Revit Version Checker: find the version of any RVT or RFA file
Drop one Revit file or a whole folder’s worth and see which Revit version saved each one, without opening Revit. Check a family before you buy or load it, then browse Revit families for your version.
RVT, RFA, RTE and RFTBatch check many filesNo upload, runs in your browserBuild and worksharingCopy results as CSV
Check Revit files
Drop .rvt, .rfa, .rte or .rft files here
One file or a whole batch.
Your files never leave your computer. They are read in your browser, nothing is uploaded, and only the small header that holds the version is read, even for a 300 MB model.
Your Revit
Each file is compared with this version. Revit LT uses the same file format.
- Same version: opens as is.
- Older file: opens and is upgraded. You can't save it back.
- Newer file: can't be opened in your version.
Results
No files checked yet. Drop Revit files above or choose them to see which version saved each one.
| File | Saved in | Build | Worksharing | In Revit 2026 |
|---|
Revit can't save a file back to an older version. Opening an older file in a newer Revit upgrades it, and once you save it, only that version or newer can open it. Export to IFC or DWG keeps the geometry for older versions, but not the parametric family.
Need a family rebuilt for an older Revit version? We can model it natively in the version you use.
Request a rebuildCheck a Revit file version in 3 steps
Pick your Revit version
Choose the Revit version you work in. The tool remembers it for next time.
Drop your files
Drag .rvt, .rfa, .rte or .rft files onto the drop zone, or choose them. Only the small file header is read, in your browser, so even a 300 MB model takes a moment.
Read the result
Each file shows the Revit version that saved it, the build and worksharing state, and whether it opens in your version. Copy the list as CSV for a project log.
How a Revit file records its version
Every .rvt, .rfa, .rte and .rft file is an OLE compound file: a small file system inside one file. One of its streams, BasicFileInfo, is a few kilobytes of text that Revit rewrites on every save. The checker opens the compound file, finds that stream and reads these lines from it:
| Line in BasicFileInfo | Example | Shown as |
|---|---|---|
| Format | 2024 | Saved in Revit 2024 |
| Build | 20230308_1635(x64) | Build and build date |
| Revit Build (2018 and older) | Autodesk Revit 2016 (Build: 20150220_1215(x64)) | Saved in Revit 2016 |
| Worksharing | Not enabled / Central / Local | Worksharing state |
| Central Model Path | \\server\projects\Tower.rvt | Under worksharing |
The username stored in the file is never shown or copied. The file is read with the browser’s File API and is not sent anywhere.
Revit version compatibility
| File saved in | Opened in | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Revit 2024 | Revit 2024 | Opens as is |
| Revit 2021 | Revit 2024 | Opens and is upgraded. Once saved, it can’t go back to 2021. |
| Revit 2025 | Revit 2024 | Can’t open. Revit is not backward compatible. |
The same rule applies to families (.rfa), templates (.rte, .rft) and Revit LT, which uses the same file format. Loading an older family into a newer project upgrades the copy inside the project; the .rfa file on disk keeps its version until you save it.
Revit file version questions
Drop the file into the checker above. It reads the BasicFileInfo stream that Revit writes into every .rvt and .rfa file and shows the version that saved it, in a second or two. You can check many files at once, and nothing is uploaded. Without a tool you can open the file in a text editor and search for Format:, but that is slow on large models.
The version shown is the Revit release that last saved the file, for example Revit 2024. Files from Revit 2019 onwards store it as Format: 2024; older files store a line such as Autodesk Revit 2016 (Build: 20150220_1215(x64)). The checker reads both. The build number tells you more precisely which build saved it.
No. Revit is not backward compatible: Revit 2024 can’t open a project, family or template saved in Revit 2025 or later, and there is no setting or add-in that changes this. You need the newer version of Revit, or ask the author for a copy saved in your version.
No. Revit has no “save as older version”. Once a file is upgraded and saved, only that version or newer can open it. You can export geometry to IFC or DWG and bring it into an older version, but you lose the parametric family. To keep a family fully editable in an older version, it has to be rebuilt there.
Yes. A newer Revit opens or loads families from older versions and upgrades them. Loading upgrades the copy in your project; the .rfa file on disk stays in its old version until you open and save it in the newer Revit. Check the version first so you know whether a downloaded family will load at all.
No. The checker runs entirely in your browser. It reads only the few kilobytes that hold the file information, even from a 300 MB model, and nothing leaves your computer. The username stored in the file is never shown.
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