Open BIM? Open Software.Free browser-based IFC viewer and BCF manager

Yes. Bimlyte is completely free to use, with no paid tiers and no feature limits.

It is also cheap to run, which is the part that usually goes unexplained: because models are processed on your device, there is no backend grinding through other people’s IFC files, and no data being monetised — your files never reach our side to begin with.

This is an independent, community-driven project born out of a desire to simplify everyday BIM tasks. It’s not a teaser for a paid subscription; it’s a tool built for the AEC community, by a practitioner, to make our daily workflows a bit easier.

If you find Bimlyte useful and want to support its development, you can buy me a coffee.(opens in a new tab)

Open Bimlyte in your browser, create a new project and load your IFC file — there is nothing to install. It works in supported modern browsers; an up-to-date version of Google Chrome on desktop is recommended, especially for larger models.

Because the model is processed in your browser, you can review IFC files on Windows, macOS, Linux, tablets and phones without a desktop BIM application.

Bimlyte opens IFC2x3, IFC4 and IFC4x3 files. IFC2x3 (2006) is still the most common export format in practice, IFC4 is standardised as ISO 16739-1:2018, and IFC4.3 — which extends the schema to infrastructure such as roads, bridges and rail — was approved by ISO as 16739-1:2024.

The viewer is built on web-ifc and Fragments from That Open Company, the open-source engines behind many browser-based BIM tools, so schema support tracks what those engines support.

No. Your IFC files are handled by your browser and are not sent to our servers for processing.

Files only leave your device if you deliberately choose to share them, for example by sending a .bimlyte package to someone yourself.

Bimlyte processes models entirely in your browser and runs no project-data backend, so there is no server that could store, read or leak your model. Nothing is uploaded, and no account is tied to your files.

This architecture can support workflows in which project files must not be uploaded to a third-party processing service. Whether it satisfies a particular NDA, client policy, device-security standard, or contractual requirement must still be confirmed by the responsible project or IT team.

Bimlyte does not impose a fixed application file-size cap. The practical model size depends on the browser, available memory, graphics hardware, free storage, and model complexity. Google Chrome on a capable desktop is recommended for larger models.

In practice a large federated model will load more slowly on a phone than on a desktop with plenty of RAM. There are no watermarks, no issue caps and no "upgrade to open bigger files" wall.

Yes. Bimlyte is a BCF manager: you can create, edit and organise BCF issues, comments and viewpoints in the browser.

It reads and writes both BCF 2.1 and BCF 3.0, and you can export the same issues to either version — which is also how you convert a file between them. You can generate PDF and Excel reports from your BCF data when you need a shareable summary.

Yes. You can install Bimlyte to your device in one click and carry on working without an internet connection.

This follows directly from the local-first design: because your models are processed on your device rather than on a server, nothing needs a connection once the app is installed.

Yes. Bimlyte includes measurement tools and section planes, so you can check dimensions and cut through the model to inspect what is inside.

Anything you find can be captured on the spot as a BCF issue, with a viewpoint, a marked-up snapshot, a status and a comment thread. Bimlyte does not run automated clash detection — clashes found in a model-checking tool are tracked here rather than discovered here.

Bimlyte projects are stored in your browser on that device, so clearing site data or storage for Bimlyte deletes them. There is no cloud copy for us to restore, because we never receive one.

Export a .bimlyte package for anything you want to keep. It bundles your models, issues, saved views and settings into one file you can back up or move to another device, optionally protected with a password.

No. You can open Bimlyte and start working without signing up or logging in.

There is no account, no email wall and no trial to activate.

A browser-based IFC viewer is a tool that opens and displays IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) BIM models directly in a web browser, with no desktop software to install.

Bimlyte is a browser-based IFC viewer that also handles BCF issues and report generation, while keeping your files on your device.

Bimlyte is designed for current browsers on Windows, macOS and Linux, with access also available on tablets and phones. An up-to-date version of Google Chrome on desktop is recommended; performance, interface space, and practical model size vary by browser and device.

It relies on current browser capabilities — WebAssembly to read IFC, WebGL for the 3D view, and the Origin Private File System to handle large files on disk — so a browser kept up to date gives the smoothest experience.

A .bimlyte file is a single package that bundles your IFC models, BCF issues, saved views and viewer settings.

You can optionally protect it with a password and share it with someone who doesn't have BIM software — they open it in the browser.

Yes. Bimlyte exports BCF issues to Excel spreadsheets and PDF reports, and you choose exactly which fields go in — standard BCF attributes as well as any custom ones.

The Excel export can split the workbook into sheets grouped by a field such as status or type, and can turn attribute cells into drop-down lists so a recipient picks a value instead of typing it. Both exports are generated in your browser.

No, your files are not processed by artificial intelligence in any way. All operations are performed solely by the application code using the power of your device and browser.

We're currently working on implementing support for the IDS format. We plan to release a creator, validator, and more useful tools soon.

Bimlyte is local-first today: each project lives on your device, and you share work by handing someone a .bimlyte package or a standard BCF file — which they can open with no software and no account. Collaboration features are on the roadmap.

If your team is getting value out of the app and you'd like to help shape where collaboration goes, we'd love to hear from you at contact@bimlyte.com.

Bimlyte is a community-minded project built by a BIM practitioner for the AEC community, and it is free for everyone.

Feedback from users actively shapes what gets built next.