Can I export COBie without Revit?

Yes. The Revit COBie Extension needs a Revit licence and a native Revit model. cobiereport works from any IFC file in the browser, so you do not need Revit, or any authoring tool, to produce a COBie draft.

My model is an IFC, not a Revit file. Does the Revit extension help?

Not directly. The extension reads Revit models. If what you have is an IFC export, drop it into cobiereport instead and you get the workbook and a gap report in one step.

cobiereport vs the Revit COBie export

If you author in Revit, its COBie Extension pulls data straight from the live model. If you were handed an IFC, that route is closed and a browser tool is the faster path.

cobiereport: browser · €0–29
Revit: Revit only · paid

What the Revit COBie export is

The COBie Extension for Revit is a free Autodesk add-in (part of the BIM Interoperability Tools). It maps Revit parameters to the COBie schema through a Setup → Modify → Export workflow and writes the worksheets to Excel.

The extension is free, but only for licensed Revit users, and Revit is a paid subscription that runs to several thousand US dollars a year. It works on native Revit models, not on an IFC handed to you by a sub.

Side by side

DimensioncobiereportRevit

What you need

cobiereport · An IFC file and a browser. No authoring tool.

Revit · A paid Revit subscription and a native Revit model.

Works on a handed-over IFC

cobiereport · Yes. IFC2X3, IFC4 and IFC4X3, whatever authored it.

Revit · No. The extension reads the Revit model, not an arbitrary IFC.

Effort to a first draft

cobiereport · One drop. Map is automatic; review the gaps after.

Revit · Multi-step parameter setup and zone mapping before export.

Quality feedback

cobiereport · Gap report with a readiness score and named missing fields.

Revit · Exports the worksheets; quality is on you to check.

Cost

cobiereport · Free for 3 reports a month, €29/mo for unlimited.

Revit · Extension is free; Revit subscription is several thousand USD/yr.

When Revit is the better call

You are already authoring the building in Revit, where the extension reads the live model with far richer parameter mapping than re-deriving from an exported IFC.
You re-export repeatedly as the model matures and want COBie to track those changes directly.
Your data lives in Revit parameters that never made it into any IFC export.

Common questions

Can I export COBie without Revit?: Yes. The Revit COBie Extension needs a Revit licence and a native Revit model. cobiereport works from any IFC file in the browser, so you do not need Revit, or any authoring tool, to produce a COBie draft.
My model is an IFC, not a Revit file. Does the Revit extension help?: Not directly. The extension reads Revit models. If what you have is an IFC export, drop it into cobiereport instead and you get the workbook and a gap report in one step.

Other comparisons

Stop comparing. Drop the IFC.

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