Free Software Collection
Free CAD and 3D Printing Software
Free tiers in engineering software usually carry three locks: export format restrictions, a cap on how many files you may keep, and a clause in the personal licence converting you to commercial terms above a revenue threshold. Files also tend to live only in a vendor cloud, unopenable once the subscription stops. Everything here uses open formats with files on your own machine, sorted four ways — parametric modelling, circuit design, interiors and furniture, and 3D print slicing.
12 curated recommendations
Selection Criteria
- Exports carry no watermark, with no cap on file count or output formats.
- Files live locally — opening your own work needs no connection and no subscription.
- Neither personal nor commercial use is restricted by licence terms.
- Open or widely supported file formats throughout.
Recommended Tools
FreeCAD
Parametric 3D modeling — change one dimension and the whole model follows
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
OpenSCAD
Model by writing code — changing a parameter beats dragging a mouse
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
LibreCAD
2D drafting only — light, fast, and it speaks DXF
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
SolveSpace
Parametric CAD in a few megabytes, opening instantly
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
KiCad
Schematic capture, PCB layout and fab files — the whole chain, free
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
Sweet Home 3D
Draw the floor plan, then walk through it
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
Blender
The free and open-source 3D creation suite
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
OrcaSlicer
Turns models into printer paths, and helps you calibrate the machine
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
PrusaSlicer
The stable one — and the ancestor of several other slicers
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
UltiMaker Cura
A slicer that shows you four settings by default, with a plugin marketplace as its trump card
- Open Source
- No Ads
- Offline
- No Sign-up
Dune 3D
SolveSpace-style constraints, plus the STEP support and fillets SolveSpace lacks
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
LeoCAD
Build LEGO models on screen, then export the parts list and go buy the bricks
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
FAQ
- Where do I start if I want to model a printable part?
- FreeCAD. Parametric modelling means changing one dimension updates the whole model, which is how mechanical parts are made and the same logic as Fusion 360. Export STL straight to a slicer. If you are a programmer, OpenSCAD may suit better — the model is code, so loops, variables and Git version control all apply.
- OrcaSlicer or PrusaSlicer?
- Same lineage; OrcaSlicer is a fork of PrusaSlicer. PrusaSlicer is steadier and best tuned for Prusa's own machines. OrcaSlicer moves faster, ships profiles for many more third-party printers, and adds calibration tools such as automatic flow tuning and pressure advance tests. People running Bambu or Creality machines mostly choose OrcaSlicer.
- What about floor plans and interior design?
- LibreCAD for 2D technical drawing — its interface and logic sit close to classic AutoCAD, it reads and writes DXF, and it is enough for plan drawings. Sweet Home 3D for home layout: drag furniture onto a plan and get a 3D view alongside, with no modelling background required.
- Does SolveSpace overlap with FreeCAD?
- No. SolveSpace is far smaller, built around a constraint solver, suited to mechanism motion analysis and simple parts, and it opens instantly. FreeCAD is much broader, with workbenches for part design, assemblies, finite element analysis and CAM. A small bracket is faster in SolveSpace; a full assembly belongs in FreeCAD.