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Architectural practice
without the compromise.

Synaps as an alternative to Graphisoft Archicad

At a glance

Fit alongside Archicad

Archicad is a capable mid-market BIM platform, which means documentation rides on top of the whole model and Teamwork stack. Synaps takes drafting, libraries, and weekly sheet issue off that critical path, while Archicad keeps BIM authoring and IFC.

  • Synaps for documentation, libraries, and weekly sheet issue
  • Archicad for full BIM authoring and Teamwork coordination
  • Common pattern: Archicad as archive, Synaps as drafting front-end

Side by side

Synaps vs ArchiCAD

Feature-by-feature comparison of Synaps and Graphisoft Archicad.

Feature Synaps ArchiCAD
Primary surface 2D drafting + sheet index BIM authoring + 2D documentation
Sheet sets First-class, drag-reorder Layout Book + Master Layouts
Linked views Live across plan, section, detail Native, model-coupled
Office libraries Publish / edit / view roles Library Manager + BIMcloud
Multi-user Real-time editing + history Teamwork + BIMcloud
IFC / OPEN BIM Import/export, not the centre of gravity Core strength
PDF issue Tuned for issued sets Publisher tool
Pricing model Per editor, monthly Per seat, annual + BIMcloud subscription
Solution Architecture Studio Run the whole job from sketch through DD in one project: draft the plan set, review it live with the team, and pull a hero plan straight into the fee proposal. You pay per active editor, not per seat. Explore solution →

Honest tradeoffs

When to switch from ArchiCAD, and when not to

Switch to Synaps when

  • Teamwork governance is harder than the documentation work
  • Layouts drift from the model every time scope shifts
  • Library roles live in tribal knowledge, not in the tool
  • You want documentation off the critical path of the BIM model

Stay on ArchiCAD when

  • OPEN BIM and IFC compliance is contractually required
  • Multi-disciplinary federated workflows are central
  • Your firm has deep Archicad templates and a working BIM manager

Migration path

Pilot Synaps next to ArchiCAD

A two-week pilot on a live job. If documentation does not get faster, stop, even if the comparison reads in our favour.

  1. Week 1

    Export one Archicad library slice and one sheet set. Set up the project in Synaps.

  2. Week 2

    Run internal review in Synaps. Archicad stays the federated archive.

  3. Week 3–4

    Issue one PDF set from Synaps. Decide which phase lives where.

Book a demo Open Synaps Studio

Fast is more →

ArchiCAD questions we hear

Does Synaps work with IFC?

Yes, import and export. IFC is not the centre of gravity in Synaps, but it round-trips with Archicad and other OPEN BIM tools.

Can we run Archicad and Synaps in parallel?

Yes, that is the standard mixed stack. Archicad stays the BIM archive; Synaps becomes the drafting and sheet-issue front-end.

How does Synaps compare to Teamwork + BIMcloud?

Synaps is multi-user real-time with history out of the box, without BIMcloud as a separate license. Teamwork stays a strength for full BIM coordination.

Is Synaps cheaper than Archicad?

Per editor, yes, and without the BIMcloud subscription tier. Pilots usually start with two editors and a studio lead.

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Compare Synaps with another tool

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