Studio Sessions vs. Studio Projects Guide

At Bluebeam, we understand the importance of collaboration for projects of any scale. Studio Sessions provides a virtual environment for real-time collaboration and markup on PDF documents, while Studio Projects serves as a comprehensive cloud-based document management system for storing and managing all project files. Use this guide to help choose the solution that best fits the needs of your project.

Studio Sessions Studio Projects
Studio Sessions is comparable to a virtual plan room, where multiple project partners from around the globe can simultaneously add markups and communicate on drawings in real time. This real-time collaboration allows multiple people to work together at once, enhancing productivity and ensuring everyone is aligned. All markup activity is tracked, and a built-in chat feature further enhances an intuitively collaborative experience. Studio Projects is a simple yet powerful cloud-based document management system. Upload PDFs and other file types, and invite project partners to access them from anywhere. While Projects can be shared with multiple people, files are checked out and edited by one person at a time, ensuring document integrity. Additionally, Project files can be used in Studio Sessions for collaborative real-time markups.
For more information about the key features available in Bluebeam Cloud for each subscription plan, please see this article.

Technical comparison

  Studio Sessions Studio Projects
Maximum attendees Up to 500 users Unlimited
Maximum files per Session/Project Up to 5,000 Unlimited
Supported file types PDF only Word, Excel, PowerPoint, .csv, .jpg, .png, .html, .mp4, .txt, .btx (tool chest), .bex (set)
Maximum file size Up to 1 GB per file Unlimited
Maximum markup size Up to 10 MB per markup Unlimited
Total storage available Unlimited Unlimited
Manage attendee access rights Yes Yes
View and restore previous file revisions No Yes
Notifications about file and user activity Yes Yes
Send and receive markup alerts Yes No
Bluebeam Subscription required for collaborators No No

Although Studio Projects offer unlimited file size and storage, our best practices suggest keeping the total size of the Project under 10 GB for higher performance.


Platform compatibility

Platform Studio Sessions Studio Projects
Window
iPad
Web browser
iOS app (coming soon)
Android app (coming soon)

Common use cases

Scenario Use Studio Sessions Use Studio Projects Use Both Together
Real-time collaboration and markup on PDF documents with multiple users    
Facilitating live collaboration while maintaining accountability for users' markups    
Enforcing deadlines with session expiration dates    
Storing, organizing, and sharing all project documents (any file type)    
Supporting large projects with long-term lifecycles    
Individual document work with check-in/check-out    
Maintaining a full version history and permissions for documents    
Combining long-term storage with periodic collaborative reviews    
Uploading documents from storage for collaborative markup sessions    
Facilitating input from external third parties without granting full access    
Accessing records and reporting for collaboration activities    
Utilizing offline mode for uninterrupted work  
Sending and receiving markup alerts    
Setting permission levels for users, groups, and folders for greater document security    
Access full Revu markup capability  

 

Resources

Revu 21

Studio

Getting Started