A company buys CAD because something has to be made: a bracket, a machine frame, a shop fitting, a floor plan a contractor will build from. The trouble starts after the purchase. The files pile up in a format only one program opens properly, the license turns from a one-time cost into a yearly one, and the person who knew the templates leaves. This ranking looks at fourteen products a small or mid-sized business can realistically buy, from 2D drafting programs to mechanical 3D modelers, browser-based systems and open-source projects. It judges them on how long it takes to produce a first released drawing, what a seat costs over several years, whether geometry and drawings can leave in a neutral format, how much the vendor controls your access to your own designs, and which kind of work each one is built for. Every product fact was read on the vendor's own site.
Visibility in this ranking can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the
shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review. The largest vendors in CAD software
cannot hold places 1 to 3. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
How we ranked these
Setup: from install to a first released drawing
Installing CAD takes an afternoon. Becoming productive takes longer, because the work is in the things nobody sells you: a title block with your company details, layer and line-weight standards, a parts numbering scheme, templates for the sheet sizes you print, and a material library. We looked at what each product asks before an engineer can issue a drawing a supplier will accept. Browser-based tools skip installation and license servers entirely. Desktop tools need a machine with a capable graphics card and, for shared seats, a license server somebody has to run. Trial length matters here more than in most software: a 90-day evaluation lets you finish a real job, a seven-day one lets you watch tutorials. We also noted which operating systems the vendor actually names, since a design office with one Mac and one Linux workstation rules out half the market at once.
The real price: seats over five years, plus the modules
CAD pricing comes in three shapes, and they cannot be compared by their headline numbers. A subscription is charged every year for as long as you want to open your own files with full function. A perpetual license is paid once, with an optional yearly fee for updates and support that you can decline. A term with conversion sits between the two. To compare, multiply out five years for the number of people who actually design, then add what is sold separately: sheet metal, simulation, translators for other vendors' files, rendering, a data vault. Floating or network licenses cost more per seat but fewer seats are needed when several people draw for an hour a day. Watch which edition holds the feature you need; in this list routing, sheet sets and 3D solids each sit above the entry tier somewhere. Prices in this ranking are quoted as the vendor lists them, in the vendor's currency.
Getting your data out: geometry travels, design intent does not
Every serious CAD system exports STEP, IGES, DXF or DWG, and that is less reassuring than it sounds. A STEP file carries the shape of a part. It does not carry the sketch constraints, the feature history, the configurations or the link between a model and its drawing. Move ten years of parametric models to another system and you receive ten years of accurate but unintelligent solids that must be remodeled to be edited properly. 2D drafting is the exception: DWG and DXF are read and written by many of the programs here, so a drawing archive is comparatively portable. We checked which formats each vendor names for import and export, whether files sit on your disk or in the vendor's cloud, and whether translators for other systems' native formats are included or sold as an add-on.
Independence from the vendor: can you still open it in 2036
Product drawings outlive software contracts. A machine sold today may need a spare part drawn from the original model in twelve years, so the question is whether you will still be able to open that model without paying whoever owns the program by then. A perpetual license answers it directly: the version you bought keeps running on a machine you keep. A subscription answers it conditionally. Open-source code answers it best, since anyone can keep the reader alive. Beyond licensing we looked at who owns each product, because ownership changes fast in this market: a product's name and website can move to a new parent, and online-activated licenses depend on that parent's servers. We also noted where the vendor states terms that bear on renewal, such as the right to raise subscription fees or a fixed annual uplift.
Who it's for: drafting, machine design, freeform shapes or buildings
CAD is four markets sharing a name. Drafting tools draw lines, arcs and dimensions in 2D and are what a layout planner, an electrician or a fabricator sending profiles to a laser cutter needs. Mechanical modelers build parts from sketches and features, assemble them with constraints and generate drawings and bills of materials; machine builders and product companies live there. Freeform modelers make the curved surfaces of consumer products, boats and facades. Architectural modelers think in walls, floors and sections. A product that excels in one is usually mediocre in the next, and the expensive mistake is to buy a mechanical system for an office that issues floor plans, or a drafting tool for a team that needs assemblies. For each entry we say which of the four jobs it is built for and which buyer should look elsewhere.
The 14 tools, reviewed
Windows, Mac and Linux Network licenses Five editions
BricsCAD leads because it lets a small firm start with drafting and grow into 3D without changing file format or vendor. The store lists every edition with a euro price: Lite for 2D, Pro for 2D and 3D, then Mechanical, BIM and an Ultimate edition that combines them. The product page shows Windows, Mac and Linux, which matters to an office where the engineer runs Linux and the estimator does not. Pro and above can be bought as a single or a network license, so eight occasional users do not need eight seats. The trial runs 30 days.
Where it falls short
Lite is offered as a single license only and the store shows it sold in packs of 5 seats; floating seats start at Pro. Importing 3D geometry and PMI from other CAD systems is a separate add-on, Communicator, listed at €294 per year on top of the edition. The store page we read shows annual subscriptions, so budget it as a yearly cost. The old bricsys.com address now redirects to a site under Octave Intelligence plc, so expect bookmarks and older documentation links to need updating.
Wrong for
A product team that wants design history, branching and review in a browser with no installs. BricsCAD is desktop software built around drawing files; Onshape is the listed product built the other way around.
Pricing: Annual subscription per seat, listed on the store: Lite at €330 per year (shown on the store as sold in packs of 5 seats), Pro at €710, Mechanical at €998, BIM at €1,060 and Ultimate at €1,176; a 30-day trial is offered. (free trial)
Visit BricsCAD →
#2 Rhino
Freeform NURBS and SubD modeler with Grasshopper · United States · rhino3d.com
Permanent license Grasshopper included 90-day evaluation
Rhino's price sheet is the shortest in this ranking: US$ 995 buys one concurrent-user license that, in the vendor's words, is permanent and does not expire, and there are no maintenance fees. Support and service releases for the current version are included. The modeler handles NURBS curves, surfaces and solids, SubD, point clouds and meshes, and ships with Grasshopper, a graphical algorithm editor that needs no programming. The evaluation lasts 90 days, long enough to finish a real job. McNeel describes itself as privately held and employee-owned, founded in 1980.
Where it falls short
Rhino is a surface and freeform modeler first. The feature page we read says nothing about a constraint-driven assembly environment or sheet metal, which is the daily work of a machine builder, so expect to pair it with another tool or a plug-in for that. Moving to the next major version is a paid upgrade at US$ 595. After the 90 days, saving and plug-ins stop working in the evaluation copy.
Wrong for
A shop producing dimensioned assembly drawings and bills of materials for fabricated machinery. Alibre Design or SOLIDWORKS are aimed at that work; Rhino suits shapes that are hard to describe with extrudes and fillets.
Pricing: One-time purchase: Rhino 8 is US$ 995 for a single concurrent user and US$ 595 as an upgrade; the vendor states licenses are permanent and there are no maintenance fees. (free trial)
Visit Rhino →
#3 FreeCAD
Open-source parametric 3D modeler · Belgium · freecad.org
No license fee Python scripting Windows, Mac and Linux
FreeCAD is third because the entry cost is zero and the exit cost is close to it. The project describes it as an open-source parametric 3D modeler for real-life objects of any size, running on Windows, Mac and Linux, with no licensing fees, no sign-up and no paywall. Its geometry kernel is Open CASCADE, the sketcher is constraint-based, and workbenches cover technical drawings, BIM, CAM, finite element analysis and robot simulation. Files are FreeCAD's own FCStd format, with STEP, IGES, STL, DXF and IFC among the supported formats. Version 1.1 was released in March 2026.
Where it falls short
There is no vendor behind it in the commercial sense. The project says it is developed and maintained by a community of developers, users and translators, so help comes from a forum, GitHub and chat channels rather than a support contract with a response time. The CFD capability is labeled experimental on the project's own site. Nobody will come on site to train your staff or migrate a drawing archive.
Wrong for
A company whose customer contract names a specific commercial CAD system and native file format for deliverables. FreeCAD can exchange STEP, but a buyer in that position needs the named product and a support agreement.
Pricing: Free to download and use; the project states there are no licensing fees, no sign-up and no paywall. (open source)
Visit FreeCAD →
#4 Onshape
Cloud-native CAD with built-in data management · United States · onshape.com
Runs in a browser Branching and merging iOS and Android apps
Onshape is the only mechanical modeler here delivered entirely through a browser: the vendor describes it as cloud-native and browser-based, hosted on Amazon Web Services, with native apps for iOS and Android. Every edit is captured, versions can be compared and restored, and teams can branch and merge a design the way programmers do with code. That removes the separate vault a desktop CAD team usually ends up buying. Standard costs $1,500 per user per year with private storage; Professional, at $2,500, adds company-managed data, release management, simulation, rendering and CAM. It sits fourth only because its owner, PTC, is one of the large incumbents.
Where it falls short
The Free plan is for non-commercial use and every document made on it is accessible to the public, so it is a way to learn the tool, not to run a business. Release management and company-managed data are held back for Professional, which costs $1,000 more per user per year than Standard. Single sign-on and guest or light user licensing sit on the quote-only Enterprise plan. The design data lives in the vendor's cloud by design.
Wrong for
A contractor whose clients forbid design data on third-party cloud infrastructure, or a site with unreliable connectivity. A desktop product with local files, such as BricsCAD or Alibre Design, avoids that argument.
Pricing: Standard is $1,500 per user per year and Professional $2,500 per user per year; Enterprise is custom pricing, and a Free plan exists for non-commercial work with public documents. (free plan)
Visit Onshape →
#5 Shapr3D
3D CAD for iPad, Mac and Windows · Hungary · shapr3d.com
Native iPad app Parasolid kernel Works offline
Shapr3D runs natively on iPad as well as Mac, Windows and Apple Vision Pro, and the tablet version is the full modeler, not a viewer. Underneath is the Siemens Parasolid kernel, so the solids it produces are the same kind other mechanical systems read, and the vendor lists import and export of native part formats as well as XT and STEP. Modeling is history-based parametric with direct editing, and 2D drawings are included. Designs are saved on the device and synced when a connection returns. The Basic plan is free for up to 2 projects; Pro is $299 billed annually.
Where it falls short
The free plan stops at two projects and offers no team contributors, and Pro allows up to 2, so a department of eight is pushed to the quote-only Enterprise plan. The Pro trial lasts 14 days and asks for a credit card. Terms for standard customers say the subscription fee may be increased at the vendor's discretion with notice, and Enterprise terms carry a ten percent annual increase at renewal. Two legal entities appear in the documents: a Budapest company and a London one.
Wrong for
A fabrication shop that lives in sheet metal flat patterns and weldment cut lists. Nothing in the pages we read describes those modules; Alibre Design lists both.
Pricing: Basic is free and limited to 2 projects; Pro is listed at $299 billed annually, excluding VAT, per editor seat; Enterprise is by contact with sales. (free plan)
Visit Shapr3D →
#6 Alibre Design
Perpetual-license mechanical CAD for Windows · United States · alibre.com
Licenses don't expire Sheet metal and weldments Windows only
Alibre sells mechanical CAD the old way, and for a small shop that is the attraction. The purchase page says it plainly: own it, licenses do not expire. Updates and support are a separate, optional package priced per license per year, and the page offers a zero-cost choice of no support at all. The product covers part and assembly modeling, sheet metal, weldments, 2D drawings and Python-based scripting, and the vendor sells its own PDM alongside. The Expert trial runs 30 days with no credit card and includes the EZ-CAM software. Alibre, LLC has been at it since 1997.
Where it falls short
The system requirements list Windows 11, 10 and 8.1 and nothing else, so a Mac or Linux user needs a different product. The price we saw was a promotional one, which makes it hard to know what a license costs in a month without a sale. Choosing the no-support option saves money now and leaves you on the version you bought. Three to six licenses earn a further ten percent off; beyond six it becomes a conversation with sales.
Wrong for
A team spread over several sites that wants simultaneous editing and nothing installed locally. Alibre is desktop software for Windows; Onshape is the browser product in this list.
Pricing: One-time license that does not expire; the Design Expert page showed a sale price of $1,349 per license when read, with an optional updates and support package at $465 per license per year. (free trial)
Visit Alibre Design →
#7 SOLIDWORKS
Mechanical 3D CAD in three annual plans · France · solidworks.com
Published annual plans Offline for 30 days Partner support
SOLIDWORKS puts a number on each of its three plans. Standard is $2,820 per user per year and covers parts, assemblies, drawings, cloud file management and real-time collaboration for one user across several devices. Professional, at $3,456, adds an intelligent CAD library, photorealistic rendering, automatic cost estimation and standards checking. Premium, at $4,716, adds electrical, pipe and tube routing, linear static analysis and time-based motion analysis. The vendor promises same-day download and activation, certified partner support, and offline work for up to 30 consecutive days. It ranks seventh as a dominant incumbent with the highest entry price here.
Where it falls short
No free plan or trial is advertised on the plans page we read; what it offers is a full refund if you cancel within 15 days. Offline use is capped at 30 consecutive days before the software must reconnect. Routing and even linear static analysis are reserved for Premium, $1,896 per user per year above Standard. For a five-person office the annual bill starts at five figures and recurs every year.
Wrong for
A two-person design office with no customer demanding this particular system. Alibre Design or FreeCAD produce the same kind of parts, assemblies and drawings for a fraction of the yearly outlay.
Pricing: Annual subscription per user, USA prices excluding tax: Standard $2,820 per year, Professional $3,456 per year, Premium $4,716 per year, with a 15-day full refund policy. (none)
Visit SOLIDWORKS →
#8 DraftSight
2D DWG drafting for Windows and Mac · France · draftsight.com
DWG, DXF and DGN Windows and Mac AutoLISP support
DraftSight is a 2D CAD desktop application with full DWG support, and its maker says so without pretending it is more. Professional, at $299 per year, creates, views and edits DWG, DXF and DGN files and includes the edit, design and automation tools, AutoLISP among them. Premium, at $599, adds custom blocks, STEP import, the Sheet Set Manager, DGN export and a BIM module for bringing 3D model data into drawings. Both are available for Windows and Mac. A network option starting at $399 per year handles simultaneous use across an organization, with support from SOLIDWORKS partners.
Where it falls short
The Sheet Set Manager and STEP import are Premium features, which doubles the price for an office that issues drawing packages. The trial is of Premium, so a buyer planning on Professional tests features they will not get. Every plan on the purchase page is a yearly subscription. As a Dassault Systèmes product it is positioned beside SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, and the homepage pushes both.
Wrong for
Anyone who needs to model in 3D as the main activity. DraftSight describes itself as 2D; BricsCAD Pro or ZWCAD Professional cover 2D and 3D on the same file format.
Pricing: Annual subscription: Professional is $299 USD per year, Premium $599 USD per year, and Network licensing starts at $399 USD per year; a 30-day trial of Premium is offered. (free trial)
Visit DraftSight →
#9 ZWCAD
DWG-compatible CAD with perpetual licenses · China · zwsoft.com
Perpetual license DWG, DXF and DWT Three editions
ZWCAD is the closest thing in this ranking to a like-for-like replacement for subscription drafting software, bought once. The vendor offers perpetual and network licenses, quotes a starting price of $899 that varies by region, and gives 30 days to try it. Standard covers 2D drafting with DWG compatibility and LISP routines; Professional adds 3D modeling, point cloud, raster-to-vector conversion and the full API; an MFG edition adds a standard part library and automatic bills of materials. ZWSOFT was founded in 1998 and listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's STAR Market in 2021.
Where it falls short
Prices depend on where you buy, in the vendor's own words, so the number on the product page is a starting point. Yearly maintenance is a separate fee on top of the perpetual license, and upgrade pricing from older versions is by quote. 3D modeling and the full API are Professional features, not Standard. The store showed euro prices excluding VAT when we read it, while the product page quotes dollars.
Wrong for
A firm whose purchasing rules restrict software from vendors headquartered in China, as some procurement policies do. BricsCAD and DraftSight are the European-headquartered DWG options here.
Pricing: Perpetual and network licenses; the product page says prices start from $899 and vary by country, and the vendor's store lists Standard, Professional and MFG editions with optional yearly maintenance. (free trial)
Visit ZWCAD →
#10 nanoCAD
Modular DWG CAD platform · Norway · nanocad.com
3-year term becomes perpetual Modules at $229 Network licenses
nanoCAD has the most unusual license in the list. A one-year subscription at $289 stops working when it lapses. A three-year subscription at $867 includes a perpetual license: after the three years the software keeps running, and only support and upgrades end. The platform is compatible with the DWG standard and can be automated in JavaScript, VBS, Python through COM, LISP, .NET and C++. 3D solid modeling, mechanical, construction, raster and survey functions are modules at $229 apiece, or bundles such as nanoCAD Pro. A network subscription runs on any computer on the local network. The trial is 30 days.
Where it falls short
The module model means the $289 headline buys a 2D platform; add 3D Solid Modeling and Mechanica and the bundle is listed at $620 to $740 per year. nanoCAD Free has no time limit but is an old release, version 5, reads DWG only up to 2013, lacks 3D solids and technical support, and its terms prohibit commercial use. The vendor's site shows two different street addresses in Lillestrøm.
Wrong for
A Mac-based studio. The free edition is Windows software and the pages we read name no other operating system for the platform; BricsCAD and DraftSight both state Mac support.
Pricing: nanoCAD 26 Platform is $289 per year or $867 for three years per workstation, $379 per year as a network license; modules such as 3D Solid Modeling and Mechanica are $229 each. (free trial)
Visit nanoCAD →
LayOut 2D documents 1000+ extensions Desktop, iPad and web
SketchUp is the architectural outlier in a list dominated by mechanical and drafting tools. Pro, at $33.25 per user per month billed annually, includes the desktop modeler plus web and iPad versions, LayOut for 2D documentation, PreDesign for early climate analysis, more than a thousand extensions, 3D Warehouse assets, unlimited cloud storage and enhanced IFC and DWG compatibility. Go, at $10.75, is limited to iPad and web. Studio, at $71.58, adds a Revit importer, point cloud modeling, photoreal rendering and animation export, on Windows only. Trimble also sells Pro variants with scan and civil site data import.
Where it falls short
The trial lasts seven days, the shortest here, which is barely a working week of evaluation. Studio runs on Windows only, so a Mac office cannot get the Revit importer or point cloud tools in that plan. Every price on the plans page is billed annually. The product is a surface modeler for buildings and objects; the plans page describes nothing resembling tolerance-driven part design or assemblies.
Wrong for
A mechanical engineering firm. For machined parts and assemblies look at Alibre Design or Onshape; SketchUp's plans are described entirely in terms of architecture, interiors and construction.
Pricing: Go is $10.75 USD per month per user billed annually (iPad and web), Pro $33.25 (desktop, iPad and web) and Studio $71.58 (Windows only); a 7-day Pro trial needs no credit card. (free trial)
Visit SketchUp →
#12 Plasticity
Direct NURBS modeler for concept work · United States · plasticity.xyz
Pay once Parasolid kernel Linux build
Plasticity costs less than a month of some subscriptions in this list and you keep it. Indie is $175 for up to 2 machines, Studio $299 for up to 4, and both are perpetual: the payment buys a 12-month maintenance window of upgrades and the software keeps working afterward. It uses the Parasolid kernel, so booleans and fillets behave as they do in mechanical systems. The vendor calls it a direct modeling tool: you change the model itself, with no feature tree or design history. It imports STEP, IGES, ACIS, Parasolid and Rhino files and runs on Windows, macOS and Ubuntu.
Where it falls short
No history means no going back to change a dimension and watch the model rebuild; for engineering change control that is a serious gap. Licenses are described as for an individual, with no team or floating option on the page. xNURBS and the advanced surfacing tools are Studio-only, and export formats differ by tier. DXF and DWG import is limited to Windows. The only company address published is a registered-agent address in Delaware.
Wrong for
An engineering department that must issue revision-controlled drawings. Plasticity is a shape-making tool; a history-based product such as Shapr3D or Onshape fits that obligation better.
Pricing: One-time purchase: Indie is $175 USD and Studio $299 USD, each plus local taxes, with a 12-month window of upgrades; a 30-day trial is free but not for commercial use. (free trial)
Visit Plasticity →
#13 QCAD
Open-source 2D drafting · Switzerland · qcad.org
GPLv3 source 2D only Windows, macOS and Linux
QCAD does one thing: two-dimensional drafting. The source code is released under GPL version 3, the program runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and it comes with more than 40 construction tools, a library of over 4,800 CAD parts and an ECMAScript scripting interface. Command line tools convert drawings to PDF, SVG and bitmap, handy for batch jobs on a server. The paid editions are priced like a lunch for the team: Professional at €50.82 and QCAD/CAM at €133.10 in the vendor's shop. RibbonSoft GmbH, the company behind it, gives an address in Sarnen.
Where it falls short
It is 2D only by the project's own description, so any part that needs a solid model is out of scope. Site, educational and server licenses exist at other price points, which means the simple headline price does not cover every way of deploying it. Buying the paid editions is a web shop transaction with RibbonSoft, which suits an individual better than a purchasing department that wants a quote and an account manager.
Wrong for
A team that needs sheet sets, 3D or a network license manager. DraftSight Premium or BricsCAD Pro are built for a full drafting department; QCAD suits the person who draws a floor layout twice a month.
Pricing: The application is free and open source under GPLv3; the vendor's shop lists QCAD Professional at €50.82 and QCAD/CAM at €133.10. (open source)
Visit QCAD →
#14 TurboCAD
General-purpose CAD in four editions · United States · imsidesign.com
Perpetual or term DWG/DXF read and write Windows and Mac
TurboCAD gives the buyer a choice most vendors have removed: the same edition as a perpetual license, paid once and upgraded when you decide, or as a one- or three-year term that includes updates. Designer is 2D drafting and dimensioning at $199.99; Deluxe adds entry-level 3D at $399.99; Professional brings full ACIS solid modeling at $999.99; Platinum adds constraints, sheet metal and GIS at $1,499.99. All editions read and write DWG and DXF and are offered for Windows and for Mac at the same prices. One year of support comes with a purchase. IMSI Design dates from 1983.
Where it falls short
The trial is 15 days and is delivered by email, shorter and less direct than the 30-day downloads elsewhere in this list. Constraints and sheet metal appear only in Platinum, the most expensive edition, and solid modeling only from Professional up. The pages we read describe single-user desktop licenses and say nothing about network licensing or shared data management, so it ranks last for a business with several seats.
Wrong for
A growing engineering team that needs floating licenses and a shared vault. BricsCAD offers network licenses from its Pro edition, and Onshape has version control built in.
Pricing: Perpetual licenses: Designer $199.99, Deluxe $399.99, Professional $999.99, Platinum $1,499.99; term licenses of 1 or 3 years are also sold, for example Designer at $99.99 per year. (free trial)
Visit TurboCAD →
Questions and answers
What is the best CAD software in 2026?
For a small or mid-sized business we rank BricsCAD first: five editions from 2D drafting to mechanical and BIM on one DWG-based product, published euro prices, network licenses from Pro upward, and builds for Windows, Mac and Linux. Rhino is the better pick when the work is curved surfaces and you want to pay once, at US$ 995 with no maintenance fees. FreeCAD, third, is the choice when the budget is zero and someone on staff is willing to learn an open-source parametric modeler without a vendor support line.
Why are AutoCAD and Fusion not in this ranking?
Every product fact on this page was read on the vendor's own website on the day of writing, and nothing was filled in from memory. Autodesk's site did not serve its product and pricing pages to our checks, so we could not confirm current prices, plans or trial terms for AutoCAD or Fusion. Rather than describe two widely used products from recollection, we left them out. That is a statement about our sourcing rule, not about the products; a buyer should still put them on a shortlist and verify the numbers directly.
Is there free CAD software a business can legally use?
Yes, but read the terms. FreeCAD states there are no licensing fees, no sign-up and no restrictions, and QCAD's source is released under GPLv3. Shapr3D's Basic plan is free for up to 2 projects. Other free offers exclude business use: Onshape's Free plan is for non-commercial projects and makes every document public, nanoCAD Free prohibits commercial use in its terms, and Plasticity's 30-day trial does not allow commercial work. A free edition that forbids revenue-generating use is a learning tool.
What is the difference between 2D CAD and 3D CAD?
2D CAD produces drawings: lines, arcs, dimensions and text on a sheet, the digital form of a drafting board. 3D CAD produces a model of the object itself, from which drawings, mass, interference checks and machining paths can be derived. DraftSight and QCAD describe themselves as 2D applications. Alibre Design, Onshape, SOLIDWORKS and FreeCAD are 3D modelers that also generate drawings. BricsCAD, ZWCAD and TurboCAD sell 2D in the lower edition and 3D in the higher ones, which lets a drafting office add modeling later.
Should I buy a perpetual CAD license or a subscription?
It depends on how long you must be able to edit old designs and how much you value staying current. A perpetual license, as sold by Rhino, Alibre, ZWCAD, Plasticity and TurboCAD, keeps working without further payment; you pay again only for upgrades or an optional support plan. A subscription bundles updates and support but charges every year. nanoCAD offers a middle route: its three-year subscription includes a perpetual license. For a company that supports products for a decade, owning at least one seat outright is a reasonable hedge.
What does parametric modeling mean, and do I need it?
In a parametric or history-based modeler a part is a recipe: sketches with dimensions and constraints, then features such as extrudes and fillets, replayed in order. Change a dimension and the part rebuilds. That is what makes design revisions and product families manageable. FreeCAD and Shapr3D both describe their modeling in these terms. A direct modeler such as Plasticity has no feature tree; you push and pull the geometry itself, which is faster for concept shapes and weaker for controlled engineering changes. Machine designers need parametric; stylists often prefer direct.
Can I move my existing drawings and models to a different CAD program?
Drawings move well, models move partly. DWG and DXF are read and written by most drafting products in this list, so a 2D archive is portable. 3D parts transfer through STEP, IGES or Parasolid as correct shapes without their feature history, so they can be measured, manufactured and referenced but not edited the way they were built. Some vendors read other systems' native files: Shapr3D lists native part formats, and BricsCAD sells a Communicator add-on for the purpose. Plan to remodel only the parts you actively change.
Does CAD software run on a Mac or on Linux?
Some of it does, and the vendors are specific. BricsCAD, FreeCAD, QCAD and Plasticity state support for Windows, Mac and Linux. Rhino, DraftSight and TurboCAD are offered for Windows and Mac. Shapr3D runs on iPad, Mac, Windows and Vision Pro. Onshape runs in a browser, with iOS and Android apps. Alibre Design's system requirements list Windows only, and SketchUp's Studio plan is Windows only even though Pro covers desktop, iPad and web. Check the edition, not just the product name.
How much does CAD software cost per seat?
The published range in this list runs from nothing to several thousand dollars a year. FreeCAD and QCAD are free. One-time licenses start at $175 for Plasticity Indie and $199.99 for TurboCAD Designer, and reach US$ 995 for Rhino. Yearly drafting subscriptions sit around $289 for nanoCAD Platform and $299 for DraftSight Professional. Mechanical systems cost more: Onshape Standard is $1,500 per user per year and SOLIDWORKS Standard $2,820 per year. These figures use different billing bases and currencies, so compare totals over several years.
Do we need a separate data management system for CAD files?
Once more than two people edit the same assemblies, something has to prevent them overwriting each other and has to record which revision was released. With desktop CAD that is either discipline and a shared folder, or a product data management tool; Alibre sells its own PDM, for example. Onshape takes a different approach and builds version history, branching and, on Professional, release management into the modeler, with no files to check in or out. A solo designer can manage with dated folders and an archived STEP per release.
What is a network or floating CAD license?
A network license is held by a license server rather than a named person. Any computer on the network can start the software as long as a seat is free, so ten people who each draw occasionally might share three seats. BricsCAD offers network licenses from its Pro edition, DraftSight has a Network plan starting at $399 USD per year, nanoCAD prices a network subscription at $379 per year, and Rhino's licenses are sold per concurrent user. The per-seat price is higher; the seat count is lower.
