Bluebeam Revu is well known in the AEC industry as a versatile PDF software solution. Revu is a  PDF creator, editor, and viewer that is used worldwide by architects, project managers, and field engineers alike. PDFs are now a standard in most industries to manage plans, spec sheets, RFIs, and other digital resources. Bluebeam Revu allows users to not only create and organize PDFs, but also mark them up with digital markups and stamps – eliminating the need for traditional pen and paper reviews. With the included Bluebeam Studio, users can even host project documents and collaborate with edits in real time via a cloud management system.

Every year or so, Bluebeam releases a new version of their Revu software. The latest offering, Revu 21, is offered as a subscription service at a variety of price points – from $240 to $400 per year. Users interested in learning how to use Bluebeam Revu may be hesitant to spend hundreds of dollars without first trying the program. Luckily, Bluebeam offers free trials of older versions of Revu – from 2005’s Revu 5 to last year’s offering, Revu 20. This free trial gives you access to all Bluebeam Revu features, including measurement and markup tools, form creation, and the aforementioned Bluebeam Studio.

Downloading a Free Trial of Bluebeam Revu

To download Bluebeam Revu, visit Bluebeam’s Download Archive page on their website here. On this page, you can download either a 64-bit or 32-bit version of Revu – along with discontinued products such as Revu for Mac and Bluebeam Vu.

To get a full free trial experience, it’s important to download an older version of Revu. If you try to download Revu’s newest offering, Revu 21, you will be given a View Only mode of the program until a license is purchased. Downloading an older version, such as Revu 20, on the other hand, will give you full access to the program for 30 days. Once the 30 days are over, the program will convert into a View Only version of the program.

If you are trying out Revu with the intention of later purchasing a license, it is recommended to download Revu 20. Revu 20 has the same interface configuration and works almost identically to Revu 21 – albeit without access to the newly added Bluebeam Cloud. Users who have learned how to use Revu 20 will have no trouble switching over to Revu 21.

It’s important to note that Bluebeam no longer provides access for these older versions of Revu. These downloads should primarily be used to try out the program before deciding whether or not to purchase a full Revu license. You will also want to check your computer’s compatibility with the program – for example, Revu 20 is only available for Windows operating systems, while Revu for Mac is only available for MacOS operating systems.

To download a free trial, select either the 64-bit or the 32-bit link, depending on your computer’s capabilities. The program installer will download to your computer, and will be available in your browser’s download manager or your Downloads folder. Wait until the download finishes, and then double click on the file to start the installation.

The installer will automatically open. Select a language for the program from the dropdown menu, and then press Install.

The installation should take only a few minutes. Once complete, press Finish.

You will then be able to find the newly installed program on your Desktop, Program Files, or from the Search on your taskbar. The trial will provide you with full access to the program for 30 days. Once the free trial is over, the program will convert into a View Only mode. A View Only mode of Revu will still allow you to open PDFs and view documents within Studio Sessions and Projects you had joined prior. However, you will not be able to markup, edit, or create new PDFs in this mode.

Once the trial has ended, the program will alert you via a popup when you open up the program. You will be prompted to purchase a license and enter in your serial number and product key.

With the release of Revu 21, Bluebeam has ended sales of Revu 19 and earlier versions. As for Revu 20, Bluebeam plans to no longer sell and update this version as of March 2023.

If you decide that you would like to purchase a license of Revu, it’s recommended that you purchase a subscription of Revu 21. This is the latest Bluebeam offering and will continue to be updated throughout the coming years. Subscriptions of Revu 21 also give you access to Bluebeam Cloud, a cloud based platform for marking up and sharing documents online. Bluebeam Revu 21 can be purchased on our website here.

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please use the comment section on the bottom of this page, and don’t forget to subscribe to our blog to get more Bluebeam tips & tricks directly in your inbox!

Lauren Hecker is a Bluebeam Certified Instructor and teaches Onsite Bluebeam Certified Courses, virtual Bluebeam Basics and Advanced courses, and custom onsite or virtual courses. To see her next open enrollment course, please visit our calendar. To schedule an onsite or custom course, please contact us!