FME by Safe Software
FME by Safe Software is a data integration platform with FME Form for no-code ETL authoring, FME Flow for automation, and native readers for BIM formats including IFC and Revit across desktop and server deployments.
BIM and GIS teams constantly move models between Revit, IFC, databases, and cloud buckets, often with one-off scripts that break on the next release. FME treats every format as a first-class citizen in visual workspaces you can deploy to schedulers, APIs, or augmented-reality viewers through FME Realize.
FME Form is the authoring environment where transformers map attributes, geometry, and coordinate systems without writing code, though Python and custom formats extend it. FME Flow runs those jobs on a schedule, reacts to events, and exposes low-code web apps. Safe positions the engine as all-data and any-AI, with AI Assist in Form and hooks for external models in Flow automations.
Pricing is quote-based. Safe publishes no public seat list on fme.safe.com/pricing; instead it emphasizes tailored subscriptions, unlimited web users on Flow, and student grants for four-month FME Form licenses. Annual maintenance bundles updates and support for perpetual customers after year one.
Specifications
Pricing
Platforms
Used for
Used by
Tasks
Pros and cons
Pros
- Mature Revit and IFC support without custom Revit API code
- Same workspaces run on Windows, Linux, and Mac engines
- Flow scales batch conversions for enterprise BIM pipelines
- Large community library on FME Hub for reusable transformers
Cons
- No self-serve public pricing; sales conversation required
- Complex workspaces need experienced FME developers to maintain
- Revit writing is template-based with limits on rich BIM parameters
- Server licensing separate from desktop Form seats
Key features
FME Form visual workspaces with breakpoints, caching, and AI Assist authoring help
FME Flow automations, real-time events, and no-code web apps
REVITNATIVE reader and writer for .rvt and .rte from Revit 2015 through 2026
IFC_API reader and writer for IFC2x3 through IFC4x3 validated outputs
Hundreds of additional CAD, GIS, raster, and cloud formats in the format list
FME Realize AR workflows on iOS tied to Flow data
Student and humanitarian grant licenses documented on the pricing page
Pricing
FME Platform subscription
Contact sales
Quote-only via Safe Software or partners; includes Form and/or Flow components per agreement.
Student FME Form grant
4-month term
Contact sales
Four-month FME Form license for qualifying students per pricing page grant section.
Frequently asked questions
How much does FME cost?
Safe Software does not list dollar amounts on its public pricing page. FME is sold through tailored subscriptions covering Form, Flow, and maintenance. Contact Safe or a partner for a quote. Students can apply for a free four-month FME Form license through the grant program described on fme.safe.com/pricing.
Can FME read and write Revit RVT files?
Yes. The REVITNATIVE format reads and writes .rvt and .rte project and template files for supported Revit versions 2015 to 2026 per Safe documentation. The writer maps fme_surface features into generic models using a provided template.
Which IFC schemas does FME support?
The IFC_API reader accepts IFC2x through IFC4x4 family schemas. The writer produces validated IFC4 or IFC4x3 files and requires ifc_element_type attributes on features. Legacy IFC readers were deprecated in FME 2025.0 in favor of IFC_API.
Does FME run on Linux for headless BIM jobs?
Safe documents native FME Form and Flow engines on Windows, Linux, and macOS, including Intel and ARM on supported builds. Flow Hosted offers cloud deployment when you do not want on-prem servers.
What is the difference between FME Form and FME Flow?
FME Form is where you build and debug workspaces on the desktop. FME Flow executes those workspaces on a server with scheduling, APIs, automations, and web apps. Most BIM teams author in Form and schedule heavy translations in Flow.
FME vs custom Revit Dynamo scripts for exports?
Dynamo excels inside Revit for project-specific logic tied to open models. FME excels at repeatable batch conversions between Revit, IFC, GIS, and databases with logging and scheduling. Teams often use Dynamo for in-model fixes and FME for nightly federation pipelines.
Who uses FME in AEC and geospatial?
Safe cites airports, utilities, and government users moving CAD, BIM, and GIS data. BIM managers adopt FME for IFC QA, property set normalization, and pushing model subsets to asset systems without hand-editing each file.
Tutorials and learning
Sources
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