TinkerCAD revolves around placing basic geometric shapes and rotating, adjusting, and moving these to generate designs. Otherwise, there’s no cap on features and use.īetter yet, TinkerCAD is browser-based, so no local installation is required.

The only hoop-jumping you’ll need to contend with is creating a free account, useful for saving your designs on the free provided cloud storage space.

Supported File Formats: STL, OBJ, GLB, SVGĭesigned by Autodesk, the software developer responsible for AutoCAD, Maya, and Fusion 360, TinkerCAD aims to offer a free and undaunting introduction to 3D modeling.

Operating System Compatibility: Browser-based.

While FreeCAD isn’t the most accessible free CAD software out there, it’s sufficiently intuitive and well-thought-out that beginners can conquer the learning curve without too much frustration.

It also allows users to chain together custom objects using the properties of one to shape the others with on-demand recalculations and a precise undo/redo modeling history stack.įreeCAD also integrates a 2D sketcher to quickly draft complex 2D shapes as a foundation for a full model.įurthermore, the community aspect of FreeCAD means there are countless plugins and add ons available to level-up your toolkit as required, along with an archive of tips, tricks, and general advice to sweeten up your time with FreeCAD. The fruit of a collaborative community open-source project, FreeCAD is available to download and use to all and any with no financial strings attached and will remain so forever.įreeCAD doesn’t impose any commercial limits, and all designs or data remain solely the property of the user.įreeCAD is developed around the idea of parametric modeling and the creation of solid, full-precision objects and designs suited to the real world.Īll tools and manipulations in FreeCAD depend on real-world units, such as kilometers and microns, meaning objects can be tweaked based on properties, elements, or constraints (text, numeric values, etc.) and they’ll adapt accordingly.

Supported File Formats: STL, OBJ, DXF, and more.

Operating System Compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux.

Best Free CAD Software for Beginners FreeCAD We’re employing the term ‘free’ fairly loosely here – so you’ll find 100% free open-source options, pared-down free versions, and everything in between. You’ll find accessible user-friendly picks, feature-rich options for advanced designers, programs better suited to technical ends, and ones with a more artist-friendly seasoning. To help you out, we’ve pulled together the top free CAD software tools so you can create professional-level pieces, without the cost.

Freecad to 3d printer