Free CAD softwareĬAD, which stands for Computer-Aided Design, is the CNC software that lets you draw your designs.

There are many CAD software packages out there, but unfortunately, most of them are not free. Luckily there have been significant improvements in the free options over the past few years as 3D printing, which uses the same CAD program, has taken off. Like Alibre, it’s capable of creating very complicated designs with very high precision, but the user interface is much more complicated, and the learning curve will be much more difficult.įreeCADįreeCAD is a completely free 3D CAD parametric program that’s become increasingly popular as 3D printers have become more popular. It’s not necessarily what we’d recommend for a beginner, but it is free, so there’s no cost to try it. The output from FreeCAD, STL, STEP, SVG, or DXF, can be sent to any of the CAM programs listed below. In addition to it being freeware, if you really want to nerd out on CAD then the source code for FreeCAD is freely available.įreeCAD runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Solvespace is another freeware 3D CAD program that’s got an almost cult-like following. It allows you to create 3D parts like FreeCAD but, because it’s got a somewhat limited custom CAD kernel, it is better suited to mechanical-looking parts that don’t have highly sculpted, organic surfaces. The user interface is quirky but more simple than FreeCAD. Solvespace can export STL or STEP files for a third-party CAM program. Solvespace runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux, and the source code is freely available. While not strictly a CAD package, Inkscape is very popular for 2D designs for CNC machining. It’s generally used more for artistic projects than precise mechanical work, but it should work for either if you have the patience.

Inkscape is similar to Corel Draw and Adobe Illustrator but totally free.

It exports SVG and DXF files for your CAM software. Inkscape runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux. You can do a lot of great work with the programs listed above but it’s worth considering a commercial CAD program, particularly if you’re into 3D modeling.

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