15 Best FREE CAD Software & Programs [Windows/Mac] 2023
Alyssa Walker
CAD software refers to a type of software program used by engineers and designers to create 2D and 3D physical component models. These applications have an easy-to-use user interface, toolbars, and a large library of 3D models. Many tools also enable you to print on multiple pages.
Following is a handpicked list of Top Free CAD Software, with their popular features and website links. The list contains both open source (free) and commercial (paid) software.
ZWCAD is the best software for accurate 2D and 3D drafting. It serves people in various industries, including architecture and engineering, construction, and automotive. There is also a mobile application that allows you to view drawings flexibly and conveniently anytime, anywhere.
Best Free CAD Software Programs for Windows PC & Mac
| Name | Supported Platforms | Free Trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZWCAD | Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS | Life Time Free Basic Plan | Learn More |
| Adobe Substance 3D | Windows, Mac, and Linux | 30-Days Free Trial | Learn More |
| Planner5d | Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS | 3-Days Free Trial | Learn More |
| AutoCAD | Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android | Life Time Free Basic Plan | Learn More |
| FreeCAD | Windows, Mac, and Linux | Life Time Free Basic Plan | Learn More |
#1) ZWCAD
ZWCAD is the best software for accurate 2D and 3D drafting. It serves people in various industries, including architecture and engineering, construction, and automotive. There is also a mobile application that allows you to view drawings flexibly and conveniently anytime, anywhere. Whether you’re a novice just delving into design or a seasoned expert with years of experience, ZWCAD ensures an intuitive and comprehensive user experience that makes it easy to master its features and functionality.
File Format: DWG, DXF, DWT, SAT, STL, PDF, IFC, JPG, PNG, etc.
Founded in: 1998
Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android
Free Trial: 30-Day Free Trial
Features:
- Provides a friendly user interface with common and advanced commands and aliases.
- Supports third-party application development with APIs such as LISP, VBA, and .NET.
- Lets you easily migrate preferences and settings, including command aliases and hatch patterns, from your previous CAD software.
- Clearly highlights differences between two drawings for easy file comparison.
- Use the Quick Properties panel to get information with a single click on the drawing.
- Accurately and comprehensively capture 3D measurement results from real-world objects and seamlessly integrate them into CAD projects for accurate modeling and design.
- Automatically generate the surface table with simple settings.
- Activate frequently used commands with mouse gestures on the workspace and add audio annotations for easier and faster communication.
- Multi-core CPU acceleration greatly improves the efficiency of reading and saving DWG files. Requires low memory requirements, needing only 2GB RAM.
- Precise management of memory resources increases the frequency of memory usage, resulting in smoother software performance.
- Offers a 30-day free trial to let you try the full version and supports one-time purchases, which can save you much more money than subscriptions to other shareware.
- Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android
- Price: Permanent purchase at $899
- Free Trial: 30-Day Free Trial
30-Day Free Trial
#2) Adobe Substance 3D
Adobe Substance 3D is a bunch of smart, creative apps that include Painter, Designer, and Sample app. This bunch of apps provides access to thousands of customizable models, lights, and materials created by s world-class guest artists.
File Format: TIFF, IFF, JPEG, PNG, MOV, and AAC
Founded in: 1982
Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux
Free Trial: 30-Days Free Trial
Features:
- You can set up assets, materials, lights, and a camera for virtual photography.
- Help you to build simple or complex models.
- You can shape your model as you would in a real-world workshop.
- Allows you to create Augmented Reality (AI) experiences using assets you’ve designed in your favorite apps.
- Seamlessly integrates with Salesforce, servicenow, box, mastercard, Veeva, and make
- Adobe Substance 3D required 16GB RAM
- Provides Prims, stamps, and brush tools
- Offers multiple file formats like TIFF, IFF, JPEG, PNG, MOV, and AAC
- You can design 3D assets, models, and materials
- Offers sculpting tools like Clay, Undo & Redo, Move, Rotate, Pinch, Zoom, and Resize
- Provides 100GB free storage
- Adobe Substance 3D was founded in 1982, developed by John Warnock and Charles Geschke
- Provides Automatic UV Unwrapping, Effects, Physical size, Smart Materials and Masks, Subsurface Scattering, and more
- Offers Noise Sculpting, 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Chat and Email
- Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Price: Plans start at $24.99 a month. 5% Discount on Yearly Payment.
- Free Trial: 30-Days Free Trial
30-Days Free Trial
#3) Planner5d
Planner 5D is another important 3D alternative tool that enables you to create realistic interior and exterior designs in 2D/ 3D modes.
File Format: JPEG and PNG
Founded in: 2011
Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS
Free Trial: 3-Days Free Trial
Features:
- It allows you to use the Snapshots feature to capture your design as a realistic image
- Both 2D and 3D views as you design from various angles
- The intuitive and user-focused interface which offers an easy design process without any tutorials or instructions
- Apply custom colors, patterns, and materials to furniture
- Be a part of a growing community. Upload and customize projects
- planner5d required 2 GB RAM
- Offers multiple file formats like JPEG and PNG
- You can design materials and patterns
- planner5d was founded in 2011, developed by Alexey Sheremetyev
- Provides Automatic Room Generator, AI Plan Recognition, Automated Furniture Arrangement, Enterprise Solutions, and more
- Offers 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Chat, Contact Form, and Email
- Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS
- Price: Request a Quote from Sales
- Free Trial: 3-Days Free Trial
3-Days Free Trial
#4) AutoCAD
AutoCAD is a computer-aided design (CAD) software that architects, engineers, and construction professionals rely on to create precise 2D and 3D drawings. You can edit and create drawings in AutoCAD on virtually any device.
File Format: CAD, DWG, DWF, DXF, and DGN
Founded in: 1982
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
Free Trial: Life Time Free Basic Plan
Features:
- Create, edit and view, drawings on virtually any device
- Helps you to access any DWG file in AutoCAD with Autodesk’s cloud
- Reduce eye strain with contrast improvement
- Allows you to display all nearby measurements in a drawing
- Create, edit, and view CAD drawings
- Remove multiple objects with easy selection and object preview.
- Seamlessly integrates with Airtable, asana, 360Sync, box, and Basecamp
- AutoCAD required 8 GB RAM
- Provides stamps and brush tools
- Offers multiple file formats like CAD, DWG, DWF, DXF, and DGN
- You can design models
- Offers sculpting tools like Undo and Redo
- AutoCAD was founded in 1982, developed by John Walker and Dan Drake
- Provides Efficient workflows, Ensure fidelity & compatibility, Drawing History, Blocks palette, Collaboration, and more
- Offers 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, 2D drafting, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Chat, Phone, and Contact Form
- Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
- Price: Plans start at $187.54 a month. 12% Discount on Yearly Payment.
- Free Trial: Life Time Free Basic Plan
Life Time Free Basic Plan
#5) FreeCAD
FreeCAD is an open-source tool to design a real-life object of any size. It is one of the best free CAD programs which allows you to modify your design easily. It enables you to effortlessly create 3D design from 2D.
Features:
- Runs as a command-line application
- Parametric associative document objects
- This CAD program has built-in Python console
- Graphical creation of planar geometry.
- Fully customizable/scriptable graphical user interface
- FreeCAD required 8 GB RAM
- Offers multiple file formats like STEP, IGES, OBJ, STL, DWG, DXF, SVG, SHP
- You can design models
- FreeCAD was founded in 2001, developed by Jürgen Riegel, Werner Mayer, and Yorik van Havre
- Provides Multi-specialty ecosystem, A parametric constraints-based 2D sketcher, A wildly parametric environment, and more
- Offers 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, 2D drafting, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Email
- Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Price: Request a Quote from Sales
- Free Trial: Life Time Free Basic Plan
Link: https://www.freecadweb.org
#6) Open SCAD
Open SCAD is a tool for creating solid three-dimensional objects. It is free and available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. This free CAD software for PC enables you to quickly preview the parts of objects. You can use it to make a parametric design by changing the parameters of objects.
Features:
- You can import and export the SVG, AMF, and 3MF files.
- Offers easy to use GUI.
- It provides CSG (Constructive solid geometry) geometry engine.
- You can customize the software the way you want.
- It can play sound notification on completing rendering.
- Supports shortcuts.
- Seamlessly integrates with GIT
- Open SCAD required 8 GB RAM
- Provides stamps tools
- Offers multiple file formats like AMF, 3MF, SVG, STL, PRT, and OFF
- You can design models
- Open SCAD was founded in 2010, developed by Marius Kintel
- Provides GUI interface, Preview models, CSG geometry engine, Customize, and Create parametric designs
- Offers 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Email
- Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Price: Request a Quote from Sales
- Free Trial: Life Time Free Basic Plan
Link: https://www.openscad.org/
#7) QCAD
QCAD is an open-source application designed for CAD in two dimensions. It enables you to create technical drawings like building plans, mechanical parts, interiors, and diagrams.
Features:
- It allows you to input and output DXF (Drawing Interchange File) and DWG (Drawing) files.
- This CAD program includes more than 40 construction tools.
- QCAD offers a library with more than 4800 CAD parts.
- It provides easy to use JavaScript interface.
- This application enables you to print on multiple pages.
- Support for TrueType fonts.
- QCAD required 2 GB RAM
- Provides brush tools
- Offers multiple file formats like BMP, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, ICO, PPM, XBM, and more
- You can design models
- Offers sculpting tools like Move, Zoom, and Rotate
- QCAD was founded in 1999, developed by RibbonSoft
- Provides Layers, Blocks, 35 CAD fonts, Various Metrical & Imperial units, Object snaps, and Measuring tools
- Offers 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, 2D drafting, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Email, Phone, and Contact Form
- Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Price: Request a Quote from Sales
- Free Trial: Life Time Free Basic Plan
Link: https://www.qcad.org/en/
#8) LibreCAD
Liberated is a free CAD program for 2D design. It allows you to create a CAD project of a high standard. This tool includes a wide range of tools for drawing shapes like line and circle.
Features:
- Developed by an experienced team and supported by a friendly community.
- LibreCAD started as a project to build CAM capabilities.
- This free CAD software for Mac is available in more than 30 languages.
- You can use it for creating 2D drawings.
- Seamlessly integrates with GitHub
- LibreCAD required 8 GB RAM
- Provides brush tools
- Offers multiple file formats like SVG, BMP, CUR, GIF, ICNS, ICO, JPEG, JPG, PBM, and more
- You can design models
- Offers sculpting tools like Rotate, Zoom, Move, Undo, and Redo
- LibreCAD was founded in 2010, developed by Jurgen Riegel, Werner Mayer, and Yorik van Havre
- Provides drawing entities, advanced snapping system, custom toolbars & menus, highly customizable user interface, and more
- Offers 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, 2D drafting, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Email
- Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Price: Plans start at $315 a Year
- Free Trial: Life Time Free Basic Plan
Link: https://librecad.org/
#9) SketchUp Free
SketchUp Free is CAD software that enables you to make objects without any hassle. The tool comes with a 3D gallery that lets you search for models and share among other users. It is one of the best free 3D CAD software that lets you visualize your ideas.
Features:
- It helps you to customize the 3D workspace.
- You can collaborate with other people.
- This free cad program offers easy management of layers.
- Google SketchUp helps you to set lightning effects.
- Supports numerous plugins.
- Seamlessly integrates with SYNCHRO, Trezi, Trimble, and CAALA
- SketchUp Free required 8 GB RAM
- Provides stamps tools
- Offers multiple file formats like JPEG, PNG, and TIFF
- You can design models and materials
- Offers sculpting tools like Undo, Zoom, Rotate, and Move
- Provides 10 GB free storage
- SketchUp Free was founded in 1999, developed by Brad Schell and Joe Esch
- Provides Mobile model viewing, 3D Warehouse, Interoperability, Scan Essentials, Textures, Lighting effects, and more
- Offers Noise Sculpting, 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Contact Form
- Supported Platforms: Windows, iOS, and Android
- Price: Plans start at $119 a Year
- Free Trial: 30-Days Free Trial
Link: https://www.sketchup.com/plans-and-pricing/sketchup-free
#10) NanoCAD
NanoCAD is an easy-to-use CAD application that helps you deliver a great user experience by providing high performance, a classic interface, and a native. This engineering design tool has been built to deliver design and project documentation for all industries.
Features:
- NanoCAD implements an efficient and easy to learn, classic-style CAD user interface.
- It uses the industry-standard DWG (*.dwg) file format natively.
- The nanoCAD scripting engine helps you to automate everyday routine tasks.
- It includes an extensive set of tools for creating and editing 2D/3D objects.
- The tool also offers plot settings dialog that allows you to set multiple plot areas and create multi-page plots.
- Reduce eye strain with contrast improvement
- Allows you to display all nearby measurements in a drawing
- Create, edit, and view CAD drawings
- Remove multiple objects with easy selection and object preview.
- NanoCAD required 4 GB RAM
- Provides stamps tools
- Offers multiple file formats like TIFF, BMP, JPG, JPEG, PNG, PCX, and GIF
- You can design models
- Offers sculpting tools like Redo, Zoom, Undo, and Rotate
- Provides Enhanced External References, Batch Plot Tools, Relocating Base Points of Blocks, Enhanced Groups, Associative Design Elements, and more
- Offers 3D Modeling, Drag and Drop, 2D drafting, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Email and Phone
- Supported Platforms: Windows
- Price: Plans start at $315 a Year
- Free Trial: 30-Days Free Trial
Link: https://nanocad.com/
#11) TinkerCAD
Tinkercad is a tool that offers a fast and easy way to draw a 3D design. It can be used by teachers, hobbyists, professional designers, and kids to make models. This free mechanical drawing software enables you to move, scale, and rotate objects with ease.
Features:
- You can modify shapes and objects.
- It enables you to align objects.
- This tool allows you to rotate any shape.
- You can import .svg and .stl file formats.
- Tinkercad design can be exported in. stl, .vrml, .x3d, and .obj.
- It provides many shortcuts for quickly performing any action.
- TinkerCAD required 4 GB RAM
- Provides stamps and brush tools
- Offers multiple file formats like STL, OBJ, GLTF, USDZ , and SVG
- You can design models and materials
- Offers sculpting tools like Move and Rotate
- TinkerCAD was founded in 2011, developed by Kai Backman and Mikko Mononen
- Provides Beginner-Friendly, Circuits & Programming Simulators, Fully Online, Universal Keyboard Shortcuts, Unique Preset Shapes, and more
- Offers 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Email and Phone
- Supported Platforms: Windows
- Price: Request a Quote from Sales
- Free Trial: 30-Days Free Trial
Link: https://www.tinkercad.com/
#12) DraftSight
DraftSight is a feature-rich 2D and 3D CAD solution. This tool is a strong competitor of SketchUp. This is an easy tool to create, format, and arrange layers to ensure your design is organized and conforms to layering standards.
Features:
- You can make 2D design and documentation
- Quickly modify move, rotate, copy, and scale entities with one command.
- Import existing blocks from your libraries or create new blocks that can be used as repeated elements in your designs.
- Helps you to increase your efficiency with features like PDF Underlay to reference your PDFs
- DraftSight required 2 GB RAM
- Provides stamps tools
- Offers multiple file formats like DXF, PDF, BMP, PNG, JPG, DWG, And SAT
- You can design models
- Offers sculpting tools like Undo & Redo, Move, Rotate, and Zoom
- DraftSight was founded in 2002, developed by Gräbert GmbH
- Provides Create Custom Blocks, Application environments, Materials, Multiphysics, and Optimization
- Offers 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, 2D drafting, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Phone, and Contact Form
- Supported Platforms: Windows and Linux
- Price: Plans start at $315 a Year
- Free Trial: 30-Days Free Trial
Link: https://www.3ds.com/products-services/draftsight-cad-software/
#13) SelfCAD
SelfCAD is an application that helps you to make a 3D sketch, sculpt, and model. It contains many artistic drawing tools. This tool enables you to share your work with your colleague.
Features:
- You can import, export, convert, and edit the objects from images.
- Supports 3D painting.
- Share your design on social media networks.
- You can design printable objects without any hassle.
- SelfCAD required 16GB RAM
- Provides stamps and brush tools
- Offers multiple file formats like STL, MTL, PLY, DAE, and SVG
- You can design assets, models, and materials
- Offers sculpting tools like Undo & Redo, Move, Rotate, and Zoom
- Provides 5 GB free storage
- SelfCAD was founded in 2015, developed by Aaron Breuer
- Provides Automatic shape,Screw, Nut, Spiral, and Image generators
- Offers Noise Sculpting, 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Email and Contact Form
- Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Price: Plans start at $14.99 a month. 20% Discount on Yearly Payment.
- Free Trial: 10-Days Free Trial
Link: https://www.selfcad.com/
#14) Blender
Blender is a 3D modeling software for developing visual effects, animated movies, games, and more. This tool allows beginners to import or export video in MPEG, QuickTime, and AVI file formats. It is one of the best free 3D CAD software that offers keyboard shortcuts for convenience.
Features:
- It has a path tracer for realistic rendering.
- You can create, transform, sculpt, and edit your models.
- It offers a real-time preview of the 3D scene and tracked footage.
- You can customize shortcuts.
- This tool helps you to turn still characters into impressive animations.
- You can export your design as an image.
- It enables you to draw a polygon shape.
- Blender required 8 GB RAM
- Provides stamps and brush tools
- Offers multiple file formats like STL, PNG, JPG, and JPEG
- You can design models and materials
- Offers sculpting tools like Clay, Undo & Redo, Move, Rotate, and Pinch
- Blender was founded in 2002, developed by Ton Roosendaal
- Provides Animation & Rigging, Cycles Render Engine, Simulation, Scripting, Video Editing, and VFX
- Offers Noise Sculpting, 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Email
- Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Price: Request a Quote from Sales
- Free Trial: Life Time Free Basic Plan
Link: https://www.blender.org/
#15) SolveSpace
SolveSpace is a 2D or 3D parametric tool that enables you to draw objects with revolves, extrudes, and Boolean operations. It allows you to export your drawing as PDF, SVG, and DXF (Drawing Interchange File).
Features:
- You can import parts and drag them easily.
- It allows you to analyze the traced path to the spreadsheet.
- The tool allows you to draw a solid shaped model.
- You can perform repeat (pattern), rotate, or translate operation.
- This free drafting software enables you to export your drawing with an adjustable canvas size.
- SolveSpace required 8 GB RAM
- Offers multiple file formats like DXF, EPS, PDF, SVG, HPGL, and STL
- You can design models, materials, and patterns
- Offers sculpting tools like Undo & Redo, Move, Rotate, and Zoom
- SolveSpace was founded in 2008, developed by Jonathan Westhues
- Provides Sketch sections, Constraints & dimensions, and Parametric & associative assembly
- Offers 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Contact Form
- Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Price: Request a Quote from Sales
- Free Trial: Life Time Free Basic Plan
Link: https://solvespace.com/index.pl
#16) LeoCAD
LeoCAD is an application that helps you to create new models without any hassle. It enables you to share and download from the internet.
Features:
- It is open source so anyone can edit the features with ease.
- This free AutoCAD program has a library of 10,000 different parts.
- Anyone can build a model using advanced techniques.
- It offers a friendly graphical user interface.Offers multiple file formats like LDR and MPD
- You can design models and materials
- Offers sculpting tools like Zoom, Move, Rotate, Undo, and Redo
- LeoCAD was founded in 1997, developed by Leonardo Zide
- Provides Easy to Use, LDraw Compatible, Cross Platform, Open Source, and Compatible with LDrawStandard and related tools
- Offers 3D Modeling, Drag and Drop, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Email
- Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Price: Request a Quote from Sales
- Free Trial: Life Time Free Basic Plan
Link: https://www.leocad.org/
#17) MicroStation
MicroStation offers advanced parametric 3D modeling capabilities. It allows infrastructure to deliver data-driven, BIM-ready models.
Features:
- Design with true 3D parametric modeling
- It helps you to ensure the proper application of organizational and project-specific standards and content.
- Create precise drawings using a comprehensive set of drafting tools.
- You can view and work with design information from others in real time.
- Confidently work in the right context for each project with the required settings and standards automatically applied.
- Seamlessly integrates with ProjectWise
- MicroStation required 1 GB RAM
- Provides stamps and brush tools
- Offers multiple file formats like DOC, XLS, PPT, MPG, WMV, MP4, and MOV
- You can design assets, models, materials, and patterns
- Offers sculpting tools like Undo & Redo, Zoom, Rotate, and Pinch
- MicroStation was founded in 1985, developed by Bentley Systems
- Provides 2D Drawing, 3D Design, 3D Imaging, Activity Dashboard, Animation, Annotations, and Automatic Formatting
- Offers 3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Drag and Drop, and VR options
- It provides customer support via Email and Chat
- Supported Platforms: Windows
- Price: Request a Quote from Sales
- Free Trial: 14-Days Free Trial
Link: https://www.bentley.com/en/products/brands/microstation
FAQs
Best Free CAD Software Programs for Windows PC & Mac
| Name | Supported Platforms | Free Trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZWCAD | Windows and Linux | 30-Day Free Trial | Learn More |
| Adobe Substance 3D | Windows, Mac, and Linux | 30-Days Free Trial | Learn More |
| Planner5d | Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS | 3-Days Free Trial | Learn More |
| AutoCAD | Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android | Life Time Free Basic Plan | Learn More |
| FreeCAD | Windows, Mac, and Linux | Life Time Free Basic Plan | Learn More |