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From architects to civil engineers, from manufacturers to car designers – each of them requires a CAD software.

CAD stands for Computer Aided Design.The basics of this tool are that you can use it to design things on screen and then have them made in the real world.

CAD software has made a designer's life easier; it's quicker and gets more accurate results. And don't forget the tons of extra tools like rendering, simulation, etc.

There are so many CAD programs on the market that it can be overwhelming to determine which is the best CAD software for your organization's specific needs.

If you are a student or a professional looking for an efficient CAD software solution, this article is for you.

What is CAD software?

CAD is the technology for design and technical documentation that allows you to create and edit the designs of your dreams. And the software that enables this type of designing on a computer is called CAD software.

It refers to the usage of computers to create, modify, optimize, and analyze a design. CAD output is often in the form of electronic files for print, machining, or other manufacturing operations.

There are two basic types of CAD: 2D CAD and 3D CAD. If you are a designer, drafter, architect, or engineer, you have probably used 2D or 3D CAD programs such as AutoCAD or SketchUP software.

As the name suggests, 2D CAD mainly works with two-dimensional drawings using basic geometry like lines and shapes. This type of software is helpful when drafting architectural blueprints, product schematics and other 2D engineering layouts.

3D CAD introduces the z-axis, so you can create more realistic models of your plans. It can be broken into three categories: wire-frame models, surface models and solid models.

What are the benefits of using CAD software?

Back before computer software and CAD, designers and engineers had to manually draw their designs on paper to create new products. This naturally had its problems — it was much slower, more prone to human error, and less repeatable.

CAD programs have replaced manual drafting. It can improve your work and be helpful no matter what is your activity sector.

CAD has become an especially important technology within the scope of computer-aided technologies, with benefits such as lower product development costs and a greatly shortened design cycle.

CAD software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve communications through documentation, and to create a database for manufacturing.

CAD enables designers to layout and develop work on screen, print it out and save it for future editing, saving time.

Thanks to CAD software you could work on your product design, do simulations and get impressively accurate 3D visualizations. CAD applications are almost endless.

You could use these programs in order to get amazing 3D models to 3D print and prototype or produce your project.

18 Best Free & paid CAD Programs for Beginners

A lot of CAD software are available on the market, but the capabilities and user friendliness vary greatly.

Some of these software options have been around for awhile, some for decades, while other new ones have only been developed in recent years.

Newer versions of CAD applications often have more advanced capabilities such as parametric modeling, three dimensional modeling, simulation, sculpting and many more features that were not available in outdated versions.

Some applications are focused on specific tasks whereas others are more general with a wide variety of functions.

Based on the knowledge of using the software, the industries they are used in, I would coup them this way.

If you are a student or a freelancer, buying expensive CAD software becomes a distant dream. But there is nothing to worry about as we have listed some free CAD software which are as good as the paid ones.

Here we'll look at some of the best CAD software currently available on the market, and also include further options to consider, as you can opt for specific expense tracker apps or even customer accounts.

1. Siemens NX

NX, formerly known as "unigraphics", is an advanced high-end CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing)/CAE (Computer Aided Engineering)/PLM (Product Lifecycle Management), which has been owned since 2007 by Siemens Digital Industries Software. which runs on Linux, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS.

NX design tools are powerful and versatile allowing you to work faster and efficiently across the full range of design tasks, from 2-D layout to 3-D modeling, assembly design drafting and documentation.

With integrated design, simulation, tooling and manufacturing, NX can help you transform and streamline development processes, using the same knowledge and data from the first concept to the shop floor.

What sets it apart is its hybrid modeling approach with freeform mesh, solid, and Class-A surfacing methods part of the toolkit that approach the quality of CATIA.

Without letting go completely of constraint-based modeling, NX's so-called Synchronous Technology allows users to push and pull on certain features of the model for intelligent direct editing.

Siemens NX is especially user-friendly and even has an adaptive UI that predicts commands that will be used most frequently in future projects. A disadvantage is that the old Unigraphics codebase still lingers on behind the scenes, causing some aspects of the program to run more slowly than expected.

It synchronous technology, allows you to directly use models created with other CAD systems, importing and modifying CAD geometry from any source with speed and ease.

NX has built-in tools for drafting and documentation, and its distinctive design and styling gives companies a competitive advantage.

Siemens NX can deliver all features for Industrial, Engineering, Human Modeling, Progressive Die Design, Ship Design, Mould Wizard, Manufacturing (CAM), Drafting, Mechatronics, and all other features available, according to industrial market requirements.

The large companies like Apple, Tata, Mazda, Daimler Mercedes, and SpaceX have adopted it. This CAD is considered a standard in a range of industries, especially automotive, being used by General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Nissan, and Suzuki.

NX Adopt a subscription model and is a bit costly. The prices of this software change according to which tools you want to use at which level. Siemens offers a buffet of modules individually priced so you can buy only the functions you need.

2. Catia

Catia is a 3D Parametric CAD software which is mainly used in mechanical, aviation and automobile sectors. It is known for being both the most powerful and the most expensive software in the market. It's not available for Mac OS, only works on windows.

This CAD software allows you to develop 3D models of complex products, associative drawings of parts and assembly units, supports work with large assemblies, associative links between a 3D model and its projections on drawings, includes surface modeling tools, and digital layout (DMU) tools.

Once models are created, CATIA allows developers to assemble details and view model interactions in realistic simulations and high quality.

The software can be used for CAD, CAE, CAM, and PLM. it supports multiple stages of product development from conceptualization, design and engineering to manufacturing.

Like most of its competition it facilitates collaborative engineering through an integrated cloud service and have support to be used across disciplines including surfacing & shape design, electrical, fluid and electronic systems design, mechanical engineering and systems engineering.

Catia offers a social design environment that allows real-time concurrent design and collaboration across all stakeholders, and its features span everything from prototyping to digital analysis to simulation.

It is especially beneficial for creating complex and precise designs. You may work on any product with this software. It gives you more design options and allows you to modify particular areas of your design, giving you more creative freedom.

A favorite of industrial and creative designers, CATIA is a mainstay in companies such as Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Ford, Tesla, and others that require demanding assemblies.

CATIA is a subscription-based service and is available on a request-basis as it depends on different factors such as capabilities or tools you'll need. Usually It will cost several thousand dollars at least and isn't a good choice for a hobbyist.

3. Solidworks

SolidWorks is a solid modeling CAD and CAE application that runs on Microsoft Windows. It's also created by Dassault Systèmes and is frequently used by professional 3D designers.

There's a range of tools with this program, such as reverse engineering, design validation tools, and detailed curvature modeling, making it ideal for industrial objects and designers.

As opposed to polygonal modeling, Solidworks uses dimensional sketching, which makes it a lot easier to resize objects.

Based on constraints, models are not sculpted but built out of extrusions and tightly interconnected shapes, making it more restrictive than other programs. The benefit is that SolidWorks will dynamically update designs as they are redefined.

SolidWorks allows you to model individual parts, assemble them, perform various calculations, prepare design documentation, and create photorealistic renderings of finished products. The computer-aided design program offers numerous tutorials and software tutorials for users of all levels.

SolidWorks also natively saves files as .STL files and will help optimize 3D print quality and reduce support structures. even if these need some post-optimization.

Connect remotely with your teams and collaboratively design every part to assemble it later in the cloud. You can also create organic, complex, and mechanical designs easily on the cloud to access design features and data you need while modeling at any time.

Whereas the professional version of SolidWorks requires an upfront investment of several thousands of dollars and a yearly fee of well over one thousand dollars, for students the entire software package costs only a hundred dollars a year and is often available for free through educational institutions.

Both its price point and difficulty level are not for beginners, but SOLIDWORKS is a versatile professional tool that can model, surface, assemble, simulate, analyze, render, mesh, and optimize designs.

4. PTC Creo

Creo is a family of CAD apps supporting product design for discrete manufacturers and is developed by Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC). The suite consists of apps, each delivering a distinct set of capabilities for a user role within product development.

The software has a wide range of features including geometric shapes, solid modeling tools, surface and wireframe tools etc. Creo provides a real time visualization capability that enables users to observe their work as they progress through the design phase.

You will find additive manufacturing options, IoT, augmented reality, model-based definition, and generative design.

Empower your team to perform thermal, fatigue, mold, motion, modal, and structural analysis. You can compare the result of steady-state and transient simulation and add/remove materials in different ways like extrude, revolve, etc., to give life to the 2D shapes.

Creo is fully compatible with other PTC products, such as PTC Integrity, PTC Mathcad, PTC Windchill, and Servigistics. Creo can also be paired with Mastercam (Machining based software) to machine any designed model in a minimal timeframe.

Technical surfacing, 2D and 3D drawings, designs, and model assembly are all possible with this software.

The easy-to-learn and use program helps you make your way from the earliest stages of the design process to later manufacturing phases. As such, it allows you to better quality products more efficiently.

It is suitable for working for assemblies of over 1,000 parts and as such is used by corporations like Aston Martin, John Deere, Volkswagen, Toyota, and Amazon.

Creo CAD software uses a subscription model as its licensing format, with a variety of prices depending on the tier you choose and the functionalities you need. The software runs on Microsoft Windows.

5. Fusion 360

Developed by Autodesk, the Fusion 360 program consists of a cloud-based software platform. It is primarily used for product design and 3D modeling, CAD, CAM and PCB.

The key advantage of being a cloud-based CAD platform is that resource-intensive operations happen on the network, independent of the local workstation's processing power.

Furthermore, it has unlimited storage and access. It keeps the data safe and secure plus makes cross-platform access and real-time collaborations a breeze.

Fusion 360 fuses freeform modeling and solid, parametric, and mesh modeling. it has all the tools one would need, from a full suite of sculpting tools to simulation tools that can test fit, motion, and pit designs against real-world conditions.

With Fusion 360's generative design and simulation tools, you can reduce the design and engineering impact to ensure manufacturability. Accordingly, it's possible to design and manufacture products that provide form, fit, function, and aesthetics.

It integrates CAM programming — Generate simple 2D through 5-axis CNC toolpaths for milling, turning, mill-turn and wire EDM applications. Simulation — Perform static stress analysis on parts to ensure they are safe, durable and effective before manufacturing.

You can add electronic intelligence through PCB layout, routing capabilities, and schematic design and bring your design to life. You can also find features like data management, collaboration, additive manufacturing, simulation, extensions, and more.

Fusion360 can seamlessly adapt to AutoCAD drawing templates (DWT), which means you have a host of pre-built templates at your beck and call. You can also build a custom template and employ extensions to suit your workflow.

Fusion 360 is very well suited for creating 3D printable parts and offers direct integration with Formlabs 3D printers. If you want to save your design for 3D printing, with Fusion 360 you can export it in formats such as STL or OBJ.

It operates on various devices, and lets users view their data from anywhere. Fusion 360 is free for qualified hobbyist users with limited functionality. It also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on annual plans, so you never have to think twice.

6. Inventor

Autodesk Inventor is a computer-aided design application for 3D mechanical design, simulation, visualization, and documentation developed by Autodesk.

The drafting and design software has two varieties: Autodesk Inventor and Autodesk Inventor Professional. The former allows users to create detailed drawings, assemblies, and CAD models. The professional version adds modeling and tooling capabilities.

Inventor is a software that uses a combination of parametric, direct, free-form and rule-based design functions and provides the user with integrated tools for sheet metal, frame, tube and power design.

Inventor focus on digital prototyping and simulation, It's manufacturing-driven. The program can tackle parts and objects of all sizes, down from individual gears and small parts up to large vehicles and objects comprising hundreds of smaller parts.

It offers advanced 3D modeling tools, including free form and direct editing technology. it allows 2D and 3D data integration in a single environment, creating a virtual representation of the final product that enables users to validate the form, fit, and function of the product before it is ever built.

Inventor allows to create efficient designs thanks to industry-specific toolsets as well as to make use of design automation thanks to iLogic.

This CAD software also enables the connection of designs with incoming customer data, as well as the exchange of ideas in a secure cloud-based service.

Autodesk Inventor can be integrated with other Autodesk programs – AutoCAD, 3ds Max, Alias, Revit, Navisworks, and others, which allows you to use Inventor to solve problems in various areas, including design, architectural design, etc.

It is considered more user-friendly than its competitors, and as a result, it is frequently used by designers with little or no engineering background.

The software works on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices. it has 3 pricing edition(s): paid monthly, paid annually and paid every 3 years. A free trial of Autodesk Inventor is also available.

7. Solid Edge

Solid Edge by Siemens could be considered a starter version of Siemens NX. Solid Edge is easier to learn and has simpler features, not to mention it costs way less than NX. Still, it offers the same integration with PLM solutions and similar CAM and CAE capabilities.