FreeCAD
An open-source application for designing and working with 3D parametric models
- Vendor
- The FreeCAD project association
- Also known as
- freecad
Available worldwide
What is FreeCAD?
FreeCAD is a free, open-source 3D parametric modeling tool that allows users to create and modify parametric designs. It supports multiple platforms and features a community-driven ecosystem of modules and macros.
FreeCAD pricing
Plans, per-tier features and add-ons, dated and linked to live pricing. Pricing changes often; always verify at source before you rely on it.
Free and open source. Optional sponsorships from 1 USD/month
Sponsor - Bronze
Sponsor - Silver
Sponsor - Gold
Sponsor - Platinum
What FreeCAD does
The capabilities that matter for cad software, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.
- Deployment model
- Native desktop local
- Parametric history based timeline
- ✓
- Nurbs and surface mathematical modeling
- ✓
- 2d drafting and dimensioning blueprints
- ✓
- Cam toolpath generation cnc milling
- ✓
- Bim architectural information modeling
- ✓
- Fea stress and thermal simulation
- ✓
- Pcb electrical circuit design sync
- ✗
- Stl export for standardized 3d printing
- ✓
- Dwg dxf autocad standard file import
- ✓
- SOC2 type ii
- ✗
- ISO 27001
- ✗
- Pricing model
- Completely free oss
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- macOS
- Linux
- Windows
- Self-hosted
Integrations (8)
Independently observed- STEP
- IGES
- STL
- SVG
- DXF
- OBJ
- IFC
- DAE
Security & compliance
Known vulnerabilities: 0 (0 in the last 12 months) sourcea count reflects scale & disclosure, not quality
FreeCAD FAQ
Common questions about FreeCAD, answered from independent, dated evidence.
What is FreeCAD?
FreeCAD is an open-source parametric 3D modeling application that enables users to design real-world objects with precise dimensions and parameters. It supports bidirectional 2D-to-3D workflows, includes specialized workbenches for various domains (mechanical design, architecture, CAM), and seamlessly integrates with numerous file formats. It is indexed under CAD Software.
Source: https://www.freecad.org
Is FreeCAD free to use?
FreeCAD is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the LGPL-2.1 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.
Source: https://www.freecad.org
What platforms does FreeCAD support?
FreeCAD supports Windows, macOS and Linux. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.
Source: https://www.freecad.org
Can FreeCAD be self-hosted?
Yes. FreeCAD can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.
Source: https://www.freecad.org
What does FreeCAD integrate with?
We have confirmed 8 integrations for FreeCAD, including STEP, IGES, STL, SVG, DXF, OBJ, IFC and DAE. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.
Source: https://www.freecad.org
Is FreeCAD open source?
Yes. FreeCAD is published under the LGPL-2.1 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.
FreeCAD alternatives
Other cad software we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- SketchUpIntuitive 3D design software for architects, builders, and designerslow · 34%
- Altium DesignerDesktop PCB design application with integrated cloud collaborationmedium · 56%
- Rhinoceros 3DProfessional 3D modeling and design software for architects, designers, and engineerslow · 38%
- OpenSCADA free, script-based 3D CAD tool for designing parametric solid modelslow · 29%
Compare FreeCAD
Side by side against other cad software, attribute by attribute, with a source on every value.
The vioscaleAI score: one lens on the evidence
Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for FreeCAD, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | 100 | 0.07 | 7.0 | ✓ |
| Development activity | 63 | 0.09 | 5.9 | ✓ |
| Release cadence | 97 | 0.05 | 5.1 | ✓ |
| Stars | 86 | 0.03 | 2.2 | ✓ |
| Integrations | 27 | 0.08 | 2.2 | ✓ |
| Dependent projects | 12 | 0.06 | 0.7 | ✓ |
| Security posture | 0 | 0.06 | 0.0 | - |
| Package downloads | 0 | 0.14 | 0.0 | - |
| Security score | 0 | 0.04 | 0.0 | - |
| Developer Q&A activity | 0 | 0.06 | 0.0 | - |
Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.
All data & sourcesshow ↓
Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.
Activity
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Commits last 30d | 100 | mediumsource · 2026-10-14 · 65% |
Adoption
Content
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Faq | 6 items | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 66% |
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | Iso 27001: No · Soc2 type ii: No · Pricing model: completely_free_oss · Deployment model: native_desktop_local · Authoring vs coordination: model_authoring · 3d parametric object modeling: Yes | mediumsource · 2026-10-14 · 60% |
Integrations
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Count | 8 | mediumsource · 2026-08-25 · 60% |
Language
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | C++ | highsource · 2026-10-14 · 90% |
License
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spdx | LGPL-2.1 | highsource · 2026-10-14 · 95% |
Market
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | HqCountry: BE · PrimaryMarkets: … · AvailabilityScope: global · AvailableCountries: … · NotAvailableCountries: … | highsource · 2026-10-14 · 75% |
Pricing
Release
Security
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Vulnerabilities | Count: 0 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=conda&package_name=freecad&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0 | highsource · 2026-10-14 · 90% |
Is FreeCAD the right choice for you?
Tell us the job, the constraints and what you weigh most, and we will rank FreeCAD against the rest of the cad software we index, using the same dated evidence weighted your way.
Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works
Is this your product?
This profile was built from public sources without asking you. You can take the badge below and use it anywhere, and you can claim the profile to correct anything we got wrong. Both are free, and neither moves FreeCAD up or down: nobody can buy rank here, including you.
Take the badge
Live, always current, and free to use on your own site. It shows FreeCAD's independent score and links back to this profile.
<a href="https://www.vioscale.ai/software/freecad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://www.vioscale.ai/badge/software/freecad.svg" alt="FreeCAD, verified on vioscaleAI" width="330" height="76" loading="lazy" />
</a>Markdown, for a README →
[](https://www.vioscale.ai/software/freecad)Claim the profile
Verify you control the domain, then point us at the pages that state the facts about FreeCAD and add your own description and media. Free, and it does not change the score.
- Correct anything wrong, with evidence
- Point our crawler at the pages that matter
- Write your own description and add media
Not the owner? How vendor profiles work