If you’re an architecture student, a budding BIM manager, or a freelancer testing the waters, you’ve probably asked the search engine gods one question: “How can I get Graphisoft ArchiCAD for free?”

Let’s cut to the chase. ArchiCAD is one of the most powerful Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools on the market, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Revit. But with a price tag that can run into the thousands, "free" seems impossible.

However, "free" doesn't always mean pirated. There are three legal ways to use ArchiCAD without paying a cent—depending on your situation.

If you are serious about BIM, the student license is an incredible deal. Use those 12 months to learn the software inside and out. By the time you graduate, your skills will be worth the price of the commercial license.