AutoCAD vs SolidCraft
AutoCAD and SolidCraft are both 3D and CAD software. AutoCAD is a commercial product from Autodesk. SolidCraft is open source under Apache-2.0, with 13k 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 SolidCraft when
- You want to try a new open parametric CAD tool for hobby parts.
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 app in Rust with sketches, constraints and a feature timeline, running on desktop or in the browser, with an MCP server for AI modelling.
Expensive subscription; cheaper DWG-compatible tools such as BricsCAD cover most drafting.
Created four weeks ago; its geometry kernel and STEP handling are unproven.
Production-ready
Experimental
Desktop app, cloud service and mobile app
Desktop app and cloud service
Not published
Rust, egui, WGSL and Python
Closed source, sold by Autodesk
Open source, Apache-2.0 (permissive)
Closed source: you use it under the maker's terms and cannot change or resell the code.
You can build it into a product you sell, as long as you keep its copyright notice.
3.7k Wikipedia readers a month on phones
13k GitHub stars
Not known
New: started under a month ago, latest release v0.30.1.
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.