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ZWCADQCAD

Best for: Drafters and firms that need DWG-compatible CAD without a subscription

Best for: Drawing accurate 2D plans and technical drawings without a subscription

Paid

Perpetual licences start at $899, with a 30-day free trial.

 Free + paid options

QCAD Community Edition is free and open source under GPLv3. The commercial Professional edition adds DWG support and…

Full pricing details

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 compatibility for sharing with AutoCAD users
  • Perpetual licence option instead of a subscription
All 4 strengths
  • Native DWG compatibility for sharing with AutoCAD users
  • Perpetual licence option instead of a subscription
  • Covers both 2D drafting and 3D work
  • Supports add-on applications and custom development
  • 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
  • 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
  • Paid software with a high upfront cost
  • Closed source
  • 2D only; there is no 3D modelling at all
  • DWG support and some tools are in the paid Professional edition
All 4 limitations
  • 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
Sources

Catalog checked September 23, 2026
Sources

Catalog checked September 21, 2026

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