Beginners Guide to Develop & Sell a Plugin

You Don’t Need to Be an Expert to Build a Great Plugin!

You don’t have to be a full-time developer or run a software company to create a valuable plugin. In fact, some of the best tools in the architecture space started as side projects—designed by architects who simply wanted to solve their own problems.

If you’ve ever wished Archicad could “just do this one thing,” this guide will show you how to turn that idea into a real product—and possibly a new revenue stream.

1. Find the Right Problem

Every plugin starts with a problem. Your job is to find one worth solving.

Observe Your Daily Workflow

Start by looking at how you work each day. What tasks feel repetitive, time-consuming, or frustrating? Maybe you’re copying the same data between schedules, renaming views manually, or exporting files in a way that feels clunky.

These moments of friction are where plugin ideas are born.

Build a Painkiller, Not a Vitamin

A good plugin should feel essential—like a painkiller, not just a nice-to-have. Think of problems that people need to solve, not just those they want to solve eventually.

For example:

• Painkiller: Automating tedious sheet naming based on project data
• Vitamin: Adding a new color scheme to the interface

Painkillers create value quickly, and people are more willing to pay for them.

Learn From Other Software

Look at Revit, Rhino, or SketchUp. What plugins or features do users love there that are missing in Archicad? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel—many successful tools are adaptations of proven ideas.

2. Start Lean and Build Smart

Once you’ve identified a problem, it’s tempting to imagine a full-featured, polished product. But smart plugin development starts small.

Plan Your Core Features

Ask yourself: What’s the one thing this tool must do to be useful?

Avoid the temptation to build every idea at once. Focus on the minimum viable product (MVP)—the simplest version that still delivers real value.

MVP Must Be Quick and Useful

A good MVP doesn’t take months to build. It’s fast, scrappy, and something you can test in real-life projects. Even if it’s not perfect, it should be functional enough to gather feedback and improve.

Test in Real Projects

Use your plugin at work. See where it breaks, where it saves time, and where it could be smarter. Involve colleagues or friends in the testing process. Real-world feedback will shape the future of your tool far better than assumptions.

Share and Ask for Feedback

Don’t wait until everything is perfect. Share your early version with a small group. Post in forums, Slack groups, or Archicad communities. Ask:

• What do you love about it?
• What’s confusing or missing?
• Would you use this regularly?

You’ll learn more in a week of user feedback than in a month of silent development.

3. Go Advanced

Once your plugin has traction and real users, it’s time to think bigger.

Test Business Models

There are many ways to sell your plugin:

• One-time purchase
• Freemium with a paid upgrade
• Subscription for updates and support

You don’t need to choose the perfect model immediately—but start experimenting once users find value in what you’ve built.

Update and Expand

Regular updates show users that your plugin is reliable and evolving. Add small features based on user feedback. Fix bugs quickly. Over time, this builds trust and increases your product’s value.

Support More Users

As your audience grows, consider expanding:

• Add support for more Archicad versions
• Translate your interface into additional languages
• Test and package your plugin for macOS and Windows

These steps can turn a good plugin into a professional-grade product with international reach.

Conclusion

Developing and selling a plugin doesn’t require a computer science degree. It starts with noticing a problem and ends with helping others solve it.

If you’re solving real issues, keeping your first version lean, and listening to user feedback, you’re already on the right path.

Now is the perfect time to build. And when you’re ready to share it with the world, ArchicadPlus.com is here to help.

List your plugin at archicadplus.com/sell and reach the users who need it most.

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