Alternatives
Archicad Alternative
Draw the plan and the model follows: storeys, rooms, slabs, roofs, structure and services, with sections, sheets and quantities. IFC4 and DWG out, in any browser.
Archicad: From $2,414 a year. Home 3D Plan (home3dplan.com): Free.
What Archicad does, and where it is here
Plans and the model
Walls in plan give the rooms, slabs and 3D model, storey by storey, with their levels. See the tool
Layout book
Sheets composed from plans, sections and elevations, printed to PDF, DWG, DXF and SVG. See the tool
openBIM exchange
IFC4 export with typed walls, slabs, roofs, openings, structure, services and spaces. See the tool
Roofs and shells
Hipped, gabled, shed and flat roofs, skylights and dormers that cut them, and barrel, groin and cloister vaults. See the tool
Schedules
Quantities by storey, element, function and material, as CSV or a workbook. See the tool
MEP Designer
Electrical, heating, water, drainage, ventilation, gas and solar PV in the same model. See the tool
Home 3D Plan and Archicad, side by side
| Feature | Home 3D Plan | Archicad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Studio $2,414 a year. Collaborate $2,840 a year |
| Free option | Start in the browser with no account | 30 day trial. Free education licence |
| Runs on | Any modern browser: Windows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, iPad and phone | Windows and Mac |
| Install | None. Can be installed as a web app | Desktop install |
| IFC | IFC4 export of architecture, structure and services | IFC4 certified import and export |
| DWG and DXF | DWG and DXF in and out | DWG and DXF import and export |
| Structure | Columns, beams, braces, footings and gridlines, with a reinforcement bar schedule | Structural elements and an analytical model |
| Services (MEP) | Electrical, plumbing and heating, drainage, ventilation, gas and solar PV | MEP modelling tools |
| Site and terrain | Survey levels, terraces, retaining walls, roads, paving and planting | Mesh terrain tools |
| Quantities | Takeoff by storey, element, function and material, as CSV or a workbook | Interactive schedules and quantities |
| Drawings and sheets | Sections, elevations, 1:5 details and sheet sets to PDF, DWG, DXF and SVG | Layout book of construction documents |
| Rendering | Four render tiers, the top one a GPU path tracer on desktop | Built-in renderer and a live link to Twinmotion |
| Team work | Organisation projects with discipline roles and live presence | Teamwork through BIMcloud on the Collaborate plan |
| AI and agents | MCP server with 38 tools for Claude, ChatGPT and other agents | AI Visualizer for concept images |
Archicad prices as published on 10 October 2026 (https://www.renderahouse.com/blog/archicad-pricing). "See vendor" means the vendor does not publish the fact or we could not confirm it. Archicad is a trademark of Graphisoft. Home 3D Plan is not affiliated with Graphisoft.
What Archicad does that Home 3D Plan does not
- IFC import as well as export, certified by buildingSMART.
- Teamwork on BIMcloud for large teams editing one model.
- A mature library of parametric objects and a large plugin market.
- Complex shapes and facades with its morph and shell tools.
Moving from Archicad
Save the Archicad plans as DWG or DXF and open them here; the wall lines turn into walls. Or put a PDF of the drawings under the plan as a scaled underlay and trace it.
The editor does not open PLN or IFC files. It writes IFC4, so a model started here can go back into Archicad, or to anyone working in openBIM.
Which one fits your work
Pick Archicad when
- You need IFC round trips with consultants.
- Several architects edit the same model at once on large projects.
- You rely on Graphisoft libraries and add-ons.
Pick Home 3D Plan when
- You design houses and small buildings and want the model, the drawings and IFC4 in one place.
- You work on a Chromebook, an iPad, or a computer you do not own.
- You want structure, services and the site in the same model without extra modules.
How to start
Open the editor
Go to home3dplan.com and open the editor. Nothing to install and no account needed to start.
Bring your drawing
Open a DWG or DXF and turn its lines into walls, or trace over a PDF or a scan set to scale.
Build the model
Draw walls and the storeys, rooms, slabs and 3D model follow. Add roofs, structure, services and the site.
Send it out
Print sections, elevations and sheets to PDF or DWG, and send the building out as IFC4.
Archicad and Home 3D Plan, answered
Is Home 3D Plan a real alternative to Archicad?
For houses and small buildings, yes: one model gives plans, sections, elevations, sheets, quantities and an IFC4 file. For large teams working on one model through BIMcloud, Archicad is the better fit.
Can I open my Archicad files in Home 3D Plan?
Not PLN or IFC. Save the plans from Archicad as DWG or DXF and open those, or trace over a PDF set to scale.
How much does Archicad cost compared with Home 3D Plan?
Archicad: Studio $2,414 a year. Collaborate $2,840 a year, as published on 10 October 2026. Home 3D Plan is free to use in the browser today.
Does Home 3D Plan export IFC and DWG?
Yes. The building goes out as IFC4, with its architecture, structure and services, and the drawings go out as DWG, DXF, PDF and SVG. DWG and DXF also come in. The editor does not open IFC files.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Home 3D Plan runs in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, iPad and phones, and can be installed as a web app if you want an icon.
Read on
- Walls: Draw walls in 2D and get rooms, floors and the 3D model, with build ups and heights.
- Import and Export: DXF, DWG and SVG in; DXF, DWG, SVG, PDF and IFC out.
- Revit alternative: BIM in the browser, with IFC4 and DWG out, for houses and small buildings.
- Vectorworks Architect alternative: The building and its site in one model, in the browser.
- All alternatives: Every product we compare against, with its price.