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nanoCAD vs QCAD: catalog facts
nanoCAD	QCAD
Best for: Drafters who need DWG-compatible CAD for less than AutoCAD costs	Best for: Drawing accurate 2D plans and technical drawings without a subscription
Free + paid options Subscriptions from $289 per year, a full free trial, and a separate free edition.	Free + paid options QCAD Community Edition is free and open source under GPLv3. The commercial Professional edition adds DWG support and… Full pricing details for QCAD QCAD Community Edition is free and open source under GPLv3. The commercial Professional edition adds DWG support and further tools for a one-off fee.
Windows	Windows, macOS, Linux
Native DWG editing as a lower-cost AutoCAD alternative Modular add-ons for mechanical, construction, raster and survey work All 3 strengths for nanoCAD Native DWG editing as a lower-cost AutoCAD alternative Modular add-ons for mechanical, construction, raster and survey work 2D and 3D parametric constraints in the Pro bundle	Over forty construction and twenty modification tools with layers and blocks DXF input and output, printing to scale and across multiple pages All 4 strengths for QCAD Over forty construction and twenty modification tools with layers and blocks DXF input and output, printing to scale and across multiple pages Thirty-five CAD fonts plus TrueType, metric and imperial units An interface people consistently describe as easy to pick up without CAD experience
Windows only Recommended hardware is fairly demanding, including a 1920x1080 minimum screen	2D only; there is no 3D modelling at all DWG support and some tools are in the paid Professional edition All 4 limitations for QCAD 2D only; there is no 3D modelling at all DWG support and some tools are in the paid Professional edition Not aimed at parametric or constraint-driven design Community and Professional builds differing in features can be confusing at first
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-3.0
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for nanoCAD nanocad.com Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for QCAD qcad.org Catalog checked September 21, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.