AutoCAD vs. Bluebeam

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
AutoCAD
Score 7.9 out of 10
N/A
AutoCAD is a CAD product from Autodesk. It allows designers to work in 2D and 3D, and is available on Windows and Mac, but with extensive online collaboration tools.
$245
per month per user
Bluebeam
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Bluebeam Revu is a PDF management, control, and editing tool. It enables collaboration and markup within shared documents across projects’ life cycles and has takeoff and bid creation capabilities.
$349
per seat
Pricing
AutoCADBluebeam
Editions & Modules
Monthly Subscription
$245
per month per user
Yearly Subscription
$1975
per year per user
3-Year Subscription
$5925
3 years per user
Revu Standard
$349
per seat
Revu CAD
$449
per seat
Revu eXtreme
$599
per seat
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
AutoCADBluebeam
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
AutoCADBluebeam
Considered Both Products
AutoCAD
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD is better for drafting construction documents than rhino. The ability to draft blue print drawings and update them to the specificity we need is a big leg up. Rhino allows me to see the model in 3d instantly where will AutoCAD I need to use a program such as sketchup to …
Chose AutoCAD
PTC Creo and SolidWorks have a separate module wherein we can create 2D drawings of the parts and assemblies modelled in them. But they generally created problem in creating circuit diagrams where in we need to manually sketch using different option. And when it comes to …
Chose AutoCAD
I use Revit far more than I use AutoCAD. AutoCAD is great for simple linework, but even then I will often create the lines in Revit and then export to AutoCAD for final touches and printing. AutoCAD is a bit easier for large-format prints, which is why I almost always end up …
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD is much more stable and comes with 3D capability as standard. Draftsight is less stable and requires the pro version for 3D capability, but it is also 1/4 the price of AutoCAD.
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD was chosen for its versatility, customisation and compatibility. AutoCAD is a highly versatile software used across various industries, including civil engineering. It's known for its precise drafting and drawing capabilities. It allows for extensive customization …
Chose AutoCAD
As we all know that AutoCAD is a basic Drafting software used to drawing all of 2D object so all above softwares mentioned as as used as 2nd one after developing the plan on AutoCAD. So I do prepare plans on AutoCAD and develops them on above software. So basically my first …
Chose AutoCAD
I have experience with AutoDesk Maya, and am familiar with their user interface with creating 3D objects. AutoCAD while from the same family, requires a steeper learning curve and more in-depth knowledge of the software.

Chose AutoCAD
for the developing of 2d drawings AutoCAD is more suitable than other software due to its very easy and understandable user interface. besides that, due to the orientation of the software to 2d drawings, the library of commands is better structured and organized, making the …
Chose AutoCAD
This is the most primitive application in the field of design and drafting hence it has the simplest workflow system. It is quite easy to comprehend the processes for any user hence they can access the mistakes easily. Man-to-machine interaction of this software is best among …
Chose AutoCAD
Automation in AutoCAD with Dynamo is going to be good. With Dynamo script we can make our AutoCAD more automatic and easy to use time-saving software. If we apply some good Dynamo script it will add a hanger in all models with a standard distance this is a type of example …
Chose AutoCAD
Better 2D designing than CATIA. Way cheaper than other CADs available in the market. 2D drafting is way better than CATIA. 2D dimensioning is better than CATIA. It is very easy to design pipeline layouts on AutoCAD than on another software. It saves time and the workflow …
Chose AutoCAD
Each program has its own pros and cons so, for example, I am using AutoCad for big scale projects especially if they are 2D drawings and need a high production rate along with high-resolution details. By that, we increased our business performance.
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD is improving day by day and update by update. Making their [features] smooth and more [efficient] with every update and it is very efficient in the things that it does. [The] functions that they provide are very useful and easy to use. [The] interface of AutoCAD is …
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD commands are effective, active and responsive to the engineer's commands, easy to customize the AutoCAD drafting features, and the final results produced have the best and productive quality.
Getting used to AutoCAD is also easy and friendly on manipulation, and even its …
Chose AutoCAD
Work involved in my organization is related to teaching 2D designs and layouts for students, so AutoCAD is a great option. However, when it comes to 3D modelling and a clean user experience, we prefer SketchUp as an alternate option.
Chose AutoCAD
All of the alternatives above work well if you are starting from scratch and are in the market for new software. Draftsight is no longer free. If you have any legacy AutoCAD drawings you are going to encounter problems as we did. Sometimes old files won't open or save …
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD is the industry benchmark and standard, it is easy to use and understand, the Graphic User Interface is fairly intuitive with icons that make sense, shortcut keys make drawing super fast, blocks prevent or at least limit costly mistakes.
The drawing exchange format (DXF) …
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD is still the top choice although the software subscription is more on the costly side. Time saved on every mouse stroke justifies the value of AutoCAD. After using AutoCAD for a while, other competitors' less expensive copycat versions feel very inefficient and not …
Chose AutoCAD
It's the best solution for a 2D drawing. Much easier to create 2D plans when you [don't] need to create 3D components. Stable and Functional. Easy to use and remember. All commands are located where they make the best sense. Various access [to] commands is awesome!!! You can …
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD has its own standards because this is originally designed for the quick 2d drawings.
Chose AutoCAD
For the HVAC engineering and design field, companies like RHVAC and Wrightsoft make competing products. I have not used these packages, but I have seen the designs they produce. These designs are not up to the quality, customizability, or standard that I am able to put out …
Chose AutoCAD
We chose AutoCAD because it was the professional software package, we had been using simpler and cheaper solutions but we found that our drawings were suffering because of it and that we had a lack of technical skill in CAD because of the ease of use of the more amateur …
Chose AutoCAD
We use SOLIDWORKS almost exclusively, mainly for 3D modeling and simulation efforts. We cannot use AutoCAD drawings for the engineering work we need to accomplish for our products without a 3D add in - the main benefit to AutoCAD over SOLIDWORKS is that SOLIDWORKS does not do …
Bluebeam
Chose Bluebeam
I believe Bluebeam is actually easier to learn and use versus Adobe Acrobat. With it’s how to videos and great customer support, there’s basically not a problem that cannot be figured out. As far as PDF modification, I believe Bluebeam’s tools and screen configuration is very …
Chose Bluebeam
It is just more advanced in terms of functionality. Bluebeam has far more features for collaboration, document sharing and marking up.
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam is targeted towards construction professional and offers features and built-in markups that I use everyday. Acrobat is a generic program that requires more training and set-up for use specific to construction and design. Bluebeam was more cost-effective than Acrobat, …
Chose Bluebeam
I haven’t spent enough time with Revit to give a full comparison. But three architects I’ve worked with have all said they enjoy both programs and Bluebeam was highly recommended for my needs in the company.
Chose Bluebeam
Years ago I used Adobe which was not well suited for CAD drawings. I soon found Bluebeam which at the time was a wonderful game changer. Sadly, my recent experience has caused me to begin searching elsewhere for new software.
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam I believe is much better then Smartsheets because there are way more features that just make sense and are construction minded. I am able to host and share these documents with other users who do not need to have a Bluebeam license to view or download them from the …
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam is a more advanced PDF editor and better suited for the engineering and construction industry. It has far more tools and better capabilities for collaborative viewing, marking up, and sharing of documents.
Chose Bluebeam
Much better. The features are greater, the layout is better and you can just do so much more. The features alone and what you can do with it makes it worth it. Also, it allows for you to edit and create in a much more user friendly way. All of our engineers love using it …
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam Revu has essentially replaced Adobe Acrobat as our default PDF viewer and editor, because its robust suite of architecturally-focused tools allow for better review of documents and creation of simple graphic diagrams. The scale and measurement tools are especially …
Chose Bluebeam
It is better than acrobat in my opinion. More features and more user-friendly.
Chose Bluebeam
PDF file sharing is really easy and simple, so users can markup and others can view them in real-time. Also, editing PDF files to crop, batch, remove, or replace pages is really efficient compared to Adobe Acrobat DC. Plus, the licensing fee is pretty small compared to Adobe …
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam Revu is a no-brainer in the AEC space. Stop wasting money on owning adobe and Revu. Revu can replace all of your Adobe usage. With a good change management process, Revu can meet the needs of your entire organization. The Bluebeam team will be with you every step …
Chose Bluebeam

Revu was much easier to use, more cost-effective, and is more generally used in the construction and design industry than Adobe. We found Adobe to be more of a resource hog, as well as being bloated with offers for other Adobe applications, which many times would slow down a …

Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam is a good in-between of Adobe and Photoshop. If you're not looking to do photo editing, but need more capabilities than just line work, Bluebeam is perfect.
Chose Bluebeam
I select Bluebeam Revu when I have to as directed by the client or the owner. Otherwise, when the user does not need such a specific or robust piece of software, I usually go to one of the less expensive competitor's PDF editors. They suite our needs just fine and cost half …
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam definitely blows Adobe out of the water in the basic to the basic comparison. You will have to do more research on how exactly to use all the tools if you have never used the program before such as myself.
Chose Bluebeam
Bluebeam Revu has a much more sophisticated interface that allows you to mark up documents in many different ways. It can store tools for standard markup use. It provides digital signatures which can be very useful for many document types. By creating a Revu studio, multiple …
Chose Bluebeam
We've used these other products in conjunction with Bluebeam mainly because Bluebeam lacks RFI/COR/PO/Mark-up/revision tracking, and doesn't handle punch lists or tasks.
Chose Bluebeam
Adobe is good for viewing PDFs, but as far as how PDFs are utilized in construction, Bluebeam is hands-down the best program I have used.
Chose Bluebeam
The newer Adobe interfaces are poor. Adobe does not do as well with drawing markup or takeoff tools. Adobe does seem to render some drawing files more quickly though. Adobe text document markup feels a bit more polished. Bluebeam was selected for better tools specific to …
Chose Bluebeam
This is by FAR the most powerful product that I have used. I have not turned back to Adobe for modifying documents since we purchased Bluebeam. I am not sure of the cost of the program, but sure it is worth it to the company. As to doing take-offs, this is a great tool as well …
Chose Bluebeam
Procore is excellent for tracking documents and links. Bluebeam is superior at editing, scaling, and marking up documents. You can track projects of any size at a very low price point with Bluebeam.
Chose Bluebeam
There is no comparison. The editing tools, batch tools drafting tools, personal environment profiles, settings, printing, calibrating, direct connecting apps that links Bluebeam to AutoCad and Revit. This is an extremely powerful program that is amazingly helpful and I probably …
Features
AutoCADBluebeam
Computer-Aided Design Software
Comparison of Computer-Aided Design Software features of Product A and Product B
AutoCAD
6.1
Ratings
15% below category average
Bluebeam
-
Ratings
3D Modeling6.00 Ratings00 Ratings
2D Drafting9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Rendering and Visualization5.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Parametric Design4.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Collaboration and Sharing5.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Compatibility with other software and formats8.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Assembly Design5.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Simulation and Analysis1.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Documentation and Annotation7.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Customization and Extensions8.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
AutoCAD
-
Ratings
Bluebeam
8.7
Ratings
13% above category average
Standard reports00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Data exportability00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Construction Project & Field Management
Comparison of Construction Project & Field Management features of Product A and Product B
AutoCAD
-
Ratings
Bluebeam
8.9
Ratings
16% above category average
Plan distribution & viewing00 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Plan markups & sharing00 Ratings9.20 Ratings
Issue tracking & punchlists00 Ratings8.50 Ratings
Photo documentation00 Ratings8.70 Ratings
Jobsite reports00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Document sharing00 Ratings9.30 Ratings
RFI tools00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Collaboration & approvals00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
As-built drawings00 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Mobile app00 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Submittal design and management00 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Checklists00 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Change orders00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Estimating
Comparison of Estimating features of Product A and Product B
AutoCAD
-
Ratings
Bluebeam
9.1
Ratings
13% above category average
Takeoff tools00 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Job costing00 Ratings8.40 Ratings
Cost databases00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Cost calculator00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Bid creation00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
AutoCADBluebeam
Small Businesses
Onshape
Onshape
Score 9.9 out of 10
FollowUp CRM
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Score 10.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Onshape
Onshape
Score 9.9 out of 10
InEight
InEight
Score 8.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Rhino
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Score 9.1 out of 10
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User Ratings
AutoCADBluebeam
Likelihood to Recommend
7.4
(0 ratings)
9.6
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(0 ratings)
1.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.5
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
6.9
(0 ratings)
1.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
AutoCADBluebeam
Likelihood to Recommend
It is well suited for drafting in plan view. If you are looking for exact drafting that is the best for you to use. If you are looking to sketch and design, I would recommend you do not use AutoCAD first and instead use another app before transferring your work into AutoCAD.
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As stated before, the mobile application is a great companion to the desktop version. Either one works great in viewing, editing and saving documents. While the measurement tool is handy to have, we have found the precision to be lacking when measuring scaled drawings (construction design drawings). While it is a good rough place to start for measurements, we wouldn't recommend relying on the precision of the measurements taken on something with a very large scale.
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Pros
  • The tools are easy to use and the learning curve is fairly minimal to be able to create blueprints.
  • The 3D application is very fun to use and it is nice to be able to see your product instead of having to imagine what it will look like.
  • The speed and accuracy in which students can create plans is a huge bonus. Students can plan their industrial art projects out and use their own set of plans to build them.
Read full review
  • Overlaying pdf drawings to identify changes made by architects.
  • Scaling dimensions when the architect has not provided required dimensions to proceed with work in the field.
  • Hyperlinking construction documents with required information makes it much easier to look through multiple sheets in less time.
Read full review
Cons
  • User Interface Customisation: AutoCAD's user interface could benefit from more robust customisation options. Allowing users to rearrange toolbars, menus, and panels according to their specific workflows and preferences would enhance productivity.
  • Enhanced 3D Modeling Tools: While AutoCAD is capable of 3D modeling, it's not as intuitive or feature-rich as dedicated 3D modeling software. Streamlining the process and adding more advanced modeling tools would be a welcome improvement.
  • Enhanced Collaboration and Version Control: AutoCAD could improve its collaboration tools, such as real-time editing and version tracking, to facilitate smoother teamwork, especially in multi-disciplinary projects.
  • Intelligent Object Libraries: AutoCAD could benefit from an expanded and more intelligent library of standard objects and components. This would save time for designers who often have to create custom components from scratch.
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  • If you have several tabs open and you try to drag one out for a side by side view then you do not have all the modification options and you have to combine them back together.
  • There is a lag time when hitting the print option.
  • There is also a lag time when opening files, sometimes I think the window is frozen.
  • I wish the basic version also had basic file editing, as in editing a document as Adobe does.
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Likelihood to Renew
Because rarely we [would] rather wait for a whole year to update, sometimes the new updates don't bring many new features and we are still ok with the current version. Also the change of interface is always something that takes time for every partner in the company to get comfortable with. So those are the main reasons we may want to keep the same version.
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Bluebeam is a powerful PDF viewer and mark-up tool. We are more familiar with it than Adobe Acrobat Pro or other viewers, and it has more features geared towards construction document managers than Acrobat Pro does.
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Usability
The use case of AutoCAD as a CAD software is highly relevant today as it focuses or targets to tasks types which involve creating 2D drawings of a number of types like electrical drawings, hydraulic drawings, layout diagrams, floor plans, etc. thereby addressing a large number of industries like Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering and in most case Architectural Engineering as well
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I'm constantly finding that Bluebeam Revu does more than I knew it could. And when I find something that it can't do, I've found that Bluebeam truly listens to its user base and will work to incorporate any good suggestion when feasible.
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Support Rating
AutoCAD has the issue of crashing or slowing down the design procedure once a heavy design that includes several disciplines or multiple families/blocks is involved. Customer services gets the feedback from the crash reports but this issue seems like it has never been addressed in the software updates past several years.
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Its hard for me to give a rating on this one as we rarely have to use the support feature for Bluebeam. However, when we have used it, they have been ultra supportive in helping us get exactly what we needed. I know another engineer was trying to figure out a feature and the rep gave a detailed tutorial on how to complete the task
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Implementation Rating
the implementation was realy easy , to set up our workstation we pay for the licenses we are about to use , there was a little bit of delay to get the payment processed to receive the serial but after that the install runs without any problem , so you can fell secure there will be not issue with the implementation.
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
AutoCAD is the industry best and is well integrated with regular updates and fixes if required. Being very developer friendly and having a huge community of enthusiasts behind takes it miles ahead of the competition. Some might get an edge over price but due to this being an High performance software it is miles ahead.
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Bluebeam is a diverse program with many functions and tools, whereas competitive programs only specialize in one or few tasks. Although there are many tools within the program, users can still quickly learn how to use the program to best fit their needs. There is always a help tab for any assistance needed.
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Return on Investment
  • AutoCAD is cost effective when you get the Autodesk suite, so it makes sense to have it for many of our workflows.
  • AutoCAD is like a hammer. It's simple and is very good at certain things. No matter how advanced tools get, you will not soon get rid of hammers.
  • AutoCAD is really useful when models do not line up correctly in Revit.
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  • A major positive aspect is being able to take your computer home without taking the entire set of paper drawings. They have made it so easy to navigate a set of drawings that I can work at home using only the digital drawings.
  • Collaboration with owners and architects has been a great feature. Setting up a Bluebeam studio and having everyone get in and mark things up, then having the architect be able to go in and see what markups have been added, has made the constructability review process much much better.
  • Even when not working on drawings, Bluebeam is a very good tool for working with standard PDF documents. The markup tools are very easy to use.
  • The negative aspect is the takeoff function because some people would like estimators to use the Bluebeam takeoff because it would make their job easier down the road; however, the actual act of doing a full scale takeoff in Bluebeam would require much more time.
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ScreenShots

Bluebeam Screenshots

Screenshot of Bluebeam Cloud with Markup ListScreenshot of Bluebeam Cloud with Tool ChestScreenshot of Bluebeam Revu MarkupScreenshot of Bluebeam Revu Studio Session