11 Top CAD Programs (Free & Paid) for Linux

The technique of using computers to create, modify, analyze, or improve designs is called computer-aided design, or CAD.

Architects, animators, graphic artists, engineers, and others use computer-aided design (CAD) programs to develop and refine their designs, create databases for maintenance, and enhance communication through written communication. do

These days, there are many options for both commercial and free CAD programs, and they both have similar functions.

1) SOLVESPACE

The first on the list of CAD Programs  is, C++-based SOLVESPACE is a free and open-source parametric CAD program for 2D and 3D modeling that runs on all popular PC operating systems.

Its capabilities include working with dimensions and constraints, volume measurements, toolpaths as G code, analysis using STL Check, exporting 3D wireframes as DXF and STEP, and mathematical expressions. Including value entries, etc.

SolveSpace can be installed through the Software Center or by using the following command on Terminal. It can be obtained from the Ubuntu repositories:

$ sudo apt install solvespace

You must clone and install SolveSpace from sources to get the latest release version.

$ git clone https://github.com/solvespace/solvespace
$ cd solvespace
$ git submodule update --init

2) BricsCAD (Paid)

A contemporary, multiplatform, paid CAD program for 2D and 3D modeling is called BricsCAD. It was created with the intention of assisting people to work more quickly and intelligently while consuming fewer resources.

Perpetual licensing, network licensing, cloud connectivity, dynamic blocks, 100% real DWG performance, and other features are among them.

The BricsCAD Ultimate bundle, which gives you access to the entire line of BricsCAD products, including Shape, Lite, Pro, BIM, and Mechanical, is included in the BricsCAD installation.

A 30-day free trial of BricsCAD can be found here. Get a free 30-day trial here. Following the 30-day trial period, BricsCAD Shape can be used without charge.

3) LeoCAD

LeoCAD is an open-source, cross-platform, free CAD program for building virtual objects out of LEGO bricks.

LeoCAD may be used to construct complex building instructions with many steps and to examine numerous views simultaneously. It is optimized for building huge models. Please be aware that the LEGO Group of companies does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse LeoCAD.

LeoCAD may be installed using the Software Center or by running the following command in a terminal. It can be obtained from the Ubuntu repositories:

$ sudo apt install leocad

Download the most recent LeoCAD AppImage and execute it directly from the Terminal to obtain the most recent release version.

4) Siemens NX (Paid)

Siemens NX is a proprietary, adaptable, and integrated computer-aided design (CAD) program that helps users create better designs, simulations, engineering models, and other products more quickly.

It has a toolkit that can do tasks for many fields, and it provides users with a number of task-specific programs, such as Catchbook, which has built-in tutorials to assist users in getting started.

It is not free nor open-source to use Siemens NX.

Siemens NX is available as a free trial here to try for 30 days. Get a free 30-day trial here.

5) DraftSight (Paid)

A free proprietary (closed-source) CAD program for two-dimensional modeling is called DraftSight. It has many file format compatibility, an interactive graphical user interface (GUI) that lets you adjust its usability, blocks, import/export capabilities, support for G-Code appends, and more.

The Individual version of DraftSight is available for free, while professional and enterprise editions are available for those who need additional capabilities or for businesses.

A 30-day free trial of DraftSight can be found here. Get a free 30-day trial here.

6) QCAD

QCAD is an open-source, free, multiplatform CAD program designed for two-dimensional design and drafting. Its areas of expertise are mechanical schematics, building technical drawing plans, etc.

Features of QCAD include layers, block groups, object snaps, measuring tools, printing to scale, support for TrueType fonts, over 40 construction tools, 35 CAD fonts, over 20 alteration tools, and more.

Packages for QCAD consist of QCAD with a 15-minute maximum duration free trial of QCAD Professional, which can be continued later. The full edition of QCAD Professional is available for purchase. Alternatively, you can use the free, albeit more constrained, QCAD Community Edition if you choose to delete the trial.

7) VariCAD (Paid)

A freemium multiplatform CAD program for 3D modeling, parts and assemblies, 2D modeling, and other uses is called VariCAD. It includes a CAD viewer, converter, and printing software that supports batch conversions and works with several file formats, including 3D/2D VariCAD, DXF, 2D DWG, and 3D STEP.

VariCAD can be used in its entirety for free for thirty days, after which it will cost 699 euros. Students and universities can receive a discounted fee of 79 € (~$100) if that applies to them.

8) FreeCAD

FreeCAD is a free and open-source multiplatform general-purpose 3D CAD tool for parametric modeling and information modeling that supports the finite element method.

With its dual GUI and CLI, workbench idea, constructive solid geometry, integrated Python terminal, scripting framework, and other capabilities, it is an excellent tool for converting 2D models of any size into 3D designs.

FreeCAD can be installed using the Software Center or by running the following command in Terminal. It can be obtained from the Ubuntu repositories:

# sudo apt install freecad

Please use the PPA provided below to obtain the most recent release version.

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:freecad-maintainers/freecad-stable
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install freecad freecad-doc

A precompiled version of FreeCAD is currently included in many popular Linux distributions as part of the standard packages and can be installed via the package manager, as shown.

$ sudo yum install freecad         [On RHEL/CentOS/Fedora and Rocky/AlmaLinux]
$ sudo emerge -a sys-apps/freecad  [On Gentoo Linux]
$ sudo apk add freecad             [On Alpine Linux]
$ sudo pacman -S freecad           [On Arch Linux]
$ sudo zypper install freecad      [On OpenSUSE]

Since package names vary case by case, try FreeCAD and freecad if none of the options work; either a precompiled FreeCAD version is not available through your package management or a version that is out of date.

Installing using Flatpak or Snap packages may be an option for you. Both work with the majority of x86_64 Linux distributions. Alternatively, you can grab one of the AppImage releases from the repository on GitHub.

9) LibreCAD

The Qt4 foundations were used in the development of LibreCAD, a free and open-source 2D computer-aided design (CAD) application featuring a platform-neutral graphical user interface (GUI).

While it was still known as CADuntu, it was a fork of the Community Edition of QCAD. It comes with a ton of tools for quick 2D edits and is supported in over 30 languages.

LibreCAD can be installed using the Software Center or by running the following command in Terminal. It can be obtained from the Ubuntu repositories:

# sudo apt install librecad

Please use the following PPA to get the latest release version of LibreCAD.

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:librecad-dev/librecad-stable
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install librecad

You can use the package manager as shown to install it from the system repository on other Linux distributions.

$ sudo yum install librecad         [On RHEL/CentOS/Fedora and Rocky/AlmaLinux]
$ sudo emerge -a sys-apps/librecad  [On Gentoo Linux]
$ sudo apk add librecad             [On Alpine Linux]
$ sudo pacman -S librecad           [On Arch Linux]
$ sudo zypper install librecad      [On OpenSUSE]

10) OpenSCAD

OpenSCAD is a free and open-source computer program that can be used to create solid 3D CAD objects on Linux/UNIX, Windows, and macOS.

Because it combines design components and a code editor, OpenSCAD is known as The Programmers’ Solid 3D CAD Modeller and enables designers to make changes directly.

OpenSCAD can be installed using the Software Center or by running the following command in Terminal. It can be obtained from the Ubuntu repositories:

$ sudo apt install openscad

Please use the following PPA to get the latest release version of OpenSCAD.

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:openscad/releases
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install openscad

On most Linux distributions, you can install OpenSCAD from the system repository by using the package manager.

$ sudo yum install openscad         [On RHEL/CentOS/Fedora and Rocky/AlmaLinux]
$ sudo emerge -a sys-apps/openscad  [On Gentoo Linux]
$ sudo apk add openscad             [On Alpine Linux]
$ sudo pacman -S openscad           [On Arch Linux]
$ sudo zypper install openscad      [On OpenSUSE]

11) BRL-CAD

The last on the list of CAD Programs is BRL-CAD. Another cross-platform, free, and open-source CAD program that has been available for over 30 years is called BRL-CAD.

Its features include network-distributed framebuffer support, interactive geometry editing, high-performance ray tracing for rendering, a graphical user interface with a standard toolbar layout, and scripting support.

BRL-CAD can be installed through the Software Center or by running the following command in the Terminal. It can be obtained from the Ubuntu repositories:

$ sudo apt install brlcad

To get the latest stable version of BRL-CAD, you should clone the latest repository and install it according to the instructions.

$ git clone https://github.com/BRL-CAD/brlcad.git
$ mkdir brlcad/build
$ cd brlcad/build
$ cmake .. -DBRLCAD_BUNDLED_LIBS=ON -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
$ make -j4
$ make check
$ sudo make install

That’s it for the list of Best CAD Programs.

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In Summary

Do you use computer-aided design (CAD) program for work or play? And are there any books you would have preferred to have on the list? Leave a remark in the space provided below.