Frequently asked questions
Is Bimly really free?
Yes. The Free plan gives you the full toolkit — modeling (walls, slabs, columns, beams, roofs, stairs, grids), property editing, the IFC viewer, validation, issues, share links, and IFC 4.3 export. The paid tier (Pro) only adds raised team-size limits, an ad-free experience, and the upcoming AI assist.
Is Bimly just an IFC viewer?
No. Bimly is a browser-based BIM authoring + review tool. You can open existing IFCs and inspect them, but you can also draw a building from scratch in plan view (walls, slabs, columns, beams, roofs, stairs, openings, grids), edit properties, validate, and export IFC 4.3. The viewer is one part of a full round-trip workflow.
Can I create an IFC from scratch in Bimly?
Yes. Plan view has drawing tools for walls (with openings), slabs (polygon), columns (rectangular / circular / H-section), beams, roofs, stairs, and structural grids. Every operation goes through the same Operation pipeline that powers Undo/Redo, so editing is reversible. When you're ready, export the model as IFC 4.3 and continue in Revit / ArchiCAD if you want.
What IFC versions are supported?
Import accepts IFC 2x3 and IFC 4.3. Export writes IFC 4.3 (walls, slabs, columns, beams, openings with doors / windows, roofs, stairs, spaces, grids).
Can I round-trip with Revit / ArchiCAD?
Yes. Bimly reads and writes IFC, so the typical flow is: export from your authoring tool → import into Bimly for review or quick edits → export back to IFC 4.3 → re-import on the other side. The geometry coverage is the Tier-1 architectural set listed above.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Bimly runs entirely in your browser. Any modern browser with WebGL 2 (Chrome, Edge, Safari 15+, Firefox) works, including iPad and Chromebook.
Is my model private?
Yes. Only your workspace members and anyone you hand a share link to can access a project. We don't sell your data and don't feed it to third-party AI models.
How do share links work?
An admin mints a link tied to the project (or a saved viewpoint). Anyone with the URL can open a read-only view without signing up. You can revoke a link anytime.
What happens to my data when I delete my workspace?
It's removed from our primary database within 30 days, and backups age out on the same schedule.
Can I use Bimly for production projects?
The service is in open beta. Features work, but stability and data durability guarantees aren't on an SLA yet. We recommend keeping a copy of your source IFCs outside Bimly during the beta period.
Where is Bimly hosted?
On Xserver VPS in Japan. Some ancillary services (analytics, email delivery, AI — when enabled) process data in other regions.
How do I get help?
Use the contact form at /en/support/. We read every message during the beta.