# Compare FreeCAD vs Alibre Design 2026 | Capterra > Unsure of what to choose? Check Capterra to compare FreeCAD and Alibre Design based on pricing, features, product details, and verified reviews. Source: https://www.capterra.com/compare/167527-172312/FreeCAD-vs-Alibre-Design --- # FreeCAD vs Alibre Design Features and Cost Comparison Last updated May 4th, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team.[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) Your comparison: FreeCADAlibre Design2/4 selected [FreeCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/)[4.3 (142)](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/reviews/) [Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.7 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/) [## FreeCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/)[4.3 (142)](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Value-for-Money 4.7 Functionality 4.1 Ease of Use 3.9 Customer Service 3.8 Reviews Sentiment Based on [142 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 123 Neutral 14 Negative 5 [## Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.7 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/) Starting Price $10.00/month Value-for-Money 4.8 Functionality 4.6 Ease of Use 4.6 Customer Service 4.8 Reviews Sentiment Based on [183 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 176 Neutral 5 Negative 2 ## Not a match? 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What’s your intended use case? ## Summary * * * Key features rated by users Features selected based on 2,906 reviews from 3d cad software users. about the Fit Score methodology. Fit Score methodology Our Fit Score reflects how reviewers rate a product’s performance against a set of features reviewers rate as most important. A higher score indicates the product is rated better in delivering what reviewers most care about. If the Fit Score is not shown for a specific product, that only means there are currently not enough relevant data points to develop a meaningful score. It does not indicate that the product should be excluded from further evaluation. Best for Methodology 68%Fit Missing features Feature ratings 3D Design & Modeling 4.3 Data Import/Export 4.0 2D Drawing 4.0 Annotations 3.9 Component Library NA 80%Fit High performer Feature ratings 3D Design & Modeling 4.8 Data Import/Export 4.3 2D Drawing 4.3 Annotations 4.2 Component Library 4.1 User satisfaction User satisfaction 4.3 User reviews[142](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/reviews/) Ease of use 3.9 Functionality 4.1 Value for money 4.7 Customer support 3.8 User satisfaction 4.7 User reviews[183](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/) Ease of use 4.6 Functionality 4.6 Value for money 4.8 Customer support 4.8 Price starts from Price starts from \-- - Free version - Free trial Price starts from $10Flat Rate, Per Month - Free version - Free trial Best for Best for On-premise 3D parametric modeler platform that enables architects, programmers, and teachers to make machine tools and architectural designs in 2D and 3D thereby creating production-ready drawings. Best for From SMBs, startups, labs, educational institutions, and machine shops all the way to Sandia National Laboratories. Organizations of 1 to 1000 choose Alibre for economical, powerful 3D engineering. ## User reviews Pros & cons JG James G. Library Tech > "This allows students the opportunity to use a parametric 3d modeler to model 3d components that they can then print on a 3d printer and finally actually see..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___5081898) FF Francesco F. Engineer > "The interface may not be as intuitive for beginners; some users have reported stability issues, such as occasional crashes; some specific workbenches in..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___6048821) Rubén E. Hardware Engineer > "Also it has many integrated tools to work with 3D and 2D designs, you can review models, import many file formats and convert some meshes like STL to a solid." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4073956) VR Verified Reviewer R&D engineer > "One thing I dislike about FreeCAD is that it can be a bit slow at times. When working with large models or assemblies, it can take a while for the software..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4330805) Rubén E. Hardware Engineer > "I usually work with non-very complicated designs and I am used to created them from the typical 2D sketches, but I can highlight some features I like and the..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4073956) JG James G. Library Tech > "Freecad has one major bug that needs to be fixed before I can generally recommend it. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___5081898) SB Stuart B. RF & Antenna Specialist > "The active community has done a lot of great work in creating a fully-functional CAD program, with many industry-standard drafting tools and a plethora of..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___3685301) VR Verified Reviewer R&D engineer > "I also find that the rendering can be slow, which can make it difficult to visualize my designs in real-time." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4330805) Rubén E. Hardware Engineer > "It is for free and there is a great community that can give support to you, with a lot of tutorials in Youtube. Since I am a contributor of other free and..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4073956) JG James G. Library Tech > "That is the infamous "topological naming problem"." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___5081898) Adedayo F. CAD technician > "I do design 2D and 3D drawings with this software which makes it my favourite,cause I make use of it everyday." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___3667115) LS Luca S. Mechanical engineer > "I have experienced some bugs with elementary features as well, making modeling even simple parts very tiring" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4536000) FV Fabian V. Civil Engineer > "The easy, efficient and cross-platform tool such as Linux, Windows and Mac, with modules for the most complex 2 and 3D design representations, with import..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___3379370) FM Felipe M. Research Associate > "It is clear that this software is inferior compared to other more fancy paid options but it gets the job done." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4751719) LS Luca S. Mechanical engineer > "FreeCAD, as the name suggests, is free and considering alternatives on the market available for free right now, this is the only CAD with so many..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4536000) FV Fabian V. Civil Engineer > "The Interface can generate brief difficulty when navigating without representing major inconveniences." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___3379370) LS Luca S. Mechanical engineer > "The possibility of having a parametric CAD together with FEM analysis are great." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4536000) Robson G. Architect and 3D modeler > "There are too many tutorials in their website to know how to use it, but still was hard to me to work with this CAD." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___2959680) VR Verified Reviewer Freecad, 3D drawing for beginners. > "Which thanks to known shapes allow to realize new shapes." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4014159) JR Jim R. Director > "Tutorials are written for cyborgs not architects." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#SoftwareAdvice___3255057) MK Marius K. Hobbyist > "Can create any part you can imagine, exports to 3d printing friendly formats, sketching and part design workbenches are relatively easy to learn." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___2977569) MV Matthew V. Project Engineer > "This software was much more difficult for me to work with than Inventor or SolidWorks." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___2874065) VR Verified Reviewer R&D engineer > "I love that it's open-source, which means that it's constantly being updated and improved by a dedicated community of users." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4330805) VR Verified Reviewer Project Engineer / Program Facilitator > "Most of the limited in-software help info is Windows specific, making it difficult because tools can be in different places." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___2192344) VK Vikash K. Architect > "First it is free and you can do almost everything in it that you can do in Autocad." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4520194) Sooraj N. Graduate Research Assistant > "So, the software might be limited in handling complex CAD files." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___2216347) TM Thomas M. engineer > "Great simulation tools, similar workflow to other CAD." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4427884) SP Supun P. Undergraduate > "Rendering speed is very low." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___2405490) AL Alessandro L. Technician > "You can create professional documentation and edit problem files imported from other formats saves your life." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___3301484) RP Rahul P. QC Technician > "For me, it was a hard learning curve because of no previous CAD experience." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___2698211) AL Alessandro L. Technician > "Thanks to freecad I was able to modify the file, export it and send it to the cnc machine." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___3301484) RP Rahul P. QC Technician > "Not so friendly user interface. Except the learning cure nothing bad in this software." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___2698211) VR Verified Reviewer Freecad, 3D drawing for beginners. > "I like the simplicity of his workshop Parts ." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4014159) AA Andrew A. Administrative > "It is not the best, but not the worst." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___2185486) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/reviews/) JE Jeff E. Owner > "Great customer support and rapid learning curve (I transitioned from AutoCAD and Pro E). Have been using since 2014 to support..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7113007) JK Julian K. Engineer > "I found it difficult to set up defaults (dimension styles, set to use millimetres etc.) and get them to persist between drawing..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7049064) MR Mike R. Owner > "Alibre's pricing and licensing policy are very fair, and offer the best bang-for-buck, of all of the 3D CAD programs that I looked..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7047978) GR Geoff R. Draftsman > "It glitches occasionally, mainly when drawing a geometry line where many already exist, suddenly making all the geometry look like a..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6332346) BC Brian C. Owner > "I use the 3D modelling and assembly a lot and find it allows me to design and engineer more quickly and accurately than some other CAD..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7053271) RJ Ron J. Owner and Engineer > "difficulty getting the program to accept fillets - I spend more time trying to get the fillets to work than drawing the parts." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6843494) JS Joseph S. CEO > "My Alibre tools get me quickly and efficiently from model concept through to generation of a .stl file that I can move into slicer..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6828408) GR Geoff R. Draftsman > "It also has issues where, in an assembly, it substitutes one item for another and the only solution is to completely redraw the..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6332346) GC Gregory C. NA > "The combination of price and capabilities, Alibre Design is the best tool to facilitate the flow from rough pencil-sketch, to 3d model..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6825569) ME Mark E. None > "The one complaint I have is the tutorials that I can find." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7049772) SK Scott K. Engineer > "I really like their pricing structure, subscription based or one time based with option to pay for upgrades as needed. Plus, I was..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7013044) JK Jason K. Mechanical Design > "For all intents and purposes no ability whatsoever to manage project files, creating an impossible mess on your hard drive that you..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6039503) MR Mike R. Owner > "I like that the license is perpetual, and the fact that the service update subscription is optional, which helps control the cost." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7047978) RJ Ron J. Owner and Engineer > "Unable to intersect a line to a curve or two curves." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6843494) AN Adam N. Owner > "With pricing options for every budget, friendly upgrade options, and nearly every tool the other guys have, Alibre is a no-brainer." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7083772) JS Jason S. Mechatronics Instructor > "I use Alibre for making blueprints quite often and this is a constant headache." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6755493) RF Reg F. Senior Electronics Engineer > "The continuous development and release of new features (as well as bug fixes) again offered in a value for money annual maintenance..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7086970) DJ David J. Chief Technology Officer > "I had no idea how to work with 3D CAD twelve years ago and now I have designed a patent pending suspension modification." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6452809) ES E S. Product Engineer > "Alibre Design is a fully capable parametric modeling application and I can complete a product design from idea to model to production..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6655356) DP Donald P. Design Engineer > "Can't get to my design files to edit them. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6537884) RJ Ron J. Owner and Engineer > "The support has generally been good. If I did not have so many files saved in Alibre, on a major project that I need to finalize and..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6843494) EW Errol W. Owner Director > "Lack of Multi Body modelling." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6666535) AH Arron H. Production Manager > "it has helped alot with our 3d rendering of products so our workers can see the end result" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6864015) RM Rochan M. Engineering manager > "It has a hard time with organic shaped" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6622220) SK Scott K. Engineer > "I'm really glad I found and use Alibre for my 3d modeling for general CAD and lots of 3d printing stuff." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7013044) JN John N. President > "When drawing detailed layout's with many shapes the software crashes." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6274493) JE Jeff E. Owner > "Most capable product that punches way above it's weight from a cost perspective." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7113007) GC Gavin C. Director > "Very occasional crashes and hangs like most cad software. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6146444) LK LaVerne K. President > "I moved from TurboCAD 2D and had a very little Solidworks experience, the switch was very easy, Alibre is intuitive, after a couple of..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6393194) AL Arturo L. Owner > "You should reselect (edit) plane when edit scketh When you replace a part in assembly, do not respect the relations with other parts" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3862564) GC Gregory C. NA > "I also appreciate the "buy once to own" sales model as opposed to the ubiquitous software-as-subscription subscription model." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6825569) SU Sascha U. freelancer > "Alibre is a bit lacking in surface modeling tools, making it harder to model complex curved or organic surfaces." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3868143) JK Julian K. Engineer > "Alibre's licensing options are perfect for this." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7049064) DJ David J. President > "One that always bothers me is that selection of multiple elements requires shift-clicks in some contexts, but just clicks in others,..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3851976) DP Dave P. Automation Engineering Tech > "I have gotten to the point now that I don't even miss Autodesk Inventor any more for 3D modeling." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7104514) DS David S. President > "Lack of ability to produce models of boat hulls and project a flat pattern for hell shapes." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3796842) AH Arron H. Production Manager > "it has been relatively good ive only used 2 drawing programes alibre been one of them and have found it is able to do what we require..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6864015) GC Gavin C. Director > "Some advanced features not available." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6146444) RB Ryan B. Manager > "Great value for the money with a permanent license, great customer support on the rare occasion I have a question. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7114764) JC Joseph C. Chief Builder > "The 2D sketching experience is decent and gets the job done, but it is not as easy to use and lacks 2D drawing features compared to..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3866536) DP Dave P. Automation Engineering Tech > "I found Alibre Experrt Design and decided to try, and after a short learning curve I am now comfortable with the software." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7104514) RG Robert G. Engineering manager > "Overall assembly constraints can be quite a challenge, especially if some blow up, turns into a major cluster when trying to..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852191) MR Mike R. Owner > "Alibre Design was easy to learn, coming from SolidWorks, which I use at my day job." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7047978) DH Darrell H. Owner / Mechanical Engineer > "Hidden Line Management in 2D drawing can be a real pain and cumbersome to manage. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852281) SK Scott K. Engineer > "Can install it on my machine, easy to setup and they have great getting started tutorials for the beginner 3D modeler! " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7013044) DS David S. Owner > "I may have chosen otherwise if cost was no object but I don't design things every day and paying many thousands of dollars for a..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3872613) WW William W. Research and Development Engineer > "The Sheet metal functions in the Expert version are really intuitive for me to use and there are several projects I could not have..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6359821) Anoop N. Operations Manager > "Alibre lacks easy integration with PCB / Electronics / Electrical Design software." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3853222) RH Ralph H. President > "The ability to compute weights of assemblies that easily flow into a top assembly is excellent." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6557351) RW Ron W. Senior Hardware Design Engineer Technologist > "I do find limitations though, so unfortunately I also use SolidWorks on the large projects." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852042) JW Jon W. Technical Manager > "A huge improvement on the old CADMAX system." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7114024) TD Thomas D. Project Manager > "I don't have anything that really bugs me about the software, small refinements are really all that is needed." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852792) Craig F. Owner > "Overall it's a rocksolid design tool you can count on." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7096405) SG Samuel G. Electronics and Software Engineer, Retired > "not quite match up to the 3-D CAD technology." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852197) PW Paul W. manager > "i like the fact its a software purchase, not subscription based." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7053808) EA Eric A. Engineer > "Drawing errors are notified but not pinpointed where they occur." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3914045) JW Jared W. Owner, Engineer > "Alibre is an affordable, all-in-one CAD solution. While it's similar to other packages, there is a small learning curve." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6708542) JW James W. CEO > "Complex artistic forms is where it begins to hit limits." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852039) JD Jim D. Creator > "I started with Atom in early 2023 but very soon upgraded to to Alibre Design Expert for all of the extra features." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6615234) SU Sascha U. freelancer > "Sometimes there are also basic tools you expect to be there, and they don't exist." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3868143) BL Brian L. Co-owner > "I have been using it since 2011 and it has had continuous improvement." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7071560) DT Dan T. Owner > "I still have a few issues with sketching, not really as intuitive as I would like. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852054) TG Thomas G. Manufacturing Engineer > "Assemblies are easy to create, and I can import parts from virtually any source." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6861900) BG Bent G. Owner > "The motion simulation was removed some years ago that's BAD." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3906164) TG Thomas G. Manufacturing Engineer > "Enjoying the new tools added with this update and look forward to new innovations from the development team." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6861900) DO Duane O. Owner > "There are some features I would like to see, but there's nothing i really don't like" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852164) MN Matthew N. Lead Engineer > "Also, the ability to import common file formats (CATIA, SolidWorks, Inventor, ProE, NX, etc.) makes Alibre Design Expert the go to." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6230553) DH Darrell H. Owner / Mechanical Engineer > "I would be less productive and less profitable with any other Software. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852281) AG Alex G. Design Engineer > "I've been using Alibre for 20 years and it's the CAD package I always return too, having had experience with many others more than..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6427442) Eugene B. Product Engineer > "A couple of times over the years, I've had to completely scrap a design are restart when the software would crash repeatedly." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___2611603) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/) ## User interface [FreeCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/) 4.27 (142) [Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/) 4.69 (183) ## Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ### Features Do these products fit your needs? Prioritize real-user-identified key features according to your needs to find your best fit. \--% Fit vs \--% Fit 2D Drawing 207 Important 3D Design & Modeling 150 Important Activity Dashboard 120 Important FreeCAD 12/44 - 2D Drawing - 3D Design & Modeling - Activity Dashboard - AI Copilot - Animation - Annotations - API - Bill of Materials Management - Collaboration Tools - Compliance Management - Component Library - Configurable Workflow - Configuration Management - Content Library - Customizable Branding - Customizable Templates - Data Capture and Transfer - Data Import/Export - Data Synchronization - Data Visualization - Design Management - Document Generation - Document Management - Drag & Drop - File Management - For 3D Printing - For Architects - For Manufacturers - Generative AI - Image Editing - Modeling & Simulation - Multiple Format Support - Multiple Projects - Projections - Real Time Comparisons - Real-Time Updates - Reference Management - Reporting/Analytics - Rules-Based Workflow - Secure Data Storage - Sketching and Annotation Tools - Third-Party Integrations - Version Control - Workflow Management [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#features) Alibre Design Top features 24/44 - 2D Drawing - 3D Design & Modeling - Activity Dashboard - AI Copilot - Animation - Annotations - API - Bill of Materials Management - Collaboration Tools - Compliance Management - Component Library - Configurable Workflow - Configuration Management - Content Library - Customizable Branding - Customizable Templates - Data Capture and Transfer - Data Import/Export - Data Synchronization - Data Visualization - Design Management - Document Generation - Document Management - Drag & Drop - File Management - For 3D Printing - For Architects - For Manufacturers - Generative AI - Image Editing - Modeling & Simulation - Multiple Format Support - Multiple Projects - Projections - Real Time Comparisons - Real-Time Updates - Reference Management - Reporting/Analytics - Rules-Based Workflow - Secure Data Storage - Sketching and Annotation Tools - Third-Party Integrations - Version Control - Workflow Management [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#features) ### Recognition FreeCAD is recognized as a top-rated tool in 2 Capterra Shortlist reports Best Value 3D CADSoftware (2022)  Alibre Design is recognized as a top-rated tool in 2 Capterra Shortlist reports Best Value 3D CADSoftware (2024)  ### Deployment & support FreeCAD Deployment - Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based - Desktop Mac - Desktop Windows - Desktop Linux - On-Premise Windows - On-Premise Linux - Desktop Chromebook - Mobile Android - Mobile iPhone - Mobile iPad Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Alibre Design Deployment - Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based - Desktop Mac - Desktop Windows - Desktop Linux - On-Premise Windows - On-Premise Linux - Desktop Chromebook - Mobile Android - Mobile iPhone - Mobile iPad Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos ### Company Details FreeCAD - By FreeCAD - Located in United States - Founded in Alibre Design - By Alibre - Located in United States - Founded in 1997 ## Popular Comparisons [FreeCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/)[4.27 (142)](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/reviews/) vs [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/)[4.65 (3,207)](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $250/month 4.1 Features 4.6 3.9 Ease of Use 4.1 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/167527-265024/FreeCAD-vs-AutoCAD) [Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.69 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/) vs [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/)[4.65 (3,207)](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/reviews/) $10/month Price $250/month 4.6 Features 4.6 4.6 Ease of Use 4.1 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/172312-265024/Alibre-Design-vs-AutoCAD) [FreeCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/)[4.27 (142)](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/reviews/) vs [Altium Develop](https://www.capterra.com/p/175058/Altium-Designer/)[4.56 (181)](https://www.capterra.com/p/175058/Altium-Designer/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.1 Features 4.6 3.9 Ease of Use 4.3 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/167527-175058/FreeCAD-vs-Altium-Designer) [Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.69 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/) vs [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/)[4.63 (756)](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/reviews/) $10/month Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.6 Features 4.6 4.6 Ease of Use 4.3 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/93121-172312/SolidWorks-Premium-vs-Alibre-Design) [FreeCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/)[4.27 (142)](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/reviews/) vs [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/)[4.63 (756)](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.1 Features 4.6 3.9 Ease of Use 4.3 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/93121-167527/SolidWorks-Premium-vs-FreeCAD) [Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.69 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/) vs [Inventor](https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/)[4.53 (277)](https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/reviews/) $10/month Price $310/month 4.6 Features 4.5 4.6 Ease of Use 4.2 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/172312-236745/Alibre-Design-vs-Inventor) [FreeCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/)[4.27 (142)](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/reviews/) vs [Onshape](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/)[4.51 (342)](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $1500/year 4.1 Features 4.1 3.9 Ease of Use 4.5 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/164681-167527/Onshape-vs-FreeCAD) [Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.69 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/) vs [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/178416/Fusion-360/)[4.49 (269)](https://www.capterra.com/p/178416/Fusion-360/reviews/) $10/month Price $85/month 4.6 Features 4.5 4.6 Ease of Use 4.1 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/172312-178416/Alibre-Design-vs-Fusion-360) [FreeCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/)[4.27 (142)](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/reviews/) vs [Inventor](https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/)[4.53 (277)](https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $310/month 4.1 Features 4.5 3.9 Ease of Use 4.2 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/167527-236745/FreeCAD-vs-Inventor) [Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.69 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/) vs [SketchUp](https://www.capterra.com/p/211798/SketchUp/)[4.49 (1,046)](https://www.capterra.com/p/211798/SketchUp/reviews/) $10/month Price $19.99/month 4.6 Features 4.3 4.6 Ease of Use 4.4 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/172312-211798/Alibre-Design-vs-SketchUp) [FreeCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/)[4.27 (142)](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/reviews/) vs [MATLAB](https://www.capterra.com/p/125813/MATLAB/)[4.60 (2,093)](https://www.capterra.com/p/125813/MATLAB/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $203.63/year 4.1 Features 4.6 3.9 Ease of Use 4.0 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/125813-167527/MATLAB-vs-FreeCAD) [Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.69 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/) vs [Onshape](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/)[4.51 (342)](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/reviews/) $10/month Price $1500/year 4.6 Features 4.1 4.6 Ease of Use 4.5 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/164681-172312/Onshape-vs-Alibre-Design)