The Revit licence cost is oddly hard to look up, because Autodesk lists prices in US dollars while in Vietnam the software is sold through distributors and every one of them quotes a different figure.
This article gives the real range from distributor quotations issued in Vietnam in March 2026. It then explains every word in a quotation line, compares buying Revit alone against buying the whole collection, and sets out three legal ways to use Revit without paying that sum.
One thing to note before the figures: the licence is only about half the cost of a working BIM seat, the other half being a machine strong enough and a person who knows the software. Anyone weighing the investment should first look at the six Revit paths to see which branch they actually need.
This article does not recommend any distributor, and the figures below are rounded ranges with the issuing companies removed.
The range in Vietnam, March 2026
The Revit licence cost below comes from two different distributors, quoted at the same time, for the same licence type: commercial, single user, one-year subscription.
| Product | Per seat, per year |
|---|---|
| Revit on its own | about 50 to 55 million dong |
| AutoCAD with the specialised toolsets | about 40 million dong |
| AEC Collection, 10+ programs including Revit and AutoCAD | about 65 to 70 million dong |
The two distributors quoted the same Revit product within a few per cent of each other. That is a normal spread, and it tells you something useful: two or three quotations are enough to know whether you are being overcharged, without canvassing a dozen suppliers.
A few notes on the numbers:
- These are subscription prices. The licence expires after a year and has to be renewed. Autodesk stopped selling perpetual licences years ago.
- Software of this kind is not subject to value added tax in Vietnam, so the figure quoted is what you pay.
- The price excludes on-site deployment and installation if a company asks for it.
- A quotation is usually valid for about two weeks, because the exchange rate and the manufacturer's promotions both move.
Reading a quotation line
The line item is normally written in English and is easy to misread. Take a typical one: Revit 2026 Commercial New Single-user ELD Annual Subscription.
- Commercial. The version for making money, as opposed to Education for students and teaching staff, and Government. Using an Education licence for paid work breaches the terms even while the licence is still valid.
- New. A first purchase, as opposed to Renewal. On the manufacturer's list, an annual renewal often costs exactly the same as a new purchase; only the three-year renewal comes in slightly cheaper. Do not let a licence lapse, but do not expect renewal to be a saving either.
- Single-user. One account tied to one person, installable on up to three machines but usable by one person only. The alternative is Flex, a pack of usage days bought in advance, which suits someone who opens the software a few days a month.
- ELD. Electronic License Delivery, meaning the licence arrives by email with no disc or box.
- Annual Subscription. Billed yearly. Autodesk also sells monthly, which costs more per month, and three-yearly. On the list price a three-year term is usually exactly three times the annual one: what you gain is a price lock for three years, not a discount.
Understanding those five words is enough to check whether two quotations are actually for the same thing. A large price gap very often turns out to be one quoting New and the other Renewal.
Revit on its own, or the whole collection
Here is the arithmetic many firms skip. On the same quotation: Revit alone at about 55 million, AutoCAD with the toolsets at about 40 million, and the AEC Collection at about 65 to 70 million.
Buying Revit and AutoCAD separately comes to roughly 95 million dong. The AEC Collection costs about 65 to 70 million, around 40% less, and besides Revit and AutoCAD it also contains Civil 3D, Navisworks, 3ds Max, Robot Structural Analysis, Advance Steel, InfraWorks and several others.
Put another way: as soon as one person in the office needs a second Autodesk program, the collection is already better value than buying separately. Against Revit alone, the collection costs only about 20 to 25% more.
Buying Revit on its own still makes sense in one case: a firm doing purely architectural or structural work in Revit, never touching infrastructure CAD or visualisation, and certain it will need nothing else all year.
To work out which programs you will actually reach for, see the map of construction software and pick your Revit branch before you pick a licence.
What the AEC Collection contains
The list below follows the manufacturer's early-2026 publication. Autodesk adjusts it from year to year, so check the official included software page before buying.
| Type of work | Software in the collection |
|---|---|
| Modelling and documentation | Revit, AutoCAD with its seven specialised toolsets, Civil 3D, Advance Steel, FormIt Pro |
| Coordination and clash checking | Navisworks Manage, InfraWorks, ReCap Pro |
| Structural calculation and analysis | Robot Structural Analysis Professional, Structural Bridge Design, Insight |
| Visualisation | 3ds Max, Autodesk Rendering |
| Cloud common data environment | Forma Data Management (formerly Autodesk Docs), Autodesk Drive |
| Concept and site design | Forma Site Design (formerly Spacemaker) |
| Automation and specialist tools | Dynamo Studio, Fabrication CADmep, Vehicle Tracking |
To answer the question directly: yes, the AEC Collection includes Autodesk Forma, in two distinct forms. Forma Site Design is used at concept stage to study massing, orientation, views and noise. Forma Data Management is the cloud common data environment that replaced Autodesk Docs, used to issue drawings, record approvals and manage project issues.
For a firm preparing for projects where BIM is mandatory, Forma Data Management is the most significant item in the collection, because a common data environment is a required part of the submission. The concept is explained in what a common data environment is, and running one is covered in the BIM Manager course.
Why every supplier quotes something different
Four reasons, in order of how much they move the number.
The licence types are not the same. As above, New against Renewal, one year against three, Single-user against Flex all produce very different figures. This accounts for most large gaps.
Quantity. Buying several seats at once usually attracts a discount, and the discount tiers are set by the manufacturer rather than invented by the distributor.
Exchange rate and timing. The underlying price is in US dollars, converted on the payment date. A quotation this month and one next month differing is entirely normal.
Manufacturer promotions. Autodesk runs quarterly offers, and only authorised distributors can apply them.
What to do: get two or three quotations, insist that each states the same product line so the comparison is real, and ask outright what renewal will cost next year rather than only the first-year price.
Three legal ways to use Revit without a commercial licence
The education version, free. Students and teaching staff who register an Autodesk Education account use it free for a year, renewable while they are still studying. Registration and installation are covered in installing Revit free for students. The important limit: it is for study and research only, files carry an educational marker, and it may not be used for paid work.
The trial. Autodesk offers the full commercial version free for 30 days. That is enough for a firm to run a small pilot project before deciding, or for one person to judge whether they can keep up with it.
Flex. A pack of usage days bought in advance and drawn down on the days you actually open the software. It suits someone using Revit a few days a month, such as a site engineer who occasionally opens the model to look at it. For near-daily use, the annual subscription is cheaper.
Beyond these three, using a cracked copy is an offence. Since 15 February 2026, Decree 341/2025/ND-CP has replaced Decree 131/2013 on administrative penalties in the field of copyright, with maximum fines of 250 million dong for an individual and 500 million dong for an organisation.
For a company there are two further practical risks. First, a cracked copy receives no updates and often fails on files from partners. Second, many tenders now require proof of software licensing in the capability file, particularly on projects where BIM is mandatory under Decree 217/2026.
The licence is only part of the cost
When budgeting a BIM seat, the Revit licence cost usually accounts for about half. Three other items are regularly forgotten.
- A machine strong enough. Revit demands considerably more than AutoCAD, and a weak machine wastes hours of waiting every week.
- Training. This is what decides whether the licence produces any value at all. A Revit seat with nobody who can use it is an expensive AutoCAD seat.
- The transition period. Productivity dips for the first few months before it rises, because the team has to build libraries, templates and naming conventions.
That is why many firms buy licences and book training at the same time. The Institute delivers Revit and BIM training in-house using the company's own project files, or staff attend the open classes at the centre.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Revit licence still be bought outright?
No. Autodesk withdrew perpetual licences years ago, and now sells only monthly, yearly or three-yearly subscriptions. Perpetual licences still circulating are either old or not legitimate.
How many machines does one licence cover?
A single-user licence installs on up to three machines, but only one person may use it, and not on two machines at once. Two people sharing one account breaches the terms.
Is renewal cheaper than buying new?
Less than most people assume. On the list price an annual renewal costs the same as a new purchase, and only the three-year renewal is around 5% cheaper. Renew on time so you do not lose continuity, but do not treat it as a way to save money.
Does an education account keep working after graduation?
No. The education licence depends on being a student or teaching, and using it for paid work once that ends is a breach.
Does the AEC Collection include Autodesk Forma?
Yes. It contains both Forma Site Design for concept work and Forma Data Management, the part formerly called Autodesk Docs, used as the project's common data environment.
If I buy Revit, do I still need AutoCAD?
In Vietnamese practice, usually yes, because files exchanged with partners and two-dimensional details still run on DWG. If you need both, price the AEC Collection rather than buying separately, for the reason set out above.
Related articles
- What an AutoCAD licence costs, and which of the three versions you need
- Installing Revit free for students through Autodesk Education
- Revit: the complete guide to Autodesk's BIM software
- The map of construction software for newcomers
- In-house Revit and BIM training: the process and the cost
- BIM regulations in Vietnam: what is mandatory and when