Project sample",
        "Recreate an authorised small building model and its key properties.",
        "The team can locate the intended geometry and information."
      ],
      [
        "Documentation",
        "Produce the required drawings and a sample schedule.",
        "Model and document updates follow the agreed project workflow."
      ],
      [
        "Model exchange",
        "Exchange a copied model through the intended supported route.",
        "The receiving team can inspect required geometry and properties."
      ],
      [
        "Team handover",
        "Review authoring, coordination and project-information access.",
        "The selected licences and services support the actual participant roles."
      ]
    ]
  },
  "sections": [
    {
      "id": "scope-and-architecture",
      "navLabel": "Architecture",
      "title": "Scope and architecture",
      "paragraphs": [
        "OpenBuildings Designer and Archicad should be compared through the building-design workflow and deliverables the team needs. Inspect model exchange, project collaboration and the specific authoring and connected-service rights before changing applications.",
        "Compare building-modelling applications through the project’s actual disciplines, deliverables, collaboration and exchange requirements. Product editions, authoring rights and connected services differ. A supported exchange format does not guarantee that every object, property or downstream edit transfers without review."
      ],
      "links": [
        {
          "url": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/openbuildings-designer/",
          "label": "Bentley OpenBuildings Designer product information"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://www.graphisoft.com/en-es/plans-and-products/archicad/",
          "label": "Graphisoft Archicad product information"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "cost-and-migration",
      "navLabel": "Costs & migration",
      "title": "Cost and migration planning",
      "paragraphs": [
        "For Bentley OpenBuildings Designer, include application licence, connected services, hardware and implementation. For Graphisoft Archicad, include selected application subscription or entitlement, collaboration and hardware. Use the same workload and resilience assumptions, then confirm current vendor terms for the selected configuration.",
        "Recreate a copied project sample and inspect geometry, properties, drawings, schedules and external references. Agree the model owner and supported exchange route before moving live project information."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "faqs": [
    {
      "question": "How should we choose between Bentley OpenBuildings Designer and Graphisoft Archicad?",
      "answer": "OpenBuildings Designer and Archicad should be compared through the building-design workflow and deliverables the team needs. Inspect model exchange, project collaboration and the specific authoring and connected-service rights before changing applications."
    },
    {
      "question": "Which costs belong in the comparison?",
      "answer": "For Bentley OpenBuildings Designer, include application licence, connected services, hardware and implementation. For Graphisoft Archicad, include selected application subscription or entitlement, collaboration and hardware. Use the same workload and resilience assumptions, then confirm current vendor terms for the selected configuration."
    },
    {
      "question": "What should we validate before a production move?",
      "answer": "Recreate a copied project sample and inspect geometry, properties, drawings, schedules and external references. Agree the model owner and supported exchange route before moving live project information."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/openbuildings-designer/",
      "facts": "Official product scope, deployment and integration context used for building information modelling and design documentation."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.graphisoft.com/en-es/plans-and-products/archicad/",
      "facts": "Official product scope, deployment and integration context used for building information modelling and design documentation."
    }
  ],
  "relatedLinks": [
    {
      "path": "/categories/cad-rendering/",
      "title": "Cad Rendering software"
    },
    {
      "path": "/guides/software-buying-checklist/",
      "title": "Software buying checklist"
    }
  ]
}