Similarly, if you’re an engineering student with CAD on your curriculum, I’d recommend using the software that your college prescribes (AutoCAD, SolidEdge, Catia), which generally tends to run on Windows only. What you do with this information is up to you.Īlthough gaming on Linux has picked up, I always tell my hardcore gaming friends to stick to Windows in dual boot.

Then there’s LeoCAD, which is a CAD program where you use LEGO blocks to build stuff.

Siemens NX is an industrial-grade CAD solution available on Windows, Mac OS and Linux, but it’s ridiculously expensive, so we’ve omitted it from this list.

SolveSpace is another open-source project worth mentioning.

With a huge growth in cloud computing technologies, cloud CAD solutions like OnShape have been getting more popular each day.

However, it’s good to know that it’s being actively developed and you can find the latest releases on GitHub as well.

FreeCAD is multiplatform and is available on Windows and macOS as well as Linux.Īlthough FreeCAD has been the choice of many Linux users, it should be noted that it’s not a full-fledged solution. FreeCAD is built with mechanical engineering and product design as its target purposes. FreeCADįor 3D modelling, FreeCAD is an excellent option that is both free (beer and speech) and open-source. The CAD application at number one shouldn’t be considered better than the one at number three, and so on.

You can check the respective websites to learn the installation procedures for other distributions. Installation instructions for Ubuntu-based Linux distributions have been provided. The non-open-source software has been duly indicated. I have also included some non-FOSS CAD software to help average Linux users.

Non-FOSS Warning! Not all the applications listed here are open-source and free.

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