# Compare FreeCAD vs OpenSCAD 2026 | Capterra

> Unsure of what to choose? Check Capterra to compare FreeCAD and OpenSCAD based on pricing, features, product details, and verified reviews.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/compare/167527-233632/FreeCAD-vs-OpenSCAD

---

# FreeCAD vs OpenSCAD Features and Cost Comparison

Last updated December 29th, 2025

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:

FreeCADOpenSCAD2/4 selected

[FreeCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/)[4.3 (142)](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/reviews/)

[OpenSCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/233632/OpenSCAD/)[4.0 (3)](https://www.capterra.com/p/233632/OpenSCAD/#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

[## OpenSCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/233632/OpenSCAD/)[4.0 (3)](https://www.capterra.com/p/233632/OpenSCAD/#reviews)

Starting Price

Contact vendor

Value-for-Money

4.3

Functionality

3.3

Ease of Use

3

Customer Service

3.5

Reviews Sentiment

Based on [3 reviews](#user-reviews)

Positive

2

Neutral

1

Negative

0

## Not a match? Find software alternatives tailored to your priorities.

These software suggestions are similar to those you’re currently comparing.

### IronCAD

4.3 (60)

* * *

Starting Price

$1.00

Per Year

Free Trial

Free Version

* * *

User rating

90%

of reviewers  
rated it above 4 stars

* * *

Highest Rated

### Onshape

4.5 (341)

* * *

Starting Price

$1500.00

Per User,Per Year

Free Trial

Free Version

* * *

User rating

94%

of reviewers  
rated it above 4 stars

* * *

### Designcenter Solid Edge

4.4 (54)

* * *

Starting Price

$113.09

Other,Per Month

Free Trial

Free Version

* * *

User rating

89%

of reviewers  
rated it above 4 stars

* * *

### Tinkercad

4.6 (52)

* * *

Starting Price

Contact vendor for pricing

Free Trial

Free Version

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User rating

94%

of reviewers  
rated it above 4 stars

* * *

## Summary

* * *

Key features rated by users

Features selected based on 2,875 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

\--%Fit

Missing features

Feature ratings

3D Design & Modeling

3.3

Data Import/Export

NA

2D Drawing

NA

Annotations

2.5

Component Library

NA

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

4.0

User reviews[3](https://www.capterra.com/p/233632/OpenSCAD/#reviews)

Ease of use

3.0

Functionality

3.3

Value for money

4.3

Customer support

3.5

Price starts from

Price starts from

\--

-   Free version
-   Free trial

Price starts from

\--

-   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

Not provided by vendor

## 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)

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)

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)

JG

James G.

Library Tech

> "That is the infamous "topological naming problem"."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___5081898)

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)

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)

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)

FM

Felipe M.

Research Associate

> "The software interface is simple and easy to use."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___4751719)

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)

JC

John C.

Entrepreneur

> "Surprisingly powerful and visually similar to other 3D CAD modelers."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/#Capterra___3523218)

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)

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)

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/)

Not enough reviews

## User interface

[FreeCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/)

4.27 (142)

No images or videos  
provided by vendor

## 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

Top features

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)

OpenSCAD

2/44

-   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/233632/OpenSCAD/#features)

### Recognition

No recognitions have been awarded to FreeCAD

No recognitions have been awarded to OpenSCAD

### 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

OpenSCAD

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

OpenSCAD

-   By OpenSCAD
-   Located in United States
-   Founded in

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