3D Viewer by Chief Architect vs Builder Brigade
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
3D Viewer by Chief Architect
Explore 3D architectural models in virtual reality. Navigate through home designs with intuitive controls, experiencing them before construction. Ideal for professionals to share immersive project previews with clients.
- Virtual reality navigation
- Walk and fly through designs
- Exterior, room, and floor plan views
- Sojourn 3D navigation tools
- Gyro camera for free form viewing
- Background camera control
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3D Viewer – A virtual reality viewer for 3D models exported from Chief Architect software. Visualize and navigate home projects before they are built using the Sojourn 3D virtual reality navigation tools. Walk or Fly through designs and experience exterior, room, cross section, and floor plan views. To view models with 3D Viewer, export the original model with saved cameras from Chief Architect software to the cloud (provided by Chief Architect) and open the model using 3D Viewer. A great service if you are a professional builder/designer and want to share a virtual model with your clients. Sojourn 3D virtual reality navigation: -thumbsticks to move (fly) and rotate -gyro camera for free form viewing -background camera on / off -walk thru allowing you to physically walk -dynamic camera height while in fly mode -manual camera height adjustment
Builder Brigade
Organize your new home build from start to finish. This app helps homeowners track selections, explore features, and communicate with their builder. It provides essential tips and product information to ensure a smooth construction process.
- Organize home selections
- Explore home features
- Communicate with builders
- Access product information
- Get building tips
- Export selections
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The #1 App for Homeowners Building a New House Plan your dream home without missing a thing. Trusted by 30,000+ homeowners and over 1M followers, Builder Brigade helps you organize every selection, explore must-have features, and stay aligned with your builder from start to finish. - Preloaded with the Top 100 Home Products & 50 Game-Changing Tips - Checklist items include video/image examples + helpful links - Export your selections into a clean, shareable printout - Learn what to ask, what to avoid, and how to get the most out of your build It's like having a selections coordinator, project manager, and Pinterest board—all in one app. You'll walk into every meeting confident, informed, and never caught off guard. Website: builderbrigadetech.com Privacy Policy: builderbrigadetech.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use: builderbrigadetech.com/terms-of-use
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Builder Brigade at 89% against 3D Viewer by Chief Architect's 31%. Builder Brigade also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.7) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). 3D Viewer by Chief Architect's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (490 vs 33). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Builder Brigade sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. 3D Viewer by Chief Architect asks for nothing beyond the download.
Builder Brigade holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 3D Viewer by Chief Architect has 490 ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of 3D Viewer by Chief Architect's written reviews are positive against 89% of Builder Brigade's.
3D Viewer by Chief Architect ships an update every 4 months, Builder Brigade every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | 3D Viewer by Chief Architect | Builder Brigade |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (490 ratings) | 4.8 (33 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 31.1% of reviews | 88.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 490 — better | 33 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 152 MB | 517 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Chief Architect | Builder Brigade Tech, Inc. |
Customer experience
3D Viewer by Chief Architect
Builder Brigade
Bugs and requests
3D Viewer by Chief Architect
Reported bugs
3 issues- Cannot open zipped files
- Difficult to import models from Dropbox/OneDrive
- VR mode spins around uncontrollably
Requested features
8 requests- Support for OneDrive
- AR in full scale
- Ability to make handwritten/design notes on the model
- Markup and add text comments
- Floor plan view that mimics desktop, control layers, see notes
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- Saved walkthroughs
- 2D plans and 3D model viewing
- Ability to isolate and view single floors
Builder Brigade
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
3D Viewer by Chief Architect
No in-app purchases
Builder Brigade
- Monthly Subscription$14.991 Month
- Annual Subscription$146.991 Year
Questions
Is 3D Viewer by Chief Architect free?
Is Builder Brigade free?
Which has better reviews, 3D Viewer by Chief Architect or Builder Brigade?
Do 3D Viewer by Chief Architect or Builder Brigade have ads?
Which is updated more often, 3D Viewer by Chief Architect or Builder Brigade?
Other comparisons
