Please Don’t Undermine the Trust of Archicad Users — A Sincere Request Regarding Pricing and Product

[Lee KiSeong]

The global economy is in a difficult place, and in the country where I live, many architectural offices have closed their doors. Even the local distributor of Autodesk is reportedly struggling, and legal disputes have been increasing.

I founded my own architecture office in June 2024. At that time, I purchased three perpetual licenses of Archicad.

I had spent the last decade working as an employee, using Archicad as my primary tool to sustain my livelihood. So, becoming a direct customer and purchasing your software was not just a business decision — it was a moment of real significance for me.

I was proud to invest in your product.

However, the transition plan that moves away from perpetual licenses to subscriptions—starting this year—felt like a declaration that those licenses I bought are no longer truly mine. I was confused and disappointed at first. But I chose to accept the change, hoping Graphisoft would remain a sustainable company that I can trust to accompany me until I retire.

But I must ask:

Have you truly reflected on why Archicad users continue to choose your software over Revit?

It’s not just habit. It’s not because Revit is hard to learn. It’s because we care about Archicad.

Please don’t trample on our loyalty and goodwill with a pricing policy that makes users feel neglected and exploited.

Two Major Concerns — Please Take These Seriously

These two issues, as they currently stand, make us feel like we’re being taken for granted. They also go against the sense of partnership that should exist between software developers and design professionals.

1. MEP Modeler Excluded from Archicad Studio

If Archicad Studio is more than $50/month cheaper than Archicad Collaborate, then perhaps exclusions make sense.

But BIMcloud SaaS costs $47/month, and the price difference between full and partial packages is $26/month. That’s something we understand.

However, why is MEP Modeler excluded?
Do you believe users won’t notice the intention behind this?
It feels like we’re being punished for choosing the Studio version.

If this continues, then don’t call it “Archicad Studio” — just call it “Archicad” and include MEP by default.

And if you justify it by saying, “We’re giving you MEP and SaaS for just $26 more,” please understand — this argument is not persuasive to users who are paying year after year.

2. No INT Version Support in Archicad Studio

We’ve seen that INT version support is being removed from Archicad Studio.

Do you really believe we won’t recognize the implications of this decision?
Are we supposed to believe the excuse that providing INT versions was just a privilege all this time?

Suggested Ideas for Improvement for Archicad Collaborate

Option 1: Include Full BIMcloud (not just Basic) in Archicad Collaborate

Why:
Archicad Collaborate depends on internet connectivity, and your software, like all, is not perfect.
Sometimes, team members have to delete and re-download teamwork files.
During such moments, BIMcloud SaaS is too slow.
When multiple employees do this simultaneously, download speeds become unacceptable.
Also, your data centers are overseas in my region, which worsens the experience.

Option 2: Allow Local BIMcloud Basic to Sync with BIMcloud SaaS (for Backup)

Why:
Live traffic is handled locally, which reduces your server load.
At the same time, we gain a reliable cloud-based backup solution.

Final Thoughts

The upcoming shift in 2028, under the banner of “A New Era of Archicad”, needs to be one that users can embrace with a sense of partnership—not reluctance. Please show that you hear your users. Treat our voices not as complaints, but as signs of how much we care.

We are not just customers. We are architects, engineers, designers—and most of all, long-time partners.

Thank you.