Best Architectural Design Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Archicad is ranked #1 of 25 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Allplan and Vectorworks Architect. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Snaptrude. The lowest first paid tier on this page is TurboCAD at $8.33/mo.
Planning a building project can involve modeling, information management and preparing documents for construction. Compare BIM authoring and parametric modeling with IFC support, construction documents and rendering tools to see which capabilities align with your design work. Platform and project limit add practical considerations; free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help clarify access and cost. usBIM.platform, Archicad and Allplan are among the software options. Consider the listed design features and constraints together when weighing tools for your workflow.
25 architectural design software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 Archicad iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.6$201/mo
- 2 Allplan iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.6€123/mo
- 3 Vectorworks Architect iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.5$10.63/mo
- 4 ARCHLine.XP Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.0 Platform: windowsBIM authoring: YesParametric modeling: Yes
- 5 Chief Architect iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8$166.25/mo
- 6 Snaptrude No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.5$60/mo
- 7 Autodesk Revit No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.9
- 8 BricsCAD BIM No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.7€88.33/mo
- 9 Hypar No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6$83.33/mo
- 10 Finch No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6€79/mo
- 11 OpenBuildings Designer No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.5$320.33/mo
- 12 Renga Architecture No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3$49.17/mo Platform: windowsBIM authoring: YesParametric modeling: Yes
- 13 nanoCAD No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3$24.08/mo
- 14 TurboCAD No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1$8.33/mo
- 15 Edificius No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.0€66.58/mo
- 16 progeCAD Professional No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.0$26.67/mo Platform: windowsBIM authoring: NoParametric modeling: Yes
- 17 ARES Commander No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7€225/mo
- 18 ArCADia BIM No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7 Platform: windowsBIM authoring: YesParametric modeling: Yes
- 19 DataCAD No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7
- 20 GstarCAD No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3$749/mo Platform: windowsParametric modeling: Yes
- 21 ZWCAD Professional No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3$1,399/mo Platform: windowsParametric modeling: Yes
- 22 LibreCAD No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1 BIM authoring: NoParametric modeling: No
- 23 Cedreo No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.9 Platform: web
- 24 QCAD Professional No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.8 BIM authoring: No
- 25 Autodesk Forma Build No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.7
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which architectural design software is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
Archicad is ranked #1 of 25 with a score of 9.6. Allplan is second and Vectorworks Architect third.
How many of these have a free plan?
3 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, TurboCAD has the lowest first paid tier we found: $8.33/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.