Software, Tools & Platforms

BIM 360

Autodesk's earlier cloud construction platform, now being retired in favor of ACC.

Quick Answer

BIM 360 is a cloud-based construction management platform made by Autodesk for document management, design coordination, and field workflows. It has been superseded by Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC): Autodesk is retiring BIM 360, closing it to new customers and migrating users to ACC. For new projects, ACC is the current platform, and BIM 360 remains only for legacy work.

The Full Picture

BIM 360 exists in the history of Autodesk's construction tools as the platform that brought its document management, coordination, and field capabilities to the cloud. It was organized into modules — BIM 360 Docs, Design, Coordinate, Build, and others — covering document control, model coordination, and field execution for design and construction teams.

Mechanically, BIM 360 centralized drawings and models in the cloud and layered coordination and field tools on top, letting distributed teams work from a shared set. It was widely adopted by firms using Autodesk design software, since Revit models and sheets flowed into it, making it a common backbone for BIM-centric project delivery.

The important fact today is that BIM 360 is legacy. Autodesk rebuilt and expanded it into Autodesk Construction Cloud around 2021, and has been phasing BIM 360 out — new customers are directed to ACC, and Autodesk has published timelines for winding down BIM 360 access and renewals. Its capabilities now live in ACC products like Docs, Build, and BIM Collaborate.

BIM 360 sits at the same layer ACC now occupies — cloud document management and coordination — but as the predecessor. Understanding BIM 360 mostly means recognizing what migrated into ACC and knowing that references to BIM 360 in older documentation or projects point to a platform being retired.

Real Examples

→Legacy document control: A firm that standardized on BIM 360 Docs years ago still manages some in-flight projects there while starting all new work in ACC.
→Model coordination: Teams used BIM 360 Coordinate to aggregate and clash-check discipline models in the cloud, a capability now delivered through ACC's BIM Collaborate.
→Migration to ACC: As Autodesk winds BIM 360 down, a contractor moves active projects and data into Autodesk Construction Cloud to keep support and new features.

Common Misconceptions

People assume: BIM 360 is a current, actively developed Autodesk product.

Actually: BIM 360 is being retired. Autodesk superseded it with Autodesk Construction Cloud, closed BIM 360 to new customers, and published end-of-access timelines. New development goes into ACC, so BIM 360 is legacy rather than a current choice.

People assume: BIM 360 and ACC are two different platforms to choose between.

Actually: ACC is BIM 360's successor, not a parallel option. BIM 360's capabilities were rebuilt and expanded into ACC products, so the practical choice for any new project is ACC; BIM 360 only persists for projects already running on it.

Does MeltPlan Solve This?

Partially — adjacent

MeltPlan is a preconstruction AI platform, not a document management platform, so it doesn't replace BIM 360 or its successor ACC. They're complementary: the drawings and specs teams store in BIM 360 (or ACC) Docs are exactly what MeltPlan reviews during precon to flag missing requirements, revision changes, and coordination issues, and to generate takeoffs. The platform manages the documents; MeltPlan interprets their content.

Add AI review to your stored drawing sets →

Frequently Asked Questions

Who makes BIM 360?

Autodesk makes BIM 360. It was Autodesk's cloud construction management platform prior to Autodesk Construction Cloud, offered in modules such as Docs, Design, Coordinate, and Build.

What is BIM 360 used for?

It was used for cloud document management, design and model coordination, and field workflows on construction projects. Those capabilities now live in Autodesk Construction Cloud, so new projects use ACC while BIM 360 serves only legacy work.

Is BIM 360 free?

No. BIM 360 was a paid Autodesk subscription. It is also now closed to new customers, so teams needing this capability subscribe to Autodesk Construction Cloud instead.

What's the difference between BIM 360 and Autodesk Construction Cloud?

Autodesk Construction Cloud is the successor to BIM 360 — a rebuilt, more unified platform with expanded products. Autodesk is retiring BIM 360 and migrating users to ACC, so ACC is current and BIM 360 is legacy.

Related Terms

Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC)Autodesk's connected platform linking design, preconstruction, and construction on a shared data core.Autodesk BuildThe field and project management product inside Autodesk Construction Cloud.PlanGridA field-first app for viewing and marking up construction drawings on mobile devices.Autodesk RevitBIM authoring software for designing buildings as intelligent, data-rich 3D models.Autodesk Navisworks3D review software that federates discipline models to find clashes before they hit the field.ProcoreA cloud platform that centralizes drawings, documents, and workflows across a construction project.BIM CoordinationCombining discipline models and resolving conflicts in 3D before they hit the field.

More Software, Tools & Platforms Terms

Sources

  1. Autodesk — BIM 360
  2. Construction Dive — Construction technology coverage
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