FreeCAD
Free parametric 3D modeller for mechanical parts, 3D printing and architecture.
Our verdict
FreeCAD is the closest thing Linux has to a general purpose CAD program, and it is free. It handles parametric 3D modelling, mechanical parts, 3D printing and, through its BIM workbench, building design. People ship real products with it.
It is not an AutoCAD replacement and it is fairer to everyone to say so. AutoCAD is built around 2D drafting in .dwg, while FreeCAD is built around 3D solids with a design history. The commands, the vocabulary and the daily rhythm are different, so budget weeks rather than an afternoon.
The file format question is the real one. FreeCAD's own documentation explains that .dwg is a closed binary format it cannot read on its own and needs an outside converter such as GNU LibreDWG, which is still a work in progress and misses some drawing elements. Open STEP, IGES, STL, DXF and SVG and you are on solid ground.
What's good
- Genuinely capable parametric modelling, with a design history you can go back and edit
- Reads and writes the engineering formats that matter, including STEP, IGES and STL
- Free with no subscription, and the same program runs on Windows if you want to trial it first
What to know first
- .dwg files need a separate converter bolted on, and even then some drawings come across wrong
- Split into workbenches that each behave differently, which is confusing for the first few hours
- Not a drafting program at heart, so 2D drawing feels clumsier than in AutoCAD or LibreCAD
The details
- Cost
- Free
- Open source
- Yes (LGPL-2.1)
- How you install it
- App store (Flatpak), AppImage download, Built-in app store
Windows apps it can replace
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