Helonic

Helonic vs Firmus AI

A Firmus AI review in 2026 means looking at two things: the Firmus preconstruction design review product, and the Bluebeam Max features Bluebeam built after acquiring Firmus in September 2025. Here is how both compare with Helonic, an AI construction drawing analysis platform.

What is the difference between Helonic and Firmus AI?

Both read 2D PDF sets. Firmus is the better fit when phase comparison and Bluebeam are the center of your workflow. Helonic is the better fit when code and RFIs are.

Choose Helonic if:

  • You need building code checks (IBC, ADA, NFPA, NEC, Title 24, or your local edition) in the same pass as coordination
  • You want findings written into Procore or Autodesk Forma as RFIs, not exported as a report
  • You want MEP, structural, fire, accessibility, and spec-to-drawing checks across every sheet, not mainly floor plans
  • You don't want AI review tied to a Bluebeam Max seat for every reviewer
  • You review sets through construction as revisions land, not only at bid

Choose Firmus AI if:

  • Your team already works in Bluebeam Revu and wants AI review inside it through Bluebeam Max
  • Phase-to-phase set comparison (DD to CD to IFC) is the main job, and AI-MATCH is built for it
  • You price and bid work, and scope gaps and missing information are what you need flagged
  • You want unlimited users on a plan sized by analyses per year

How do Helonic and Firmus AI compare on features?

Firmus facts come from firmus.ai, its pricing page, and Bluebeam's Max and Smart Review documentation, checked October 2026. "Not advertised" means the vendor does not describe it publicly.

FeatureHelonicFirmus AI
What it isAI drawing review platformPrecon design review, now part of Bluebeam
Issue detection on 2D PDF sets
Scope gaps and missing information
Building code checksNot advertised
Spec vs drawing cross-checkNot advertised
Set and revision comparisonAI-MATCH
Procore RFIsNot listed
Autodesk Forma (ACC) RFIsNot listed
Runs inside Bluebeam RevuBluebeam Max (Preview)
PricingCustom, pilots available5, 20, or 100 analyses/yr, unlimited users

What changed for Firmus AI after Bluebeam?

Bluebeam bought Firmus AI on September 4, 2025, and said it would start bringing Firmus capabilities into its products in early 2026. Bluebeam Max went on general sale on May 19, 2026. It includes Smart Review, which flags incomplete design, scope gaps, and discrepancies, and Smart Overlay, which compares two versions of a PDF set. We cover the deal in more detail in what the Bluebeam Firmus AI acquisition means for drawing review buyers.

Read the Smart Review fine print before you count on it. Bluebeam's own FAQ lists Smart Review and Smart Overlay as Preview features on Revu 21. Smart Review currently checks sheet index health, gridline coordination, door tags against schedules, and plumbing tags. Bluebeam says it works best on floor plans, supports imperial units only, and that Smart Overlay can't match different disciplines such as E1.01 against M1.01.

Firmus is still strongest on preconstruction set comparison. AI-MATCH compares full sets between phases (100% DD, 50% CD, 90% CD, IFP, IFC) and tracks which issues were resolved and which are new. That is a real advantage for estimating and preconstruction teams pricing a moving design.

Helonic covers the checks Firmus does not advertise. It reviews every sheet across 10 categories, including building code compliance, MEP, structural, fire safety, and accessibility, and cross-references specs against drawings. It also compares revisions. Helonic does not run inside Bluebeam and is not a markup tool. Findings go into Procore or Autodesk Forma as RFIs, with the sheet location attached.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Firmus AI still available after the Bluebeam acquisition?
Bluebeam acquired Firmus AI in September 2025. The Firmus site now says it is part of Bluebeam and still lists Basic, Advanced, Premium, and Enterprise plans. Bluebeam Max, launched globally in May 2026 at an introductory $590 per user per year, includes Smart Review and Smart Overlay, AI drawing review and set comparison features that are still labeled Preview. Ask Bluebeam which route it recommends for your team.
What does a Firmus AI review do well?
Firmus reads 2D PDF sets and flags incomplete design, scope gaps, missing information, and discrepancies. Its strongest feature is AI-MATCH, which compares full sets between phases such as 100% DD, 90% CD, and IFC so you can see what changed. Every plan includes unlimited users and unlimited exports.
Is Helonic better than Firmus AI?
Helonic is the better fit when you need code compliance, MEP and structural coordination, and findings pushed into Procore or Autodesk as RFIs. Firmus AI, or Bluebeam Max, is the better fit when your team lives in Bluebeam and phase-to-phase set comparison for bidding is the main job.
How does Firmus AI pricing work?
Firmus sells annual plans sized by analyses per year: Basic includes 5, Advanced 20, and Premium 100, with custom Enterprise plans above that. Premium adds full set-to-set AI-MATCH, white-label reporting, and SSO. Helonic does not publish a price. It quotes per team, with pilot programs for qualified teams and annual discounts.
Does Firmus AI check building codes?
Firmus does not advertise code compliance checks. Its public material covers missing information, scope gaps, and cross-discipline discrepancies, and Bluebeam's Smart Review check list covers sheet index, gridline, door tag, and plumbing tag consistency. Helonic checks drawings against IBC, IRC, CBC, ADA, NEC, NFPA, Title 24, FBC, NYC BC, ASHRAE, and the local edition you specify.
Which fits a general contractor better?
A GC estimating team that already runs Bluebeam on every seat will get phase comparison and scope-gap flags with little change through Bluebeam Max. A GC that runs RFIs out of Procore or Autodesk and wants code and MEP issues caught before the field will get more from Helonic.
MS

Milind Sagaram

Co-founder & CEO, Helonic

Milind is the co-founder and CEO of Helonic, where he leads product and go-to-market for AI-powered construction drawing analysis. He works closely with general contractors, project managers, estimators, and owners to understand how drawing quality drives project outcomes - and where AI can reduce RFIs, change orders, and rework. Milind has interviewed hundreds of construction professionals across project delivery roles, from preconstruction estimators at ENR top-400 contractors to facilities directors at institutional owners, and uses those conversations to shape both product direction and the way Helonic talks about the work.

Areas of focus
  • Construction project delivery and preconstruction
  • RFI and change order economics
  • Owner and GC workflows for drawing QA/QC
  • Estimating risk and bid-stage scope assessment

How this page was researched: Firmus AI's product, plans, and Bluebeam status were checked on October 25, 2026 against firmus.ai, firmus.ai/pricing, Bluebeam's September 2025 acquisition release, its May 2026 Bluebeam Max launch release, the Bluebeam pricing page, and Bluebeam's Smart Overlay and Smart Review FAQ. Helonic capabilities reflect the current product.

Last reviewed by Milind Sagaram · October 25, 2026

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Compare on your own drawing set

Send Helonic the set you are bidding or building and see the code and coordination issues it flags, with sheet locations.