Alternatives
DDS-CAD Alternative
Every service of a house in one browser model: circuits, heating and water, drainage, ventilation and solar PV, drawn with the building and exported to IFC4.
DDS-CAD: Quote only. Home 3D Plan (home3dplan.com): Free.
What DDS-CAD does, and where it is here
Electrical design
Sockets, switches, lights and boards on the plan, wired into circuits and checked against NEC rules. See the tool
Heating and plumbing
Water, heating and gas pipes with radiators, boilers and heat pumps. See the tool
Ventilation
Ducts, extract fans, MVHR, grilles and air conditioning units. See the tool
Array layout
Modules laid out on each roof plane, facing the way the roof does, inside setbacks you set. See the tool
IFC hand over
Every service exported to IFC4 as a typed element in its system, with its ports. See the tool
Home 3D Plan and DDS-CAD, side by side
| Feature | Home 3D Plan | DDS-CAD |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Quote only. The viewer is free |
| Free option | Start in the browser with no account | Free viewer |
| Runs on | Any modern browser: Windows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, iPad and phone | Windows |
| Install | None. Can be installed as a web app | Desktop install |
| IFC | IFC4 export of architecture, structure and services | IFC 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 | See vendor |
| Services (MEP) | Electrical, plumbing and heating, drainage, ventilation, gas and solar PV | Electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation and PV design |
| Site and terrain | Survey levels, terraces, retaining walls, roads, paving and planting | See vendor |
| Quantities | Takeoff by storey, element, function and material, as CSV or a workbook | Bills of materials |
| Drawings and sheets | Sections, elevations, 1:5 details and sheet sets to PDF, DWG, DXF and SVG | Installation drawings |
| Rendering | Four render tiers, the top one a GPU path tracer on desktop | See vendor |
| Team work | Organisation projects with discipline roles and live presence | See vendor |
| AI and agents | MCP server with 38 tools for Claude, ChatGPT and other agents | See vendor |
DDS-CAD prices as published on 10 October 2026 (https://www.softwareadvice.com/construction/ddscad-profile/). "See vendor" means the vendor does not publish the fact or we could not confirm it. DDS-CAD is a trademark of Data Design System. Home 3D Plan is not affiliated with Data Design System.
What DDS-CAD does that Home 3D Plan does not
- Calculations for electrical and mechanical systems.
- IFC import of the architect's model to design services in.
- Schematics and distribution board diagrams.
Moving from DDS-CAD
Open the architectural DWG here, or draw the house, and lay the services on the plan.
Send the model out as IFC4; DDS-CAD reads it.
Which one fits your work
Pick DDS-CAD when
- You receive the architect's IFC and design services in it.
- You need board schedules and schematics.
- You calculate systems to local rules.
Pick Home 3D Plan when
- You design the house and its services together.
- You want solar PV on the roofs you drew.
- You work in a browser.
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.
DDS-CAD and Home 3D Plan, answered
Can Home 3D Plan open an architect's IFC?
No. It exports IFC4 but does not open IFC files. Bring the plans in as DWG or DXF instead.
How much does DDS-CAD cost compared with Home 3D Plan?
DDS-CAD: Quote only. The viewer is free, 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
- Electrical: Sockets, switches, lights and boards on the plan, wired into circuits.
- MagiCAD alternative: Services in the building model, without a host CAD program.
- Stabicad alternative: Electrical and mechanical services in one browser model.
- All alternatives: Every product we compare against, with its price.