Contents
Introduction
CAD (Computer Aided Design) software is an essential tool for architects, engineers, product designers, and many more skilled professionals looking to bring their designs to life. But with the proliferation of home manufacturing technology like 3D printers and open-source projects, large swaths of people outside professional fields need accessible CAD software to achieve their goals.
A lot of CAD (computer aided design) software are available on the market. These 3D programs could really help you in your daily work for various purposes: from visualization, simulation to 3D printing, the benefits of CAD programs are numerous. We know it, using 3D modeling software can be quite expensive, and you want to spend a fortune to use the 3D technology. We understand it!
Fortunately, free CAD software is widely available and, in many cases, just as useful as its costly counterparts. Given the many differences between CAD programs though, it can be challenging to choose the right one for you.
Here, we’ve listed our top picks for free CAD software in no particular order. You’ll find free versions of paid commercial software — limited in use, features, or both — as well as programs that are free with no strings attached. We’ll tell you how easy a software is to use, its standout features, and practicality, plus how well it can scale with your projects. Feel free to skip ahead with the table on the left.
In this blog post, we are going to give the best tips to choose the best free CAD software!
Why do you need to use 3D CAD software?
These programs could be a great asset to your company, as they really offer new possibilities. It can improve your work and be helpful no matter what is your activity sector. Thanks to CAD software you could work on your product design, do simulations and get impressively accurate 3D visualizations. CAD applications are almost endless.
You could use these programs in order to get amazing 3D models to 3D print and prototype or produce your project.
How to choose the best free CAD software?
There is a lot of CAD programs available on the market and you might be a bit lost. In order to make the best choice possible, you will have to ask yourself the good questions.
What is your level of expertise?
You can find programs for every level of experience. Are you a beginner, intermediate or advanced user? Some software can really be difficult to use, with a lot of different features and complex interface. Even when it comes to free CAD software, you can find really complex and technical programs. Your level of expertise will be the first criteria you will need to take into account while choosing your 3D program!
In this blog post we are going to make a selection of 3D software classified by the level of experience needed to use it: for beginners or for experienced users!
Check all the specific features you need
If there is software for all levels of experience, there is also software for all different industries. From the medical sector to architecture and fashion, you can now find dedicated software for all sectors. Indeed, each of these sectors has specified programs. Most of the time, software targeting a specific sector aren’t free. However, you will be able to find a free 3D modeling software with all the specific features you need for your 3D project.
Indeed a lot of other parameters can be taken into account: Do you need parametric or direct modeling software? A parametric modeler allows users to modify easily a design and navigate through the model history.
Would you prefer to use cloud-based software? Cloud storage could be a perfect choice if you need to improve your data management, and it is avoiding to deal with complex CAD packages. You will have a lot of criteria to consider while choosing your CAD programs.
We are going to give you a hand with your choice, we made a selection of the best free CAD programs actually available on the market.
Check out our top picks for the best free CAD software, including unique features.
- Click here to download FreeCAD
- Click here to download Fusion 360
- Click here to download SketchUp Free and frequently asked questions about Sketchup answered
- Click here to download OpenSCAD
- Click here to download BlocksCAD 3D modeling software
Let know what you make of these lists. Comment and share this articles on all platforms.