However, they have reached deep difference in the cores and are no longer that much alike. QCAD was actually the main software from which LibreCAD was forked Which is why you may notice that their user interfaces are quite similar to each other. and you can also check some FreeCAD tutorials from its official documentation page. You can learn more about the software from FreeCAD online website. And FreeCAD can also be ran as a command line program rather than in GUI mode. The software supports exporting modeled objects to other renderers (Povray & LuxRender) so one can model the object in FreeCAD and the render it in 3D using another software.Īs for the user interface, it is written in the Qt platform – hence making it cross-platform – and quite straightforward to work with, as most tools are divided into “workbenches” (Groups) so that you can remember their position easily. Its import/export filters do support a long range of formats such as STEP, OBJ, STL, DXF, SVG, DAE and much more. More than that it has a nice modular system which enables you to write plugins in Python, C++ or as a Macro to automate complex tasks or ease them. Its modeling kernel is based on the open CASCADE Technology and hence it enjoys the ability to model complex shapes and concepts. FreeCAD is a parametric modeler software that works on Windows, macOS and Linux. FreeCADĪnother mainstream software that comes to mind when talking about open source CAD programs is FreeCAD. You may proceed to download LibreCAD from its official website or SourceForge page. It offers a C++ plugin system too for those who which to expand the core functionality with their own code snippets.

LibreCAD is compatible with AutoCAD’s formats, as it can read DWG/DXF formats and write in DXF, SVG, PDF and more. It is also more organized and cleaner than that of FreeCAD, but each one of them has its strengths and weaknesses. LibreCAD isn’t bloated too much in features as FreeCAD, however, its main strength point is the similar interface to AutoCAD Hence, users switching from AutoCAD to LibreCAD shouldn’t have much difficulties in doing so due to the familiar UI. Works on Windows, macOS and Linux systems and its user interface is also written in Qt framework. The most famous and mainstream open source CAD program ( 15,000 downloads this week!), which is also an absolutely free AutoCAD alternative.

Which is the Best Open Source CAD Program?.

Free autocad software