Archicad is terrible but it's still not as bad as sketchup. Don't waste your time with either and learn to use Revit efficiently.

Here is a link to a list of a good comparison: http://www.shoegnome.com/2013/03/05/someones-comparing-archicad-to-revit-and-you-should-pay-attention/

Having experience with both, I think it is exactly what I would say about both of them.  I like different aspects of both.  If you know one, it should be easy to get acclimated to the other (as I did).  If I had to pick one right at the moment for starting my own practice, I would lean towards Revit.  

ArchiCAD was conceived in the early 80's and has been continuously developed by architects for architects since 1984. It is a highly sophisticated and comprehensive architectural design solution for projects of any type, size, and complexity. This is merely the 1st of many differences between Revit and ArchiCAD. Revit started in the late 90's and is not nearly as advanced or compatible with other file formats, including and most importantly, DWG and PDF. More on this later. Graphisoft introduced the "Virtual Building" concept in 1987 and ArchiCAD is recognized as the first design software on a personal computer able to create both 2D drawings and parametric 3D geometry along with visualization. This is commonly referred to as Building Information Modeling (BIM), which is more or less a marketing term coined by an Autodesk employee or associate. ArchiCAD's extensive development means it is translated into 17 languages and adheres to 26 national standards in more than 100 countries. Although ArchiCAD does not have market share in the U.S., ArchiCAD is a market leader or on par with Autodesk in many countries throughout Europe, Asia, Scandinavia, Australia, South America, and more. Revit was purchased by Autodesk, a U.S. company, and sold throughout a vast and established reseller network, this is the only reason why it is more popular in the U.S. In the last 10 years, Graphisoft, the developers of ArchiCAD, have been growing their user base significantly in the U.S., faster than any other country on the planet according to several of their employees. Contrary to some people's perception, ArchiCAD is used on virtually all types of projects - residential, renovations, industrial, mixed-use, commercial projects of any size and scope. ArchiCAD is used by over 200,000 sole practitioners, small firms, medium sized firms, and large firms with 200+ or more users. The ArchiCAD user community in the U.S. is unique as they consider ArchiCAD to be their secret weapon and enjoy differentiating themselves (and their work) from the Autodesk pack. Revit is a Cadillac, ArchiCAD is a Ferarri.

Relative to BIM and technology, ArchiCAD covers 4 key areas: Model Authoring, Project Documentation, Data Management, and Data Access. ArchiCAD can be used from concept to completion, virtually everything an architect needs is integrated in the software and therefore many other programs are not needed. This is another primary difference between ArchiCAD and Revit. ArchiCAD's UI, work environment, libraries, and templates are fully customizable to suit your specific project needs, standards, etc. and I'm not sure how Revit handles customization these days, likely there have been significant improvements. ArchiCAD is the only BIM solution today that can be run natively on both Windows and MAC operating systems in the same office with no workarounds, partitioning, delays, or disruption to workflow, data, etc. Ask a Revit user about MAC.

As previously mentioned, ArchiCAD is highly compatible with other file formats; interoperability with DWG, DXF, and PDF is advanced due to many years of development and the flexibility of the language/code ArchiCAD is built on. ArchiCAD can open DWG's directly as drawings or layouts, import using drag and drop, open as projects or library parts, show/hide layers, merge with the project file, add as XREF’s, import blocks, and open with i-drop. ArchiCAD supports 40+ other 2D and 3D file and image formats – DWF, DGN, JPEG, TIFF, etc. Relative to PDF, ArchiCAD will import, export, print, explode, and even edit PDF's - graphics and text. Ask a Revit user how it handles DWG and PDF. Interoperability with other formats is very important and ArchiCAD is compatible with Revit itself using the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) open file format/standard which can be found at the Building Smart Alliance's website. OpenBIM is the future as we live in a global economy, interoperability and collaboration are the 2 most important components of BIM.

Relative to tools, features and functionality, there are many that ArchiCAD has that Revit either does not have or has something similar yet not as powerful or fully developed as Revit development started in 1999 (1st release in 2000) and was purchased by Autodesk in 2002. Some of these features are the Morph Tool for conceptual design (SketchUP like but far more powerful), Renovation Tool, Shell Tool, Marquee Tool, Magic Wand, Priority Based Connections, Intelligent Building Materials, EcoDesigner for integrated energy analysis and reporting, and Trace Reference. These are just a few. Other integrated/included technology in ArchiCAD includes smart modeling constraints and Cinerender (Cinema 4D) for easy (pre-set) or advanced photo-realistic rendering and animation. Revision Management allows you to manage revisions in your issued CD's, track changes automatically, define and control changes, and address issues throughout the entire timeline of the project.

One of the most significant advantages of BIM and one of the most realized benefits today is the ability to perform clash detection. Native Revit clash detection can be difficult to perform and there are basic drawbacks such as the inability to link different models. Navisworks is needed which is a rather expensive program, $7000 or so? Navisworks is an excellent program, primarily used by large contractors, and comes with extensive reporting, management, filters, and other capabilities, all of which can be cumbersome depending on the complexity of the project, requirements, etc. ArchiCAD has an MEP Modeler add-on  which allows native clash detection in ArchiCAD, reporting, and most importantly the ability to instantly edit the model as you see issues with the MEP systems. Continual back and forth import/export between different programs is avoided as this can be very time-consuming, require extensive management, communications, etc.

ArchiCAD handles large file sizes and complex models very efficiently as they've developed technology specifically for this with IT solutions partners: Multiple Core processing, CPU Optimization, Open GDL, and Background Processing all greatly enhance the generation, navigation, and display of extra-large, complex models with details that are clear, fast, and scalable. BIM Server/Teamwork is a sophisticated pairing of technology included FREE with ArchiCAD and allows for project collaboration and communication with instant messaging capability. This functionality supports multiple users concurrently with an integrated IM capability allowing for instant collaboration. Any computer can host the BIM Server, it does not require expensive IT equipment or knowledge. You can connect to the BIM Server project via the web which enables team members to work anywhere in the world on the same project. With Teamwork you can assign specific roles with pre-defined access rights that specify what a user is allowed to do in the project file - which kinds of elements the user can create, which kinds of modifications he or she can carry out, etc. For each Teamwork project, you first share a project then define users and roles globally, there is no need to do this separately for each project. BIM Server/Teamwork automatically tracks all changes to the project file and only the changes are sent over your network or the internet. This dramatically reduces the file sizes that travel across networks thus reducing or eliminating extensive download and upload times.

Finally and perhaps the most significant difference between Revit and ArchiCAD is BIMx/BIMx Docs which is new technology for interactive walk-through presentations on all desktops, laptops, and mobile devices, regardless of OS. This is something very specific that Revit is not capable of. Autodesk has a version of this as part of their 360 product offering but it is not nearly as sophisticated or user friendly as BIMx. Words can't do BIMx much justice as it is a classic case of must be seen, actually experienced, to be believed and so I will try my best. BIMx is a compelling and efficient way to present, share, and communicate designs with clients, consultants, and contractors. The free BIMx viewer allows the user to navigate within the BIM model on all computers and mobile devices, regardless of experience with BIM or design software. This technology enables savings on printing costs as BIMx users can access the entire project documentation set digitally as the CD set can be integrated within the 3D BIM model in ArchiCAD and thus viewable with BIMx. The CD's are displayed within the context of the model to ensure the best understanding of plans, elevations, sections, and details, all of which can be instantly viewed and interchanged during the 3D Model navigation. BIMx is directly responsible for winning projects and once customers and contractors use it they are enthralled and ask for it by name.

Those who say Revit is better NEVER back up their statements, they simply say this because they use Revit and know nothing about ArchiCAD. Don't listen to the thousands of Revit modeling monkeys, do your research and you will see that ArchiCAD is a superior solution.

^Nice first post, good choice to spam.

I learned ArchiCAD before Revit and will never use it. It's terrible.

I have no idea what you mean by your 1st sentence and your 2nd sentence confirms what I noted, Revit users are generally incapable of backing up their statements. Simplistic comments such as Revit is better, I won't use it, I don't like it, it's not good. You have to come up with some sort of intelligent thought, this isn't grammar school.

You can download trial versions and compare for yourself. Revit is used more in the US. Archicad is used more in Europe.

I am a small firm owner. I went with Archicad and am glad that I did.

I'll second everything Kent (I'm assuming it is you?) said in his post. We use ArchiCAD in our office, and while we haven't used it to its fullest BIM extent yet, we are moving that way. I've been playing with different processes lately in the program, and there is some powerful tools in it. I like it more than I like Revit at this point.

*are. I blame my iPhone for that.

We have been on ArchiCAD for four years, and we love it.   It is every bit a Revit equivalent, as far as I can tell.  We have been very satisfied with the software. 

I use Revit (and CAD).

I know of a local firm that uses ArchiCAD, likes it, and plans to continue with it.  Obviously, it's a good usable program or no one would purchase it year after year.

That said, if I were going to learn ArchiCAD or REVIT, I'd learn Revit -- far more firms use REVIT.  

REVIT has almost 50 percent market share, while ArchiCAD is something like 15%.

Programs are just tools.  Without some other compelling dog in the fight, you should probably stay current with the prevalent standards of the industry -- right now, for better or worse, that means REVIT.............( much to the dismay of Autodesk haters  :-)......)