AutoCAD for Students — The Complete Guide: Full AutoCAD for Free, and What You May Do With It
AutoCAD for students is the same AutoCAD used in design offices — 2D drafting, layers, dimensions and DWG files — but under an Autodesk educational licence. The difference is legal, not technical: you may learn and practise with it, but you may not earn money with it.
AutoCAD for students
Autodesk
The full AutoCAD, free for students and academic staff — educational use only.
Get it from the vendorWhat you get
- The full program — the same commands and tools as the commercial version.
- DWG files — the format most offices and contractors work in.
- Layers, blocks and dimensions — everything a course submission drawing needs.
- Discipline workspaces — for fields such as architecture, mechanical and electrical.
- Windows and macOS — installed on your own computer.
Who may use it, and what is not allowed
The licence is free only for students and staff of a recognised educational institution, after Autodesk verifies eligibility. Access lasts one year and can be renewed while you remain eligible. Use is for educational purposes only: you may not prepare drawings for a paid project, use it in an office or for side jobs, or pass drawings made with it into commercial use. Once you start working you need a commercial licence or a free alternative.
Related tools
For free 2D drafting for any purpose — LibreCAD or QCAD. For open-source parametric 3D modelling — FreeCAD.
LibreCAD
LibreCAD Project
Lightweight 2D drafting with layers, blocks and dimensions, built around the DXF format.
Get it from the vendor
QCAD Community Edition
RibbonSoft
Mature 2D drafting. The Community Edition is free; DWG and the parts library browser are reserved for the paid version.
Get it from the vendor
FreeCAD
FreeCAD Project
Open-source parametric 3D modeller with workbenches for solid modelling, FEM, drafting and BIM.
Get it from the vendor
Autodesk Fusion (personal use licence)
Autodesk
Cloud CAD/CAM. Free personal licence for non-commercial home projects, with reduced capability.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
For a student it is the best way to learn the tool you will meet in practice. Just remember: the licence ends when your studies end, and it is not meant for real paid work.