A free AutoCAD alternative that runs in your browser

What carries over from AutoCAD

If you learned CAD on AutoCAD, most of the everyday drafting vocabulary is here.

Typed commands

The workspace is command-line first. LINE, PLINE, CIRCLE, ARC, OFFSET, TRIM, EXTEND, FILLET, ARRAY and MIRROR are typed at the command line, with autocomplete.

Layers and properties

A layer manager with colour, linetype, lineweight, on/off, freeze and lock, plus a properties panel.

Precise input

Object snaps (endpoint, midpoint, centre, quadrant, intersection, perpendicular, tangent and nearest), snap tracking, polar tracking and dynamic input.

Annotation

Linear, aligned, angular, radial, diameter and ordinate dimensions with DIMSTYLE support, along with MTEXT, leaders and tables.

Blocks and references

Blocks with attribute prompting, in-place block editing and external references.

Sheets

Model space and paper space, several layout tabs, clipped viewports and plot styles.

3D solids

Solid primitives shaped with extrusion, revolution, sweep, loft and Boolean operations, in orthographic or perspective views.

DWG and DXF

Drawings are read and written directly, with save targets from R14 through R2018. AutoCAD 2018 and later releases open R2018-format files; choose an older target for older software.

Side by side

When AutoCAD is still the better choice

Industry toolsets

AutoCAD’s specialised toolsets, such as Architecture, Mechanical, Electrical and Map 3D, and its large plugin ecosystem have no equivalent here. OpenCADStudio is a general-purpose drafting and modeling application.

Automation

If your work depends on AutoLISP routines, custom menus or .NET plugins, the browser build cannot run them. Native plugins and scripts belong to the desktop app, and nothing on this site promises that a particular AutoCAD routine will work there.

Plotting from the browser

The browser build has no system printing or PDF output. If you plot sheets every day, use the desktop app or keep another plotting tool in your workflow.

The heaviest drawings

The WebAssembly build runs on a single thread, so very large drawings are better handled by a desktop application.

Unusual DWG content

Objects created by vertical toolsets or third-party plugins (custom or proxy objects) are a common weak point for programs other than AutoCAD. Keep the original file and check important drawings after a round trip.

Contract requirements

If a client or employer requires drawings produced in AutoCAD itself, a compatible DWG file may not satisfy that requirement.

Where OpenCADStudio fits well

• Opening and editing a DWG or DXF on a computer that has no AutoCAD licence, without installing anything.
• 2D drafting work: plans, details and sheets with layers, dimensions, blocks and layouts.
• Learning command-driven CAD as a student or hobbyist without paying for a licence first.
• Teams that prefer free software they can inspect: the complete source is public under GPL-3.0.
• Keeping revisions for client work: optional OpenCAD Projects stores private revisions and creates client download links you can revoke. The first project is free.

See Projects pricing for storage limits. The drawing workspace itself stays free.

Try it with one of your own drawings

1. Launch the workspace. The first visit downloads the WebAssembly build, which your browser then caches.
2. Open a copy of one of your DWG or DXF files from your device.
3. Check what matters to you: layers, dimensions, blocks, text and layouts.
4. Save as DWG, choosing R2018 for AutoCAD 2018 or later or an older target for older software, then open the file in the program your client uses.