Opinion

How rising software prices are shutting out SME architects

By 2025-11-20T05:00:00

Hien Nguyen cropped landscape

Source: MCW Architects

Soaring subscription costs are becoming a structural threat to SME architects, with essential tools rising far beyond inflation and no viable alternatives in sight, Hien Nguyen writes

A recently viral LinkedIn post states that they were absolutely stunned when their NBS Chorus subscription renewal landed: a 31% increase year-on-year. Yes, thirty-one percent. And to add insult to injury, they were told they were still on a “preferential legacy tariff”, which is apparently 30% lower than what a new customer would be charged.

If this is the discount rate, what hope is there for smaller practices trying to keep pace?

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