Design your way

When you’re a student and a bit short on cash, a free CAD software solution is everything you need to make things moving.

If you’re in an industry that requires you to do any kind of 3D modelling, especially with CAD tools, you are undoubtedly aware that these tools are essential if you want to reduce potentially fatal flaws that may appear during production.

However, getting this kind of tool can be pretty expensive. Even though larger companies might look at this as a justifiable cost, others, such as students, will see this as a big problem.

However, there’s a solution for those users. There are plenty of alternatives for anyone who needs a CAD software, and many of them are even free.

To save you the trouble of going through each and every one of those free CAD programs, we have assembled a list of free drafting software that can help you get started.

Sculptris

Made by industry leaders, Pixologic, Sculptris is a free CAD software, yet excellent and professional option. There is a rich sculpting toolset that will let you design anything you could possibly want, with ease.

However, if you’re bad with geometry and find creating your own surface tricky, there are options that automatically build your surface to make things even easier.

SketchUp Make

This is a free CAD software that is primarily used for architectural purposes and projects. It is by far one of the most popular free 3D drafting software, and you can use it as a complete tool to advance in your 3D modelling career. As far as free CAD software goes, this one has everything, minus the price tag of the other competitors.

You can take a look at the SketchUp 3D Warehouse, where you’ll find plenty of incredible content that is created by other users. This way, you’ll have an overview of what the software is capable of, and you can also download the models found there.

AutoCAD (Student Version)

I know, I know. Nobody thought that they could ever get AutoCAD, the ultimate CAD software, for free. However, there is the possibility of getting it, and with that, it is potentially the best free CAD software currently on the market.

The free version is fully functional, and available to students and faculties. The only downside to the free CAD program is that you get a watermark on any plot you generate.

Another interesting thing to know is that Autodesk also offers free licences for other software it has in its suite, such as AutoCAD Architecture, Civil 3D and even AutoCAD Electrical. This is an incredible way to get your hands on some free 3D CAD software if you want to learn or progress in your career.

DraftSight

DraftSight is a very good free CAD drawing software for individual use. You don’t have any limitations in terms of plotting or usage, and the only thing you need to do is activate the program with your valid e-mail address.

This is a 2D drafting software, which comes with all the bells and whistles you need to generate professional looking plans. The files are also in the .DWG format, meaning you have compatibility with Autodesk’s line up of products.

FreeCAD

FreeCAD is actually a very serious option, even though its free. It is open-source, and has support for parametric 3D modelling, which lets you modify your parameters when you scroll through your model history, thus modifying your design.

People who will benefit most are product designers and mechanical engineers, but the power that this software comes with will be attractive to anyone.

There is a pretty wide developer base, and they have given the software enough functionality for it to be able to go head to head with some of the heavy hitters of the industry. It is also available on plenty of platforms, and it’s very customizable.

LibreCAD

If you want a high-quality 2D modelling platform, LibreCAD is a great open source option for you. It came out of QCAD, and has a pretty big following of both customers and designers.

There are powerful tools such as measurements, layers, snap to grid etc. The concept of work and UI are fairly similar to AutoCAD, which is good news if you want something free to test yourself and learn, and later on upgrade to AutoCAD.

OpenSCAD

If you think that you could wrap your head around using a textual description language for 3D modelling and creating objects, OpenSCAD could be an alternative suitable for you. When you’re modelling, especially in a professional scenario, you want to be specific, and OpenSCAD can help you here.

There is a document that lets you know of all parameters you need to keep an eye on, and the documentation itself is impressive. It can prove to be very helpful, especially for newcomers. There is no menu, no shortcuts, but only pure code, which is great if you’re a developer and need a designing tool.

TinkerCAD

TinkerCAD is vastly different from the other tools on this list. To begin with, it is usable and accessible anywhere, since it is online based. It doesn’t require any previous experience, and it is very easy to use, especially for newcomers to the industry. Therefore, it doesn’t really have a lot of professional features.

It is also part of the same Autodesk initiative that gave us Autodesk 123D Design, and is available on a few platforms. There is also a gallery where you can see what others have made. It has a powerful geometry kernel, as well as support for HTML5 and integration with 3D printing services.

KiCAD

Do you want to begin with designing your own printed circuit boards? KiCAD is a great place to start, as it is an open source tool that gives you a PCB editor, schematic editor, GERBER file viewer, as well as a footprint selector for component association.

This is pretty much all you need to get started, and the software is pretty easy to use, meaning even entry level users will be able to find their way around it.

QCAD

If your goal is to create technical drawings, whether for mechanical parts, or buildings, or diagrams and schematics, QCAD is a great free CAD software options to help you get that job done.

The focus of QCAD is heavily shifted towards portability and modularity, and it comes with a pretty powerful 2D CAD platform that is very easy to use. Even beginners will have no problem finding their way around this tool, which is excellent.

3DCrafter

If you want something that makes 3D modelling as simple as dragging and dropping, 3DCrafter is the tool for you. It’s a real-time animation and 3D modelling app that comes with shape building tools and 3D primitives, which lets you create complicated models with ease.

Once you’ve created them, you have some modelling tools that can help you perfect the models. You can also place your subject at various points in time, and let the software animate everything in between.

NanoCAD

If you need, or want, .DWG support, NanoCAD is one of the options that can provide that. You can use it for free, but most of the advanced features and benefits will require that you pay some sort of premium.

However, this is purely up to you, and you’re the only one who knows whether you need tools such as ONSAP, SNAP, a command line etc. No matter if you’re a beginner, or a power user, it is a great alternative for 3D.

SolidEdge

As far as computer aided design goes, SolidEdge is one of the most popular tools for that platform. The layout is extremely professional, and lets you get into the flow with ease and without wasting much time. From common designs, to complex machinery, you can use SolidEdge for anything, and the job will be done quite neatly.

Given that it is an exclusive piece of software, the price is extremely high. This is where the student edition comes in, which lets you skip that. The software is a very powerful competitor to the best and most popular CAD tools on the market.

Whether you need something dead simple, or a professional model, SolidEdge can do everything, and the synchronous technology will lead to a faster design process overall.

Cinema 4D

Even though we don’t really have four dimensions, Cinema 4D gives you plenty of 2D and 3D modelling tools to work with. You also get rendering and simulating, as well as animating your models.

Plenty of animators use it as it has all the necessary tools to create a complete storyboard, and it works on both Mac and Windows. Since its packages are free, and the user interface is pretty easy to use, it is an ideal tool for students.

Blender

Blender is pretty much a great and extremely simple alternative for people who might think that the user interface of 3DMax or Maya is too complicated for them. It is true that these pieces of software can be overwhelming, especially for things such as school projects, and this is where Blender saves the day with its simple user interface.

It is available for Mac, Windows and Linux, and you can take advantage of its 2D and 3D modelling tools anywhere. Formats such as .DWG, .DXF and even Microstation’s .3DS are supported, and the tool can handle advanced simulation and renders. The best part? It costs absolutely nothing.

ZBrush

If you’re a beginner animator or graphic designer, this free CAD software should be one of the first pieces of software that you should lay your hands on. The learning curve is suited to beginners, and the time needed to be able to master the software is minimal.

There are, however, plenty of tools on the platform, which puts it on par with some of the paid (and usually expensive) alternatives on the market. It has a scripting technology that develops 3D models with ease, and the fact that it is completely free makes it a great option for anyone.

Ending thoughts on free CAD software

In the list above you have quite a few free CAD software options. Beginners can take a look at a few, and decide for themselves which ones they want to try. Some are easier to learn and master, some more difficult, but most, if not all, offer everything you need to get started.

You should be versatile when deciding, though, as your career later on might require that you use certain software you’re not really used to. Regardless, whichever you choose, you will be creating 3D models with ease.

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