MicroStation vs. Revit

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
MicroStation
Score 8.4 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
Bentley Systems offers the MicroStation application and product family as a 3D and 2D modeling and computer-aided design (CAD) solution for engineers and designers.
$250
Per User Per Month
Revit
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Autodesk’s Revit is a Building Information Modelling (BIM) tool. It enables architectural, MEP, structural, and engineering design, and provides analysis to support iterative workflows
$350
per month
Pricing
MicroStationRevit
Editions & Modules
Microstation
$250.00
Per User Per Month
Monthly
$350
per month
1-Year
$2805
per year
3-Year
$8415
per 3 years
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
MicroStationRevit
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsPricing available for monthly, annual, or 3-year subscriptions. Longer subscriptions offer greater discounts.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
MicroStationRevit
Considered Both Products
MicroStation
Chose MicroStation
Microstation is not intuitive. It is almost impossible for our newest employees to use effectively, and I strongly prefer to start them with Civil 3D, where possible. With MicroStation, you really need to be an intermediate to advanced user to use the program and know where the …
Chose MicroStation
MicroStation offers great capabilities which enable quick Engineering design and document generation, the view comparison functions is the best among the above tools and the easy of customizing the features.
Chose MicroStation
I prefer MicroStation personally. It is much less taxing on your computer's RAM. However, they all have their pros and cons.
Revit
Chose Revit
AutoCAD, MicroStation. These are both good programs but they are limited to two dimensions for the most part and I choose to use Revit for its ease in working in 3D, annotation, and organization. If you are looking to have a consistent good-looking set of drawings in 2D or 3D, …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
MicroStationRevit
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
MicroStation
-
Ratings
Revit
6.7
5 Ratings
14% below category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings6.64 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings6.74 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings6.34 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings7.44 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings6.54 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings6.95 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings6.13 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
MicroStation
-
Ratings
Revit
7.2
4 Ratings
5% below category average
Pay calculation00 Ratings7.44 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors00 Ratings6.64 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings7.43 Ratings
Benefit plan administration00 Ratings7.14 Ratings
Direct deposit files00 Ratings7.14 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings7.43 Ratings
Reimbursement management00 Ratings7.63 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
MicroStation
-
Ratings
Revit
6.6
4 Ratings
14% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings6.64 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
MicroStation
-
Ratings
Revit
5.4
7 Ratings
41% below category average
Dashboards00 Ratings4.66 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings5.56 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings5.66 Ratings
Data exportability00 Ratings6.07 Ratings
Construction Project & Field Management
Comparison of Construction Project & Field Management features of Product A and Product B
MicroStation
-
Ratings
Revit
6.9
44 Ratings
7% below category average
Plan distribution & viewing00 Ratings8.442 Ratings
Plan markups & sharing00 Ratings5.837 Ratings
Issue tracking & punchlists00 Ratings7.027 Ratings
Photo documentation00 Ratings4.518 Ratings
Jobsite reports00 Ratings6.414 Ratings
Document sharing00 Ratings8.639 Ratings
RFI tools00 Ratings8.120 Ratings
Collaboration & approvals00 Ratings7.738 Ratings
As-built drawings00 Ratings7.642 Ratings
Mobile app00 Ratings3.816 Ratings
Submittal design and management00 Ratings7.519 Ratings
Checklists00 Ratings7.26 Ratings
Meeting Minutes00 Ratings6.75 Ratings
Specifications00 Ratings7.48 Ratings
Change orders00 Ratings7.47 Ratings
Estimating
Comparison of Estimating features of Product A and Product B
MicroStation
-
Ratings
Revit
7.6
31 Ratings
7% below category average
Takeoff tools00 Ratings8.431 Ratings
Job costing00 Ratings7.725 Ratings
Cost databases00 Ratings8.319 Ratings
Cost calculator00 Ratings6.420 Ratings
Bid creation00 Ratings7.514 Ratings
Best Alternatives
MicroStationRevit
Small Businesses
AutoCAD
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Score 8.7 out of 10
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FollowUp CRM
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
AutoCAD
AutoCAD
Score 8.7 out of 10
Procore
Procore
Score 8.6 out of 10
Enterprises
AutoCAD
AutoCAD
Score 8.7 out of 10
Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro
Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro
Score 8.5 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
MicroStationRevit
Likelihood to Recommend
7.2
(8 ratings)
8.5
(46 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
2.0
(1 ratings)
6.0
(2 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
7.0
(8 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
MicroStationRevit
Likelihood to Recommend
Bentley Systems
MicroStation is THE program to use for roadway and corridor modeling. Most departments of transportation and municipalities in my region require that the models be delivered in the dgn format, so it is MicroStation or bust. It is an absolute pain to use some of the add-in features though. Things that are easy in other programs like making smart tables that update with the latest information usually necessitate the use of Axiom or similar outside programs/add-ins. I design storm sewer systems, and it takes us 6 months to train up new hires on this software, because it is NOT intuitive. You need to know which buttons to press, since it is not designed to be easily command-based like AutoCAD Civil 3D.
Read full review
Autodesk
Revit is well suited for creating collaborative projects that are fully integrated into the design and construction document process. We work a lot with engineering firms who also use Revit and the program allows us to fully integrate and coordinate our models together to make sure that everything is correct. I can see where my electrical engineer has placed lighting into the model and same with my mechanical engineer and their HVAC equipment
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Pros
Bentley Systems
  • Plethora of design alternatives to choose from right from design to completed models
  • Detailed approach towards parametric, mesh and surface modelling
  • Well integrated modelling workflows
  • Intelligent parametric components with 2D and 3D designs
Read full review
Autodesk
  • 3D Models - It's kind of a no brainer, but the key benefit of Revit is its ability to model in 3D. It's a somewhat complex modeling environment, however, it's not impossible to learn and I have seen users from a range of abilities to effectively model content in Revit.
  • Schedules - 3D is great, but the ability to quantify your geometry is contains valuable data if modeled correctly. If you model how you will build it, Revit has the ability to give very accurate schedules which includes quantities, and any data you would like to incorporate into your model.
  • Industry Standard - Revit is the industry standard. With that being said, it really help to use software that is compatible with other agencies for collaborative model review.
Read full review
Cons
Bentley Systems
  • Some of the more complex models have had a few issues exporting.
  • We've struggled with external consultants using the custom Autocad engineering tools, and it plays nicely with MicroStation.
Read full review
Autodesk
  • There are often several ways to draw certain things, but the object will have different capabilities based on the way it is drawn. This can be confusing when trying to use the object.
  • The way objects are drawn is not always user-friendly. This program would be difficult for someone to figure out on their own without having any Autodesk background.
  • There should be a better way to track changes in the model. Often times the architect will not share a model during construction to avoid sending changes that aren't finalized or complete.
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Likelihood to Renew
Bentley Systems
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
We will almost certainly be renewing all of our current seats of Revit and will likely be adding seats as we look to get more and more of our staff trained and using Revit. The software is starting to become the standard for our projects as we move forward as more and more of our clients are requesting or accepting use of it
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Usability
Bentley Systems
MicroStation is very hard to use for our newest employees. It is not intuitive, and you need to know where to find the buttons to perform the commands you would like to perform instead of typing in the commands like other similar modeling programs. Also, it has no good traffic turning add-ins. We continue to run ALL our turning in Autoturn, since this is not a usable feature with MicroStation.
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Autodesk
It is a professional environment, but far from easy and overly complex in many places. The system is often too deep in settings and overrides (see Visibility/Graphics in combination with linked files, filters, color overrides and view templates). I don't really like the dialog-in-dialog interface and its spartan looks. But it works well overall if you know what you are doing.
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Reliability and Availability
Bentley Systems
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
Revit seems to always be available when I need it. I have not experiences an outage. There are occasions where we need our internal IT department to trouble shoot a file on our Revit dedicated server and that sometimes causes a delay however that is not a software access issue
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Performance
Bentley Systems
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
Revit is a fairly graphics heavy piece of software. It is powerful in its capabilities but as a result it takes a lot of the graphics card, the memory, etc. For all that it can do and the specs of my computer I find it pretty good from a performance standpoint
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Support Rating
Bentley Systems
We haven't had to use it for many years, so not able to comment.
Read full review
Autodesk
Autodesk has always had a good support system in place. There is a massive user base for Revit, and there are thousands of forum threads and other discussions online about any and every problem that you could ever run into. For being such a large program with so many different options, there aren't many roadblocks or pitfalls that users can fall into.
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In-Person Training
Bentley Systems
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
The training was Revit Essentials and it was very beneficial. I would say that it is best to get the training right before you know you will be using Revit as learning the basis then applying what you learned immediately is the most effective and best value for your money.
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Online Training
Bentley Systems
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
The online training is hit or miss. I feel that its better to be live to be able to pace and ask questions to a live person as you are learning hwo to do things. Its not natural to learn Revit especially if you know AutoCAD so my suggestion is the live training
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Implementation Rating
Bentley Systems
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
Implementing Revit as your main drafting software (i.e. moving to BIM from CAD) may be a tough decision if you have learned drafting. It is a different way to approach and think about developing a project. However, if you are able to adapt to a new way of thinking and get used to it by working through a few projects than it is as efficient as CAD in most areas in general and will also be both better/worse in some areas
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Alternatives Considered
Bentley Systems
The only general purpose CAD program that you can compare MicroStation with would be AutoCAD. MicroStation, in my opinion, is a superior product in every way but one. That one issue is that there are just more people who have and know how to use AutoCAD than there are ones who know MicroStation. This makes AutoCAD easier to get up and running for most firms.
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Autodesk
Revit like AutoCAD can produce both a 3d model & 2 dimensional drawings such as plans, elevations & sections which are required for any design project to be communicated on paper for construction. But unlike AutoCAD, Revit's focus is to build a 3d model that contain smart information for construction. So for Revit the 2 dimensional drawings becomes a byproduct. In addition to the required drawings needed on paper to communicate the design, Revit offers so much more information in the model for all engineering disciplines.
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Scalability
Bentley Systems
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
While I am not directly involved with the deployment of Revit, it seems that our internal IT department has appreciated the ability to increase or decrease the number of seats. I have never had an issue with the deployment if and when needed, especially regarding the availability of a set
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Return on Investment
Bentley Systems
  • MicroStation usage is primarily necessitated by our major client who also uses the program.
  • Without using MicroStation there would be many times where we would not be able to provide our clients with what they need.
  • Therefore, MicroStation has had an incredibly positive impact on the business I work for as its usage has continued to secure contracts.
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Autodesk
  • It's positive. It saves quite a bit of field time when used correctly, and lets us make sure we have proper room for all equipment and ductwork.
  • Helping minimize field 'thinking' time is an immediate add to the bottom line. 1 guy designing on the front side saves down time of 5-10 guys waiting in the field. Cost savings on labor is apparent.
  • Coordination time is also cut down, saving on office time. It's easy to spell out what your plan of attack is. All these savings directly add to bottom line profit by not expending labor.
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ScreenShots

MicroStation Screenshots

Screenshot of Take advantage of built-in support for 100+ common formats and data types for 2D and 3D raster and vector geometry and associated BIM information, including trusted RealDWGScreenshot of Supporting hundreds of coordinate systems and dozens of geospatial data types, users can reliably integrate existing data quickly and confidently.Screenshot of Produce better documentation, faster, with fully integrated 2D and 3D workflows, creating a single integrated model that allows you to view drawings and other model information directly immersed within the 3D modelScreenshot of You can ensure your design intent while speeding modeling with extremely powerful and flexible constraints and a range of solid, mesh, surface, and topological modeling toolsScreenshot of MicroStation's native support for an unmatched range of file formats and data types means you can leverage any data you have to speed drafting and modeling and decision-makingScreenshot of Turn your models into polished professional presentations to win stakeholder buy-in and speed approvals on your design projects.