Design like a pro with these free AutoCAD alternatives

And it cannot be denied that for many users, the aforementioned AutoCAD from the firm AutoDesk is one of the main references in terms of design. Whether it's jobs 2D or 3D , this program has been widely used by teams around the world for years. Keep in mind that we are referring to an application that is characterized by the enormous functionality that it offers in its interface . This is something that is in large measure given by the power of use that this particular tool presents to us.

This is why it has long been used in a multitude of professional working environments, all related in one way or another to the world of design. Of course, all of this made it possible, for example, for AutoCAD to replace the blueprints or paper sketches that were used in the past. But of course, because of his approach Professional , this is a program that is not available to everyone, in fact it is a software with a high price. It is true that professionals in the sector end up benefiting from it, but ordinary users more less.

It is precisely for this reason that these more national users, or smaller companies, cannot afford to make this big investment and prefer to use other proposals. This way, you can look for other alternatives similar to the one we mentioned, but at zero cost. They may not reach the functionality and power of the Autodesk program, but for many, these other proposals will be more than enough for their projects.

Free alternatives to the design program, AutoCAD

QCad

If we have to start talking about alternative programs to the one mentioned above, QCad is a great alternative. In fact, this is a proposal that has been in use for a long time and has evolved a lot with the updates. One of its main characteristics is perhaps given by the user interface tailored he presents. This makes it an affordable proposition in terms of usability for more people.

His way of working is focused on dealing with 2D shapes and this is one of the most popular alternatives that we are talking about due to the time she has spent with us. It has an extensive library of over 4800 CAD objects , a multitude of construction and project modification tools, etc. Likewise, we can point out that it offers support for importing and exporting formats such as DXF et DWG at from AutoCAD.

We can download QCad for Windows, MacOS or Linux from this link

FreeCAD

Now we are going to talk about another of these alternatives, perfect for users who want to enter this world of design. We refer to FreeCAD , a program free and open source centered on the CAD design which has a multitude of tools for modelization . As in the previous case, it focuses on 2D jobs and projects and allows us to view a multitude of compatible formats.

Of course, since this is a slightly more targeted proposition for all types of users, the number of functions available will not be as high as in others. However, contrary to what you might think, this will be of benefit to many who don't want to get too complicated.

We have the possibility to download LibreCAD from this link .

FreeCAD

Another of the best free alternatives we can find for AutoCAD is FreeCAD. In this program we can find a large number of functions and characteristics typical of other programs, such as Catia, SolidWorks or Solid Edge, to be able to easily create our own projects. This program is characterized above all by excellent compatibility with projects created with other similar programs. Plus, it lets you create 2D and 3D projects from scratch, being a truly versatile tool that adapts to all types of work.

We can download this program for free on his website .

TinkerCAD

And continuing with the alternative CAD proposals to AutoCAD, but free, we can talk about TinkerCAD belonging to the same company. In this case, we are talking about a web application that we use from the browser with a multitude of functions and tools focused on modeling at a more domestic level than AutoCAD. In fact, the program is based on offering us the possibility of joining some basic objects to create more complex elements.

Likewise, it should be noted that it offers us of functions of assembly for all of this and that they can be used even by those who do not have much experience in this particular field. That is why it is a good solution for users who want to enter the world of design CAD without spending a dollar but with powerful modeling functions.

We can start using TinkerCAD directly from here

BRL-CAD

If you are a fan of open source software and CAD design, this is a great alternative to use without having to shell out a single dollar. It is also interesting to know that this is a tool that has been around for a good number of years, so its creators have a lot of experience in these areas. It offers functionality in sectors 2D and 3D and provides us with more than 400 utilities, applications and libraries.

Thanks to the preconceived objects that we initially find here, we can design our own personal projects in a fairly affordable and bearable way. This will allow us to carry out work of the most diverse nature such as 2D and 3D modeling , Among others.

If you want to try it now, you can download BRL-CAD from this link .

Leopoly

And again, we are going to talk about another interesting alternative specially created for those new to the CAD business, or for those who do not want a lot of complications. More precisely, we are referring to the application called Leopoly , a proposal more focused on 3d design than those mentioned above. In fact, we are referring to a free platform that we can use from our favorite browser with a large library of objects that it makes available to us.

At the same time, it offers the functions necessary to create and adapt the three-dimensional objects with whom we want to work. We can therefore say that this solution is not valid for 2D CAD design as such, but more for 3D modeling in all the extent of its field. For all this we will have a wide variety of objects predefined that we will be able to modify and customize.

We can access the Leopoly platform from here .

Blender

We will now refer to one of the most famous proposals of this type, the alternatives to AutoCAD. It is Blender , a free and advanced design solution valid for all types of users. Of course, those who are new to this field may prefer to opt for other alternatives before this one, aimed at a larger market. professional . In fact, this is software that over time has already been used by many specialists in the field, even in animated films, video games, etc.

How could it be otherwise, it has a large number of functions and features for modeling, mapping, editing, simulation , rendering, texturing, etc. You should also know that this free software even puts its own creation engine in our hands. video games .

If you want to get the most out of Blender, you can download it here .

DraftSight

Change of third, we will also talk in these same lines about another powerful application of this same type. To begin with, we will tell you that at first glance, this is a complete professional solution for PC-aided design with 2D and 3D projects . But at this point, it is interesting to know that this proposal we are talking about gives us a free version that is fully operational and functional.

Once we know all this, let's say that the program is compatible with the files DWG in format, which are precisely the ones AutoCAD uses natively. But that's not all, because the compatibility goes further and we can export our projects in a multitude of formats. Among these we find some of the importance of WMF, JPG, PNG, SLD or SVG, among others. It is therefore a CAD title which presents us with a good number of functions and valid for many types of use, both domestic and professional. To test it firsthand, this is something we can do from this link .

SelfCAD

And we're going to end with a free CAD design proposal that we can use from the browser. In fact, it is a powerful application of 3D CAD to work and design objects, from the simplest to the most complex. It has an intuitive user interface which will be very useful for users less experienced in these fields. It allows the loading of personal projects to start working on it and has several already predefined elements that we can use in our new CAD creations.

To start using SelfCAD , we can do it from this link .