Maket.AI vs Arkio: Which AI Tool for Architectural Design in 2026?

AI tools for architectural design do not all look like text assistants. Maket.AI and Arkio represent two radically opposed philosophies: one generates floor plans from natural language descriptions, the other lets you model in physical space with a mixed reality headset. Understanding their differences is not just a matter of technological preference — it is a question of workflow and project phase.

In 2026, both tools have matured enough to deserve a serious comparison based on real practice use cases. Here is what you can expect from each — and what you cannot.

Contents

• Quick comparison table
• Maket.AI: generative design from text
• Arkio: spatial modelling in mixed reality
• Comparison by project phase
• Which tool fits your practice
• FAQ

Quick comparison table

Maket.AI: generative design from text

What Maket.AI does

Maket.AI is a generative design tool based on natural language. You describe a brief — "a 6-storey residential building, 20 apartments, underground parking, bike storage at ground level, internal courtyard" — and Maket.AI generates in seconds several proposals for site organisation, interior layouts, and programme arrangement.

The tool is not a rendering engine or a BIM platform. It generates schematic 2D plans — ground floor plans, typical floor plans, massing diagrams — with variants the architect can compare and refine. The logic resembles AI-assisted brainstorming: Maket.AI produces ten options in 30 seconds where an architect might sketch two in an hour.

Constraints can be progressively refined: minimum net floor area per unit, communal area ratio, solar orientation, presence of an existing building to retain. The tool also includes automatic programme compliance checkers.

Strengths of Maket.AI

Programme exploration speed is its primary advantage. In a feasibility study or competition with a tight deadline, generating 15-20 layout variants in under an hour allows you to quickly identify promising options and eliminate non-viable ones before investing time in detailed modelling.

Accessibility is a further asset: Maket.AI runs in a browser, requires no installation, no specific hardware. Anyone on the team — architect, project manager, planner — can use it immediately.

Limitations of Maket.AI

Maket.AI produces schematic diagrams, not architectural drawings. The outputs are functional diagrams that require complete redrafting in Revit, AutoCAD, or SketchUp before they are usable as a working base. The tool does not handle local planning regulations (zoning, accessibility standards, fire safety) reliably — manual verification is mandatory.

The quality of generated plans varies with programme complexity. For standard housing schemes, the outputs are relevant. For complex programmes (hospital, school, cultural facility), the proposals are often too simplified to be directly usable.

Arkio: modelling in mixed reality

What Arkio does

Arkio is a collaborative 3D modelling tool designed for mixed reality — ideally with a Meta Quest or HoloLens headset, but also usable on desktop without a headset. The core concept: model built volumes directly in physical space, at 1:1 scale or model scale, by manipulating shapes with your hands.

In practice, Arkio allows you to rapidly create volumetric 3D massing models, share them in real time with multiple users (in-person or remote), and explore volumetric relationships, views, and daylighting with an intuitiveness that traditional software cannot match.

Export to Revit and SketchUp is bidirectional: you can import an existing Revit model into Arkio to work on it in mixed reality, then re-export modifications. This is particularly useful for team design reviews where you want to explore variants quickly in a meeting.

Strengths of Arkio

Real-time collaboration is its central strength. Multiple team members can modify the model simultaneously, each seeing the others' changes in real time. For a design session with the client, this interactivity is a powerful communication lever.

Integration of the actual site via mixed reality is a unique advantage. With HoloLens, you can project your project model onto the physical site and walk through it at 1:1 scale — a presentation and verification tool that no desktop software can replicate.

IFC and Revit integration allows Arkio to fit into an existing BIM workflow without disruption — a meaningful differentiator compared to visualization tools that do not communicate with BIM environments.

Limitations of Arkio

Arkio requires a hardware investment to use its mixed reality features — a Meta Quest 3 headset costs approximately €500. Without a headset, the tool remains useful in desktop mode but loses much of its differentiating value.

Arkio is a rapid massing tool, not a detailed design platform. It does not handle construction details, building systems, or written documents. It is a concept phase and client dialogue tool — detailed design remains in Revit or AutoCAD.

The headset learning curve can be a barrier for teams unfamiliar with mixed reality. If adoption within the practice is partial, the investment may not pay off.

Comparison by project phase

Programming and feasibility

Maket.AI wins. This is precisely its zone of value: rapidly exploring programme and massing options before investing in detailed modelling. For a competition with a 3-week deadline or a feasibility study for a developer, Maket.AI significantly accelerates the upstream phase.

Concept design and competitions

Arkio wins for collaborative design and presentation. Volumetric modelling in mixed reality enables interactive design sessions with the client or project team that Maket.AI cannot offer.

Maket.AI retains a role in concept design for generating interior layout variants quickly before refining them in a collaborative Arkio session.

Client presentation and programme validation

Arkio wins on visual impact. Presenting a project in mixed reality at 1:1 scale in the client's premises is a memorable experience. For projects where the client relationship is decisive — luxury residential, high-profile public commissions — the effect is real.

BIM coordination and technical documentation

Neither is suitable. Revit, Archicad, or other BIM platforms remain necessary for producing technical drawings and written documents in later project phases.

Which tool fits your practice

Use Maket.AI if:

• You do many feasibility studies and competitions with tight deadlines
• You want to explore the maximum number of programme options quickly
• Your hardware budget is limited and you do not want to invest in a VR headset
• You want a tool accessible to the whole team without specific training

Use Arkio if:

• You give client presentations where immersive experience creates differentiating value
• You run collaborative design sessions with your team or the client
• You already work in BIM (Revit) and want a fast, compatible design tool
• You are willing to invest in a headset for regular use

Both in complementarity: Maket.AI to explore programmes upstream, Arkio to present and refine design options in collaborative working sessions.

For a broader view of AI tools available for your practice, see our guide to AI tools for architects and our guide to artificial intelligence for architecture.

FAQ

Does Maket.AI comply with local planning regulations?

Not reliably. Maket.AI can be configured with massing and floor area parameters, but it does not have a database of local zoning plans or accessibility and fire safety regulations. Outputs must be manually verified against local planning rules. The tool is useful for programme exploration, not regulatory compliance checking.

Can Arkio be used without a mixed reality headset?

Yes. Arkio has a desktop version usable on a computer without a VR headset. In desktop mode, you model and visualize in 3D in a conventional interface and can collaborate in real time with other users. You lose the 1:1-scale mixed reality experience, however — which is the most differentiating feature. For desktop-only use, other tools like FormIt (Autodesk) or Shapr3D offer comparable experiences.

Can these tools replace a BIM platform like Revit?

No. Maket.AI and Arkio are early-stage design and communication tools, not production platforms for technical drawings and documents. They fit into a workflow as concept phase accelerators, not as replacements for Revit or Archicad in the technical project phases.

Are these tools suitable for small practices (1-5 people)?

Yes, with nuances. Maket.AI is immediately usable for a small practice with no hardware budget. Arkio is more cost-effective if several people use it regularly and if the practice includes client presentations or collaborative design sessions. For a 2-3-person practice working mainly on routine projects, Maket.AI offers the best investment-to-benefit ratio.

Train with Educasium for AI design tools in architecture

Integrating Maket.AI or Arkio into your workflow requires understanding their strengths, their limitations, and how they connect to your existing BIM platform. Educasium offers Qualiopi-certified training programs, eligible for OPCO/FIFPL funding, focused on AI tools for architectural practice.

Discover Educasium training programs — response within 24 business hours.