Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SierraSoft Hydro VS ActCAD

Compare SierraSoft Hydro VS ActCAD and see what are their differences

SierraSoft Hydro logo SierraSoft Hydro

BIM software for hydraulic design

ActCAD logo ActCAD

ActCAD is one Software for many applications covering the primary domains of โ€“ Architecture, Engineering, Construction (AEC) including Structural, Electrical, and Mechanical.
  • SierraSoft Hydro Hydraulic BIM design of a pipe
    Hydraulic BIM design of a pipe //
    2025-08-28
  • SierraSoft Hydro Pipes networks
    Pipes networks //
    2025-08-28
  • SierraSoft Hydro BIM design of canals
    BIM design of canals //
    2025-08-28
  • SierraSoft Hydro Canals and intersections customizations
    Canals and intersections customizations //
    2025-08-28
  • SierraSoft Hydro Quantities calculation in BIM
    Quantities calculation in BIM //
    2025-08-28
  • SierraSoft Hydro Final drawings in BIM
    Final drawings in BIM //
    2025-08-28

SierraSoft Hydro is a BIM software for hydraulic design of waterways, canals, ditches, pipes, pipe networks and manholes.

The BIM functions of SierraSoft Hydro allow you to produce, modify, share, and analyze hydraulic information models.

Design and information modeling occur simultaneously with a strong optimization of activities and cost containment.

In one product you have all the tools for design, information modeling and quantities calculation.

SierraSoft Hydro is a powerful software that allows you to integrate land surveying work, infrastructure design and construction within the processes, guidelines and tools used for BIM. Information exchange, information modeling, information analysis, and information verification occur through the functionality of BIM software extensions (SierraSoft BIM Modeling, SierraSoft BIM Exchange an SierraSoft BIM Checking)

With SierraSoft Hydro you can manage big quantities of data. Your projects will have no limits.

SierraSoft Hydro is international by nature and manages different languages (English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French) and several units of measure. You can choose different languages among interface, project data and printouts. So you can work in your favourite language and deliver your work in the language that your client wants.

  • ActCAD Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-24

ActCAD is a native DWG & DXF Software under which it offers three specific types of CAD Software namely โ€“ ActCAD Standard for 2D Drafting Power Users, ActCAD Professional for 2D Drafting and 3D Modeling and ActCAD BIM (Building Information Modeling) which has all the features of ActCAD Professional along with BIM features. It is one Software for many applications covering the primary domains of โ€“ Architecture, Engineering, Construction (AEC) including Structural, Electrical, and Mechanical. Besides, ActCAD also offers other solutions like ActCAD Nesting, ActCAD Dials & Scales and ActCAD CNC Post Processor.

ActCAD uses the latest IntelliCAD 10.1 Engine, Open Design Alliance, dwg/dxf Libraries, ACIS 3D Modeling Kernel, and many other Technologies which ensures file support right from the early R2.5 to the latest 2022 Version of dwg/dxf. It also supports other file formats like .dgn, .step/.stp, .iges/.igs, .stl, .obj, 2D PDF, 3D PDF, .svg, .dae, etc. The interface and commands are designed in a manner that are familiar and easy for migration from any CAD Software.

SierraSoft Hydro

$ Details
paid Free Trial โ‚ฌ870.0 / Annually
Platforms
Windows
Release Date
2022 February

ActCAD

Website
actcad.com
$ Details
paid Free Trial $199.0 / One-off
Platforms
Windows
Release Date
2022 January

SierraSoft Hydro features and specs

  • User Interface: Beautiful and functional
    The ergonomic and refined User Interface of SierraSoft Hydro is focused on the userโ€™s experience. The result is a simple and effective Interface with a wider graphic area and the access to functionalities is natural and more intuitive.
  • Graphic engine: Extraordinarily fast
    Based on the special flexible and very high-performance 3D graphic engine, the CAD of SierraSoft Hydro is extremely fast and convenient, even with huge quantities of vector data and images.
  • Database: A stable base for your projects
    SierraSoft Hydro includes a powerful, stable and high-performance database, with an excellent level of data compression, in order to minimize the used space. The security data is ensured by the backup function and SmartSave, which avoid the loss of information in case of unexpected stop of the software (for example a blackout).
  • Memory manager: Everything you need without waste
    SierraSoft Hydro can use all the memory made available by the Windows 64-bit operating system (64GB). It has an optimized management, which uses just the necessary memory and free memory as soon as possible. The memory management is automatic and smart, in order to make the most of the resources of the computer.
  • Data exchange: Fast and accurate data access
    Through the data exchange functionalities SierraSoft Hydro can directly read and write CAD data (DXG and DXF) and data of other formats such as GIS, TXT without any dependence on other software. Data exchange recognizes the entities present in various files and transforms them into its internal entities by reproducing their information.
  • International: Work without boundaries
    SierraSoft Hydro is international by nature and manages different languages (English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French) and several units of measure. You can choose different languages among interface, project data and printouts. So you can work in your favourite language and deliver your work in the language that your client wants.
  • Parametric engine: Automate the impossible
    SierraSoft Hydro allows you to parameterize complex calculation flows in order to make the management of complex processing operations simple and intuitive.
  • Modification and check in real time
    It is possible to control the design like never before, drastically reduce designing time thanks to 3D real time cross-section on planimetry. By changing a parameter everything is updated automatically. The result can be immediately checked even before creating the final project. Maximum control over the entire design and over every detail.
  • Dynamic engine - The results in real time
    SierraSoft Hydro is equipped with a dynamic processing engine, which combined with the parametric engine allows you to obtain complex results in real time and facilitate all design and modeling activities
  • Stereoscopic engine: Improve accuracy with stereoscopic viewing
    Stereoscopy visualization is integrated into the SierraSoft Hydro CAD system. Hardware interfaces are managed such as: NVIDIA Quadro graphics cards, NVIDIA 3D Vision Steroscopic Glasses, or 3DpluraView stereoscopic stations.
  • Point clouds: Upload and manage point clouds in a very simple way
    SierraSoft Hydro easy handle one or more point clouds of any size. Loading and display are really fast, drawing and extraction functions occur in real time. A special tool โ€œSierraSoft Mass Data Converterโ€ converts LAS, XYZ, PTS, XCF, E57 and DEM GeoTIFF files so that you can manage them with ease.
  • Help: Learning by doing
    SierraSoft Hydro is a powerful software that allows you to integrate land surveying work, infrastructure design and construction within the processes, guidelines and tools used for BIM. Information exchange, information modeling, information analysis, and information verification occur through the functionality of BIM software extensions (SierraSoft BIM Modeling, SierraSoft BIM Exchange an SierraSoft BIM Checking)
  • BIM Software: Modeling, sharing, checking
    SierraSoft Hydro is a powerful software that allows you to integrate land surveying work, infrastructure design and construction within the processes, guidelines and tools used for BIM. Information exchange, information modeling, information analysis, and information verification occur through the functionality of BIM software extensions (SierraSoft BIM Modeling, SierraSoft BIM Exchange an SierraSoft BIM Checking)
  • Mega projects: When size matters
    With SierraSoft Hydro you can manage big quantities of data. Only necessary data are loaded into memory and the ones on the disk are automatically compressed in order to create small files. Your projects will have no limits.

ActCAD features and specs

  • Support for 2022 dwg & dxf files
  • IntelliCAD 10.1 Engine & ODA 21.11 Libraries
  • IntelliCAD 10.1 Engine & ODA 21.11 Libraries
  • Support for 3D Connexion Space Mouse
  • Support for Shape Files
  • DimBreak Command
  • Dynamic view transitions
  • One click program defaults restore
  • Insert and Edit Dynamic Blocks
  • Support for Autodeskยฎ Revitยฎ 2021 files
  • Simplified Trial Process
  • Import of map files (.shp, .sdf, .sqlite files)
  • Many new commands and features
  • High Speed and Performance

SierraSoft Hydro videos

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ActCAD videos

What's New in ActCAD 2022

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Features of ActCAD
  • Demo - ActCAD 2022 Professional
  • Demo - What's New features in ActCAD 2022

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SierraSoft Hydro and ActCAD)
3D
6 6%
94% 94
CAD
7 7%
93% 93
Office & Productivity
11 11%
89% 89
BIM
100 100%
0% 0

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ActCAD Reviews

10 Free AutoCAD Alternatives
TrueCAD was specially designed for builders, architects, mechanical engineers and GIS, and it brings all the main features of a modeling and design software that the user will appreciate very much. It is therefore an alternative for AutoCAD easy to use and very easy to learn, compatible with DWG whose initial and maintenance costs are quite affordable. It offers features...
Source: solidface.com

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SierraSoft Hydro and ActCAD, you can also consider the following products

SierraSoft Roads - BIM software for the design of roads and highways

Civil 3D - Civil 3D supports BIM for civil engineering design and documentation for rail, roads, land development, airports, water and wastewater, and civil structures.

DataCAD - DataCAD is a computer-aided design and drafting software for 2D and 3D architectural design and drafting

OpenRoads Designer - A detailed design application for roadway, surveying, drainage, and subsurface utilities that supersede capabilities previously delivered by InRoads and GEOPAK

AutoCAD MEP - AutoCAD MEP software helps you draft, design, and document building systems.

Site3D - Site3D is a fully featured software product for the engineering design of road systems, roundabouts, residential developments and earthworks.