Comparison
Dalux alternative: why Open Experience is the better choice for the construction phase
Dalux has its roots in BIM and offers a free entry point. Open Experience comes from the construction site, brings its own cameras and keeps the project file going until the warranty period ends. Here is what that means day to day.
Information from dalux.com, retrieved on 25 October 2026.
What is the difference between Dalux and Open Experience?
Dalux is a platform from Copenhagen with a BIM focus that reaches from design through the construction site to building operation. For defects on drawings and models, its Field Basic version is free with no time limit; Dalux quotes its paid tiers on request. Open Experience, based in Karlsruhe, concentrates on the construction phase under the HOAI (the German fee and service structure for architects and engineers) and the VOB (German construction contract procedures). It publishes its prices, tracks warranty deadlines per contractor, and builds the 360° helmet camera and the construction site webcam itself. Anyone who supervises the construction phase and has to provide evidence of it is therefore better equipped with Open Experience.
Legal framework: Germany (Civil Code BGB, construction contract rules VOB/B, fee schedule HOAI). Other countries have different rules, and contractual agreements take precedence over the standard periods named here.
Dalux and Open Experience side by side
| Criterion | Open Experience | Dalux |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Karlsruhe, since 2009 | Copenhagen; German subsidiary in Harrislee |
| Focus | Construction phase and site supervision (HOAI service phase 8) | BIM, construction site and building operation (Field, Box, Handover, FM) |
| Free entry point | Free for contractors; four-week trial for €395 | Field Basic and BIM Viewer free with no time limit |
| Prices of the paid tiers | Public, €58 or €99 per user per month | On request |
| Servers | Germany | United Kingdom and EU, ISO 27001 |
| Defects on plans and models | PDF plans; project structure imported from a BIM/IFC model | Drawings; BIM Viewer for native BIM files, IFC, DWG and PDF |
| Site diary | Construction Diary with weather data from its own weather station | Not stated on the German product pages |
| Warranty | Dedicated module, deadlines per contractor, tenants report defects by QR code | Not stated |
| Cameras | In-house DIGIBAU 360 helmet camera (360°) and Construction Webcam | Integrates 360° helmet cameras and scanners from other manufacturers |
| Offline on site | Yes | Yes (Field) |
Source: dalux.com (product pages Field, Field Basic, BIM Viewer, Reality Capture, Information Management, data protection), retrieved on 25 October 2026. “Not stated” means that it is not described on these pages.
Three differences that matter day to day
The price is known up front
Field Basic costs nothing. What a project costs on the paid tiers, Dalux tells you in a conversation. At Open Experience, the packages are listed on the pricing page, and contractors pay nothing.
See pricingWarranty as a working tool
After acceptance, Open Experience keeps the deadlines per contractor running and extends them after a defect notice, while tenants report defects by QR code. That produces the record for the last item of service phase 8.
Defect management with Construction DefectsCamera and software from one source
Dalux takes in recordings from 360° cameras made by other manufacturers. Open Experience builds the helmet attachment itself and automatically assigns every recording to plan, time and project.
DIGIBAU 360When Open Experience is the better choice
Dalux is geared to BIM models that reach from design into building operation. At Open Experience, the construction phase itself, with its obligations under the HOAI and the VOB, is the core. That gives five situations in which Open Experience is the better choice.
- You provide site supervisionSite diary, defects, acceptance and warranty sit in one project file, following the basic services of service phase 8. Dalux's German product pages do not describe a site diary.
- The warranty period runs for yearsOpen Experience tracks the limitation periods per contractor, extends them after a defect notice and takes reports from tenants by QR code. Dalux's website does not describe a warranty feature.
- You want to know the price up frontThe Open Experience packages are listed on the pricing page. Dalux quotes the prices of its paid tiers on request.
- The data is to stay in GermanyOpen Experience stores data on servers in Germany. Dalux states servers in the United Kingdom and the EU.
- 360° recordings without a third-party cameraThe DIGIBAU 360 helmet camera comes from the same source as the software and files every site walk in the project, located on the plan. Dalux integrates cameras from other manufacturers.
In 45 minutes we show you this on your own plans: defect, deadline, site diary and warranty, in the real workflow.
Switching or working in parallel
Switching mid-project rarely pays off. The usual route is to start the next project on Open Experience and leave the running ones where they are.
- Bringing data acrossExisting defects can be imported from Excel or CSV, plans as PDF and the project structure from an IFC model.
- Trial firstThe trial package runs for four weeks on a real project, set up by us, at a fixed price.
- Subcontractors have nothing new to learnContractors get free access through the request they receive by email and mark defects as fixed in the app or the browser.
Frequently asked questions
Is Open Experience better than Dalux?
For the construction phase, yes. Open Experience keeps the site diary, defects, acceptance and warranty deadlines in one project file, publishes its prices, stores data in Germany and brings its own 360° helmet camera. Dalux is geared more towards BIM models that carry through into building operation.
Is Dalux free?
According to Dalux, Field Basic and the BIM Viewer are free with no time limit. Field Basic covers defects and tasks on drawings and models. Dalux quotes the paid tiers, such as Field and Field Pro, on request.
What does Dalux cost?
On its website, Dalux gives no prices for the paid tiers (as of 25 October 2026); there is no pricing page, and the route leads through a conversation with an expert. Field Basic and the BIM Viewer are free, with no stated limits on projects or users. For comparison, Open Experience lists €58 (Standard) and €99 (Premium) per user per month on its pricing page.
What can Dalux do?
According to its own website: locate defects and tasks on drawings (Field Basic), with Field also offline with automatic synchronisation; a BIM viewer for native BIM files, IFC, DWG and PDF; Reality Capture with 360° cameras and scanners from other manufacturers; Handover with manufacturer documentation for building operation. A site diary and the management of warranty periods are not described on the German product pages.
Can Open Experience work with BIM models?
Yes. The project structure can be imported from a BIM/IFC model, and defects are located in the model. For everyday work on site, PDF plans are enough.
Where is the data stored?
With Open Experience, on servers in Germany. Dalux states servers in the United Kingdom and in the EU.
What does Open Experience cost?
Standard €58 and Premium €99 per user per month with 10 licenses and a 12-month term, plus a one-time setup fee. Contractors work along free of charge. The full price list is on the pricing page.
Are there other comparisons?
Yes: head-to-head comparisons with PlanRadar and Capmo, plus three market comparisons of ten vendors each, for defect management software, site diary apps and construction documentation software.
Sources and legal basis
The legal statements in this article are based on the primary sources listed below. The article is not a substitute for legal advice in an individual case.
- Dalux: Field Basic, free of charge Retrieved on 25 October 2026
- Dalux: BIM Viewer Retrieved on 25 October 2026
- Dalux: Field (offline, advice on tiers) Retrieved on 25 October 2026
- Dalux: Reality Capture (360° cameras and scanners) Retrieved on 25 October 2026
- Dalux: Information Management (server location) Retrieved on 25 October 2026
- Dalux: Security and Compliance page (ISO 27001) Retrieved on 25 October 2026
- Dalux: legal notice (Dalux Germany GmbH) Retrieved on 25 October 2026
- HOAI, Annex 10: the wording of service phase 8
Compare on your own project.
A 45-minute demo with your own plans, or a four-week trial on a real construction site.