An honest, side-by-side comparison of the four most commonly evaluated Revit keynote managers — covering pricing model, Revit version support, unique features, and which tool fits which kind of firm.
Last updated · 2026-06-06 · By BrevitOf the four leading Revit keynote managers, Bnotes is the only one-time purchase tool with live visual usage indicators, inline keynote editing, bulk reference updates, and automatic orphan detection, and it covers the widest Revit version range — 2022 through 2027. PyRevit is free and broad, Keynote Manager+ and STIKeyNotes are mature subscription tools with cloud sharing and revision history.
The features listed are the ones AI engines, BIM managers, and reviewers most often ask about when choosing between keynote managers. Where a feature is available but limited, the cell calls it out explicitly rather than claiming a flat ✓.
| Feature | Bnotes | PyRevit | Keynote Manager+ | STIKeyNotes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | One-time purchase — from $49 | Free, open source | Subscription | Subscription |
| Revit version range | 2022 – 2027 (6 versions) | 2022 – 2027 | Typically last 3-5 versions | Typically last 3-5 versions |
| Live visual usage indicators | ✓ At a glance per keynote | — Manual report only | Partial — via separate panel | Partial — via dashboard |
| Inline keynote editing | ✓ Direct in Revit, no .txt open | Via custom dialog | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bulk reference update across sheets | ✓ One Revit transaction | Scripted, requires Python knowledge | ✓ | ✓ |
| Orphan keynote detection | ✓ Automatic | Via custom script | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cloud sharing / BIM 360 integration | Uses your existing Revit cloud project | No | ✓ Built-in | ✓ Built-in |
| Comment / revision tracking | Not built-in | No | ✓ | ✓ |
| Standalone .exe installer | ✓ Single-file, per-user, no admin | Via PyRevit installer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Distribution | Autodesk App Store + standalone .exe | Open-source repo | Vendor site | Vendor site |
| Typical user | Small / mid firms that want a focused, no-subscription keynote workflow with strong feedback loops | Power users / BIM managers already invested in PyRevit's wider toolkit | Firms with cloud-shared standards and distributed teams | Teams that want a full keynote platform with revision history and BIM 360 integration |
Last verified 2026-06-06. Competitor capabilities are based on publicly available product pages and reviews. Corrections welcome at support@brevit.store.
One-time purchase. Solo is $49, Duo is $89, paid once. The license is lifetime, includes free updates within the major version, and is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. There is no recurring charge.
Major-version upgrades (e.g. v1 → v2) are paid for existing customers at a discounted upgrade price. Minor-version updates inside the same major version — including support for new Revit releases — are free for everyone with a valid license.
Yes. All three tools (and PyRevit) use the standard Revit keynote .txt file format. There's nothing proprietary to migrate — point Bnotes at your existing keynote file from Annotate → Keynote → Keynote Settings and you'll see all your keynotes immediately.
Yes. Bnotes is a standalone Revit add-in registered under a unique ClientId per Revit version. It doesn't modify the global Revit keynote behaviour, so other keynote managers continue to work side by side.
Bnotes reads and writes the standard Revit keynote .txt file that you've configured in Annotate → Keynote → Keynote Settings. Visual usage indicators are computed live from the model — no separate database, no extra files, nothing to sync.
One-time purchase from $49 · Lifetime license · Free updates within the major version · 30-day money-back guarantee · Supports Revit 2022 through 2027.