ActCAD Software vs. Autodesk Civil 3D

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ActCAD Software
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
ActCAD is a 2D & 3D CAD software with two product options: - ActCAD Standard for 2D Drafting Power Users - ActCAD Professional for 2D Drafting & 3D ACIS Modeling Users - ActCAD Prime for 2D Drafting, 3D Modeling, and AEC Objects (walls, doors, windows, staircases, roofs, floors, etc.) ActCAD can be used for applications across domains of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) including Structural, Electrical, and…
$249
one-time fee per user
Civil 3D
Score 9.3 out of 10
N/A
Autodesk's Civil 3D is a computer aided design (CAD) application designed to support a variety of civil infrastructure projects including rail, roads and highways, land development, airports, drainage, storm and sanitary, and civil structures.
$335
per month
Pricing
ActCAD SoftwareAutodesk Civil 3D
Editions & Modules
ActCAD 2025 Standard
$249
one-time fee per user
ActCAD 2025 Premium
$399
one-time fee per user
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ActCAD SoftwareCivil 3D
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesYes
Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
Additional DetailsCan be licensed monthly ($305), Annually ($2,430), or every 3 years ($6,560).Available free for one year on a student license.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ActCAD SoftwareAutodesk Civil 3D
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ActCAD SoftwareAutodesk Civil 3D
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User Ratings
ActCAD SoftwareAutodesk Civil 3D
Likelihood to Recommend
8.8
(3 ratings)
9.0
(8 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
ActCAD SoftwareAutodesk Civil 3D
Likelihood to Recommend
ActCAD LLC
Some dimensions move for no apparent reason. 3d modeling could be improved upon. As a 2D program I use it daily and prefer it to 3D modeling programs for drawing details.
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Autodesk
Civil 3D is best suited for medium to large-scale projects, as it may be overkill for small projects. It is very efficient in design and drafting work, as well as creating reports. It also helps in creating surfaces using external data and building assemblies, as well as providing drainage for infrastructure projects. It can also provide outputs as DWG files to be directly used in the AutoCAD application.
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Pros
ActCAD LLC
  • This is one of the most complete packages that I've used, very intuitive, thus saying user-friendly is somewhat on the mild side, as it is a pleasure to use
  • Functionality is straightforward and all pertinent information are right on the screen
  • Its ease-of-use cuts down on documentation time thus allowing me to spend more time where it's really needed
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Autodesk
  • We use this software for the optimal and advanced design of pipelines and complex structuring, or it can also be said that we use it mainly for a geotechnical model, due to its high definition of the large proportion of the works that are carried out through of this application, since the tasks that are used with Civil 3D require extreme patience, precision and a lot of time to develop a model in its entirety, but we managed to acquire all the necessary and strategic points, to establish and start the production of a prototype digitized in particular.
  • Easy to export to normal AutoCAD or collaborate with most Autodesk products.
  • Vehicle Turning Simulation and Stormwater analysis is great addition to the package. Ability to use the all familiar AutoCAD tools, as well as LISP and SCR to automate some processes is one of the greatest advantages of the software.
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Cons
ActCAD LLC
  • My major complaint is sometimes the dimensions do not stay where I place them.
  • 3D modeling is complicated for me.
  • Need to specify wall types and be able to create custom walls.
  • Need to have a roof manager to make trusses or hand-stack framing.
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Autodesk
  • I think I need more experience in using Autodesk Civil 3D as it is a huge jump from the previous software that I had been using
  • Some functions could take less steps to complete
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Usability
ActCAD LLC
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
It is one of the most standard Designing and drafting tools for infrastructure projects and is the go-to for including it with the Autodesk ecosystem. Its strong collaboration with GIS and Other tools helps us to create a software workflow as a digital twin platform as well. The Drawings and plans generated can be easily imported into other applications, allowing for full control over the workflow.
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Support Rating
ActCAD LLC
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
They have a vast open community, which has helped us understand Autodesk Civil 3D from the beginning. They have provided many templates and tutorials videos to our team due to that we can learn every new feature from them. Autodesk Civil 3D has also helped us to interconnect all its software in an internal bridge, which helps us switch between software as we need.
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Alternatives Considered
ActCAD LLC
It's the best alternative to cost-prohibitive CAD software.
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Autodesk
As mentioned before, using Civil3D got its own pros such as creating different profiles that are interactive such if you change any level, the profile will be updated automatically while in AutoCAD you will suffer by updating them manually. In addition, creating models that also are interactive and help in clash detection for different utilities in a project.
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Return on Investment
ActCAD LLC
  • Its ease-of-use allows me more time to focus on project needs and completion
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Autodesk
  • positive: saved us time on setting up sheets/sheet set manager
  • positive: saved time and effort on cutting profiles
  • positive: saved us money on printing, since it is easy to bind the dgns it creates
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ScreenShots

ActCAD Software Screenshots

Screenshot of ActCAD 2023 PrimeScreenshot of ActCAD 2023 StandardScreenshot of STL FileScreenshot of KML/KMZ FileScreenshot of 3D PDF ExportScreenshot of Sheet set Manager

Civil 3D Screenshots

Screenshot of Civil 3D - Infrastructure Software from AutodeskScreenshot of Civil 3D - Rail Alignments