OpenBuildings Designer
Pricing. Plans start at $3,844 a year. Some plans are tailored to your team. Reach out to the vendor for a quote. See full pricing · Updated November 2, 2026
OpenBuildings Designer is Bentley Systems multidiscipline BIM authoring software that combines architectural, mechanical, electrical, and structural modeling with energy simulation hooks, reality mesh context, and drawing production for building and transit projects.
OpenBuildings Designer gives architects and engineers a single MicroStation-class environment where disciplines share a coordinated 3D model instead of passing flat exports at every milestone. Parametric objects, drawing views, and visualization tools keep documentation tied to the same elements energy and simulation teams review.
Bentley's product page lists a starting price of US$3,844.00 for a 12-month Virtuoso subscription, with enterprise licensing available on request and free access for students and educators through Bentley Education. Perpetual licenses with SELECT maintenance remain part of Bentley's broader portfolio, but confirm bundles and tokens for your region on bentley.com.
OpenBuildings Speedikon is included with OpenBuildings Designer for German and European documentation workflows, but it requires a separate quick install. Bentley states Speedikon is not sold on its own. OpenBuildings Station Designer is marketed as a companion for rail and transit station design; Bentley's public OpenBuildings Designer pricing page does not list a separate Station Designer price.
Beyond core authoring, the stack can include energy simulation, GenerativeComponents optioneering, and reality mesh context for site-constrained projects.
Specifications
Pricing
Platforms
Used for
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Pros and cons
Pros
- Keeps multiple building disciplines inside one vendor stack with shared data rights
- Optional energy and generative modules reduce context switching during early design
- Reality mesh referencing helps site-constrained projects
- Speedikon package answers Central European code documentation expectations
Cons
- Hardware requirements climb quickly for large federations or point clouds
- Companion tools still need separate awareness of licensing bundles
- Learning curve mirrors deep Bentley platform conventions
- Pricing and SELECT maintenance paths require Bentley-specific procurement literacy
Key features
Multidiscipline BIM authoring: Model architecture plus mechanical, electrical, and structural systems inside one application workflow.
Energy Simulator integration: Run building performance studies without round-tripping through a separate neutral format for every iteration.
Reality mesh context: Reference captured site conditions behind design geometry for urban and retrofit projects.
GenerativeComponents: Explore parametric design options while keeping associative relationships intact.
Station Designer add-on: Target complex rail and transit facilities with specialized layout helpers.
OpenBuildings Speedikon bundle: Adds German-market documentation datasets when you install the regional package alongside Designer.
Pricing
Perpetual license with SELECT
Contact sales
Perpetual purchases include yearly SELECT maintenance for support and license pooling options; request a formal quote for capital accounting.
Virtuoso subscription (12-month)
per year (12 mo)
$3,844.00
US$3,844.00 starting price on Bentley's OpenBuildings Designer product page for a 12-month Virtuoso subscription. Confirm currency and bundles for your region on bentley.com.
Prices come from each vendor’s public listings and can change. Double-check the current price on the vendor site before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenBuildings Designer the same as MicroStation?
It shares Bentley's modeling platform heritage but packages building-specific disciplines, datasets, and vertical modules. You still interact with familiar DGN-style data but gain BIM-oriented toolsets tuned for architecture and MEP.
Does OpenBuildings Designer include energy analysis?
Marketing copy positions OpenBuildings Energy Simulator as an integrated module for evaluating efficiency scenarios. Validate solver assumptions against your local code authority and any third-party peer review requirements.
Can distributed teams collaborate in real time?
Product messaging describes a collaborative environment backed by a federated data model for simultaneous work. You still need project standards for worksets, sync intervals, and clash ownership, just like any other multi-office BIM deployment.
What PC hardware should we budget?
Official FAQs recommend 16 GB RAM minimum, 32 GB preferred, 24 GB free disk, and at least 512 MB video RAM. Increase specs when you add reality meshes, animation, or cloud rendering integrations.
How much does OpenBuildings Designer cost?
Bentley's OpenBuildings Designer product page shows a starting price of US$3,844.00 for a 12-month Virtuoso subscription. Enterprise and other licensing options are quoted through Bentley. Students and educators can access Bentley software free for academic use through Bentley Education.
Is OpenBuildings Speedikon sold separately?
No. Bentley says OpenBuildings Speedikon is included with OpenBuildings Designer and is not available for individual purchase. You run a separate quick install to add Speedikon after buying Designer.
What is OpenBuildings Station Designer?
OpenBuildings Station Designer is Bentley's companion offering for multidisciplinary BIM on rail, metro, and transit stations. Marketing on the OpenBuildings Designer site describes it alongside Designer, but Bentley does not publish a separate Station Designer dollar price on that public product page.
How is OpenBuildings licensed?
Bentley sells 12-month Virtuoso subscriptions through its eStore, perpetual licenses with SELECT maintenance, and enterprise agreements. The public starting point for Designer is US$3,844.00 per year on bentley.com; confirm currency, training keys, and renewal terms for your region.
What is OpenBuildings Speedikon?
Speedikon is Bentley's localized design and documentation bundle for Germany and neighboring markets, included with OpenBuildings Designer but installed separately. It emphasizes DIN and VOB-aligned drawings and detailing standards.
Tutorials and learning
Sources
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OpenBuildings Speedikon is Bentley BIM design and documentation for German and European building projects, with DIN and VOB-oriented
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