What is the best 3D CAD software?

Question

16

Options
Considered

29

User
Recs.

Sep 15, 2023

Last
Updated

Here’s the Deal

16 Options Considered

Best 3D CAD software	Price	Platforms	Technology
-- BRL-CAD	Free	Windows, Linux, Mac, BSD, IRIX, Solaris	C++, TCL
-- GstarCAD	-	-	-
-- FreeCAD	Free	Windows, macOS, Unix-like	C++, Python, Qt
-- Ashampoo 3D CAD Professional	$299.99	Windows	-
-- Inventor	-	-	-

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NX

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score 1 · Answer 1

BRL-CAD

Top Pro

Free

Specs

Platforms:Windows, Linux, Mac, BSD, IRIX, Solaris

Technology:C++, TCL

score 1 · Answer 2

GstarCAD

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score 5 · Answer 3

FreeCAD

Top Pro

It has a great sketch tool base

Top Con

Hard to learn

FunTongoenabiagus's Experience

it is amazing it is the best free cad by far it beats fusion 360 See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows, macOS, Unix-like

License:LGPL

Technology:C++, Python, Qt

Top Pro

Awesome community

Top Con

It has a lot of bugs

Which means you should probably save your work relatively often. If you don't it gets deleted. See More

Top Pro

Powerful addons and easy to use addon manager

Top Pro

Powerful free open source parametric CAD

See All

score 1 · Answer 4

Ashampoo 3D CAD Professional

Top Pro

Affordable

Top Con

Windows 64 bits only

RickZeeland's Experience

3D CAD software for Windows now on offer on Humble Bundle with 4 other items for only €22.96. https://www.humblebundle.com/software/powerful-3d-cad-software See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows

See All

score 2 · Answer 5

Inventor

Top Con

Proprietary file formates / Vendor lock-in

Autocad uses their own non standard file formats instead of using open standards. See More

score 1 · Answer 6

AutoCAD

Top Con

2D drafting software

AutoCAD is mainly a 2D drafting software See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows, macOS

License:EULA

Top Con

Proprietary file formates / Vendor lock-in

Autocad uses their own non standard file formats instead of using open standards See More

See All

score 3 · Answer 7

Figuro

Top Pro

Easy to use for beginners

Top Pro

Free to use

Answer 8

SolidWorks

score 2 · Answer 9

SOL75

Top Pro

3D printer + materials specific

You can customize components on your 3D printer and on the materials you have See More

Specs

Platforms:web app

Top Pro

Time saver

Components are reusable, you can customize a model as many times as you want See More

See All

score 3 · Answer 10

CATIA

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score 1 · Answer 11

Onshape

Platforms:Web, Android, iOS

Answer 12

PTC CREO

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Answer 13

HeeksCAD

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score 1 · Answer 14

Fusion 360

Top Con

Cloud

Just upload your secret models to the autodesk server... See More

Top Pro

It has Mac support

Игорь Калишевский's Experience

Generative design has no history. If Fusion crashes after the job completion you can't find the completed job. See More

Top Con

Windows only

Does not work on a Linux platform and the web browser version is retired :( See More

Top Con

Paid services with no convenient way to top up the account

Top Con

Proprietary file formates / Vendor lock-in

Autocad uses its own non-standard file formats instead of using open standards. See More

Top Con

Poor performance

Selecting of 1000 points can easily crash/hang it. See More

See All

score 1 · Answer 15

KOMPAS-3D

16 Options Considered

My Recommendation for BRL-CAD

My Recommendation for BRL-CAD

Free

My Recommendation for GstarCAD

My Recommendation for GstarCAD

My Recommendation for FreeCAD

My Recommendation for FreeCAD

It has a great sketch tool base

Hard to learn

Awesome community

It has a lot of bugs

Powerful addons and easy to use addon manager

Powerful free open source parametric CAD

My Recommendation for Ashampoo 3D CAD Professional

My Recommendation for Ashampoo 3D CAD Professional

Affordable

Windows 64 bits only

My Recommendation for Inventor

My Recommendation for Inventor

Proprietary file formates / Vendor lock-in

My Recommendation for AutoCAD

My Recommendation for AutoCAD

2D drafting software

Proprietary file formates / Vendor lock-in

My Recommendation for Figuro

My Recommendation for Figuro

Easy to use for beginners

Free to use

My Recommendation for SolidWorks

My Recommendation for SolidWorks

My Recommendation for SOL75

My Recommendation for SOL75

3D printer + materials specific

Time saver

My Recommendation for CATIA

My Recommendation for CATIA

My Recommendation for Onshape

My Recommendation for Onshape

My Recommendation for NX

My Recommendation for NX

My Recommendation for PTC CREO

My Recommendation for PTC CREO

My Recommendation for HeeksCAD

My Recommendation for HeeksCAD

My Recommendation for Fusion 360

My Recommendation for Fusion 360

Cloud

It has Mac support

Windows only

Paid services with no convenient way to top up the account

Proprietary file formates / Vendor lock-in

Poor performance

My Recommendation for KOMPAS-3D

My Recommendation for KOMPAS-3D

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