Do you upgrade every time a new version comes out?

[Anonymous]

I am considering switching to Archicad. How good are the new versions? If I buy a perpetual license, would I be able to use it for 5-6 years?
Or is everybody doing an subscription and is moving automatically to the next version?

Thank you!

[Laszlo Nagy]

For me, this is not a question of "is it worth the upgrade". I believe each new ARCHICAD version offers a lot of improvements.
However, as someone who has been doing BIM Manager roles in an architectural office, I think you also need to consider the effort involved in upgrading to a new version: changing templates, migrating projects, migrating custom libraries, changing/updating workflows, training staff on new features/workflows, etc.
So as far as I am concerned, I would prefer to upgrade every 2 or 3 version, unless the new version contain features I feel are so valuable it is worth the immediate upgrade.

[Brett Brown]

nataljad wrote:
I am considering switching to Archicad. How good are the new versions? If I buy a perpetual license, would I be able to use it for 5-6 years?
Or is everybody doing an subscription and is moving automatically to the next version?

To answer your other questions, buying a Perpetual license ( maintence fee complosary for the initially purchase) you can use it 5-6 years without any further outlay in that time. Subscriptions is more a Revit thing where you pay alot of money every year to be able to use it. Archicad has this but is an expensive way of using Archicad when Perpetual is better.

In addition to a Perpetual license you can continue the yearly maintenance fee (up to 2 thousand dollars depending where you live) after the first year which entitles you to the new versions, but of course if they aren't any better than the version you are using, you don't have to use them.

Certainly if you don't want to upgrade for 5-6 years, after this time your upgrade to the latest version is the same cost for 3+ older versions so works out cheaper then paying the yearly maintenance fee over that time. Also there are always specials in the month leading up to the release of the new version so that is the time to buy.

Assume you know there are 2 creditable professional versions available, Solo and Teamwork with a considerable price difference. Make yourself aware of the differences for your situation and ask any questions.

Re upgrading to every new version, read many threads here that advise you to don't use the new versions to at least after the first Hotfix. How long did it take for the 23 hotfix? 6 months? not good enough.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Brett wrote:
To answer your other questions, buying a Perpetual license ( maintence fee complosary for the initially purchase) you can use it 5-6 years without any further outlay in that time....

Just to add one comment to Brett and Laszlo's great responses... staying on one version for 5-6 years MAY involve NOT upgrading your operating system. For example, MacOS full version annual updates have in recent years broken some things and Graphisoft only supports the most recent 2 releases of ARCHICAD officially on the new OS. Some people who intentionally or accidentally (left auto-update on) updated to Catalina had some issues this last time around for example. I don't believe Windows users have had concerns with this.

So, advice here is never upgrade your OS until you know that ARCHICAD (and all other essential software) is 100% compatible with the new OS. With that you can keep going indefinitely. (Hey, if you have an old Windows XP box, you could have been running ARCHICAD 6.5 for 20 years! LOL)

[Richard Morrison]

Another factor to consider is that while skipping a few versions may save some money in terms of actual dollars, you will need to learn the new features of several versions all at once -- potentially a daunting task. I find that spacing the features out on an annual basis is a little easier for me. I confess to feature fatigue, though, and you may find that "ripping off the Band-Aid" quickly is better for you than slowly peeling it off.

[Lingwisyer]

You can just have multiple AC versions installed, then avoid migrating projects. In that way you will not break anything, workflow or model wise, in your active projects. The exception being when a new feature drastically changes something and makes part of your model more comprehensible.



Ling.

[Bricklyne Clarence]

I would posit that the perpetual license route is probably the more common or popular route to take with most users; unless you're a large firm with a large budget or something like that.

In addition to all the reasons pointed out above, the hassle of upgrading to a new version every year - even assuming that new version has something you want (and more often than not it doesn't) - is still undercut by the fact that new versions usually take a couple of hotfixes (service packs) before they are fully reliable like the previous version, to handle your most complex project without the typical bugs and stuff.
This would be the biggest drawback in my opinion, to upgrading every year to a new version as even a (relatively) reliable company like Graphisoft doesn't always get it right with new versions, and you would want the flexibility that being able to upgrade when you're good and ready, offers.

I sincerely hope and pray that Graphisoft never switch to a forced or compulsory subscription model like the AutoTable people.

[Stress Co_]

I like staying current (w/ only one seat). So I'm on the SSA (Subscription Service Agreement).

Most resellers don't post their pricing, but in the past it was
a litter bit cheaper to pay for three years of SSA, than to wait three years and
pay for the 3 version upgrade price. Also, easier on cash flow to pay the
lower yearly cost.

It's worth asking you reseller what the 1, 2, 3 or 4, (5/6?) version upgrades costs are.
Do the math.

[Stress Co_]

Brett wrote:
Certainly if you don't want to upgrade for 5-6 years, after this time your upgrade to the latest version is the same cost for 3+ older versions so works out cheaper then paying the yearly maintenance fee over that time.

Having just received a reminder to renew my SSA, I checked the current, version-upgrade, prices.
If you upgrade every 3 years (or less), It's way more affordable to stay on SSA.

[Brett Brown]

And the cost is? Would be nice to know so the rest of the world can compare.