This is a free online DWG viewer & editor, easy & fast to view and edit CAD drawings. DWG FastView is the comprehensive software to view & edit Autocad drawings in PC, mobile phone and web browsers. There are many alternatives to Autodesk AutoCAD as a web app if you are looking to replace it. The most popular Online alternative is SketchUp, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Autodesk AutoCAD and seven of them are available as a web app so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. 6/10 (1122 votes) - Download AutoCAD Free. Autodesk AutoCAD is the computer-aided design tool par excellence for Windows PCs, ideal for engineering, architecture and 3D modeling professionals. Computer-aided design or CAD consists of using a series of.
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SourceForge
Open Source 2D-CAD
LibreCAD is a free Open Source CAD application for Windows, Apple and Linux. Support and documentation are free from our large, dedicated community of users, contributors and developers.
You, too, can also get involved!
How it started
LibreCAD started as a project to build CAM capabilities into the community version of QCad for use with a Mechmate CNC router.
Since QCad CE was built around the outdated Qt3 library, it had to be ported to Qt4 before additional enhancements. This gave rise to CADuntu.
The project was known as CADuntu only for a couple of months before the community decided that the name was inappropriate. After some discussion within the community and research on existing names, CADuntu was renamed to LibreCAD.
Porting the rendering engine to Qt4 proved to be a large task, so LibreCAD initially still depended on the Qt3 support library. The Qt4 porting was completed eventually during the development of 2.0.0 series, thanks to our master developer Rallaz, and LibreCAD has become Qt3 free except in the 1.0.0 series.
Meanwhile, for LibreCAD 2.2.0 series, Qt5 is mandatory.
LibreCAD is a feature-packed and mature 2D-CAD application with some really great advantages:
Completely and Utterly Free
No worries about trials, subscriptions, license costs or annual fees.
Open Source and GPLv2
Developed by an experienced team and supported by an awesome community, LibreCAD is also free to hack and copy.
No Language Barriers
It's available in over 30 languages with cross-platform support for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
macOS
Help is needed for macOS deployment.
from SourceForge
Find latest stable DMG packages there.
from GitHub
Find latest stable DMG packages there.
Windows
from SourceForge
Find latest stable EXE installer there.
Also automated nightly build installer for bleeding-edge versions.
from GitHub
Find latest stable EXE installer there.
Also special prerelease installer for beta testing versions.
Linux
Check your distributions preferred package manager, if LibreCAD Brave open source browser. is available there. But the version may be a bit older.
For Debian/Ubuntu distributions, you can use our Launchpad PPAs for stable or daily versions.
Build from source
This is an option for all platforms.
If we don't have the binary installer you are looking for, you can try to build LibreCAD from source code.
How this works for each platform can be read in our Wiki .
Source code could be downloaded from GitHub as ZIP archive.
Or you can clone or fork our repository, which is recommended if you plan to contribute.
The LibreCAD team is a small group of dedicated people. Lots of things have been worked out, but plenty of bugs and features are still waiting to be solved. How can you help? We need all the skills in the community as coders, writers, testers or translators.
An open source community is a dynamic thing; people come and go as their private situation drives or stops them contributing. So, it will always help if you have existing resources we can use, know what other projects do in specific areas, or, most importantly, do what you do best and have fun doing it!
You don't have to sign a lifetime contract to contribute. Whether you can help others in the forum, garden the wiki, or apply one or many patches, our broad user base will appreciate your work.
Come join our community, and contribute in any way you like.
Developing
If you are an outstanding developer in C++ or a beginner we can use your help.
With a bit of determination, the IRC channel, Zulip chat and the Libre-CAD-dev mailing list, we can help you get started and make progress.
All you need is linked in download section and top links above.
Documentation
Developers usually make bad documentation for users, so if you like making documentation, great!
There have been extensive GUI changes in 2.1 series which need to be documented.
Translation
Help localize LibreCAD, we currently support over 30 languages.
Our translation server is over here: https://translate.librecad.org/ .
You can complete new languages, or request creating translations for a new language in the forum .
As a non-profit, community driven open source project LibreCAD is dependent on having good relationships with friends and sponsors.
Friends
BRL-CAD
BRL-CAD is a powerful open source cross-platform solid modelling system that includes interactive geometry editing, high-performance ray-tracing for rendering and geometric analysis, a system performance analysis benchmark suite, geometry libraries for application developers, and more than 30 years of active development.
BRL-CAD and LibreCAD collaborate in Google programs. We participate under the umbrella of BRL-CAD in Google Code-in and Google Summer of Code where we mentor school pupils and students in participating in open source projects.
Sponsors
JetBrains
JetBrains has generously supplied us with CLion licenses for the development of LibreCAD. This powerful IDE helps you develop in C and C++ on Linux, OS X and Windows, enhancing your productivity with a smart editor, code quality assurance, automated refactoring, and deep integration with CMake build system.
Autodesk's AutoCAD is an industry-standard for high-end CAD designing. But does that make it the right CAD tool for your construction business?
Autodesk is a juggernaut in the industrial drafting solutions market. And its products are the go-to tools for many types of professionals, including product designers, architects, and instrumentation engineers.
The company's AutoCAD is a popular tool in the construction industry, offering features such as 3D modeling and parametric constraints. But big things have long shadows; in AutoCAD's case it's the $1,610 per user per year price tag. It's a fairly expensive option, especially for small construction firms.
If you're looking for a less expensive software option, the fact that the market is fraught with terrible AutoCAD knockoffs doesn't help either.
So, we've done the research to bring you the top four AutoCAD alternatives. Read on to learn about the key capabilities and pricing of the top four AutoCAD alternatives for construction businesses.
How we selected the best AutoCAD alternatives
Products are listed in alphabetical order. To make the list, products had to meet the following criteria:
- Core AutoCAD capabilities: The product had to offer similar 2D and 3D modeling capabilities and support similar file types to AutoCAD.
- Minimum of 20 user reviews published on Capterra's site in the last two years: Recent reviews help us analyze the pros and cons of the alternatives.
- High 'likelihood to recommend' rating: The product should have an average recommendation rating of at least 8 out of 10 on Capterra.
- High 'features and functionality' rating: The product must have a minimum functionality rating of 4 out of 5 stars on Capterra.
1. FreeCAD: Open source parametric 3D CAD modeler
| Recommendation rating:8.1/10 Features & functionality rating:4.2/5.0 Reviews:71 |
Autocad
FreeCAD comes with capabilities such as 3D parametric modeling, robot simulation, 2D drawing and sketching, and a rendering module for creating high-quality 3D images.
The tool is suitable for a wide range of uses in manufacturing and engineering industries. However, construction businesses can also use it to create floor plans or to design 3D building models.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Users like the tool's many features, considering it's completely free to use for commercial purposes. | Users mention that certain modules can become outdated when there are no updates from the community. |
| Users also like the fact that the tool is lightweight and works on most systems, even those with low RAM, without crashing. | Users also say that there is a steep learning curve. |
How much does FreeCAD cost? | |
| FreeCAD is an open-source solution and can be freely downloaded for use on platforms such as Windows, macOS, and Linux. |
3D modeling of a building in FreeCAD(Source)
2. SketchUp: Intuitive 3D modeling
| Recommendation rating:9.6/10 Features & functionality rating:4.8/5.0 Reviews:128 |
SketchUp helps users draw 2D construction plans as well as 3D models of buildings. Along with design-related features, the tool offers features for document management with support for numerous file types (including DXF, DWG, FBX, OBJ, XSI, and VRML) and the facility to export images (including PDFs and HD animations).
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Users mention that the tool has a short learning curve. | Users mention the tool is not suitable for large-scale designs that require parametric modeling. |
| Users like the intuitive interface that makes direct 3D modeling easy. | Users say the tool lacks functionalities and relies heavily on plugins, which come at an additional cost. |
How much does SketchUp cost? | |
| SketchUp's cloud-based version offers a basic free plan for personal use; the paid plans start at $119 per user per year. The on-premise version is priced at $695 (one-time license fee), with an additional $120 for annual upgrades. |
3D construction plan design in SketchUp (Source)
3. SolidWorks Premium: Full-featured CAD tool
| Recommendation rating:8.6/10 Features & functionality rating:4.5/5.0 Reviews:324 |
SolidWorks Premium is a good option for 3D sketchers who want CAD software for detailed design work. The tool comes with extensive design features that allow for creating 2D drawings and 3D models. The tool also supports document management (with version control) for building a repository of up-to-date designs.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Users like the tool's wide set of functionalities for 3D modeling. | User mention that the software is buggy and prone to crashes. |
| Users like the vendor's exhaustive training resources. | Users mention that the software is incompatible with any operating software beside Windows. |
How much does SolidWorks Premium cost? | |
| SolidWorks Premium's license costs and terms of use vary based on whether you're using it for commercial or academic purposes. The student version is $150 for a 12-month term-of-use license fee; the commercial pricing is customized based on a business's specific needs. |
3D image design in SolidWorks (Source)
4. Vectorworks Architect: Suitable for BIM modeling
| Recommendation rating:8.0/10 Features & functionality rating:4.4/5.0 Reviews:25 |
Vectorworks Architect offers capabilities such as 2D drawing, 3D modeling, and building information modeling (BIM). As its name suggests, the tool is designed to help architects; it allows building 3D construction site models, drawing site blueprints, and designing digital walk-through presentations.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Users like the tool's capabilities to integrate with other CAD solutions. | Users say the tool comes with a steep learning curve. |
| Users also like the tool's capabilities for creating high quality graphics. | Users mention that the tool can become slow on computers running on fewer than 4GB RAM. |
How much does Vectorworks Architect cost? | |
| Vectorworks Architect offers only custom pricing for the software with a free 30-day trial period. |
Web Based 3d Cad
Designing stairs in Vectorworks (Source) Installer full movie download.
What other great CAD options are out there?
Is there a great CAD program that we've missed? What do you use? If you use AutoCAD, why do you prefer it? Let us know in the comments below!
The AutoCAD alternatives listed here are based on ratings from Capterra users. To expand your search, compare other CAD software on Capterra.
Note: Listed pros and cons are derived from features listed on the product website and product user reviews on Gartner Digital Markets domains (Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice). They do not represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Capterra or its affiliates.
Looking for Construction Management software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Construction Management software solutions.
