Revit version checker: which Revit saved this file?
Find out which Revit release saved an .rvt, .rfa or .rte file, its build and whether it is workshared. The file is read in your browser and never uploaded.
Revit won't open a file saved in a newer release, and it won't tell you which release that was until you try. This page reads the version stamp Revit writes into every .rvt, .rfa and .rte, in your browser, so you know before you open it.
When to reach for it: Before you try to open a model from someone else, or when Revit refuses a file and you want to know why.
What you get: The Revit release that saved the file, its build, whether it is workshared, the central model and last save paths, and the locale.
Example: Check whether a consultant's model will open in your Revit before you try.
What it reads
Every Revit file carries a small block of file information: the release that saved it, the build, whether worksharing is on and the central model's path, the last save path and the locale. The checker reads only that block, so even a 200 MB model is checked at once, and nothing leaves your computer.
Why it matters
Revit opens files saved in older releases, upgrading them as it goes, but refuses any file saved in a newer release. The error only appears after you have waited for the file to load, and it doesn't always say which release you would need. On a project with consultants on different releases that turns into a lot of guessing.
Upgrading has a cost too: once a file is opened and saved in a newer Revit, the people still on the older release can't open it any more. Checking the version first lets you decide before anything is saved.
What to do with the answer
If the file is older than your Revit, it opens, and Revit upgrades it. If it is newer and was saved in Revit 2024 or later, the Revit version converter can save it for an older release, for free within your plan's size cap. From Revit 2021 to 2027 you can also open it in the BIMCamel viewer without Revit, or convert it to IFC.
When the file is workshared, the checker shows the path of its central model, so you can tell a local copy from the central file.
Honest limits
The checker reads the version stamp Revit writes into every file. A file that was damaged, or only partly downloaded, may not have a readable one, and the checker says so. It tells you which Revit saved the file, not whether every element in it will come across to another release.
How the check works
A Revit file is a compound file: a small file system inside one file, holding the model's streams. One of them, BasicFileInfo, is a short record Revit writes on every save with the release, the build number, the worksharing state, the paths the file was saved to, the user name and the locale. The checker opens the compound file in your browser, finds that record, and reads only it, which is why a large model is checked as quickly as a small one.
The build number tells you more than the year: it names the exact update the file was saved with, which helps when two people on the same release see different results.
How to check which Revit version saved a file
- Drop the .rvt, .rfa or .rte on the box at the top of the page
- Read the Revit release, build and worksharing state. The file stays on your computer
- If it is newer than your Revit, downgrade it, open it in the viewer or convert it to IFC
Under the hood
BIMCamel parses IFC files in the browser using the open-source web-ifc engine and renders models with @thatopen/components + three.js. Heavy operations (clean / optimise / validate / convert) run on disposable server-side workers using the same web-ifc stack plus our own .NET pipeline; results stream back to your browser as soon as they're ready. Uploads sit on our servers only as long as your tier's retention window allows and are never used to train AI.
Frequently asked questions
Can it tell me whether a file is a central model or a local copy?
It shows the worksharing state Revit recorded and the path of the central model. A local copy points to a central model somewhere else; the central file points to itself. A file with worksharing off says so.
Does it read files from old Revit releases?
Yes. The version stamp has been in Revit files for many releases, so the checker reads old and new files alike.
Why does Revit say the file was created by a newer version?
Because it was saved in a newer release than yours. The checker shows which one, so you know whether to downgrade it, ask the author, or open it online instead.
Is the file uploaded?
No. It is read in your browser. Only if you choose to open or convert it is it uploaded.
Does it work for families and templates?
Yes: .rvt projects, .rfa families and .rte templates.
The file is newer than my Revit. What now?
If it was saved in Revit 2024 or later, the Revit version converter can save it for an older release, for free. You can also open it in the BIMCamel viewer, or convert it to IFC.
Is it free?
Yes, with no account and no size limit, because nothing is uploaded.