As an AV professional, having the right software tools is essential for designing and documenting audiovisual systems efficiently. Vectorworks ConnectCAD has long been a popular choice, offering powerful features for AV system design within the Vectorworks CAD environment. However, it's not the only option out there. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the top 10 software alternatives to Vectorworks ConnectCAD that can streamline your AV workflows, automate time-consuming tasks, and help you deliver winning proposals faster.

We'll also dive into why having purpose-built AV software matters in today's fast-paced project landscape and how the right tools can give you a competitive edge. Plus, we'll look at the importance of key features like cloud collaboration, BOM automation, and integrated proposal generation for keeping your projects on track and your team aligned.

Whether you're a freelancer looking for affordable ConnectCAD alternatives or an enterprise evaluating end-to-end AV design platforms, this post will give you the insights you need to make an informed choice. Let's get started with our top 10 countdown.

But first, let's address a common question:

What is the Connectcad cost?

The Connectcad cost  depends on your specific setup and licensing needs. Typically, you'll need a base Vectorworks license (Spotlight or Designer Suite) plus the ConnectCAD add-on module. Prices can range from around $3,000 to over $6,000 depending on your edition and any add-ons. Many AV integrators find this upfront license cost to be a significant investment, especially for smaller teams or those just starting out with CAD workflows.

That's one reason cloud-based AV system integration software like XTEN-AV have grown in popularity. With subscription pricing and the ability to scale users up or down, cloud tools can offer a more affordable and flexible entry point for AV design software. But there are many other factors beyond just cost to consider. Let's dive into our top 10 list and look at the key features and benefits of each platform.

Importance of Software Like Vectorworks ConnectCAD for AV Professionals

As we've seen from this roundup, there are a lot of different software options out there for AV system design, documentation, and proposals. But why are tools like these so critical for AV professionals in the first place?

There are a few key reasons:

1. Efficiency & time savings

The most obvious benefit of using dedicated AV software is the massive boost in efficiency compared to generic design tools or manual methods. By using a platform purpose-built for AV workflows, pros can save huge amounts of time on repetitive tasks like cable labeling, BOM generation, and proposal creation.

Instead of constantly re-drawing AV symbols, hunting down product specs, or copying & pasting data between tools, AV-specific software streamlines the whole process. That frees up valuable time to focus on actual system design, client meetings, and moving projects forward.

2. Accuracy & consistency

Another big advantage of AV design software is the improvement in accuracy and consistency it enables. With features like integrated product libraries, automated data syncing, and real-time collaboration, it's much easier to ensure that everyone is working from the same, up-to-date information.

This is especially important when it comes to critical (and often error-prone) data like part numbers, pricing, and system quantities. When that data is centralized and automatically populated across drawings, BOMs, and proposals, there's far less risk of costly mistakes or oversights.

Consistent documentation also makes life much easier for installers and technicians in the field. When every drawing uses the same symbols, naming conventions, and standards, there's less guesswork and back-and-forth needed to get the job done right.

3. Professionalism & client impact

Using professional-grade AV software also helps integrators present a polished, buttoned-up image to clients and project stakeholders. Showing up to a meeting with a slick, branded proposal that automatically includes the relevant system drawings and pricing breakdowns just makes you look good.

And when you can quickly turn around revisions or answer technical questions on the fly, it builds a ton of confidence in your expertise and attention to detail. In an industry where both technical chops and client service are paramount, the right software tools can be a real differentiator.

4. Competitiveness & profitability

Which brings us to perhaps the most important reason AV firms invest in software: staying competitive and profitable in a crowded, fast-moving market. With tight deadlines, razor-thin margins, and constant price pressure, integrators need every advantage they can get to win jobs and keep their projects in the black.

The efficiencies and accuracy improvements we talked about above all help boost the bottom line. Freeing up hours of employee time, catching expensive errors before they happen, and streamlining the sales process can all have a big impact on profitability.

And when you can confidently bid on more jobs, knowing you have the tools to deliver high-quality proposals and designs at scale, that's a major leg up on the competition. In a business where reputation and relationships are everything, AV software is increasingly a must-have to stay in the game.

Top 10 Software Like ConnectCAD for AV Professionals 

1. XTEN-AV

Topping our list of the best Vectorworks ConnectCAD alternatives is XTEN-AV. This cloud-based platform has been making waves in the AV industry for its end-to-end design, documentation, and proposal automation capabilities. Let's look at some of the key reasons XTEN-AV stands out:

End-to-end automation

One of XTEN-AV's biggest strengths is the way it combines schematic drawings, BOM generation, and professional proposals into a single unified workflow. Unlike ConnectCAD, which is laser-focused on the Vectorworks drawing environment, XTEN-AV takes a more holistic approach.

By integrating the most time-consuming parts of an AV project - designing, documenting, pricing, and proposing - into one platform, XTEN-AV helps to reduce friction and eliminate the errors that often happen when shuttling data between separate tools. While you may give up some of ConnectCAD's advanced 3D visualization inside Vectorworks, you gain a lot in terms of speed and the ability to rapidly turn around accurate, polished proposals.

XAVIA artificial intelligence

Another key differentiator for XTEN-AV is its use of artificial intelligence to automate complex data management tasks. The platform's AI engine, called XAVIA, automatically links your product catalog, price lists, line items, and bill of materials.

This has some powerful benefits: Once you've uploaded or connected your dealer pricing, XAVIA keeps all of your BOMs and project quotes continuously synchronized. No more manual data entry or worrying that your pricing is out of date. The AI also flags any missing data or inconsistencies, so you can be confident you're working with accurate numbers.

Compare this to a typical ConnectCAD workflow, where you're responsible for manually assembling BOMs and then re-keying that data into your quoting or procurement tools. XTEN-AV's automation can be a huge time-saver and helps catch costly errors before they make it to the client.

Cloud collaboration & mobile access

Another area where XTEN-AV shines is its cloud-based architecture. Because the platform lives in the cloud (unlike desktop-installed Vectorworks), your whole team can work on the same project data simultaneously, from anywhere.

Sales reps can generate proposals from their tablet. Engineers can update a schematic and see those changes reflected instantly for everyone. Managers can track project status and pricing without waiting for data exports. And everyone can be confident they're working from the latest, most accurate designs and BOMs.

This is a major advantage for firms with distributed teams or anyone who needs the flexibility to put together quotes and proposals outside the office. While ConnectCAD is a powerful tool within the Vectorworks ecosystem, that desktop-centric model can't match the real-time collaboration and access you get with a cloud solution like XTEN-AV.

Proposal automation

For many AV integrators, the real payoff is in winning more jobs more quickly. XTEN-AV's x.doc module is designed to do exactly that by automatically generating polished, professional proposals directly from your design data and BOMs.

Instead of marking up a schematic, exporting a spreadsheet, and then copying and pasting data into a separate quoting tool, XTEN-AV allows you to go from design to delivered proposal in just a few clicks. The built-in proposal designer includes templates specially made for common AV project types, so you can be sure you're including all the key details, images, pricing tables, and terms & conditions.

The platform also supports legally binding e-signatures (great for getting sign-off without the usual print/scan/email back-and-forth) and lets you track opens & views so you know when your proposals are being read.

While ConnectCAD does give you great-looking documentation, you're still on the hook for turning that into a client-facing proposal using other tools. If your goal is to streamline your sales process and close deals faster, XTEN-AV's integrated proposal workflow can be a game-changer.

X-DRAW schematics & rack elevations

Of course, a great proposal starts with a well-designed system. XTEN-AV's X-DRAW module gives you the schematic drawing, rack elevation, and signal flow diagramming tools you need to lay out your AV designs quickly and accurately.

The key here is that X-DRAW is purpose-built for the most common AV documentation needs. Instead of being a general-purpose CAD program that you have to adapt to AV workflows, the platform includes industry-specific tools and templates out of the box.

For example, you can quickly rough out room layouts and signal flows using the built-in AV stencils and then automatically generate device labels and cable schedules based on your drawings. Most integrators find they can produce the documentation they need much faster in X-DRAW compared to a comprehensive CAD tool like Vectorworks.

Now, if your projects require detailed 3D renderings, complex architectural coordination, or extensive MEP systems modeling, ConnectCAD's deep integration with Vectorworks is still incredibly valuable. But for many AV projects, that level of in-CAD detail may be overkill. If quick, accurate schematics and BOMs are your bread and butter, XTEN-AV will likely get you to the finish line faster.

Massive product library

Speaking of bread and butter, another huge time-saver in XTEN-AV is the built-in product library. The platform boasts millions of AV products from thousands of manufacturers, with up-to-date specs and pricing.

This is a big deal for a few reasons: First, it drastically reduces the amount of time you spend researching and entering part data for every project. Second, it helps standardize your proposals and system designs across your whole team by providing a single, approved library of parts to work from. And third, it makes it much easier to sub in alternates or handle back-orders because you have access to so many options.

ConnectCAD does offer manufacturer-specific symbol libraries and the ability to create your own custom parts. But the sheer scale and continuous updates of XTEN-AV's library is a major advantage, especially for teams that want to minimize manual data entry and enforce design standards.

Integrations & interoperability

No software tool is an island, and XTEN-AV recognizes that by providing a range of integrations and export options to fit into your existing workflows. The platform plays nice with popular CRM and accounting tools (think Salesforce, HubSpot, QuickBooks, etc.), so you can sync customer data, quotes, and invoices with your other business platforms.

On the CAD side, XTEN-AV offers Revit and AutoCAD interoperability for firms that need to coordinate with architects and consultants or incorporate their AV designs into larger BIM projects. And if you need to share data with other systems, the platform supports CSV exports for maximum flexibility.

The ConnectCAD ecosystem is admittedly more closed, with the primary integration being to Vectorworks itself. That's great if your whole firm has standardized on Vectorworks, but can be limiting if you need to share data across different tools or with outside partners.

Pricing & licensing

Finally, let's talk about cost. XTEN-AV uses a subscription model with per-user pricing that scales based on the features you need. The entry-level plan starts at $45/month per user and includes the core design, documentation, and library features. Higher tiers add in the AI automation, proposal generation, and integrations.

This can be a very affordable way for smaller firms or independent AV designers to get access to professional-grade tools without the big upfront investment of a Vectorworks license plus the ConnectCAD add-on. And because it's a subscription, you can easily adjust your seats as your team grows or your needs change.

Of course, every firm's budget and requirements are different. Some teams may prefer the perpetual licensing of Vectorworks and the deep CAD feature set it provides. But if you're looking for a more approachable entry point or need the flexibility of a cloud model, XTEN-AV's pricing is definitely worth considering.

2. D-Tools System Integrator

Coming in at number two on our list is D-Tools System Integrator (SI). D-Tools is a well-established player in the AV software space, and their SI platform offers a robust feature set for system design, documentation, and project management.

Strengths

• Extensive product library with over 1 million items

• Detailed project reporting & analytics

• Time & resource management for installation tasks

• Flexible proposal designer with e-signature support

• CRM & ERP integrations (Salesforce, QuickBooks, etc.)

Weaknesses

• Steeper learning curve compared to some other tools

• Requires Windows (no Mac or mobile apps)

• Some users report slowness with very large projects

• Pricing model can get expensive for larger teams

3. Jetbuilt

Taking the third spot is Jetbuilt, a cloud-based platform that focuses on simplifying the AV proposal process. Jetbuilt's key selling point is the ability to quickly generate detailed, good-looking proposals without a lot of manual data entry.

Strengths

• Fast, intuitive proposal builder

• Supports AV-specific pricing structures (packages, labor, etc.)

• Good selection of product libraries & distributor integrations

• Browser-based & mobile-friendly

• API for custom integrations

Weaknesses

• Limited drawing/CAD capabilities

• Fewer project management & scheduling tools than some platforms

• Reporting & analytics not as robust as D-Tools

• Requires active internet connection to use

4. AV-iQ

Next up is AV-iQ, a comprehensive database and project management platform purpose-built for commercial AV. AV-iQ's biggest strength is the sheer amount of product data it puts at your fingertips, with over 1,800 manufacturer partners.

Strengths

• Unmatched product database with deep specs & media

• Powerful search tools for finding parts fast

• Collaborate on BOMs & projects with team members

• Export to Excel, D-Tools, Jetbuilt, and more

• Free to use for basic features

Weaknesses

• Not a true design/drawing tool (more for research & documentation)

• UI can be overwhelming for new users

• Limited CRM & accounting integrations

• Advanced features & API access require paid account

5. Stardraw Design 7.3

Stardraw Design has been around since the early days of AV CAD software. The latest version, Design 7.3, is a Windows-based application for drafting, system design, and documentation.

Strengths

• Designed specifically for AV & structured cabling projects

• Includes a library of over 100,000 AV symbols

• Automated cable labeling & BOM generation

• Supports collaborative editing within a LAN

• One-time license fee (no subscription)

Weaknesses

• Dated user interface

• No cloud version or mobile apps

• Limited manufacturer-specific content

• Weak proposal & procurement tools compared to newer platforms

6. Bluebeam Revu

Bluebeam Revu is a popular PDF markup and collaboration tool used heavily in the construction industry. While not AV-specific, many integrators use Revu to annotate drawings, coordinate with other trades, and manage project documents.

Strengths

• Industry standard for marking up & sharing construction drawings

• Supports a wide range of file types (PDF, CAD, images, etc.)

• Extensive annotation & markup tools

• Real-time collaboration & document tracking

• Integrates with many construction project management platforms

Weaknesses

• Not purpose-built for AV (may lack device symbols, stencils, etc.)

• No built-in product library or BOM tools

• Requires additional tools for proposals & documentation

• Licensing can get pricey for large teams

7. Revit + AV Plugins

For AV pros working in the BIM world, Autodesk Revit with specialized plugins can be a viable alternative to Vectorworks + ConnectCAD. Several third-party developers offer Revit tools for AV and low-voltage systems design.

Strengths

• Tightly integrated with Revit for true BIM workflow

• Plugins like ElumTools & SoundMachine add AV-specific objects & calculations

• Access to Revit's powerful parametric modeling & coordination tools

• Widely used in architecture & construction industry

• Broad file format support

Weaknesses

• Steep learning curve (Revit is a complex program)

• Limited built-in AV content (relies on third-party plugins)

• Modeling can be overkill for simple AV projects

• Expensive upfront licensing

• Minimal proposal, pricing, or procurement features

8. Microsoft Visio

Microsoft Visio has long been a go-to diagramming tool for AV pros, especially for those already invested in the Microsoft Office ecosystem. While not a full-fledged CAD or BIM solution, Visio can be a quick way to bang out signal flow diagrams, rack layouts, and as-built drawings.

Strengths

• Intuitive drag-and-drop interface

• Lots of built-in stencils & symbols (including AV gear)

• Integrates with other Office apps like Excel & PowerPoint

• Affordable & widely available (often included with Office 365)

• Supports collaboration via SharePoint & Teams

Weaknesses

• Limited scaling & dimensioning tools compared to true CAD

• No 3D modeling or BIM integration

• Lacks AV-specific features like cable labeling or BOM tools

• No product library or dealer pricing integrations

• Proposal & documentation capabilities are basic

9. AutoCAD + AV Plugins

AutoCAD is the granddaddy of CAD programs and is still widely used across the AEC industry. Like Revit, there are a number of third-party plugins that add AV-specific tools & libraries to AutoCAD.

Strengths

• Powerful, full-featured 2D drafting environment

• Widely used & taught (lots of training resources available)

• Extensive third-party plugins for AV, electrical, & low-voltage

• Supports batch & scripted operations for automation

• Good interoperability with other CAD & BIM platforms

Weaknesses

• Expensive perpetual licensing model

• Significant up-front training required to be proficient

• 3D modeling is limited (better for 2D schematics)

• Lacks pricing, proposals, & other business management tools

• Plugins can be pricey & don't always keep pace with AutoCAD updates

10. SketchUp Pro

Last but not least is SketchUp Pro, a 3D modeling program that has gained a following among some AV designers for its ease of use and quick visualization capabilities. While it lacks the AV-specific tools of other platforms, SketchUp can be a good choice for roughing out room layouts & equipment placement.

Strengths

• Intuitive "push/pull" modeling interface

• Lots of manufacturer-specific 3D models available

• Supports plugins & extensions for added functionality

• Good for quick 3D mock-ups & client visualization

• Affordable licensing (subscription or perpetual)

Weaknesses

• Limited 2D drafting & dimensioning tools

• Lacks key AV features like signal flow diagrams 

• No automated BOM or pricing tools

• Limited file format support & interoperability

• Not well-suited for large, complex AV projects

Frequently Asked Questions About AV System Design Software

To wrap things up, let's answer some of the most common questions folks have about AV design tools and ConnectCAD alternatives. If you still have questions after reading this, feel free to reach out - we're always happy to chat AV software!

What is the best software for AV system design?

As we've covered here, "best" is relative - it really depends on your specific needs and workflow. That said, platforms like XTEN-AV, D-Tools, and Jetbuilt are all top contenders for their combination of features, ease of use, and affordability. For pure CAD horsepower, Vectorworks and AutoCAD are still industry standards. The key is to pick a tool that fits your team's skillset and project mix.

How much does AV design software cost?

AV software pricing runs the gamut from free (AV-iQ) to north of $10k per seat (full-blown Revit). Most small to midsize integrators are going to be looking at something in the $50-500/month/user range for a comprehensive design/documentation/proposal tool. Again, it's all about balancing features with budget and picking a pricing model (subscription vs. perpetual license) that makes sense for your business.

Is Vectorworks ConnectCAD worth the cost?

For firms heavily invested in Vectorworks, ConnectCAD can definitely be worth the added expense. Its tight integration with the Vectorworks environment is a big plus for designers who live in that world. But for smaller teams or those who don't need that level of CAD complexity, there are certainly more affordable options out there.

What are the best Vectorworks ConnectCAD alternatives?

If you're looking to replicate ConnectCAD's core capabilities (AV system drawings, signal flow, rack elevations, etc.), XTEN-AV and D-Tools are two strong contenders. Both offer robust AV design and documentation tools, solid product libraries, and cloud collaboration. Stardraw is another CAD-focused option popular with AV pros. And if you're mostly concerned with cranking out proposals, Jetbuilt is definitely worth a look.

How do I choose the right AV design software for my business?

Start by carefully assessing your team's current design process and pain points. Is CAD complexity a must-have, or are quick schematics and BOMs your bread and butter? Do you need mobile-friendly cloud tools, or is everyone working from the same office? What's your budget, both in terms of upfront costs and ongoing maintenance/training? Once you've nailed down your must-haves, book some demos, take advantage of free trials, and get a feel for how each platform fits into your workflow. Don't be afraid to mix and match, either - lots of firms use a core design tool like XTEN-AV alongside specialized add-ons or visualization tools as needed.

Conclusion

Whew, that was a lot of ground to cover! But hopefully this deep dive into the world of AV design software has given you a clearer picture of the options out there and how to choose the right tool stack for your business.

As we've seen, while Vectorworks ConnectCAD is a powerful solution, it's far from the only game in town. Platforms like XTEN-AV, D-Tools, Jetbuilt, and others are constantly pushing the envelope in terms of features, ease of use, and affordability. And for many integrators, the benefits of cloud collaboration, mobile access, and extensive product libraries are increasingly tipping the scales away from traditional CAD tools.

At the end of the day, the "best" software is the one that helps you win more jobs, deliver killer work, and keep your clients coming back for more. So don't be afraid to experiment, mix and match, and find the toolset that really unleashes your team's potential.

And if you're still on the fence about whether a tool like XTEN-AV is right for you, remember - you don't have to take our word for it. Book a demo, kick the tires, and see for yourself how much easier your AV design life can be. Trust us - your future self (and your bottom line) will thank you.