ideCAD One AEC
ideCAD One AEC is a Windows-based integrated BIM suite for architects and structural engineers that keeps architectural modeling, structural analysis, member design, and steel or concrete detailing in one shared building model instead of round-tripping through separate siloed tools.
Most offices still juggle an architectural model, an analysis copy, and yet another set of sheets for shop details. The vendor pitches ideCAD One AEC as the opposite: one download where walls, slabs, frames, and connections stay tied to the same database as your calculations and drawings, so a column resize in plan can flow to the analysis mesh and the detail sheets without manual re-linking.
The vendor splits capabilities into ideCAD Architectural and ideCAD Structural modules, then bundles both in ideCAD One AEC for teams that want the full stack. Public materials emphasize finite element analysis for lateral systems, code-based concrete and steel member checks, automated connection design, rebar and steel fabrication drawings, and industrial framing templates alongside conventional architectural massing, interiors, and construction document layouts (ideCAD, 2026).
Licensing is explicit on the official comparison page: a no-time-limit trial is free, perpetual purchase prices are listed in US dollars for each edition, optional yearly maintenance renews updates, and three-year subscription bundles include support for that term (ideCAD compare-products, 2026). That clarity matters for finance departments comparing capitalized perpetual seats against subscription cash flow in multi-year budgets.
Specifications
Pricing
Platforms
Used for
Used by
Tasks
Pros and cons
Pros
- Published USD price table on idecad.com/compare-products/ covers trial, perpetual, maintenance, and three-year subscription options without a hidden quote gate.
- Deep feature matrix on the same page lists IFC coordination plus many international structural codes in one view for due diligence.
- One-vendor stack can reduce handoffs between architecture and structural groups when everyone accepts the same host application.
Cons
- Windows-centric deployment; firms standardized on macOS-only design hardware need a different path or virtualization.
- Perpetual seats for the full One AEC bundle list at a high one-time dollar amount, so smaller studios must weigh subscription or lighter bundles.
- Switching from another BIM host still means migration, template rebuild, and training even when interoperability bridges exist.
Key features
Single-model workflow: Architectural and structural data live in one integrated BIM environment rather than separate authoring and analysis files.
Structural analysis: Automated analytical model generation, shell elements for shear walls, staged construction, seismic and wind workflows, and multiple international design codes listed on the vendor comparison matrix.
Member design and detailing: Reinforced concrete and structural steel design, connection design, rebar layouts, steel fabrication drawings, and clash checks aimed at fabrication-ready deliverables.
Interoperability: Official documentation highlights IFC import and export, DXF and DWG exchange, and links to common structural analysis exchange formats for coordination outside the suite.
Pricing
ideCAD Architectural trial
Contact sales
Vendor lists no-time-limit trial as free on idecad.com/compare-products/; verify before download.
ideCAD Structural trial
Contact sales
Vendor lists no-time-limit trial as free on idecad.com/compare-products/.
ideCAD One AEC trial
Contact sales
Vendor lists no-time-limit trial as free on idecad.com/compare-products/.
Perpetual maintenance (Architectural, yearly)
per year
$912.00
Technical support, updates, and fixes for perpetual license; from idecad.com/compare-products/.
Three-year subscription (Architectural)
36-month term
$985.00
Includes support and updates per vendor table on idecad.com/compare-products/.
Perpetual maintenance (Structural, yearly)
per year
$1,710.00
From idecad.com/compare-products/.
Perpetual maintenance (One AEC, yearly)
per year
$1,980.00
From idecad.com/compare-products/.
ideCAD Architectural perpetual
$2,735.00
One-time perpetual price from idecad.com/compare-products/; confirm on vendor checkout.
Three-year subscription (Structural)
36-month term
$3,180.00
Includes support and updates per vendor table on idecad.com/compare-products/.
Three-year subscription (One AEC)
36-month term
$3,800.00
Includes support and updates per vendor table on idecad.com/compare-products/.
ideCAD Structural perpetual
$8,845.00
One-time perpetual price from idecad.com/compare-products/.
ideCAD One AEC perpetual
$9,900.00
One-time perpetual price from idecad.com/compare-products/.
Frequently asked questions
How much does ideCAD One AEC cost in US dollars?
On idecad.com/compare-products/, ideCAD lists a perpetual lifetime license for ideCAD One AEC at $9,900, optional yearly technical support and updates for that perpetual seat at $1,980, and a three-year subscription that includes support and updates at $3,800. ideCAD Architectural lists at $2,735 perpetual with $912 yearly maintenance or $985 for three years including support; ideCAD Structural lists at $8,845 perpetual with $1,710 yearly maintenance or $3,180 for three years. Confirm currency and tax on the live checkout because the vendor can adjust regions.
Is there a free trial for ideCAD?
The same comparison page labels a trial license with no time limit as free for ideCAD Architectural, ideCAD Structural, and ideCAD One AEC. idecad.com/try-buy/ invites users to download ideCAD V11 trial builds, so you can validate hardware performance and modeling habits before purchasing.
Does ideCAD run on Mac or Linux?
Marketing and download flows present ideCAD as a Windows desktop application distributed through an installer executable. macOS and Linux users would need a supported Windows environment such as a dedicated PC or compliant virtualization; always verify current system requirements on the download page before rollout.
Does ideCAD support IFC and CAD exchange?
The public feature matrix states coordination with other disciplines using IFC import and export, import of 2D or 3D DXF with conversion to intelligent structural members, publishing detail drawings to DXF and DWG, and exports to formats such as Tekla .dmp, Sap2000 .s2k, and 3DS. Treat every exchange as a test project because third-party schema versions still vary by release.
What structural workflows does ideCAD Structural cover?
Vendor pages describe finite element analysis for gravity and lateral loads, modal response spectrum workflows, performance-based design tooling, grouped member design, foundations, punching shear checks, automated steel connection modeling, concrete and steel member design to listed codes, and automated reinforcement or steel shop drawing production. That scope targets engineers who would otherwise chain separate analysis, design, and detailing products.
Who should choose ideCAD One AEC instead of separate architecture and structural packages?
ideCAD markets the suite to architects, structural engineers, detailers, and contractors who want a shared data environment from early design through fabrication documents. Teams that already standardized on another combined platform should benchmark import fidelity, code coverage for their region, and training cost; teams frustrated by manual sync between architectural BIM and structural silos are the natural fit.