What does Chief Architect cost, and why look for an alternative?
Chief Architect Premier is $1,995 a year or $229 a month, and Home Designer (the consumer line) is $495 a year (Chief Architect's website, October 2026). It's sold by subscription since perpetual licenses were dropped in 2023.
People look for an alternative for four reasons: the price if you only design occasionally, the learning curve, the hours it takes to draw each project, or because what they really need is a quick visual to sell a remodel, not construction drawings.
What should you look for in a Chief Architect alternative?
| If you need… | Look for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Construction documents and permits | CAD/BIM with plans, sections and schedules | Revit, Archicad, Vectorworks |
| Faster home plans and renderings | Cloud software with templates and quick renders | Cedreo, Plan7Architect |
| Custom 3D models | Flexible modeling with plugins | SketchUp, D5 Render for renders |
| Something free | Open-source or free tiers | FreeCAD, Sweet Home 3D, SketchUp Free |
| To sell a remodel fast | A visual of the client's real room, no drawing | Remodel in 360 |
Which Chief Architect alternatives are best?
| Software | Best for | Learning curve | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remodel in 360 | Remodelers selling kitchens and baths | Minutes | First tour free, then $49/month |
| Cedreo | Builders and remodelers who need fast plans and renders | Low | Free plan (1 project); $129/month |
| SketchUp | Custom 3D models | Medium | Free web version; Go $129/year, Pro $399/year |
| Plan7Architect | 2D/3D home design with a one-time license | Medium | One-time purchase; see its site |
| D5 Render | Photo-real renders from your models | Medium | $38/user/month (Capterra) |
| Revit | Full BIM and construction documents | High | Autodesk subscription |
| Archicad | BIM for architects | High | Graphisoft subscription |
| Vectorworks Architect | BIM plus design flexibility | High | Subscription; see its site |
| FreeCAD / Sweet Home 3D | Free CAD and simple home plans | Medium / Low | Free |
Prices from each company's website or Capterra, checked October 2026. They change, so confirm before you buy. Chief Architect and the other names are trademarks of their owners; we're not related to any of them. We make Remodel in 360, so weigh our view of our own product accordingly.
1. Remodel in 360: best for remodelers who just need to close
Many remodelers pay for Chief Architect mainly to show clients what the remodel will look like. If that's you, Remodel in 360 skips the drawing: take 2 phone photos, say what changes, and about 6 minutes later the client walks through their own room in 360°, before and after, with every change labeled.
At our own remodeling company, our close rate went from 3 in 10 estimates to 5–6 in 10 after we started sending 360° tours.
- No drawing, no training: plain-words change list
- The client's real room, not a model
- 2 change rounds per tour, about 2 minutes each
- Plans: Starter $49/month (4 tours), Pro $99 (12), Team $249 (35). See pricing
The tradeoff: no construction drawings, plans or measurements. Keep CAD for permits and layouts; use this to win the job.
Which paid alternatives are best for design and drawings?
2. Cedreo
Cloud 3D home design for builders and remodelers: floor plans, elevations and photo-real renderings, with complete client presentations in about 2 hours and a short learning curve. Free plan with 1 project; Professional $129/month. See Cedreo alternative.
3. SketchUp
Flexible 3D modeling used by many kitchen and bath contractors, with a huge plugin library. Free web version; Go $129/year, Pro $399/year. See SketchUp alternatives.
4. Plan7Architect
2D plans and 3D visualization for home builders and renovators, sold as a one-time purchase instead of a subscription. Check its site for current versions and prices.
5. D5 Render
A real-time rendering tool for photo-real images and walkthroughs from your existing models, about $38 per user per month on Capterra.
6. Revit, Archicad and Vectorworks
Full BIM platforms for architects and design firms: construction documents, schedules and collaboration. More powerful than Chief Architect for commercial work, and harder to learn.
Which free alternatives to Chief Architect are there?
FreeCAD
Open-source parametric CAD, including an architecture workbench. Free, with a steep learning curve.
Sweet Home 3D
Free, simple floor plans and furniture layout with a 3D preview. Good for basic layouts, not construction documents.
SketchUp Free
The free web version of SketchUp for basic 3D modeling.
How do you choose the right Chief Architect alternative?
List what you use it for
Permit plans, client renderings, or just showing the client the result.
Match the output
Drawings: CAD/BIM. Renders: Cedreo or D5. Selling a remodel: Remodel in 360.
Count your hours
Time per project matters as much as the subscription.
Try it on a real job
Use the free plan or trial on an actual project before you switch.
When should you stay with Chief Architect?
If you produce detailed residential plans, cabinet layouts, framing and materials lists regularly, Chief Architect is built for exactly that and worth the subscription. Many remodelers keep it for drawings and add a fast visual tool for the sales visit.