FreeCAD is free, open source and in good shape. The FreeCAD downloads page offers version 1.1.4 for Windows 10 or later, macOS 12 or later on Apple Silicon and Intel, and Linux AppImages, free for any use including commercial work. Version 1.1 arrived in March 2026 with transparent previews and drag handles for fillets and chamfers.
People still leave for three reasons: complex parts take many steps across separate workbenches, there is no real-time cloud collaboration, and clients send native SOLIDWORKS or Solid Edge files. The picks start with free or cheap parametric CAD for makers, then cover professional options and two very different free tools.
Prices below are as of November 6, 2026. Our method is on How we review tools.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Price | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autodesk Fusion | CAD plus CAM for makers and small shops | Free personal use; $57/month billed annually | Windows, Mac |
| Onshape | Browser CAD with real-time teamwork | Free (public docs); Standard $1,500/user/year | Browser, iOS, Android |
| Solid Edge Community Edition | Free professional CAD for hobby projects | Free, non-commercial | Windows |
| SOLIDWORKS for Makers | Learning the industry-standard CAD | $48/year or $15/month | Windows; xDesign in browser |
| Shapr3D | Fast solid modelling on iPad and Mac | Free 2 projects; Pro $299/year | iPad, Mac, Windows, Vision Pro |
| OpenSCAD | Parts described in code | Free, open source | Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD, browser |
| Bonsai | Open source BIM on Blender | Free, open source | Windows, Mac, Linux |
Autodesk Fusion
Fusion is where most FreeCAD hobbyists try first. Its timeline-based modelling is forgiving when you edit an early sketch, and it adds CAM for CNC machines and electronics design in the same app. Files sync to Autodesk's cloud, so the same project opens on another computer.
The Fusion personal use page offers a free year for non-commercial users earning under $1,000 a year from their designs. Commercial Fusion costs $57 a month billed annually, with a 30-day trial.
Best for: Makers with a 3D printer or CNC who want CAD and CAM in one place.
Pricing:
- Personal use: free for 1 year, non-commercial, under $1,000 annual revenue
- Fusion: $57/month, billed annually
- 30-day free trial
Watch out for:
- The free tier has limited CAM, limited 2D drawings, limited import and export file types and single-user data management.
- It is a subscription. Stop paying and you lose editing, unlike FreeCAD's local files that open forever.
Official site: Autodesk Fusion.
Onshape
Onshape runs entirely in the browser, so there is nothing to install and no file to send around. Several people can edit the same part studio at once, and version history works like Git branches, which is something FreeCAD has no answer to.
The Onshape pricing page lists a free plan for non-commercial use with unlimited storage, Standard at $1,500 per user a year and Professional at $2,500, both billed annually. Qualified professionals can try Professional free for up to six months.
Best for: Teams and open hardware projects that edit the same model together.
Pricing:
- Free: non-commercial, public documents only
- Standard: $1,500 per user per year
- Professional: $2,500 per user per year
- Enterprise: contact sales
Watch out for:
- Every document on the free plan is public, and there is no monthly option on paid plans.
Official site: Onshape.
Solid Edge Community Edition
Siemens gives away a full desktop version of Solid Edge to makers, CAD learners and design challenge entrants. Its headline feature is synchronous technology, which lets you push and pull faces on a model without rebuilding a feature tree.
The Community Edition download page says it is free professional CAD for personal use, that parts and assemblies can be 3D printed, and that commercial projects need a paid subscription.
Best for: Hobbyists who want professional desktop CAD at no cost.
Pricing:
- Free for personal, non-commercial use
- Commercial use: paid Designcenter Solid Edge subscription
Watch out for:
- Files made in it cannot be opened in commercial versions of Designcenter Solid Edge, and 2D drawings are watermarked.
Official site: Solid Edge Community Edition.
SOLIDWORKS for Makers
SOLIDWORKS is the CAD many engineering firms run, and the Makers licence is the cheapest legal way to learn it at home. You get the desktop app plus xDesign in a browser through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
The SOLIDWORKS Makers page lists $48 a year or $15 a month, excluding taxes, with a promotion at $24 for the year. The licence covers personal projects, and you can sell the parts you make as long as they earn under $2,000 a year.
Best for: Students and hobbyists building skills for engineering jobs.
Pricing:
- $48/year or $15/month, excl. taxes
- $24 for the first year on promotion
- Commercial licences: price on request
Watch out for:
- The desktop app does not run natively on macOS, so Mac users get only the browser-based xDesign.
Official site: SOLIDWORKS for Makers.
Shapr3D
Shapr3D trades FreeCAD's workbenches for direct, gesture-driven modelling. You draw a sketch with a pencil or mouse, pull it into a solid and push faces around, and the model stays a precise solid. It is quicker to learn, at the cost of fewer specialist tools.
The Shapr3D pricing page lists a free Basic plan for 2 projects with basic-resolution STL and 3MF export, and Pro at $299 per editor seat billed annually, with STEP, IGES and other CAD formats.
Best for: Designers who want quick, precise modelling on an iPad or Mac.
Pricing:
- Basic: free, 2 projects
- Pro: $299 per editor seat, billed annually, excl. VAT
- Free for students and educators
Watch out for:
- The free plan is a trial in practice, with two projects and low-resolution export only.
Official site: Shapr3D.
OpenSCAD
OpenSCAD has no mouse modelling at all. You write a short script of cubes, cylinders, unions and differences, and it compiles the solid. For programmers who found FreeCAD's sketcher fiddly, describing a bracket as code with named parameters is often quicker and easy to version in Git.
It is free software, and the OpenSCAD downloads page lists builds for Windows, macOS, Linux, the BSDs, Docker and WebAssembly. Customisable 3D printing models on sharing sites are often OpenSCAD files for that reason.
Best for: Programmers and makers who want parametric parts as text files.
Pricing:
- Free and open source
Watch out for:
- Fillets, chamfers and organic shapes are hard to script, and there are no 2D engineering drawings.
Official site: OpenSCAD.
Bonsai
FreeCAD's BIM workbench draws many architects, and Bonsai is the other open source route. It turns Blender into an IFC authoring tool through IfcOpenShell, so walls, slabs and doors are native IFC objects rather than converted geometry.
Bonsai installs from Blender's extensions, and the Bonsai installation guide covers version 0.9.0 on Linux, Mac and Windows. For paid BIM tools, our Archicad alternatives guide compares Revit, Vectorworks and others.
Best for: Architects who want free, native IFC modelling.
Pricing:
- Free and open source, like Blender
Watch out for:
- Version 0.9.0 is still pre-1.0, and you have to learn Blender's interface as well as BIM.
Official site: Bonsai.
How to choose
| If you need | Pick |
|---|---|
| CAD plus CAM for a CNC router | Autodesk Fusion |
| Several people editing one model live | Onshape |
| Free professional desktop CAD at home | Solid Edge Community Edition |
| Learning the CAD employers ask for | SOLIDWORKS for Makers |
| Modelling on an iPad | Shapr3D |
| Parts written as code | OpenSCAD |
| Open source BIM with IFC | Bonsai |
When to stay with FreeCAD
Stay with FreeCAD if you sell what you design and do not want a licence fee or account. Fusion's personal tier, Onshape Free, Solid Edge Community Edition and SOLIDWORKS for Makers all limit commercial use or make your files public, while FreeCAD is free for commercial work on Windows, Mac and Linux. For freeform shapes it is weaker, and our Rhino alternatives page covers surface modellers.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a better free CAD program than FreeCAD?
For personal projects, Fusion's free personal tier, Onshape's free plan and Solid Edge Community Edition are all easier for many people. None of them allows commercial use for free, so for paid work FreeCAD is still the strongest free option.
Is FreeCAD as good as SolidWorks?
Not yet for large assemblies, drawings and industry file exchange, where SOLIDWORKS is more mature. FreeCAD 1.1 closed some gaps with better previews and fillet handles, and it costs nothing, while SOLIDWORKS for Makers is $48 a year and allows selling parts that earn under $2,000 a year.
Can FreeCAD be used commercially?
Yes. FreeCAD is open source and free for any use, including commercial work, with no paid tier or account.
Is Fusion still free for hobbyists?
Yes, for non-commercial users with under $1,000 a year in revenue. The free licence runs for a year at a time and limits file types, CAM and 2D drawings, per Autodesk's personal use page.
