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Free CAD Software — Every Comparison on the Web, Summarised in One Place

Free CAD Software — Every Comparison on the Web, Summarised in One Place

Search for free CAD software and you get dozens of “best of” lists, each recommending something different. We read the main comparison pages on the web — All3DP, G2, RankRed, Toolradar, Beebom, 3DSourced, TopTut and Hongkiat — and in October 2026 we checked every tool they mention ourselves: licence, platforms, and what is really still free.

An engineer’s question is not which program ranks first, but which one fits the work and is actually allowed for it. So for each tool we also note what is missing, and above all what the licence restricts.

What the comparison sites agree on

Tool Type Licence Platforms Verdict across the lists
FreeCAD 3D Open source, commercial use allowed Windows, macOS, Linux Almost every list: the best truly free parametric CAD; steep learning curve
LibreCAD 2D Open source, commercial use allowed Windows, macOS, Linux Most lists: the best free 2D for beginners, DXF-based
OpenSCAD Code Open source, commercial use allowed Windows, macOS, Linux Most lists: for people who like to code
SketchUp Free 3D Personal use only Browser Most lists: quick architectural massing; no DWG export
Onshape (free plan) 3D Public documents only, non-commercial Browser About half: the most capable free cloud CAD
Tinkercad 3D Free, account required Browser About half: the easiest for beginners and children
nanoCAD 2D Only the old version 5 is free Windows About half, usually without saying it is an old release
Fusion (personal) 3D Non-commercial only Windows, macOS About half: the best all-rounder for hobbyists
AutoCAD for students 2D/3D Students and educators only Windows, macOS About half, although it is not free for everyone
Solid Edge 3D / 2D Community: non-commercial; 2D Drafting: free download Windows About a third: professional grade
QCAD 2D Community open source; DWG is paid Windows, macOS, Linux About a third: precise, tidy 2D
Blender 3D Open source, commercial use allowed Windows, macOS, Linux About a third, with a caveat: not real CAD; great for organic shapes and rendering

Outdated advice you will still find

Some lists have not been updated and still recommend tools that are no longer free. DraftSight no longer has a free edition — only a trial. DoubleCAD XT has been discontinued, and its page now redirects to the paid TurboCAD. BricsCAD Shape was discontinued in 2025. Sculptris was replaced long ago by ZBrushCoreMini, whose downloads were also removed in 2025. SketchUp Make, the free desktop edition, is no longer offered; only the browser-based SketchUp Free remains. And of nanoCAD, only the old version 5 is free. G2 lists mostly paid programs with free trials, which we left out.

Parametric 3D CAD for mechanical parts

FreeCADDownload ↗

1. FreeCAD

The parametric modeller with a history tree that almost every list recommends. It has workbenches for parts, 2D drafting, finite elements and BIM, and imports and exports STEP, IGES, DXF and STL. The licence is open, so it may be used on paid work too.

What is missing: the interface takes time to learn, and large assemblies feel less smooth than in commercial packages.

Onshape (free plan)Download ↗

2. Onshape (free plan)

Full parametric CAD in the browser, with versions and branches — very handy for team work and student projects.

What is missing: every document on the free plan is public and visible to anyone, and the plan is not meant for commercial work. Proprietary design needs a subscription.

Autodesk Fusion (personal use)Download ↗

3. Autodesk Fusion (personal use)

Parametric modelling, assemblies, simulation and CAM in one file. An excellent entry point for a personal project.

What is missing: non-commercial use only, for people earning under 1,000 USD a year from the activity; CAM, data management and electronics are limited, and the licence must be renewed.

Solid Edge Community EditionDownload ↗

4. Solid Edge Community Edition

Full professional software: parts, assemblies, sheet metal, drawings and simulation, with synchronous technology that makes editing easier.

What is missing: personal non-commercial use only, drawings carry a watermark, and files cannot be opened in commercial Solid Edge. Windows only.

DesignSpark MechanicalDownload ↗

5. DesignSpark Mechanical

Direct modelling — you push and pull faces instead of editing a history tree. The free Explorer plan allows commercial use and suits enclosures, brackets and 3D printing.

What is missing: export is mainly STL, OBJ and 3D PDF; production drawings, assemblies and STEP, IGES and DWG need a paid plan.

Shapr3DDownload ↗

6. Shapr3D

Solid modelling on the Parasolid kernel, with an interface built for pen, touch and mouse. Students and teachers get a full licence for a year.

What is missing: the free Basic plan allows only two projects, basic-resolution export and no technical drawings.

7. SolveSpace and Dune 3D

Two small open-source modellers built around a strong constraint solver. SolveSpace opens in a second and suits simple parts and mechanisms; the younger Dune 3D adds a feature tree on OpenCASCADE.

What is missing: no large assemblies; Dune 3D is still in development and has no macOS build.

Zoo Design StudioDownload ↗

8. Zoo Design Studio

Parametric modelling where every operation is stored as KCL code, with an AI assistant that builds and fixes geometry.

What is missing: an account and an internet connection are needed even for modelling, because the geometry engine runs on Zoo’s servers; AI time on the free plan is limited.

BRL-CADDownload ↗

9. BRL-CAD

A long-established open-source CSG system for exact geometry used in analysis: mass, volume and ray tracing.

What is missing: a dated interface and a steep learning curve; not a tool for everyday drafting.

2D drafting, DWG and DXF

LibreCADDownload ↗

10. LibreCAD

Lightweight 2D drafting with layers, blocks, dimensions and hatching, using DXF as its native format. Open source and allowed for commercial work.

What is missing: no 3D and no full support for recent DWG versions, so exchanging files with an AutoCAD office is awkward.

QCAD Community EditionDownload ↗

11. QCAD Community Edition

The project LibreCAD was originally forked from, with a tidy interface and most drafting tools open source.

What is missing: DWG import and export, the parts library browser and PDF import are reserved for the paid QCAD Professional.

Solid Edge 2D DraftingDownload ↗

12. Solid Edge 2D Drafting

Working drawings to ISO, ANSI and BSI, with DWG import and saving to DWG — one of the few free options that works directly with DWG.

What is missing: no 3D, Windows only, and the download page does not spell out the licence terms — read the agreement in the installer before commercial work.

13. nanoCAD Free and AutoCAD for students

nanoCAD Free works directly with DWG in a style familiar to AutoCAD users. AutoCAD for students is the full program at no cost.

What is missing: nanoCAD Free is the old version 5, handles DWG only up to the 2013 format, and its product page says it is for non-commercial use. AutoCAD for students is only for students and staff of recognised institutions, for study purposes and for a limited time.

Browser, beginner and education tools

TinkercadDownload ↗

14. Tinkercad

You build a solid by adding and subtracting simple shapes. Ideal for a quick bracket or a part to print, and for teaching spatial thinking; it also includes circuit simulation and block coding. A free service with no paid tiers.

What is missing: no parametric modelling and no drawings; an Autodesk account and an internet connection are required.

SketchUp FreeDownload ↗

15. SketchUp Free

Draw a shape and pull it into a volume — very fast for massing models of buildings, rooms and furniture.

What is missing: personal, non-commercial use only; export only to SKP, PNG and STL, with no DWG, and no extensions.

CaDoodleDownload ↗

16. CaDoodle

A local alternative to Tinkercad: drag and combine shapes with no account and no internet, and export STL, OBJ and SVG. Open source, allowed for any use.

What is missing: it is not full parametric CAD for complex parts.

17. SelfCAD and Vectary

SelfCAD combines modelling, sculpting and a built-in slicer for printing. Vectary is for presenting a model to a client by link or website embed.

What is missing: both are limited free plans that need an account, and neither is parametric engineering CAD.

18. BlocksCAD and LeoCAD

BlocksCAD builds a solid from visual blocks in an OpenSCAD style — great for schools. LeoCAD builds models from virtual LEGO bricks, including building instructions.

What is missing: these are education and hobby tools, not engineering ones.

Code-based CAD

OpenSCADDownload ↗

19. OpenSCAD

You write code instead of drawing: every dimension is a parameter, and one file produces a whole family of parts. Very common for 3D printing and fixtures.

What is missing: no mouse-driven sketching, and precise STEP output is not its strength.

20. CadQuery and build123d

Python libraries on OpenCascade that produce true BREP geometry and export STEP — good for automation and part families.

What is missing: you must be comfortable programming, and there is no graphical sketcher.

Cascade StudioDownload ↗

21. Cascade Studio

CAD in JavaScript in the browser, with STEP import, STEP and STL export, and model sharing by link.

What is missing: no graphical sketching, and the project is maintained by a single developer.

Viewers and converters

22. Autodesk Viewer and CADProps

Open a file in the browser with nothing to install; Autodesk Viewer adds measuring and markup, and CADProps also calculates volume and weight.

What is missing: files are uploaded to a server — not for confidential drawings.

23. DWG TrueView and ODA File Converter

TrueView views, measures and plots DWG and converts between versions; ODA File Converter converts whole folders of DWG and DXF files.

What is missing: TrueView is Windows only; ODA File Converter is allowed for non-commercial use only unless you are an ODA member.

24. eDrawings Viewer and Bentley View

eDrawings opens SOLIDWORKS, DWG and DXF files; Bentley View opens DGN, IFC and point clouds — useful on infrastructure projects.

What is missing: viewing only, and some eDrawings tools are reserved for the Professional edition.

25. CAD Assistant and 3D Builder

CAD Assistant views and converts STEP, IGES and BREP, commercial use included. Microsoft’s 3D Builder repairs and prepares STL and 3MF files for printing.

What is missing: CAD Assistant has not been updated since 2021; 3D Builder works with triangle meshes, not precise geometry.

So which free CAD should you use?

Mechanical engineer doing commercial work: FreeCAD — the only full parametric 3D tool here that is also allowed for commercial use without restriction. For geometry from code, CadQuery or build123d.

Hobbyists and makers: Fusion for personal use, or Onshape on the free plan — as long as you accept non-commercial use and, on Onshape, public files.

2D drafting and DWG: LibreCAD or QCAD for DXF work; Solid Edge 2D Drafting when you need DWG; nanoCAD Free only if DWG up to 2013 is enough and the work is non-commercial.

Students: AutoCAD for students, Shapr3D’s education licence and Onshape, alongside FreeCAD, which keeps working after graduation.

Children and teaching: Tinkercad, CaDoodle and BlocksCAD.

Viewing only: DWG TrueView, Autodesk Viewer, eDrawings Viewer and Bentley View.

Sources

All the tools in one place: free CAD software. See also free AutoCAD alternatives and free SOLIDWORKS alternatives.

Further reading

מדריכי AI למהנדסים ולמשרד, ב-5 שפות: adit-ai.com ←