Revit vs ArchiCAD vs AutoCAD: A Buyer's View for Irish Practices

The "Revit or AutoCAD?" question is one of the most consequential software decisions an Irish engineering or architecture practice makes in 2025. It determines whether the practice can bid for ISO 19650-mandated NDP commissions; it affects workflow efficiency on existing projects; it influences hiring (AutoCAD engineers are more abundant but Revit engineers can deliver more value on BIM-mandated work); and it drives software investment decisions that last 5–7 years. This guide provides a clear, opinionated comparison of the three main BIM and CAD tools used on Irish building projects — Revit, ArchiCAD and AutoCAD — with specific reference to ISO 19650 compliance, Irish NDP mandate requirements and the cost realities of 2025.

The Three Tools Compared — What Each Does Best

AutoCAD — Still Relevant for Irish ELV Designers?

Where AutoCAD Remains the Right Choice

AutoCAD (and AutoCAD LT) remains a valid tool for Irish ELV designers working on projects that do not require BIM — private sector commercial fit-outs below the BIM mandate threshold, simple single-tenant office projects, hotel refurbishments where the scope does not justify BIM overhead. For these projects, AutoCAD produces ELV layout drawings, containment plans and schematics efficiently. AutoCAD engineers are more abundant and typically less expensive than Revit engineers in Ireland, which makes AutoCAD the economically rational choice for non-BIM ELV work.

Where AutoCAD Holds Back Irish BIM Compliance

AutoCAD cannot produce the Revit-native NWC files that Navisworks requires for clash detection on ISO 19650-mandated Irish NDP projects. AutoCAD ELV layouts cannot be federated into a Navisworks coordination model without conversion via third-party plugins that introduce quality risk. AutoCAD does not produce parametric model content — so quantities and equipment schedules cannot be automatically extracted. For ISO 19650-mandated Irish NDP commissions, AutoCAD is not a viable BIM tool without significant workflow additions.

Revit — The BIM Standard for Irish NDP Projects

Revit for Structural, MEP and ELV Disciplines

Revit is the dominant BIM authoring tool for MEP and ELV disciplines on Irish NDP projects. Its parametric modelling approach — where every element carries type and instance parameters that feed directly into schedules and quantities — means that a correctly built Revit ELV model at LOD 300 automatically produces: equipment schedules with IS EN 54 certification references (attached as Revit parameters); cable containment quantities for BOQ; builder's work information; and IFC exports for digital handover. The design and documentation workflow in Revit is more front-loaded than AutoCAD — it takes longer to build the model initially — but the downstream time saving on schedules, quantities and coordination is significant on larger Irish NDP projects.

Revit's ISO 19650 Workflow Advantages

Revit's ACC (Autodesk Construction Cloud) integration provides: direct model publishing from Revit to the project CDE; co-authoring via BIM Collaborate Pro (multiple engineers in the same Revit model simultaneously via cloud worksharing); and automated NWC export for Navisworks clash detection from the CDE-published model. This native Revit-ACC-Navisworks workflow is the most common ISO 19650 BIM delivery approach on HSE Capital Programme and OGP-mandated Irish projects.

Cost and Learning Curve for Irish Practices

Revit AEC Collection (Revit + AutoCAD + Navisworks + Civil 3D) costs approximately €3,500–4,500 per seat per year on subscription. Individual Revit: €2,500–3,000/seat/year. The learning curve from AutoCAD to Revit is typically 3–6 months to basic productivity, and 12–18 months to full ISO 19650 BIM workflow competency. For Irish practices transitioning from AutoCAD to BIM, ASDV can bridge the gap immediately — delivering Revit ELV discipline models for Irish NDP projects while the in-house team develops its own Revit capability.

ArchiCAD — The OpenBIM Alternative

IFC-Native Architecture and Its Appeal for Irish Architects

ArchiCAD from Graphisoft is an IFC-native BIM tool — it produces IFC models as a primary output rather than as an export format. For Irish architecture practices that find Revit's MEP-oriented workflow counterintuitive for architectural design, ArchiCAD provides a genuinely architecture-first BIM authoring environment. ArchiCAD models can be exchanged with structural and MEP teams via IFC — which Navisworks accepts for federated coordination. The IFC interoperability makes ArchiCAD fully compatible with Irish NDP federated BIM workflows.

ArchiCAD and MEP/ELV Coordination on Irish Projects

For Irish ELV consultants, ArchiCAD is not typically the ELV authoring tool — Revit is the standard. When an Irish architectural practice uses ArchiCAD, the ELV model is still produced in Revit and federated with the ArchiCAD model (exported as IFC) in Navisworks. The workflow is slightly more complex than a pure Revit federated set but is entirely workable and ISO 19650 compliant.

The Verdict for Irish ELV and MEP Consultants

The answer is clear for 2025: use Revit for ISO 19650-mandated Irish NDP projects; AutoCAD remains valid for non-mandated smaller Irish commercial work. The investment in Revit capability — or the immediate route via ASDV's outsourced Revit ELV modelling — is not optional for Irish practices seeking to participate in the NDP pipeline above the mandate threshold. The tool is no longer a competitive differentiator; it is a procurement baseline.

Cloud BIM — The Next Platform Transition

Autodesk Forma (formerly Spacemaker) and BIM Collaborate Pro for Revit cloud worksharing represent the next platform transition — cloud-native BIM without local file management. This is the direction of travel for Irish NDP BIM workflows but is not yet mainstream practice in 2025. The transition will accelerate through 2026–2028 as ACC and BIM Collaborate Pro mature and as Irish practices manage the workflow change from file-based to cloud-native Revit. ASDV monitors this transition closely — our Revit workflow is compatible with cloud worksharing on Irish projects that have adopted BIM Collaborate Pro.

ASDV delivers Revit-based ELV BIM for Irish NDP projects — see our BIM support services Ireland and our BIM services Ireland pages for the full scope.