--- title: Vectorworks Architect Reviews meta_title: 'Vectorworks Architect Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 236 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Vectorworks Architect works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.3 review_count: 236 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-07-17' parent_category: name: CAD url: https://www.g2.com/categories/cad --- # Vectorworks Architect Reviews **Vendor:** Vectorworks, Inc. **Category:** [Building Design and Building Information Modeling (BIM) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/building-design-and-building-information-modeling-bim) **Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 236 ## About Vectorworks Architect Built to showcase your skill and creativity, Vectorworks Architect allows you to sketch, model, and document in a fully integrated workflow with the world’s most design-centric BIM solution. With superior 2D graphics, 3D modeling, and visualization tools, Architect is built to deliver absolute creative expression and maximum efficiency. ## Vectorworks Architect Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users appreciate the **ease of use** of Vectorworks Architect, facilitating intuitive design and seamless setup for projects. (13 reviews) - Users value the **intuitive design tools** of Vectorworks Architect, appreciating its capabilities for both 2D and 3D modeling. (11 reviews) - Users applaud the **exceptional drawing capabilities** of Vectorworks Architect, noting its intuitive design and graphic quality. (10 reviews) - Users find Vectorworks Architect to be **intuitive and easy to use** , especially for smaller projects, enhancing their creative process. (7 reviews) - Users appreciate the **excellent client support** from Vectorworks Architect, with quick resolutions to licensing issues. (6 reviews) - Users commend the **excellent customer support** of Vectorworks Architect, enhancing their overall user experience significantly. (6 reviews) - Design Development (5 reviews) - Drawing Ease (5 reviews) - Rendering (5 reviews) - BIM Integration (4 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users find **3D modeling issues** in Vectorworks Architect, citing difficulties with tools and inconsistencies in updates. (4 reviews) - Users find the **difficult learning curve** of Vectorworks Architect challenging due to its non-intuitive design and poor instructions. (4 reviews) - Users find the **limited features** of Vectorworks Architect frustrating, especially concerning customization and file management. (4 reviews) - Users experience a **steep learning curve** with Vectorworks Architect due to confusing menus and complex functionalities. (4 reviews) - Users report that **update issues** cause problems with drawings and frequent bugs, making upgrades frustrating. (4 reviews) - Complex Interface (3 reviews) - Users experience a **steep learning curve** with Vectorworks Architect, requiring adaptation to its unique workflows and terminology. (3 reviews) - Limited Modeling Capabilities (3 reviews) - Users experience **missing features** in Vectorworks Architect, such as inadequate renovation tools and limited 3D capabilities. (3 reviews) - Revit Compatibility (3 reviews) ## Vectorworks Architect Reviews ### 1. Reborn **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Architecture & Planning | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 19, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** User friendly intuitive inter connections **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** Price is always a concern I know it's less than some. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** 3D cross checks with HVAC an structure ### 2. Long time user **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Architecture & Planning | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 15, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** The integration of 2D and 3D is very powerful. The quality of the drawing output, material and symbol libraries and extensive tool palettes. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** There is a learning curve with the drawing process and full software capabilities. It can at times become very glitchy. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** Architecture and Design. Quick visualization results. ### 3. Works for Exhibit Design **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Museums and Institutions | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 14, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** With each new release, Vectorworks' rendering engine (Cinema 4D) get better and better as does the processing power in general. Renderworks allows me to create beautiful, lie-like images of museum designs, not yet built, and the increased power and 64-bit system allow our whole team to contribute to files without fear of overloading. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** I am unimpressed with the current ability for multiple people to work in one file at the same time. In its current form, it is just too confusing. I dislike how one has to have the file that you are referencing from, open in order to reference. AutoCAD has streamlined this. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** We are able to meet the increased expectations of what the clients want visualized. Be it animation, early concepts, or fully-realized renderings. ### 4. Works as required and support is provided. **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Suki S. | I.T Support, Government Administration, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 30, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Pricing, technical support, upgrade for additional support and online community support. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** Cloud based, been using Product for few years and not many negative reviews. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** - long history of company and well known product in the industry. Highly recommend for anyone working with CAD **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** Deign, review drawings, require use of this software on daily basis for reviews. ### 5. A great advance with inclusion of Renderworks. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Architecture & Planning | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 19, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Seamless flow from schematics through CD's and BIM. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** I don't have a real dislike. It has advanced so far since my first MIniCad. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** Ability to complete all phases of project in one software program. ### 6. Great Product! **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Architecture & Planning | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 15, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** IBM System and drawing tools for design. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** It has to upgrade de 3D modeling tools!. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Best 3D tools **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** That I'm designing everything in 2D and 3D. ### 7. Vw, great looking at the expense of UI **Rating:** 1.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Design | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 17, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** The lighting feature is great to simulate how light travels in the space you design. I think that's the coolest feature. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** The interface is OK, but it could be better. Rendering times are incredibly slow, and I've had colleagues who had their computers crash because of the program. Applying textures is also daunting. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** If you're an architect, I recommend this program. If you're an exhibit designer, you might want to stick to SketchUp and Adobe. The sheets feature is very cumbersome, but if you're an architect and are willing to work through it, then your cut sheets will look better. I honestly can think of a lot of what SketchUp has that Vectorworks could be replaced with. It's so much easier to use. I've also had files become corrupted and I work on a MAC where that rarely happens. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** No business problems. I used this program as a student. I don't see any benefits, and in fact I use SketchUp now for any spatial designs. ### 8. The best software for design and architecture **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Andrea F. | Architetto libero professionista, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 27, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Flexibility. You can do everything, and you can do visual scripting with Marionette. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** Missing vector shadows in line render and automatic red/yellow functionality (project comparison) **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Great if you use for 2D/3D design, Architecture, Landscape, and visual scripting (Marionette). **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's a CAD, one of the best. ### 9. Vectorworks **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Design | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 15, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Using Vectorworks for technical drawings/packages is simple to learn. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** VectorWorks modelling capabilities are limited in comparison to other CAD 3D modelling programmes. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Consider using Google Sketchup and exporting model into a rendering programme, such as Artlantis. Vectorworks is a cheap package to allow you to use it for Technical drawings and modelling. If you want really good technicals, then I would suggest AutoCad. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** The benefits of this programme is that it is cheap and therefore affordable for universities etc... It allows for students to practice getting used to CAD modelling and technical drawings. ### 10. VectorWorks review for G2 Crowd **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Cristina C. | Conversational and Cultural Workshop Animator, Design, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 14, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** I like that it's clear and simple to use. I tried using other programs like Auto Cad, and in my personal experience, Vector Works was much more practical. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** I don;t really like the fact that it takes a long time to open. In the meantime, a lot of software programs tend to take a lot of time to start. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** I used Vectorworks to desing the blueprint of a house and on another job, the blueprint of an office. In both cases, it was easy to work with and the customers were satisfied. ### 11. Vectorworks Designer (My Reviews) **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Broadcast Media | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 15, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** I enjoyed the ease of using Vectorworks Designer with lesser complications as compared to other software. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** Vectorworks Designer has little emphasis on some extra details available in other software. However, it is a good software for those who are seeking the ease in terms of software navigation in executing design tasks. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** I am currently not using Vectorworks Designer. However, my previous project has benefitted a lot from this software. I was able to render my file at ease without complications. Also, I was able to work my projects with organised interface and navigations in the software. I would recommend Vectorworks Designer to anyone who is searching for the best architecture or rendering software. ### 12. Amazing cad software **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Giovanni Marco P. | 3D Arch-viz, Architecture & Planning, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 12, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** I use Vectorworks since 15 years. Never disappointed! Amazing cad software with huge possibilities! **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** It need more support to dwg files. Especially with huge files from autocad it get really slow! **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** I usually design everything of my job on vectorworks. it helps me in any situation about CAD ### 13. Capable software with an acquired taste: **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Daniel B. | Architectural Assistant, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 02, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Feels more like using Adobe Illustrator than, say, AutoCAD. Powerful, easy-to-use 2D polygon editing. The 3D modelling isn't too convoluted: able to work with simple massing. The Renderworks engine may not be what a lot of people require in terms of professional-quality output, but is capable of getting some decent results. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** Having used Revit comprehensively, feel like Vectorworks is literally years behind in terms of BIM integration, worksharing and parametric customisation. Have not yet had the opportunity to delve into Vectorworks in terms of scripting, but from what I can gather from the online resources I can find, there are still a fair few holes in the program and its 'best practice' workflow to be plugged! **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Definitely trial the product to see if it will be your preferred platform. As a user of AutoCAD for ~16 years (and Revit for ~5 years), my personal opinion is that Autodesk are the industry standard for a reason! That said, I may just be a victim of indoctrination from a young age! The requirements of the rest of your design team are also worth considering. Interoperability with other software was not the best when I first started using the software. Has improved over the last 2 releases and will hopefully continue to do so, but a deeper, more realistic approach to adopting BIM needs to be on the cards. Nemetschek's acquisition of Graphisoft means they now have both ArchiCAD and Vectorworks; best to have a quick look to the future for both software packages before making a purchase. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** Have been looking at the way the company have had front-end sketch schemes that practically need a complete re-draw when working drawings are inevitably required. Trying to organise a workflow that makes it easier to provide a decent amount of information at tender stage, which can then be fleshed out further down the line without having to 'reinvent the wheel'! This is somewhat achievable in Vectorworks. ### 14. Vectorworks Review **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Consumer Goods | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 16, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** -great for variety of projects from interiors to exteriors to furniture design -slow to render - textures are pretty good **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** -steep learning curve -in-program furnishings are just okay. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** --youtube tutorials are very helpful -you can also upload from google warehouse - furniture and such **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** -great for interior designers who want to have an idea of what a final space will look like -great for building custom furniture ### 15. Great Competition for the Big CAD Guys **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Johnnie V. L. | Owner, Architecture & Planning, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 15, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** This package is one of the most comprehensive of the major CAD providers. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** The learning curve was fairly steep. I had several workshop sessions at Nemetschek and had representatives visit my office. We eventually purchased the product but never fully adopted it ,for everyday use because the office had been previously exposed to ACAD, so the entire office never really became conversant in its use. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** I'd recommend this software if one has the ability to invest the time to properly learn how to use the software. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** We used it for condocs and had minor success in using it for presentations and proposals. ### 16. 2D, 3D, BIM and Parametric Modeling at their best. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Civic & Social Organization | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 12, 2016 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** 3D and BIM capabilities at the highest level, complemented by 2D CAD and Graphics capabilities makes Vectorworks a fundamental tool for our studio. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** Vectorworks is a quasi perfect tool. Is to difficult to find discomfort while using it. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Vectorworks will boost your productivity. It's an easy to use but powerful tool, that will enhance your habilites as a Architect or Designer. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** 3D and BIM modeling. It's a very profitable tool for the AEC. ### 17. ease of use: Vectorworks designer w/ Renderworks 2015 **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Rigor N. | Principal/Owner, Architecture & Planning, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 04, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Ease of use and very low learning curb. I like how it combine the plan and 3d model. I use it mostly for architecture, at the time when I bought Vectorworks Designer it was better deal than single module. The viewport is very handy also and I have been doing a complete projects from design development to working construction document on one file. 3D rendering is very good, have not used photorealistic rendering often as I have on 2007 Macbook pro, it can handle it but in takes a long time process, otherwise other rendering setup is worth using as it take less time. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** Cannot copy and paste viewport or import, some plug-ins has some quirks specially Doors and windows it cannot be customize beyond its limit, Tool pallets Icons and text are bit small for an weak eyes like mine, lack of customization. Hatch customization is complicate. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Its ease of use and learning curb is the selling point of this product, If you were to buy the product it would be wise to purchase VSS, a yearly subscription. It would save money on the upgrades alone. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** Space Planning, designing homes, 3D modelling for visually illiterate. vectorworks (2013-2015) has increase my production by using the viewports and using the automatic drawing co-ordination. ### 18. Event and Environment Designer - Temporary Spaces **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mary Anne B. | Senior Designer, Marketing and Advertising, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 12, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** I do a lot of floor plans and build drawings. I really like the super simple features that allow me to create scale drawings with ease. The object palette is general is extremely useful and efficient for me in typing and double checking measurements. For capacity purposes, I find the area measurement to be a very beneficial feature as well. Also I love the way you can annotate viewports on your sheet layers. This makes build drawings so clear and overall has helped me improve my level of execution and quality of specs. The way the viewports continuously relink/update every time you change something in your drawings is also crucially helpful. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** I think one thing that frustrates me sometimes in the way hatches and patterns appear in my viewports. I've had a hard time mastering this for some reason. Even when I mess with the advanced settings and change the export sizes of the hatch or pattern, it never seems to come out as I want it too. It's difficult to control. Sometimes it's just the wrong size and sometimes it appears super pixelated. When I'm doing floor plans and I'm using those different hatches and patterns to symbolize a certain item or area, I really want it to appear a certain way and can't always achieve it with those tools. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** I think the basics of VW are very intuitive, especially if you use other design programs such as Illustrator for 2D and SketchUp for 3D. A lot of the tools and features have similarities that make VW easy to pick up. The biggest difference is getting used to using not just Design layers, but also classes and then sheet layers, etc. But once you understand it, I think it's easy to understand the use and benefit of it all. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** I'm constantly working with various venues and plotting out elaborate floor plans, so the ease of just mapping spaces out in VW has been extremely beneficial. Other programs make it complicated sometimes to work with large scale spaces because they only allow a certain size artboard, or don't allow you to change the scale of the entire drawing so that your information all fits in one place. As said above too, being able to create viewports and annotate them, especially of 3D drawings and then being able to change the viewport to show whatever angle I'd like, has been incredibly helpful in improving the quality of my build drawings. This has been huge for me because it makes communication between myself and the designer and carpenters much smoother. ### 19. Vectorworks-ideal option for small firm **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Christine N. | Principal, Architecture & Planning, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 21, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Vectorworks is a design, production and rendering software package that allows even a single-person firm to create design development through complete construction documentation with ease and intuitively. Design can be created in 3D later translated into 2Dproduction drawings . Client presentations can be created as rendered printouts, animations, walk throughs and real time3D model views. With previous experience in AutoCAD, I found the learning curve steep and finding tools relatively easy. The price was very reasonable for a full BIM software platform, particularly for a small firm. I found it to be easily worth the return on investment than more pricey, complex packages, such as REVIT, for my needs. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** Greatest drawback in the version I used was that it did not project text and and dimension callouts in the 3D version, however, that may appears to have changed in more recent iterations of the software. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Definitely consider getting this for your arsenal of production software if you are a smaller firm. If you are working with other firms using other BIM software platforms, I would recommend assessing the ROI on purchasing a REVIT or other (more comprehensive) platform. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** I used VW to input an existing 4000 SF home and design a complex, multi-phase full home renovation. The information conveyed to both the owner and contractor was straightforward, easy to understand, and met all the requirements of current building construction information. There were few if any questions based on the information that the VW created presentation documents through final CDs created with this package. I would use again for small scale projects. ### 20. Overall best design/drafting product around. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Adam L. | Senior Designer, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 05, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** The way it draws geometrical primitives and treats them as whole objects. The ease of going form 2-d to 3-d in one step. Vector works is best when using it for lighting design as it has built in communication with Lightwright and both softwares work together. The keyboard shortcuts are nice and customizable and the fluidity of converting between AutoCAD and back is so seamless. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** There is no app for tablets or smart phones. The subscription program is great but you no longer get DVDs. For the price at least a USB drive with the software would be sent out, if not a DVD too. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Play with it at first , but its best to use it the way it was designed, so you can use as many of the cool features it comes with as possible. Yes, it converts back and forth between DWG and DXF with ease. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** There is no app for tablets or smart phones. The subscription program is great but you no longer get DVDs. For the price at least a USB drive with the software would be sent out, if not a DVD too. ### 21. New Vectorworks user **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Camille B. | Junior Architect, Architecture & Planning **Reviewed Date:** January 05, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** - I like the way the viewports work and are placed in the sheet layers with the choices to crop the layout and add annotations. - The software is fairly easy to use and understand. Even if you are a new user, it will take only a day or so to be able to use it. It is much easier than other software. - It is nice that there is an automatic backup. - As I have been using Archicad before, I like that VW works the same way, you don't just draw lines but you build walls, place windows... **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** - As I was an archicad user before, there are a few tools in Archicad such as Demolished - Existing - New filter that don't exist in Vectorworks. It would be great to have this in the future. - What would also be nice to have is to be able to have more than one user at a time opening the same file (eg: teamwork in Archicad) - The 3D is not as easy to work with and make modification. - I had some issues with some files crashing. I am not sure if it is because of the its size or what but it made me lost some of my work in the past. I chose to change the backup time to 5 min. - I had issues placing windows and doors into specific walls. Sometimes I feel that my drawings aren't as precise as they should be because of accuracy of placement and adjustments. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** It is a good software that is easy to use, easy to layout drawings and export PDFs. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** residential ### 22. Long Time Vectorworks user gives honest opinion of the product **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ryan H. | Principal Owner and DSA Inspector, Architecture & Planning, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Having used Vectorworks since 1994, I can say the improvements over the past 20+ years have been pretty good. The platform was always very intuitive, easy to learn, fun to use, an best of all... stable. Vectorworks has been in the BIM software business before the term BIM even existed. Being able to draw in 2D plan and have a 3D model basically automatically has been a savior for my design work over the years. It saved me lots of time and money. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** Unfortunately, Vectorworks started with a solid platform and hasn't improved much outside of speed, minor tweeks, some GUI organization, and the like. One area other BIM software packages are embracing is 3D scanning and point clouds. I have talked to reps at Vectorworks on a couple of occasions and asked them if they plan on including any point cloud importing in the near future. They said no. I am afraid Vectorworks is making a huge mistake and it may come back to bite them in the coming years. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** It is a great product. Just be prepared to train staff because finding people who know only know how to use it but can use it well are rare. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** When I can, my drafting/modeling software of choice is Vectorworks. I have used it from designing and master planning entire campuses to organizing furniture layouts to creating simple posters. The ease and speed are awesome and most people with some CAD knowledge can get up to speed with the program in a very short period of time. ### 23. Vectorworks Architect is BIM for design **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** François L. | Principal, Architecture & Planning, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 20, 2014 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Vectorworks integrates robust free-form 3D modeling, BIM modeling, 2D drafting, and excellent rendering (with Renderworks) into a single application. Having all these aspects of architectural software integrated in a single application supports the inherently iterative nature of the design process—the user doesn't have to export a 3D model to BIM and then draft separately. When the inevitable design changes and refinements occur downstream, it's easy to explore 3D options free-form, render them, incorporate them into the BIM model, and update any supporting 2D documentation. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** I don't have Vectorworks dislikes per se. I would say that while Vectorworks already has a good multi-user environment, I'm looking forward to improvements in those feature sets. And like any sophisticated software, the user has to take the time to thoroughly learn the software Since Vectorworks is so broad, there's a lot of ground to cover. Once those tools are in place, though, the user can become phenomenally productive. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** If you are a design-oriented architecture firm using Mac or Windows, I highly recommend Vectorworks Architect with Renderworks. Seat costs, while decidedly at a professional level, are about half of competitors. Take those savings and invest in training with your new software (good advice for any software really). **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** Vectorworks allows me to be extremely efficient with my time; in the same time that other software users might develop a plan, I've explored 2 or 3 design options and developed a very informative 3D model. Vectorworks makes me fast. I also routinely use the worksheet and reporting functions of Vectorworks to quantitatively support my qualitative design decisions. While I'm designing, I'm also doing sun studies in realtime, generating door and window schedules, material and area takeoffs, checking the rainwater harvesting capacity of a roof, assessing the ratio of south-facing glass to internal thermal mass, and/or validating estimates of passive cooling with a thermal chimney. I never have to export to do this; I've built these tools right into my workflow. ### 24. Vectorworks Architect Review by an Architect **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Bennie B. | Founder, Architecture & Planning, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 16, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** I like a comprehensive architectural workflow solution from a vendor that has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to the Mac OS community. I like the fantastic graphic capabilities and the robust database integration. I like the balance across the various aspects of the architectural workflow. I like the scalability of the features, facilitating work on a broad range of projects with varying degrees of complexity. I like the cross-platform implementation. I like the reasonable entry threshold, allowing an untrained person to start using the package productively while organically expanding their skill level. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** I dislike the scale-specificity of design layers. This requires additional attention when documents have to be developed for large-scale buildings, or when changes are necessary to the drawing set. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Look at drawing sets produced by Vectorworks, and compare them to sets produced by competing candidates. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** 1. Mac OS based architectural software. 2. Soup-to-nuts architectural drawing management system. 3. Effective drawing coordination. 4. Streamlined PDF publishing. 5. Reasonable cost. ### 25. Overall, a great 3D CAD package **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Brian K. | Technology Development Engineer, Events Services, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 15, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** I have been an Autocad user for more than 20 years and have been transitioning over to Vectorworks for the past six months. I'm currently using it for some very detailed design and assembly, which goes directly to fabrication. At first it was difficult to get used to the lack of a command prompt, since I was using Autocad before it had a GUI, but I adapted pretty quickly. The second difference I had to get accustomed to was the fact that the workflow in Vectorworks has more in common with Adobe Illustrator than it does Autocad. You don't really think in terms of lines anymore, so much as shapes, this can take some getting used to. I think for pure 2D vector drawings, I'm probably still faster in Autocad. 3D space, however, is where Vectorworks really shines. Taking your 2D drawings and extruding them into 3D, viewing them, and working on them is all very easy and very intuitive. There are still a few quirks, such as when working with booleans, but it's still a very gentle learning curve. There are a few things I'm not so wild about, such as tweaking dimensioning styles, and the "classes" verses "layers" thing is a bit weird, but that probably comes from my relative lack of experience with Vectorworks compared to the amount of time I've spent in Autocad. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** It isn't a true parametric 3D package like Solidworks or Inventor, so sometimes working in 3D can be a bit more work. Also, as previously mentioned, I'm not that wild about handling dimension styles in Vectorworks. One thing that strikes me as odd is the use of the word "class" for what Autocad users think of as "layers." If you're a programmer, the word "class" means something else entirely. Also, DXF file export does not seem very compatible. I am exporting a lot of files, and I have to pass them through Autocad before vendors can read them. I wish this could be addressed, because it's a real hassle. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** If you're a long-time Autocad user, there's a bit of getting used to things. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** I am doing some very detailed assembly drawings in 3D space, exporting them to DXF (see above for some issues with that,) and then sending the files off to vendors for fabrication via CNC routing and lasercutting. The ease of use in 3D space in VW has completely changed my design process, in a good way. ### 26. Tough program to learn. Needs improve in almost every area. **Rating:** 1.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Gonzalo C. | Exhibit Designer, Marketing and Advertising, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 05, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** The rendering program is ok. Its better then top notch products like SolidWorks. The program is a great hybrid between architecture and product based program. I use it for event based products, so it meets my minimum standards. The program does allow for quick easy pricing and engineering. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** This is difficult. Theres a lot I can say but I will stick with the basics: Slow program. Just slow and glitchy at times. Line Drawing tend to show interior items when it shouldnt Custom making a piece is very difficult Tutorials online are the worst maybe worst then trying to learn advanced chinese without know basic pig latin (pig latin and chinese are not related making the point that it is very difficult to do this). Rendering program of Renderworks is bad and thats not an understatement. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Probably not maybe for the price. its cheap compared to other programs **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** We tend to solve all sorts of solutions here. We make event based products for people. The product has benefits like coding pieces for pricing. ### 27. Great for all size projects from renovations and additions to multi-family and commercial projects. **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Brian H. | Adjunct Professor, Higher Education, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 21, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Ease of use. Ability to use a single program from schematic design through construction documents. Powerful 3D modeling and pleasing 2D graphics. Integrated BIM and IFC objects. Rendering and visualization straight from the documents without a 3rd party program. Support for multiple import and export options to work with other programs. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** Revit and AutoCAD are the major market share for the architectural design industry. Direct translation to and from Revit is not supported by AutoDesk. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Vectorworks Architect is a powerful program that is fairly easy to learn. Sole practitioners can produce a complete set of drawings and renderings. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** Schematic Design through Construction Documents are easy to produce with the program. Clients are impressed with the visual renderings and walk through capabilities ### 28. Flexible BIM for Architects **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jeremiah R. | Principal/Architect, Architecture & Planning, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 22, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** One of the greatest features of Vectorworks is the ability to simultaneously work in 2D and 3D with ease. Other BIM softwares that I have used force you into 3D full time while allowing 2D line work on page views or detail views only. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** Some of the native objects are not as flexible as they could be. For instance there is no bay window tool. The work around for this is to create the bay walls and insert windows in each piece of wall. This is inconvenient, time consuming and does not give you a true bay window that would be all one piece. The other option is to model in place, but this does not allow the window to be on your window schedule. The dormer tool for the roof is also not very good. It's near impossible to accurately model the roof profile of the dormers. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** The biggest benefit is the speed with which I can create a decent set of documents as well as the customization of line weights and appearance. ### 29. Great for complex architectural design and great graphical interface. **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Andre V. | Architectural Designer, Architecture & Planning, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 22, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** VW has a great graphic interface, not too dissimilar from using illustrator. Its easy to use and more intuitive than Autocad at times. Produces great presentation drawings. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** Graphic interface can sometimes make working slow or laggy while drafting. The accuracy is not as good as AutoCAD. Sometimes you thing your snapping directly onto a line where in reality your a few fractions of an inch off, visually this is not too much of a problem. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Explore the trial version first and weight up your requirements agains what AutoCAD or similar software have to provide. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** We are solving complex design problems for clients and have benefited greatly from clean and crisp presentation drawings that never cease to please the client. ### 30. Architect **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Matthew L. | Project Architect, Senior Designer, Architecture & Planning, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 12, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** I liked that it was clearly designed by people who understand how architects work. It is extremely intuitive. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** I don't like that it's not a widely accepted standard platform, this means whenever we bring on someone new, we had to account for a learning curve. The 3D objects were a little difficult to use. When i used it, it wasn't great for 3D models/rendering, and it forced me to use a second piece of software. I **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** I would absolutely recommend this piece of software for small to medium sized firms. As i mentioned previously the only real problem is the additional time and cost associated with training new employees. Importing and Exporting options are pretty good, but i think stronger integration with google sketchup would be a good feature to add. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** We were just using it for document production, but all of our graphics and presentations were generated with other software. The benefit was just the speed of production ### 31. The good, bad and ugly of Vectorworks **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Events Services | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 05, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Vectorworks does a great job of rendering textures and is pretty easy to use. Unlike AutoCAD that uses pos/neg numbers when manually entering a number, VW uses only positive numbers once it knows which direction you're going. Another big plus of VW is how easy it is to import and export symbols (blocks) from another drawing. Yes AutoCAD does this too but VW is faster, Rendering is part of the package, you have to import libraries to make AutoCAD do the same thing. There are lots of functions within Designer that other versions don't have. If you are working on existing rooms for theater you probably need Spotlight, but if you have to build a room with doors, windows, etc, you need Designer. VW has a subscription service where you pay about $750/year and you get every upgrade and any service pack. You also get priority phone support for questions but if you're asking a real complex questions of if you're having crashing problems....you're not going to get much help **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** You need a beast of a machine to get VW to operate correctly. use 32GB of ram and the best video card you can afford. Even then VW will still lock up for no reason, and you can rarely reproduce it. The camera function has some retarded behavior about it. You just have to get used to the weird behavior of VW. The absolute worst thing that VW has never fixed is their upgrade procedure. When you install the newest version IT DOES NOT RETAIN ANY OF YOUR SETTINGS OR PREFERENCES....EVER! And all of your custom symbol files need to be updated if you plan on using them. Huge pain. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Get Designer if you need to build doors, windows, landscape, and production. Designer has Spotlight, Arch, Fund, and Render all built into it. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** The purpose of VW was to show clients a show design in the actual room they are looking at renting. ### 32. The thinking architect's choice **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Architect C. | Senior Consultant, Architecture & Planning, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 22, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** superposition of layers and classes, and saved views affords user-friendly control of visibility. design layer section viewports in multiple working planes made for apple mac **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** IFC record formats hidden. crash on cancellation of reference update ! hidden line viewport rendering time. 'generic' solids from other cad imports not editable - necessitating redraw of extrusions **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** get a mac version **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** 3d production information for complex geometry structures - 3d cad model direct to factory production ### 33. Strong but needs to find more Collaborators **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sarah B. | Associate, Architecture & Planning, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 26, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Certain things about this program are indispensable Lighting, Landscape, and the Stair Tool. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** Not industry standard, a little bit too dumbed down. If you could market it as a more accessible version of Revit, I think it would catch the people who want to hop on the BIM wagon but know that Revit is a very hard place to start. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Make sure you use it for it's fullest potential. There are a ton of tools and features in this program. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's a great architectural support tool but may not be the full package. It is amazing for set design or landscape design. ### 34. Occcasional Vectorworks User **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Greg H. | Chief Technology Officer & Disruptor, Architecture & Planning, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 21, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Vectorworks provides a robust set of tools to meet many of the needs of any Architect. With an easy and intuitive interface and the ability to take 2d drafting to 3d rendering. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** The main drawback to using Vectorworks in the US is the lack of adoption, hindering the ability to find other designers on the same platform to collaborate with. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Vectorworks provides tools that are more than adequate to perform design and documentation. Study the program carefully and look at the competition to weigh the competitive value of the software. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Vectorworks primarily to communicate with clients that are using the same software. ### 35. Great experience with clean interface **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Marketing and Advertising | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 12, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Accuracy and ease of use with interface. **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** I dislike the use of the window in the 3D format. It's confusing at times and difficult to maneuver through. **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** We are working to layout floor plans and Vectorworks allows for extreme accuracy and clarity. ### 36. Project Manager **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Architecture & Planning | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 19, 2015 **What do you like best about Vectorworks Architect?** Honestly very simple to use. The analogy I like to use, even a kid in elementary school can jump in and start using it. Intuitive !!!! **What do you dislike about Vectorworks Architect?** maybe a more hands on tutorial. Maybe tech support can do a virtual walk through during initial implementation of questions. **Recommendations to others considering Vectorworks Architect:** Try it **What problems is Vectorworks Architect solving and how is that benefiting you?** architectural problem solving. It helps with the conceptual sketching on another layer. ## Vectorworks Architect Discussions - [What languages is Vectorworks Designer design software available in?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/4308-languages) - 1 upvote - [How does Vectorworks Designer software stack up against other design software competitors?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/4307-vectorworks-designer-vs-its-competitors) - 1 upvote - [How can I share data in and out of Vectorworks Designer?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/4306-sharing-data) - 1 upvote - [What is the learning curve of the software, and what is the transition like?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/4305-learning-curve) - 1 upvote - [What training offerings or resources does Vectorworks offer?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/4303-training-offerings-resources) - 1 upvote - [View Vectorworks Architect pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/vectorworks-architect/reviews?page=5§ion=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-07-31+23%3A40%3A27+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=fc992568-af10-4765-86dc-020577879be0&secure%5Btoken%5D=3015f5572842bbc140d94a2aed39b3a86c2f139728d80b72e4683ef34992eb52&format=llm_user) ## Vectorworks Architect Integrations - [Adobe Acrobat](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-acrobat/reviews) - [ALLPLAN](https://www.g2.com/products/allplan/reviews) - [Apple Numbers](https://www.g2.com/products/apple-numbers/reviews) - [Bluebeam](https://www.g2.com/products/bluebeam/reviews) - [D5 Render](https://www.g2.com/products/d5-render/reviews) - [Enscape 3D](https://www.g2.com/products/enscape-3d/reviews) - [Esri ArcGIS](https://www.g2.com/products/esri-arcgis/reviews) - [Keynote](https://www.g2.com/products/keynote/reviews) - [Loom](https://www.g2.com/products/atlassian-loom/reviews) - [Lumion](https://www.g2.com/products/lumion-lumion/reviews) - [NBS Chorus](https://www.g2.com/products/nbs-chorus/reviews) - [Newforma Konekt](https://www.g2.com/products/newforma-konekt/reviews) - [One Click LCA](https://www.g2.com/products/one-click-lca/reviews) - [Revizto](https://www.g2.com/products/revizto/reviews) - [Siemens EDA](https://www.g2.com/products/siemens-eda/reviews) - [Solibri Office](https://www.g2.com/products/solibri-office/reviews) - [Veras](https://www.g2.com/products/veras/reviews) ## Vectorworks Architect Features **Design** - Visualizing - Rendering - Drawing - Editing - Sequence Steps - Dynamic Updating **Library** - Objects - Materials **Collaboration** - Multi User - File Import/Export - Annotating - Document Storage **Rendering** - Textures - Shading - Lighting - Exterior Rendering - Aerial Rendering - Atmospheric rendering **Construction** - Fabrication - Reinforcement Tools - Clash Detection - Grading - Earthwork **Integrations** - BIM Integration - 3D Rendering Integration **Generative AI** - AI Text-to-3D **Generative AI** - AI Text-to-3D **Common Data Environment (CDE) - Building Design and Building Information Modeling** - Role-Based Access - Centralized Data Management **Cost Estimation - Building Design and Building Information Modeling** - Lifecycle Cost Tracking - Quantity Takeoff & Cost Estimation **Electrical & Circuit Design - Building Design and Building Information Modeling** - Clash Detection - Electrical System Modeling - MEP Coordination - Load Calculation & Analysis - Interoperability with BIM & CAD - Circuit Design Integration ## Top Vectorworks Architect Alternatives - [SketchUp](https://www.g2.com/products/sketchup/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (1,299 reviews) - [Revit](https://www.g2.com/products/revit/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (919 reviews) - [Archicad](https://www.g2.com/products/archicad/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (287 reviews)