topic Re: Archicad Free Trial in Licensing

Archicad Free Trial

fredralaimi — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 20:26:14 GMT

Hi there,

I have a license at work and to be able to work from home, I usually upload the license on the cloud so I can finish some work at home

It is the weekend now I failed to upload the license on Friday however I have an urgent work to finish

So I tried to register with the trial version. I follow all the steps but when it comes to enter the license, it keeps telling me its invalid

We tried it with another email address, have all the confirmation that profile is set and trial all good to go but license we enter is invalid

Would someone know what is going on please ? I am stuck

Thanks a million

Operating system used: Mac Intel-based sequoia 15.7

Re: Archicad Free Trial

Barry Kelly — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 09:20:59 GMT

If you have a cloud license and you start Archicad by signing in with your Graphisoft ID, you should be prompted to release your license.

If you have a software license that is different, and you do have to release that from the machine you were working on before you shut down.

As for the trial license, I can't offer any good advice.

It should work, but maybe you have to use an e-mail that is not associated with a working Graphisoft ID?

I would also be careful, as the trial license may lock that file so it is only usable on that particular machine, I remember reading something about that.

If you then purchase a license, it will then unlock.

But I am not 100% sure if it will unlock when you activate your real license.

However, if you start Archicad you should be able to activate an emergency license.

Not sure if that is from the start screen or if you have to start in demo mode and go to the HELP menu > licensing info.

Barry.

Re: Archicad Free Trial

Eduardo Rolon — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:52:41 GMT

Work done with a Trial Version CANNOT be converted to a regular version.

AFAIK it can only be converted to commercial if you convert the Trial Version to a FULL Version by paying for it. it will NOT work with any regular license unless something has changed in the last few years.

Re: Archicad Free Trial

Nurbs — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 22:31:41 GMT

Hi,

sorry, but GS tells something dfferent:

https://www.graphisoft.com/en-us/trial/archicad/

Re: Archicad Free Trial

Barry Kelly — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 13:45:47 GMT

That is correct.

You have the full version of Archicad, but the trial files you create can only be opened with that trial version on that particular machine.

Otherwise you can create full working commercial files without purchasing the software.

At the end of your trial you can purchase a license and this will unlock those files so you can then open those file on any machine.

I am just not sure if you already have a license as the original poster does, and then install a trial version because they don't have access to their full version, and then they do gain access to the full version, will the trial files become unlocked?

Or will they remain locked as a trial file because you have not converted your trial license to a new full version.

I am not sure I would want to risk with commercial files.

Anyone who temporarily loses access to their license, should look into activating the emergency license.

Beware though that it can only be used for a limited time and I think maybe activated only once or twice a year.

Barry.