Inexpensive Cad Software For Mac
Autodesk’s AutoCAD is an industry-standard for high-end CAD designing. But does that make it the right CAD tool for your construction business?
A 3D CAD software tool for creating solid 3D CAD models, OpenSCAD is free and available for Linux/UNIX, Windows, and Mac OS X users. OpenSCAD focuses on CAD for creating 3D models and gives product engineers control over the modeling process because the tool is similar to a 3D compiler that reads script files and renders 3D models from files.
Autodesk is a juggernaut in the industrial drafting solutions market. And its products are the go-to tools for many types of professionals, including product designers, architects, and instrumentation engineers.
The company’s AutoCAD is a popular tool in the construction industry, offering features such as 3D modeling and parametric constraints. But big things have long shadows; in AutoCAD’s case it’s the $1,610 per user per year price tag. It’s a fairly expensive option, especially for small construction firms.
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If you’re looking for a less expensive software option, the fact that the market is fraught with terrible AutoCAD knockoffs doesn’t help either.
So, we’ve done the research to bring you the top four AutoCAD alternatives. Read on to learn about the key capabilities and pricing of the top four AutoCAD alternatives for construction businesses.
How we selected the best AutoCAD alternatives
Products are listed in alphabetical order. To make the list, products had to meet the following criteria:
- Core AutoCAD capabilities: The product had to offer similar 2D and 3D modeling capabilities and support similar file types to AutoCAD.
- Minimum of 20 user reviews published on Capterra’s site in the last two years: Recent reviews help us analyze the pros and cons of the alternatives.
- High “likelihood to recommend” rating: The product should have an average recommendation rating of at least 8 out of 10 on Capterra.
- High “features and functionality” rating: The product must have a minimum functionality rating of 4 out of 5 stars on Capterra.
1. FreeCAD: Open source parametric 3D CAD modeler
| Recommendation rating:8.1/10 Features & functionality rating:4.2/5.0 Reviews:71 |
FreeCAD comes with capabilities such as 3D parametric modeling, robot simulation, 2D drawing and sketching, and a rendering module for creating high-quality 3D images.
The tool is suitable for a wide range of uses in manufacturing and engineering industries. However, construction businesses can also use it to create floor plans or to design 3D building models.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Users like the tool’s many features, considering it’s completely free to use for commercial purposes. | Users mention that certain modules can become outdated when there are no updates from the community. |
| Users also like the fact that the tool is lightweight and works on most systems, even those with low RAM, without crashing. | Users also say that there is a steep learning curve. |
How much does FreeCAD cost? | |
| FreeCAD is an open-source solution and can be freely downloaded for use on platforms such as Windows, macOS, and Linux. | |
3D modeling of a building in FreeCAD(Source)
2. SketchUp: Intuitive 3D modeling
| Recommendation rating:9.6/10 Features & functionality rating:4.8/5.0 Reviews:128 |
SketchUp helps users draw 2D construction plans as well as 3D models of buildings. Along with design-related features, the tool offers features for document management with support for numerous file types (including DXF, DWG, FBX, OBJ, XSI, and VRML) and the facility to export images (including PDFs and HD animations).
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Users mention that the tool has a short learning curve. | Users mention the tool is not suitable for large-scale designs that require parametric modeling. |
| Users like the intuitive interface that makes direct 3D modeling easy. | Users say the tool lacks functionalities and relies heavily on plugins, which come at an additional cost. |
How much does SketchUp cost? | |
| SketchUp’s cloud-based version offers a basic free plan for personal use; the paid plans start at $119 per user per year. The on-premise version is priced at $695 (one-time license fee), with an additional $120 for annual upgrades. | |
3D construction plan design in SketchUp (Source)
3. SolidWorks Premium: Full-featured CAD tool
| Recommendation rating:8.6/10 Features & functionality rating:4.5/5.0 Reviews:324 |
SolidWorks Premium is a good option for 3D sketchers who want CAD software for detailed design work. The tool comes with extensive design features that allow for creating 2D drawings and 3D models. The tool also supports document management (with version control) for building a repository of up-to-date designs.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Users like the tool’s wide set of functionalities for 3D modeling. | User mention that the software is buggy and prone to crashes. |
| Users like the vendor’s exhaustive training resources. | Users mention that the software is incompatible with any operating software beside Windows. |
How much does SolidWorks Premium cost? | |
| SolidWorks Premium’s license costs and terms of use vary based on whether you’re using it for commercial or academic purposes. The student version is $150 for a 12-month term-of-use license fee; the commercial pricing is customized based on a business’s specific needs. | |
3D image design in SolidWorks (Source)
4. Vectorworks Architect: Suitable for BIM modeling
| Recommendation rating:8.0/10 Features & functionality rating:4.4/5.0 Reviews:25 |
Vectorworks Architect offers capabilities such as 2D drawing, 3D modeling, and building information modeling (BIM). As its name suggests, the tool is designed to help architects; it allows building 3D construction site models, drawing site blueprints, and designing digital walk-through presentations.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Users like the tool’s capabilities to integrate with other CAD solutions. | Users say the tool comes with a steep learning curve. |
| Users also like the tool’s capabilities for creating high quality graphics. | Users mention that the tool can become slow on computers running on fewer than 4GB RAM. |
How much does Vectorworks Architect cost? | |
| Vectorworks Architect offers only custom pricing for the software with a free 30-day trial period. | |
Designing stairs in Vectorworks (Source)
What other great CAD options are out there?
Is there a great CAD program that we’ve missed? What do you use? If you use AutoCAD, why do you prefer it? Let us know in the comments below!
The AutoCAD alternatives listed here are based on ratings from Capterra users. To expand your search, compare other CAD software on Capterra.
Note: Listed pros and cons are derived from features listed on the product website and product user reviews on Gartner Digital Markets domains (Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice). They do not represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Capterra or its affiliates.
Looking for Construction Management software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Construction Management software solutions.
2D cad software provides the CAD professionals in quick processing of 2D CAD designing. They help in laying out plans and creating electrical or electronic diagrams. Most of this software come with traditional Autocad software user interface which makes the users easy to work with.
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They also allow creating 2D or 3D objects with the help of comprehensive tools. To know more about this software one can search Google using “2d cad software list”, free 2d cad software for windows 7”, “2d cad software reviews” or “2d cad software, free download”.
Free 2D
Free 2D software enables quick and easy processing of 2D designing. It enables layout drawing, making diagrams and plotting dimensions. It enables easy transition by importing wizards, matching fonts as well as color schemes and supporting XERF, etc. It comes with built-in command finder which enables quick and easy processing.
DraftSight 2D CAD Software
This software enables simple to use which comes with best community support as well. It enables reading .dwg and .dxf files prior to 2.5 versions and allows them saving in R12 to R2007-2010 versions. It comes with training videos, tutorials and much more materials for better understanding. It is extremely simple to install.
NANOCAD
NANOCAD comes with a professional user interface and it is simple to learn and resembles classic CAD interface. It comes with comprehensive tools for developing 2D or 3D objects. It comes with advanced table editor and it allows setting several plot areas easily. Its scripting engine helps users perform regular tasks by automating them.
Other 2D CAD Software for Different Platforms
There is a plenty of 2D Cad software available in various platforms like Linux, Mac Os, and Windows. This software is platform dependent and they work with the platforms that they are designed for, hence one should check for platform compatibility. The features of this software for each version are provided below.
Best 2D CAD Software for Linux – LibreCAD
LibreCAD is open source and comprehensive 2D CAD application which allows customizing. It supports more than twenty languages and works on all major platforms. It comes with elegant editor and integration with CMake. It comes with extensive community support which is provided by developers as well. It comes with many features like adding or changing icons in documentation.
Best 2D CAD Software for Mac Os – CADEMIA
CADEMIA is simple as well as flexible CAD software. It provides certified security for your system and comes with simple tools for CAD documentation. It comes with complete and proficient services. Professional CAD users can get best solution from this software. It allows executing the software instantly and works on many platforms.
Best 2D CAD Software for Windows – Punchcad
Inexpensive Cad Software For Mac Os X
Punchcad is the best software to create varieties of 2D or 3D designs. It comes with hundreds of tools to produce excellent drawings using simple sketches. It can produce architectural, mechanical, electrical as well as electronic drawings. It can also draw plans for innovations as well as thoughts. It allows accurate drafting too.
Most Popular 2D Cad Software –AUTOCAD Mechanical
This software comes with Autocad software functionalities and many other tools to automate mechanical drawing works. It provides layer groups: isolate, restore, and more feature. Drawing rectangles is easier using this software. It enables to document 3D CAD models. It comes with command preview and contextual menus features. It helps in making layer management easy.
What is 2D Cad Software?
2D Cad software is professional tool for creating 2D designs. They come with pack of tools to produce accurate drawings as well as plans easily. They allow creating plans for various home projects like furniture plans too. They provide easy editing and make dragging as well as dropping various shapes with ease. They allow making multi-dimensional objects quickly by creating object patterns. You may also see Product Design Software
They also come with various trimming tools to make the drawing perfect. To know more varieties about these software one can search Google using “3d cad software”, “free 2d cad software open source”, “2d cad software free” or “2d cad software download”. You may also see Plant Design Software
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2D CAD software is most valuable tools for CAD professionals and users who require to plan, design and draft various drawings and objects. They provide automated processes, tutorials, community support and come with comprehensive tools to create professional drawings. They are very valuable and reliable software for planning and designing purposes.