AutoCAD vs FreeCAD
AutoCAD and FreeCAD are both 3D and CAD software. AutoCAD is a commercial product from Autodesk. FreeCAD is open source under LGPL-2.1, with 35k GitHub stars.
Which to pick
- Pick AutoCAD when
- You produce technical drawings in architecture, engineering or construction and must exchange DWG files with others.
- Pick FreeCAD when
- Engineers, makers or small firms need free parametric CAD without SolidWorks or Fusion licences.
Side by side
Autodesk's 2D drafting and 3D design software, the long-standing standard for technical drawings and DWG files.
A parametric 3D CAD modeller for mechanical parts, architecture (BIM), FEM analysis, CAM and 3D printing, built on OpenCascade with Python scripting.
Expensive subscription; cheaper DWG-compatible tools such as BricsCAD cover most drafting.
Steeper learning curve and rougher edges than commercial CAD, though version 1.x fixed many long-standing issues.
Production-ready (both)
Desktop app, cloud service and mobile app
Desktop app
Not published
C++, Python, OpenCascade and Qt
Closed source, sold by Autodesk
Open source, LGPL-2.1 (weak copyleft)
Closed source: you use it under the maker's terms and cannot change or resell the code.
You can use it inside a product you sell; changes you make to its own files must be shared.
3.7k Wikipedia readers a month on phones
35k GitHub stars
Not known
Established: started 14 years ago, latest release 1.1.4.
Other comparisons
More 3D modeling and CAD software
Both sides were judged on 2026-11-03 from makers' descriptions, Wikipedia, READMEs and GitHub data. License, age and popularity lines are worked out directly.