What is FreeCAD used for?

FreeCAD is a free, open-source parametric 3D modeler for product design, mechanical engineering and architecture on Windows, macOS and Linux. It is a good fit for designing parts for 3D printing, mechanical and architectural modeling, and teaching CAD without license costs.

Is FreeCAD open source?

Yes. FreeCAD is open source under the LGPL-2.1 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at FreeCAD/FreeCAD and is written mainly in C++.

Yes. FreeCAD is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host FreeCAD?

Yes. FreeCAD can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.

What is FreeCAD an alternative to?

FreeCAD is an open-source alternative to SolidWorks, Autodesk Fusion, Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD. Other open-source alternatives to SolidWorks include OpenSCAD and Libfive.

Is FreeCAD actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to FreeCAD was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 1.1.4, published on 28 September 2026. The project has 34k stars on GitHub.

FreeCAD: open-source alternative to SolidWorks

About FreeCAD

FreeCAD is a parametric 3D modeling application for designing physical objects of any size. Parametric modeling means you can change a design by editing parameters in its model history. It can create 3D shapes from constrained 2D sketches and produce production drawings from the resulting 3D models. FreeCAD is released under the LGPL-2.1 license and written mostly in C++.

The software suits hobbyists, programmers, experienced CAD users, students and teachers working on product design, mechanical engineering and architecture. Related topics on the project include BIM, FEM, CAM, civil engineering and 3D printing. It builds on the OpenCASCADE geometry kernel, the Coin3D scene library, a Qt interface and a broad Python API for scripting. Precompiled packages for Windows, macOS and Linux are available from the releases page, and many Linux distributions include it in their software centers.

Key features

Parametric 3D modeling with model history
Constraint-based 2D sketching
Production drawings generated from 3D models
Python API for scripting and automation
Built on OpenCASCADE geometry kernel
Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux

Good fit for

→Designing parts for 3D printing
→Mechanical and architectural modeling
→Teaching CAD without license costs

Built with: C++
Tags: cad; 3d-modeling; parametric; engineering; bim; 3d-printing; python; cross-platform

FreeCAD: questions and answers

What is FreeCAD used for?: FreeCAD is a free, open-source parametric 3D modeler for product design, mechanical engineering and architecture on Windows, macOS and Linux. It is a good fit for designing parts for 3D printing, mechanical and architectural modeling, and teaching CAD without license costs.
Is FreeCAD open source?: Yes. FreeCAD is open source under the LGPL-2.1 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at FreeCAD/FreeCAD and is written mainly in C++.
Is FreeCAD free?: Yes. FreeCAD is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host FreeCAD?: Yes. FreeCAD can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.
What is FreeCAD an alternative to?: FreeCAD is an open-source alternative to SolidWorks, Autodesk Fusion, Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD. Other open-source alternatives to SolidWorks include OpenSCAD and Libfive.
Is FreeCAD actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to FreeCAD was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 1.1.4, published on 28 September 2026. The project has 34k stars on GitHub.