The Best Open Source SOLIDWORKS AlternativesTop CAD Software & 3D Modelers like SOLIDWORKS

The best open source alternative to SOLIDWORKS is FreeCAD. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to SOLIDWORKS and 15 is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to SOLIDWORKS are LibreCAD, OpenSCAD, Dune 3D and SolveSpace.

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SOLIDWORKS alternatives are mainly CAD Software but may also be 3D Modelers or Interior Design Apps.  Other popular filters includes Mac + Free. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of SOLIDWORKS.
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SOLIDWORKS alternatives page was last updated Oct 11, 2024
  1. FreeCAD icon
     429 likes

    FreeCAD is a general purpose parametric 3D CAD modeler. The development is completely Open Source (LGPL License). FreeCAD is aimed directly at mechanical engineering and product design but also fits in a wider range of uses around engineering, such as architecture or other...

    110 FreeCAD alternatives
    FreeCAD screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Snapcraft

    Top FreeCAD Features

    1.  Parametric Modeling
    2.  Drawing 2D
    3.  Interior Design
    4.  FEM
    5.  Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
    6.  Parametric
    7.  3d Drawing
    8.  DWG support
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  Procedural Modeling
    11.  No registration required
    12.  Dark Mode
    FreeCAD iconSOLIDWORKS Icon

    FreeCAD VS SOLIDWORKS

    Is FreeCAD a good alternative to SOLIDWORKS?
     
    Comments about FreeCAD as an Alternative to SOLIDWORKS
     
    Guest

    AS far as I have tried, FreeCAD is the only FOSS alternative to Solidworks/Catia/PTC that has a funtional workflow. It is the best of a poor bunch.

    Positive commentFeb 21, 2017
    8
    Guest

    It's free for both personal and commercial use

    Positive commentNov 20, 2019
    5
    jrmz

    Unfortunately not usable, after several years of using freecad, I quickly saw its limits. It is not a parametric software, indeed the topological naming problem makes this software fundamentally broken. The realthunder fork fixes some of these problems. fork or not, some advanced actions are still impossible and the different workbench are too isolated, some objects created with a workbench can't be modified by another one.

    Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

    Negative commentDec 13, 2022
    0
    SOLIDWORKS Icon
    FreeCAD icon
    • Most users think FreeCAD is a great SOLIDWORKS alternative.

    • FreeCAD is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to SOLIDWORKS.

    • FreeCAD is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to SOLIDWORKS.

    • FreeCAD is Free and Open SourceSOLIDWORKS is Paid and Proprietary
  2. LibreCAD icon
     163 likes

    LibreCAD is an open source 2D CAD application for Windows, Apple and Linux. It is based on Qt, which is a leading cross-platform application and UI development framework.

    112 LibreCAD alternatives
    On Mac

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com

    Top LibreCAD Features

    1.  Digital Painting
    2.  Portable
    3.  Bim
    4.  Construction layers
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Parametric Modeling
    7.  Lightweight
    8.  Support for Layers
    9.  Customizable
    10.  Isometric view
    11.  Export to SVG
    12.  QT Based
    LibreCAD iconSOLIDWORKS Icon

    LibreCAD VS SOLIDWORKS

    Is LibreCAD a good alternative to SOLIDWORKS?
     
    Comments about LibreCAD as an Alternative to SOLIDWORKS
     
    Seth

    2D application, not 3D like Solidworks

    Negative commentMay 10, 2019
    0
    SOLIDWORKS Icon
    LibreCAD icon
    • Some users think LibreCAD is a great SOLIDWORKS alternative, some don't.

    • LibreCAD is Free and Open SourceSOLIDWORKS is Paid and Proprietary
    • LibreCAD is LightweightSOLIDWORKS is not according to our users
  3. OpenSCAD icon
     79 likes

    OpenSCAD is a software for creating solid 3D CAD objects. It is free software and available for Linux/UNIX, MS Windows and MacOS.

    46 OpenSCAD alternatives
    Rendering a model

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    OpenSCAD Features

    1.  Procedural Modeling
    2.  Parametric Modeling
    3.  Text Based Format
    OpenSCAD iconSOLIDWORKS Icon

    OpenSCAD VS SOLIDWORKS

    Is OpenSCAD a good alternative to SOLIDWORKS?
     
  4. Dune 3D icon
     15 likes

    Dune 3D operates as a parametric 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software. It provides users with the capability to sketch and constrain both in 2D and 3D dimensions. Furthermore, it allows for the addition of chamfers and fillets to designs.

    54 Dune 3D alternatives
    Dune 3D screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub

    Dune 3D Features

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  No registration required
    4.  Portable
    5.  Parametric Modeling
    6.  Parametric
    Dune 3D iconSOLIDWORKS Icon

    Dune 3D VS SOLIDWORKS

    Is Dune 3D a good alternative to SOLIDWORKS?
     
  5. SolveSpace icon
     30 likes

    SolveSpace is a parametric 3D CAD program with extrude, revolve, union and difference functions. Save/Export as DXF, PDF, SVG, STL, STEP. Mesh generation expected by most 3d printers. Constraint solver point tracing for motion analysis.

    70 SolveSpace alternatives
    SolveSpace screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    SolveSpace Features

    1.  User friendly
    2.  Parametric Modeling
    3.  Portable
    4.  Lightweight
    5.  3D Sculpting
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  3D design
    8.  Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
    SolveSpace iconSOLIDWORKS Icon

    SolveSpace VS SOLIDWORKS

    Is SolveSpace a good alternative to SOLIDWORKS?
     
    Comments about SolveSpace as an Alternative to SOLIDWORKS
     
    sgtdre

    It shows that it can open .step files and I have a few GrabCad files that I want to check out and see it I can at least save to other file formats, ;ie .dwg

    Positive commentApr 22, 2017
    2
    SOLIDWORKS Icon
    SolveSpace icon
    • Most users think SolveSpace is a great SOLIDWORKS alternative.

    • SolveSpace is Free and Open SourceSOLIDWORKS is Paid and Proprietary
    • SolveSpace is LightweightSOLIDWORKS is not according to our users
  6. BRL-CAD icon
     55 likes

    BRL-CAD is a powerful cross-platform open source solid modeling system that includes interactive geometry editing, high-performance ray-tracing for rendering and geometric analysis, image and signal-processing tools, a system performance analysis benchmark suite, libraries for...

    73 BRL-CAD alternatives
    PA-63 Extractor

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD

    BRL-CAD Features

    1.  Image Processing
    2.  Benchmark analytics
    3.  Ray Tracing
    BRL-CAD iconSOLIDWORKS Icon

    BRL-CAD VS SOLIDWORKS

    Is BRL-CAD a good alternative to SOLIDWORKS?
     
  7. QCAD icon
     29 likes

    QCAD is an application for computer aided drafting in 2D. With QCAD you can create technical drawings such as plans for buildings, interiors, mechanical parts or schemas and diagrams.

    75 QCAD alternatives
    QCAD screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free PersonalOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    QCAD Features

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Support for scripting
    3.  Parametric Modeling
    4.  Drawing 2D
    QCAD iconSOLIDWORKS Icon

    QCAD VS SOLIDWORKS

    Is QCAD a good alternative to SOLIDWORKS?
     
  8. CAD Sketcher icon
     3 likes

    CAD Sketcher is a free and open-source project looking to enhance precision workflows in Blender by bringing CAD like tools, features and usability to Blender.

    51 CAD Sketcher alternatives
    CAD Sketcher screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Blender
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD

    CAD Sketcher Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  No registration required
    4.  Parametric Modeling
    5.  No Tracking
    6.  Privacy focused
    7.  Blender Integration
    CAD Sketcher iconSOLIDWORKS Icon

    CAD Sketcher VS SOLIDWORKS

    Is CAD Sketcher a good alternative to SOLIDWORKS?
     
  9. JSketcher icon
     3 likes

    Parametric 2D and 3D CAD modeler running client side in the web browser.

    18 JSketcher alternatives
    Model made in JSketcher

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted

    JSketcher Features

    1.  Parametric Modeling
    2.  Procedural Modeling
    3.  3D Sculpting
    JSketcher iconSOLIDWORKS Icon

    JSketcher VS SOLIDWORKS

    Is JSketcher a good alternative to SOLIDWORKS?
     
    • JSketcher is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to SOLIDWORKS.

    • JSketcher is Free and Open SourceSOLIDWORKS is Paid and Proprietary
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