Autodesk Build vs. Bentley Navigator

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Autodesk Build
Score 7.5 out of 10
N/A
Autodesk Build, based on the former PlanGrid, is construction productivity software. It includes tools to collaborate, collect, and manage project information throughout the project’s construction and operations lifespan. It enables document centralization and tracking.
$39
user per month
Bentley Navigator
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
Bentley Navigator is a BIM model review and collaboration software for managing the project lifecycle of construction/design projects. In addition to accessing drawings, documents, and 3D models, Navigator allows users to create visual reports, query model information, resolve issues and conduct coordination reviews. It connects to ProjectWise (also from Bentley systems) and other document repositories. A mobile app version of Navigator is also available.N/A
Pricing
Autodesk BuildBentley Navigator
Editions & Modules
Nailgun
$39
user per month
Dozer
$59
user per month
Crane
$139
user per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Autodesk BuildBentley Navigator
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Autodesk BuildBentley Navigator
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Autodesk BuildBentley Navigator
Construction Project & Field Management
Comparison of Construction Project & Field Management features of Product A and Product B
Autodesk Build
7.9
57 Ratings
6% above category average
Bentley Navigator
8.2
1 Ratings
10% above category average
Plan distribution & viewing8.656 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Plan markups & sharing8.656 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Issue tracking & punchlists7.551 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Photo documentation7.048 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Jobsite reports6.736 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Document sharing7.655 Ratings9.01 Ratings
RFI tools8.338 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Collaboration & approvals7.142 Ratings7.01 Ratings
As-built drawings8.442 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Mobile app9.454 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Autodesk BuildBentley Navigator
Small Businesses
FollowUp CRM
FollowUp CRM
Score 9.5 out of 10
FollowUp CRM
FollowUp CRM
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Revit
Revit
Score 8.9 out of 10
Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro
Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro
Score 8.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro
Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro
Score 8.7 out of 10
Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro
Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro
Score 8.7 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Autodesk BuildBentley Navigator
Likelihood to Recommend
2.4
(69 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.2
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(52 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Autodesk BuildBentley Navigator
Likelihood to Recommend
Autodesk
PlanGrid performs really well in all aspects of construction from the general to the sub/trade. The platform distributes and communicates project documentation in an extremely user-friendly manner. As with most software, it is cheaper the larger the scale of the project. In situations where the project is relatively small, and the trade contracts are also of relatively low dollar value, the product can be cost-prohibitive.
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Bentley Systems
I think the complexity and cost of the program make it particularly useful, in situations where: the project is relatively large, with a wide variety of specialties that interact and depend on one another, and with specialists who are not physically together and whose communication and understanding is vital for the proper development of the project. If the project does not meet these characteristics, it is preferable to use less complex tools, cheaper, and that require less effort training the staff to use the software in question.
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Pros
Autodesk
  • Plangrid is the best SaaS I have seen for ease of uploading construction plans and automated organization of those plans.
  • For companies that are not using other products for mobile access, the Plangrid mobile apps are perfect to allow people on and off site to share and collaborate in many phases of construction project documentation.
  • Plangrid has a very responsive technical support team (although it is pretty much email only).
  • Plangrid's website layout is easy to use and understand and allows new users to jump right in and do basic to moderate tasks without little training.
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Bentley Systems
  • It allows the different specialists or users, to make virtual and quick analyzes that have been translated into the rapid resolution of problems.
  • Bentley Navigator allowed me to incorporate and manage important amounts of information that were key in the design phase, and that being inputs for different areas could be a source of conflict. The conflicts that have been generated are much smaller than those seen in similar projects previously carried out without the help of this tool.
  • Allowing the visualization of the information in 3D models, added to its capacity to export 3D models as PD files, has allowed to increase the fluidity and communication of information with the client, which has translated into a reduction of the hours invested by the technical manager in that activity.
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Cons
Autodesk
  • The photo attachment process is a bit complicated. In ProCore (another similar software I've used), you can upload photos directly into RFIs for your reference, or into e-mails. For PlanGrid, you have to first upload the photo into the documents tab, then link them into the RFI. It's not intuitive and can add confusion to the documents tab.
  • Photos can't be directly uploaded. Between different devices and colleagues, it's possible you'll get an important photo outside of the PlanGrid photo capture feature within its app. Again, it's complicated for users to use.
  • In their new drawings viewer, the icons for actions do not have icons available. I had to use them all in order to understand what they meant, and I'm fairly tech savvy. I'm not sure if a new person to PlanGrid will pick up on each icon's abilities very easily.
  • There's no all-in-one solution in CM, but PlanGrid is fairly barebones, and I don't believe it has any ability to connect to other software. There's no ability to take meeting munites; you can hack the field reports feature to accomplish this, but it's clear that was not the intent of the designers.
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Bentley Systems
  • It could give alert messages warning that the information that is of shared use, has the latest version, with all the updated modifications.
  • The information contained in the visual reports currently generated by the software could be expanded.
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Likelihood to Renew
Autodesk
We are at the point where we have shown our teams what is possible with this software. We cannot take it away and go back to the way we used to do things. I think that they would push back on us to give them access to something electronic. It is a good program that we will continue to use
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Bentley Systems
No answers on this topic
Usability
Autodesk
Very well thought app, easy to use and provides fast access to the project's plans (your own and your team's), improvements in the annotation posibilities and on-site report generator will be appreciatted. The punch-list report generator and the current/previous plan version compare tools works flawlessly. Haven't used the RFI's nor field report options yet
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Bentley Systems
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Autodesk
Online chat during business hours is extremely helpful. The Plangrid staff has gone above and beyond many times to help us. One time they even offered to completely rebuild our 900+ sheet project so I could slip sheet a few old drawing revisions! This undoubtedly would have taken hours on Plangrid's end. They are always responsive and are continually improving, listening to user feedback.
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Bentley Systems
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Autodesk
Plangrid, while not serving the external document distribution function, is unrivaled for internal document distribution and sharing in the construction industry. The speed at which documents are navigatable, the ability to download your projects for viewing without an internet connection, and the document mark-up and photo tools place it head and shoulders above the competition.
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Bentley Systems
The tools and functionalities that have been used previously, are not commercial software, they have been software developed internally, of course much simpler and less functional than commercial software such as Bentley and its competition. This fact clearly obeyed a guideline of the organization that aimed to minimize the costs associated with the acquisition of software such as the Bentley.
As you learn from the experience and mistakes, once you lost a lot of time and money because you did not have the necessary tools to guarantee the timely flow of information, between personnel who were physically distant from each other but who needed of a very high technical interaction. As a result of this fact, the use of tools such as this was proposed as a test, in order to evaluate its real usefulness over time.
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Return on Investment
Autodesk
  • It helped us "wow" a joint commission survey in 2016 and have a successful survey because he loved how we could access plans on an iPad, check suite sizes, and didn't have to carry around huge, heavy sets of life safety plans.
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Bentley Systems
  • The frequency and quality of information flow between field and office staff has improved.
  • The costs for cellular use concepts associated with the sharing of information associated with the projects where the software has been used have been reduced compared to projects where more traditional control tools have been used.
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ScreenShots

Autodesk Build Screenshots

Screenshot of No confusing folders - all your plans at your fingertips.Screenshot of Easy overlay to visually detect changes or clashes.Screenshot of Track issues directly on the plan, including descriptions, photos, cost, and schedule impacts.Screenshot of Mark up plans for instant communication between field and office.Screenshot of Attach any kind of construction documents to your plans, including 360 photos.Screenshot of Track, review, and submit all your field reports on a mobile device.