10 Best Free BIM Software in 2024

The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry once relied on manual drafting but now finds itself in the throes of a digital revolution. To stay competitive, you need to master innovative tools and technologies. 

One game-changer is building information modeling (BIM), which offers unprecedented efficiency and collaboration. However, the high cost of industry-standard BIM software can be a hurdle for students and early career professionals.

But budget constraints don’t have to hold you back. 

Free BIM software provides opportunities to learn and practice this in-demand skill. By exploring these tools, you can build a strong foundation, create impressive projects for your portfolio, and gain a competitive edge in the job market.

Let's read about the top 10 free BIM software options to help you kickstart or enhance your construction career. We'll review their features and G2 user feedback so you make the best choice.

How did we select and evaluate the best free corporate tax software?

At G2, we rank software solutions using a proprietary algorithm that considers customer satisfaction and market presence based on authentic user reviews. Our market research analysts and writers spend weeks testing solutions against multiple criteria set for a software category. We give you unbiased software evaluations – that's the G2 difference! We didn’t accept payment or exchange links for product placements in this list. Please read our G2 Research Scoring Methodology for more details.

The top 10 best free BIM software of 2024

The free BIM software list below contains real user reviews from the best free building design and building information modeling software category page. Please note that in the context of this list, software that requires payment after a free trial is considered free. 

To be included in this category, a solution must:

• Provide 2D or 3D computer-aided design tools specifically targeted for architectural design and construction
• Include collaboration functionality that allows multiple team members to work on the same project model at the same time
• Offer tools to optimize building performance with performance data and advanced analysis engines

This data was pulled from G2 in 2024. Some reviews may have been edited for clarity. 

1. Revit

Revit offers comprehensive building information modeling tools for fields like mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP), architecture, and construction professionals. It enables integrated design, analysis, and documentation to foster collaboration and data management. Autodesk Revit is part of the Autodesk suite and integrates easily with other Autodesk products.

What users like best:

“The layout of Revit is intuitive, with a good user interface and plenty of customization options specific to your company or job needs. I use it almost every day. Whenever questions arise, the online discussions and training page tutorials are helpful. Additionally, utilizing Revit with Construction Cloud makes collaboration extremely easy.”

- Revit Review, Rhett R.

What users dislike:

“Although Revit is capable of work-sharing, it lacks the tools to implement this feature across different networks, necessitating another in-house or out-of-house solution for cross-network work sharing. Additionally, any crash or bug affecting the local client before synchronizing with the central file can lead to work loss. I believe Autodesk should implement a simple recovery system for local files to address this issue.”

- Revit Review, Abdallah S.

2. AutoCAD

AutoCAD is a veteran Computer-Aided Design (CAD) platform with robust 2D drafting capabilities and growing 3D modeling functions. It can be used for architectural drafting and detailing even though it’s not primarily a BIM tool. Its vast library of commands and customization options makes it a versatile choice for many design professionals. It’s part of the Autodesk suite.

What users like best:

“AutoCAD is highly productive for 2D drawings, including drafting and annotation. It enables the creation of extensive technical drawings, building plans, blueprints, and multiple drawings with minimal risk of errors due to broken relationships, a common issue in parametric design software. AutoCAD's unique features, such as layers, blocks, x-references, and Osnaps, enhance the drawing experience significantly.”

- AutoCAD Review, Ofonime W.

What users dislike:

“AutoCAD lacks clarity in terms of project scales, whereas other Autodesk software like Revit offers a clear way to diagram and understand various scales, including the ability to switch between imperial and metric systems. While users can adapt to this limitation, having a feature that allows for easy code reference and scale adjustment would be a significant improvement that many would appreciate.”

- AutoCAD Review, Maria Alejandra E.

3. SketchUp

Users typically turn to  SketchUp  for architectural visualization and basic design. Its intuitive interface and strong plugin ecosystem make it a popular choice for beginners and professionals alike. While not a full-fledged BIM software, SketchUp can interface with BIM platforms for basic model sharing.

What users like best:

“I've been using SketchUp since its early days in 1999 in Boulder. As an architect, I find SketchUp to be the best tool for quickly generating visual communication imagery during the design phase, for both internal and external audiences. The vibrant community of artists, architects, planners, and visionaries supports the SketchUp ecosystem with outstanding extensions, plugins, and other clever bolt-on capabilities.”

- SketchUp Review, Jeffrey T.

What users dislike:

“One major issue is that the Windows version still lacks native PDF vector imports. Adding this import function would be a true gamechanger. Additionally, it would be beneficial if ambient occlusion could include reflections or if materials could have glow or light properties. Another crucial improvement would be enabling SketchUp to export .rvt files, especially in the studio version. Importing a file without the ability to re-export it back to its original format limits its usefulness.”

- SketchUp Review, Elijah B.

4. AutoCAD Architecture

AutoCAD Architecture is Autodesk's specialized version of AutoCAD software, designed specifically for architects and building professionals. It has a range of tools for architectural design, drafting, and documentation. The software automates the creation of floor plans, sections, and elevations for architectural documentation.

What users like best:

“The most helpful aspect of AutoCAD Architecture software is its ability to create detailed contract documents and working drawings. One of the major advantages of using AutoCAD Architecture is that it provides a comprehensive solution, covering everything from schematic design and design development to construction drawings.”

- AutoCAD Architecture Review, Armand R.

What users dislike:

“Expensive licensing, limited 3D capabilities, and the lack of built-in rendering are notable drawbacks of AutoCAD Architecture. Additionally, sharing files with users of different versions or software packages can lead to compatibility issues, and working on large, complex drawings can significantly slow down the software.”

- AutoCAD Architecture Review, Neha G.

5. Archicad

Archicad focuses on architectural design and documentation. Known for its parametric modeling and virtual building exploration, it offers a strong foundation for integrated design processes. It’s part of the Graphisoft suite.

What users like best:

“The structure of the software allows for a seamless flow in organizing your project, accommodating all project types. Renovations are easily managed by using filters to quickly show existing structures, demolitions, and proposed works. For new projects, the design options linked to layer combinations simplify usage, eliminating the need to save multiple files. The continuous growth of architectural control updates further enhances the design workflow, making it more efficient and user-friendly.”

- Archicad Review, Winston Q.

What users dislike:

“There is still too much programming involved in the software. Artificial intelligence should handle tasks like determining the appropriate layer for an element, line weights, and automating document setup, rather than relying on company templates. This reliance often feels like an excuse for not programming these functionalities. AI needs to perform more functions so architects can spend more time designing. Standardized tasks like waterproofing, wall details, and roof details, which are similar worldwide, should be automated based on country, city, etc. While we love the program, it could handle more standardized tasks, as we still spend too much time cleaning up drawings in elevation and section.”

- Archicad Review, Christopher S.

6. Vectorworks Architect

Vectorworks Architect caters to architects and landscape architects with its 2D/3D hybrid design capabilities. It offers BIM functionalities for design, documentation, and data visualization.

What users like best:

“We’ve been using Vectorworks and its predecessors, like MiniCad, since the late 1980s. I highly recommend Vectorworks to anyone in the design world! We use it for machine design (2D) and for generating files for our parts-making machinery. Several of our associates use it daily, and we’ve consistently found their customer support to be excellent when we need assistance.”

- Vectorworks Architect Review, Andrew H.

What users dislike:

“A major pitfall with Vectorworks is that it assumes newcomers are already familiar with its software. Despite my extensive experience with CAD programs since 1985, including multiple different tools, I struggled with the terminology and file structures in Vectorworks. In my opinion, a comprehensive beginner’s guide to Vectorworks would be a tremendous help for new users.”

- Vectorworks Architect Review, Dennis N.

7. AutoCAD MEP

AutoCAD MEP is a specialized version of AutoCAD tailored for professionals in the MEP engineering fields. It provides tools and features that facilitate the design, drafting, authoring, and documentation of building systems to help engineers and designers create more accurate and efficient designs.

What users like best:

“We use AutoCAD MEP for designing MEP drawings for kitchen layouts, and one of its standout features is its user-friendly interface and easy-to-use shortcuts. A particularly useful aspect of this software is the ability to customize the user interface, shortcut tools, and mouse gestures, which allows us to tailor the experience to our specific needs. Since the keyboard shortcuts are consistent with AutoCAD Mechanical, transitioning between tasks is seamless, significantly reducing our design time. Additionally, their support team is highly responsive.”

- AutoCAD MEP Review, Subhair S.

What users dislike:

“In addition to its prohibitive cost, AutoCAD MEP requires that everyone on your design team has the MEP-specific add-ins. If even one person lacks these, they won't be able to effectively or efficiently edit or update the drawings, leading to potential delays and inefficiencies. While there are workarounds, they can be time-consuming and detract from overall productivity.”

- AutoCAD MEP Review, Joel P.

8. MicroStation

MicroStation is a CAD software with BIM capabilities that offers a comprehensive set of tools for design, modeling, and construction. It supports plenty of industries, with a strong emphasis on data management and interoperability. MicroStation is part of the Bentley Systems suite.

What users like best:

“I love how easy it is to use. As a beginner and frequent user, I find it incredibly useful and straightforward to implement. Its compatibility with most file formats facilitates integration with various design tools. It’s a highly productive tool that offers excellent value for the money. Overall, it's a reliable and versatile design software capable of handling a wide range of tasks.”

- MicroStation Review, Ankit K.

What users dislike:

“MicroStation's platform appears outdated, and its shortcuts are not as quick or effective as those found in other CAD tools.”

- MicroStation Review, Cole H.

9. Civil 3D

Civil 3D creates intelligent 3D models of infrastructure projects to promote better visualization, analysis, and collaboration. Its functions include designing roads, railways, and land developments, analyzing earthworks and hydrology, generating construction documents, and managing project data. 

What users like best:

“The software enables dynamic integration for my road and building projects, allowing realistic presentations with accessible inbuilt tools and add-ons that save time and cost. Once I create a BIM library, it benefits all my projects, making my work highly presentable to clients and engineers. It's specifically tailored for civil engineering, offering numerous features that enhance my work in the field.”

- Civil 3D Review, Sagar V.

What users dislike:

“Handling large surfaces could be smoother, as the software sometimes crashes when 3D viewing with the orbit tool. Unknown errors cause lag, often requiring file reopening or the ‘AUDIT’ command to fix. Integrating search query language or programming capabilities would help developers modify data more effectively.”

- Civil 3D Review, Kapil S.

10. DataCAD

Architects and software engineers joined forces to develop DataCAD for professional architectural design, presentation, and construction document creation.

What users like best:

“I appreciate DataCAD's logical ease of use and its ability to handle any task I need. While support is rarely needed, the DataCAD team is always helpful when it is. I also like that they consistently release new features and add-ons to boost productivity without raising the price.”

- DataCAD Review, Gavn T.

What users dislike:

“The program's rendering and 3D modeling capabilities have not kept pace with industry standards or client expectations.”

- DataCAD Review, Josh H.

Comparison of the best free BIM software 

If you feel overwhelmed by the wealth of information about free BIM software, this comparison table will help you with the most important aspects.

Frequently asked questions on free BIM software

Q. What features should I look for in free BIM software?

Free BIM software should offer core modeling capabilities, such as 2D drawings and 3D models, object libraries, basic rendering, and export options. Look for features like cloud storage and version control that support collaboration. Also consider whether it offers specific tools for your project type, like structural analysis or MEP design lifecycle management.

Q. Can I import and export data from other software into free BIM software?

Most free BIM software supports importing and exporting data in common file formats like DWG, DXF, and IFC. However, compatibility issues might arise, especially when dealing with complex data sets.

Q. Can I use free BIM software for commercial projects?

While some free BIM software can be used for commercial projects, you must check the software's terms of use and licensing. Many free options have restrictions about commercial use or watermarks on outputs. For larger or critical projects, it's often advisable to invest in paid BIM software.

Because manual drafting is soooo 20th century!

Say goodbye to time-consuming manual drafting and embrace a digital-first approach. By exploring free BIM software options, you can equip your startup with essential tools to expedite building design processes and deliver great projects.

Remember, while free tools offer a fantastic starting point, your business may eventually outgrow its limitations. The knowledge gained from experimenting with free software will empower you to make informed decisions when you invest in a paid solution that perfectly aligns with your long-term goals.

Design construction projects better and faster with the best civil engineering design software.

Edited by Aisha West