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What is Free CAD Software?
CAD software is used for design and design documentation, serving as a replacement for manual drafting with an automated process. Professionals in the structural engineering, MEP, and architecture fields use 2D and 3D CAD programs. These programs help them to explore design ideas, visualize concepts via photorealistic renderings, and simulate the performance of a design in the real world. Show more3D CAD software tools enable you to render designs from any angle, rotate objects in three dimensions, and apply multiple light sources. AutoCAD software was the first CAD platform and it continues to be the most popular CAD solution. Start by checking our leader SketchUp, and other recommended solutions in this category.Show less
How was this ranking made?
In order to prepare this list of best Free CAD Software we have evaluated different solutions currently present on the market, contrasting their features, ease-of-use, client service, available integrations and mobile support using our unique SmartScoreTM rating system. This ranking has been developed by Nestor Gilbert, our B2B authority dedicated to the Free CAD Software category.
List of Top 7 Free CAD Software
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1. SketchUp
Our score: 8.9 User satisfaction: 97%SketchUp is a CAD software that excels in creating and editing 2D and 3D concepts. With its intuitive interface and controls, novice users can create professional-looking output and simplify complex design for experts. The platform is complete with animations, textures, 3D models, lighting effects, and many more for realistic looks.
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2. Onshape
Our score: 8.9 User satisfaction: 89%Onshape is a full cloud 3D CAD platform designed to help cloud forward and innovative designers, engineers, and manufacturers to work together from any device and web browser.
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3. Blender
Our score: 8.6 User satisfaction: 98%A free and open source 3D creation suite for professional artists and small teams, enabling them to create animated films, visual effects, arts, 3D printed models, 3D applications, and video games.
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4. FreeCAD
Our score: 8.0 User satisfaction: 100%A customizable, open-source (LGPL v2 license) parametric 3D modeler designed primarily for product design and mechanical engineering.
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5. OpenSCAD
Our score: 7.4 User satisfaction: 94%A free, script-only 3D modeling suite designed to help engineers create solid 3D CAD objects. Nevertheless, it puts users in complete control. It is a perfect tool for engineers who require highly capable tools but do not want to break the bank.
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6. LibreCAD
Our score: 7.4 User satisfaction: 94%A fully comprehensive, open-source (with GPLv2 license) 2D Computer Aided Design (CAD) program that is free to download and install.
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7. PEP Technology
Our score: 6.0 User satisfaction: 92%A powerful lean manufacturing application for OEM’s, structural steel fabricators, manufacturers, job shops, service centers, and general fab shops.
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Table of contents
Free computer-aided design (or CAD) software is a powerful tool used in the manufacturing, design, and construction industries. It allows architects, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, interior designers, and other professionals to quickly and easily build 3D models of machines, structures, and other objects. Given their sophisticated features and functionalities, free CAD software products have replaced manual design drafting, enabling users to craft more precise designs and manipulate them virtually.
The increasing use of free CAD software has led to many innovations in engineering, architecture, manufacturing, and many other fields. Therefore, it is essential for every engineer or designer to pick the right CAD software for their needs. In this buyer’s guide, we will help you choose which free CAD software product is the best one for your business.
Get to know each product with a free trial
With an abundance of free CAD software to choose from, picking the one that best fits your needs can be a difficult task. One great way to assess a software product’s capabilities is to sign up for a free trial or demo offered by the vendor. Doing so can help you perform a test drive of how the software works and see for yourself whether it suits your needs. That said, we recommend you try out the leading applications in this software category: SketchUp, Onshape, Blender, FreeCAD, and OpenSCAD. These applications currently have notable rankings in our best free CAD software reviews.
Targeted Businesses
Free CAD software products are built for various types of professionals in different fields, such as engineering, architecture, interior design, and more. Best suited to design and technical documentation processes, free CAD programs are widely used among the following specific users:
- Naval architects
- Internal and exterior designers
- Engineers
- Drafters
- Marine engineers
- Architects
Examples of Free CAD Software
- SketchUp. A free CAD solution ideal for developing and manipulating 2D and 3D concepts. It enables users to create impressive and accurate 3D models of landscapes, furniture, interiors, and more.
- Onshape. A CAD software free edition built for designers, engineers, and manufacturers. It provides robust, built-in tools that allow users to come up with completely associative 2D drawings and 3D models.
- Blender. An open-source CAD software best suited to creating visual effects, animated films, 3D models, arts, video games, and more. It comes with complete modeling tools to help users create, edit, and transform their models quickly and more efficiently.
- FreeCAD. A fully-featured CAD software open source edition for anyone who needs to craft real-life models of objects with varying sizes. It also allows users to simplify design workflows and perform a spectrum of design functions
- OpenSCAD. One of the most sophisticated open source CAD programs equipped with numerous features to help engineers create, modify, and visualize solid 3D CAD objects. It comes with configurable parameters and script files that enable users to take complete control over their design processes.
Types of Free CAD Software
Basically, there are two different types of free CAD software:
- 2D CAD software. Best-suited for creating 2D drawings related to rectangles, squares, triangles, and polygons on flat surfaces. This type of CAD software is usually used for developing floor plans and building inspection plans, permit drawings, and landscaping layouts.
- 3D CAD software. Ideal for creating functional, virtual prototypes of 3D objects. Often used by engineers, product developers, and designers, 3D CAD software enables users to build surface, wire-frame, and solid models.
Key Features of Free CAD Software
Here are some of the most important features of free or open source CAD software:
- Rotation, scaling, resizing, and reflection options
- Image display that shows users a complete view of their models from different angles
- Import/export function for various types of engineering components
- Enhanced accuracy for drawing objects in multiple formats, including 2D CAD, 3D CAD, 2D, and 3D.
Benefits of Free CAD Software
- Saves time. A free CAD software helps you save time by simplifying design workflows. It allows you to create and modify models and objects in just a matter of seconds, making it easier for you to visualize the ideas you have for your products. By providing you with all the tools you need for your blueprints, free CAD software products enable you to complete your designs more quickly and correct errors much faster than before.
- Improves accuracy. Another important benefit of online CAD software free editions is that they improve the accuracy of CAD drawings. Unlike manual designing and drafting, which are usually prone to errors, free CAD applications give designers a chance to create error-free designs even for the most complex surfaces and shapes.
- Increases productivity. With the help of CAD free software applications, designers can easily make infinite variations of the final product. The ability to create and modify various simulations in CAD applications results in better productivity and a higher number of completed projects.
Latest Trends
3D printing. Thanks to advancements in 3D printing technologies, this industry has evolved tremendously and is now providing newer and more innovative solutions for various fields, such as medical, aerospace, energy, and automotive. With its growing focus on end-use production, 3D printing is unlocking new possibilities for manufacturing processes and product design workflows. As a result, many organizations are currently taking advantage of 3D printing technologies to efficiently produce high-quality prototypes both for visual and functional purposes.
Cloud-based CAD. As cloud-based solutions rapidly become the norm across all sectors, the engineering and design industries are following suit by leveraging web-based CAD tools for their design projects. Cloud-based CAD free software help users save time in their design processes and perform rapid iterations as necessary.
Potential Issues
Here are some of the most common issues usually encountered by users of free CAD software:
- Steep learning curve. Some free CAD applications can be too complex and difficult for users to adopt. In this case, users might need extensive training and vendor support to fully utilize the program according to their needs.
- Revision control. This is an important aspect of the design process that enables users to change details on their work back and forth. However, some free CAD tools lack this feature, which hinders users from retrieving or modifying old versions of their files.
- Conversion problems. One of the biggest drawback of free versions of CAD applications is that some of them usually have limited file format support. This makes it more difficult for users to export files from one format or program to another.
Deployment Options
Basically, there are two common deployment options for free CAD software: cloud-based and on-premise.
- Cloud-based programs. Cloud-based CAD software enables users to access their files and designs via the Internet. With this type of deployment option, users can simply store, access, and edit their files from anywhere at any given time.
- On-premise solutions. Most CAD programs run on-premise, which means they require installation on a user’s device. An on-premise CAD software also usually provides greater control and security compared to cloud-based CAD programs.
List of Free CAD Software Companies
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Things to consider when you invest in a SaaS
Disaster recovery and security are two main elements that need to be considered by SaaS purchasers when evaluating potential vendors.
Many SaaS vendors do not have a disaster recovery site. Therefore, ask the following questions to your shortlisted providers: How do you test your disaster recovery procedures? What is your recovery time? How often do you test? Do you have dispersed infrastructure; are your chief site and your disaster recovery site placed in different geographical locations?
You need to be aware that many SaaS vendors do not use enterprise-grade infrastructure to deploy SaaS apps. Many solutions have multiple providers. For example, there may be a firewall provider, an Internet provider, and a few others too in the mix. If a concern rears up, there is a lot of finger-pointing. This problem is common with on-premise IT applications. The solution is to decrease the number of vendors so that there is accountability to ensure they take responsibility about performance.
Ask the potential SaaS providers the following queries about security: Is your firm SAS70 compliant? What security processes are used at your facilities? What security audits and principles does your organization follow? Who manages access and identity management, web application firewalls, log file management, and network connectivity?
Needless to say, take your time to research methodically and get the answers to the above queries before you invest in an apt SaaS product.
Frequently asked questions about Free CAD Software
What is the best free CAD software?
The best free CAD software is SketchUp. It provides smart 3D modeling tools that enable users to visualize their ideas and create impressive 3D models of interiors, landscapes, furniture, and more. It is also built with numerous lighting effects, textures, animations, and a layer manager that can be used to create accurate designs and models.
Furthermore, SketchUp gives users the total freedom to customize, add, remove, or rearrange their palettes to make their designs more appealing. Best-suited for planning, visualizing, and facilitating construction projects, the solution also comes with a plethora of features and tools that support 2D designing.
What are the benefits of free CAD software?
Here are some of the biggest benefits of free CAD software:
- It allows professionals to quickly and easily build 3D models of machines, structures, and other objects.
- The increasing use of CAD software has led to many innovations in engineering, architecture, manufacturing, and many other fields.
- A free CAD software provides all the tools you need to create and adjust your designs and models.
- It enables users to accurately visualize their ideas and present them to their clients.
- Most online CAD software free programs enable users to take full control of their design workflows and customize them according to their needs.
What are the key features of free CAD software?
Most CAD software free platforms have the following key features:
- 2D and 3D display. With this feature, users can provide an accurate visualization of their design ideas.
- Object library. This provides users with a centralized location where they can store and organize all their files and designs.
- Cloud storage. Having ample cloud storage means users can have enough space for the files that they need to complete their design projects.
- Rotation and scaling tools. These are important tools that allow users to customize their designs from any angle and in any way that they need.
- Interoperability. A good free CAD software open source program works seamlessly with other platforms and enables users to open and edit files created in other applications.
What is the easiest free CAD software to use?
The easiest free CAD software to use is SketchUp. It is built with a wide variety of user-friendly features that help designers create accurate models of their products, landscapes, and blueprints. It also has an intuitive interface that makes every tool accessible and convenient to use. With a fast learning curve, the solution can easily be adapted by beginners and pros alike.
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