Market report
Explore architects’ BIM workflows
Explore the Q4 2025 architectural report on BIM and new digital tools. Research into adoption, behaviour and support needs provides context for software and product suppliers assessing how architects work and where their digital propositions could fit.
Blogs I published 04 October 2021 I updated 13 November 2026 I Dirk Hoogenboom
Market Overview Of BIM And CAD Software Usage Of European Architects
The Q4 2025 European Architectural Barometer provides a new picture of BIM-related software use among architects. Published in February 2026, it shows substantial differences between national markets. The BIM results below describe architects who already use BIM; the CAD findings later in this article remain a historical Q2 2021 snapshot.
BIM software usage in Q4 2025: the country picture
Autodesk Revit and Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD are the most widely reported BIM-related software solutions in the report, but their usage differs substantially by country. Among surveyed BIM users, Revit was reported by 74% in the United Kingdom, while ArchiCAD was reported by 61% in France and 51% in Germany.
| Country | Revit | ArchiCAD | Allplan | Vectorworks | BIM users (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 46% | 40% | 0% | 24% | 49 |
| France | 35% | 61% | 6% | 0% | 71 |
| Germany | 15% | 51% | 19% | 5% | 59 |
| Italy | 50% | 33% | 7% | 2% | 58 |
| Netherlands | 54% | 41% | 0% | 4% | 78 |
| Poland | 38% | 43% | 4% | 0% | 53 |
| Spain | 31% | 34% | 14% | 11% | 62 |
| United Kingdom | 74% | 24% | 0% | 5% | 62 |
The table answers “Which BIM-related software do you use?” It does not measure general CAD use or the percentage of all architects using each product. Respondents may use more than one solution, so the columns should not be added to calculate an exclusive vendor market share.
The research covers architectural firms with at least two full-time-equivalent employees working in housing or non-residential construction. The table presents the eight countries shown in this edition. It uses country results rather than the report’s wider pooled software total, whose base also includes Sweden and Denmark.
Historical context: the Q2 2021 BIM and CAD survey
Along with this trend of digitalisation, the demand for BIM and CAD software grew, which led software developers and suppliers to focus more on the world of construction or even become BIM and CAD specialists. Given that architects are the main users of these types of software, we included them in USP Marketing Consultancy’s Q2 2021 European Architectural Barometer and asked Architects from eight European countries which BIM and CAD software they use the most.
Software leaders reported in the 2021 survey
Looking at the usage of BIM software and CAD software, the Q2 2021 overview identified Autodesk and Graphisoft as leading suppliers. It reported 45% for Autodesk Revit in the BIM-software question and 47% for Autodesk AutoCAD in the CAD-software question. The runner-up was Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD, reported by about one-third in the BIM-software question and about a quarter in the CAD-software question. These historical figures should not be treated as a like-for-like trend comparison with the Q4 2025 BIM-user table above.
45%
Revit in the 2021 BIM-software question
47%
AutoCAD in the 2021 CAD-software question
The prominence of these suppliers does not mean other players do not stand a chance, however. Europe is a large market, and area-related preferences can lead to a picture that differs vastly from the average, as becomes clear when zooming in on specific countries.
Major country differences: the historical German example
In the Q2 2021 results for Germany, Autodesk’s software was reported as CAD software by just over a third of architects, and Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD by just under a third. The original overview also reported 34% for Nemetschek group and Allplan software for CAD purposes. These are the historical CAD findings; the Q4 2025 report does not provide an updated general-CAD table.
The latest BIM-user results show why country-specific information still matters. In Germany, ArchiCAD was reported by 51% of BIM users, Allplan by 19%, Revit by 15% and Vectorworks by 5%. These software-use percentages have a different base from the share of architectural firms that use BIM at all.
Major opportunities for software developers
Combined with other market information like usage shares, country-specific information can be the key to success for software developers who target architects and even the construction sector as a whole. The 2021 overview reported that 95% of German architects used CAD software and 37% used BIM. It also presented an expected BIM-adoption share of 59% for 2025. The observed Q4 2025 result was 47%, so that earlier expectation should no longer be presented as the current outlook.
Fig. 1: Historical CAD usage and BIM adoption among German architects. CAD and BIM are separate measures. Sources: European Architectural Barometer, Q2 2021; Q4 2025, pp. 54–55 (German 2025 base n=125).
To find out more about BIM adoption, software use and digital workflows among architects in the eight markets shown here, explore the Q4 2025 European Architectural Barometer on BIM and new digital tools. The Q2 2021 findings above remain historical context for CAD usage.
Tailored market research
Understand the architects behind your software opportunity
Software preferences and BIM needs vary between architectural markets. USP can help you investigate the competitive environment, identify promising user groups and test propositions that fit the way architects design and coordinate their projects.
Market Exploration Research
Examine the local BIM and CAD ecosystem, including competing offers and adoption barriers, before choosing where to expand your software proposition.
Market Segmentation Research
Identify architect groups by digital maturity, project requirements and workflow needs to avoid treating all software users as a single audience.
Product Development Research
Test software features, integrations or digital product information with architects to understand usability, value and unmet needs before setting development priorities.
