Alternatives
Archistar Alternative
Check the plot, then design on it: setbacks, height limit and a sun study, a massing block with its plot ratio, and the building carried on to drawings and IFC4.
Archistar: From $95 a month. Home 3D Plan (home3dplan.com): Free.
What Archistar does, and where it is here
Site rules
The plot with its setbacks and height limit, and a check that the massing stays inside them. See the tool
Feasibility
A footprint and storeys with floor area, coverage and plot ratio. See the tool
AI design
Claude, ChatGPT and other assistants connect to the MCP server and use its 38 tools to draw walls, name rooms, place openings, furniture, kitchens and services. See the tool
Editing the result
Everything the assistant places is an ordinary element you can select and change in the editor. See the tool
Home 3D Plan and Archistar, side by side
| Feature | Home 3D Plan | Archistar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Basic $95 a month. Professional $345 a month. Less billed yearly |
| Free option | Start in the browser with no account | See vendor |
| Runs on | Any modern browser: Windows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, iPad and phone | Browser |
| Install | None. Can be installed as a web app | None |
| IFC | IFC4 export of architecture, structure and services | See vendor |
| DWG and DXF | DWG and DXF in and out | See vendor |
| 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 | See vendor |
| Site and terrain | Survey levels, terraces, retaining walls, roads, paving and planting | Planning rules and site data for property |
| Quantities | Takeoff by storey, element, function and material, as CSV or a workbook | See vendor |
| Drawings and sheets | Sections, elevations, 1:5 details and sheet sets to PDF, DWG, DXF and SVG | See vendor |
| 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 | AI design generation and compliance checks |
Archistar prices as published on 10 October 2026 (https://www.archistar.ai/pricing/). "See vendor" means the vendor does not publish the fact or we could not confirm it. Archistar is a trademark of Archistar. Home 3D Plan is not affiliated with Archistar.
What Archistar does that Home 3D Plan does not
- Planning rules and property data loaded for each site.
- Searching many sites for development potential.
- Compliance checks against local planning controls.
Moving from Archistar
Take the setbacks and height limit from Archistar and set them on the plot here.
Then design the building and send it out as drawings and IFC4.
Which one fits your work
Pick Archistar when
- You search for sites to develop.
- You need local planning data loaded for you.
- You check many sites quickly.
Pick Home 3D Plan when
- You have the plot and want to design on it.
- You want the massing to become the building.
- You want drawings and IFC4 at the end.
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.
Archistar and Home 3D Plan, answered
Does Home 3D Plan know my local planning rules?
No. You give the plot its setbacks and height limit, and the massing is checked against them. Archistar loads planning data for you.
How much does Archistar cost compared with Home 3D Plan?
Archistar: Basic $95 a month. Professional $345 a month. Less billed yearly, 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
- Site Boundary: The plot, its north, datum, setbacks, height limit and sun study.
- MCP server: Let Claude, ChatGPT and other agents build a model in the editor.
- Maket alternative: An AI assistant that builds in a real, editable model.
- Finch alternative: Massing, AI layouts and drawings in one model.
- All alternatives: Every product we compare against, with its price.