# CADAlts

> Directory of free and open-source alternatives to SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Fusion 360, Altium, ANSYS and more, with an honest guide to AI CAD tools.

CADAlts lists free CAD software with repository stars, last-commit dates and licences fetched from public forges. Pages stay small (no heavy JS frameworks). Top Pick placements are labelled paid slots; paying never changes facts shown.

## Key pages
- [Home](https://cadalts.com/): search and browse 48 listings
- [Alternatives](https://cadalts.com/alternatives/): “alternatives to” pages for paid tools
- [Categories](https://cadalts.com/categories/): 9 categories
- [Collections](https://cadalts.com/collections/): curated groups
- [Resources](https://cadalts.com/resources/): choosing and switching guides
- [Newsletter](https://cadalts.com/newsletter/): Every Monday: one paid CAD package, the free alternative we'd try first, and which file formats survive the move. Plus new tools and AI CAD news, with the hype removed.
- [Advertise / Top Pick](https://cadalts.com/advertise/): labelled £39/month placement (Alts Directories)
- [Submit a tool](https://cadalts.com/submit/)
- [About](https://cadalts.com/about/)
- [Privacy](https://cadalts.com/privacy/)
- [Sitemap](https://cadalts.com/sitemap.xml)

## Popular alternatives pages
- [Fusion 360 alternatives](https://cadalts.com/alternatives/fusion-360/): 8 options
- [ANSYS alternatives](https://cadalts.com/alternatives/ansys/): 5 options
- [SolidWorks alternatives](https://cadalts.com/alternatives/solidworks/): 5 options
- [Altium Designer alternatives](https://cadalts.com/alternatives/altium-designer/): 4 options
- [Eagle alternatives](https://cadalts.com/alternatives/eagle/): 4 options
- [Simplify3D alternatives](https://cadalts.com/alternatives/simplify3d/): 4 options
- [OrCAD alternatives](https://cadalts.com/alternatives/orcad/): 3 options
- [Abaqus alternatives](https://cadalts.com/alternatives/abaqus/): 2 options
- [AutoCAD alternatives](https://cadalts.com/alternatives/autocad/): 2 options
- [CATIA alternatives](https://cadalts.com/alternatives/catia/): 2 options
- [Inventor alternatives](https://cadalts.com/alternatives/inventor/): 2 options
- [SketchUp alternatives](https://cadalts.com/alternatives/sketchup/): 2 options

## Categories
- [AI CAD tools](https://cadalts.com/categories/ai-cad/): 16 tools
- [Simulation (FEA & CFD)](https://cadalts.com/categories/simulation/): 7 tools
- [3D & parametric CAD](https://cadalts.com/categories/3d-cad/): 6 tools
- [PCB & electronics](https://cadalts.com/categories/pcb-eda/): 6 tools
- [3D printing & CAM](https://cadalts.com/categories/3d-printing-cam/): 4 tools
- [Code CAD](https://cadalts.com/categories/code-cad/): 3 tools
- [2D drafting](https://cadalts.com/categories/2d-drafting/): 2 tools
- [Architecture & BIM](https://cadalts.com/categories/architecture-bim/): 2 tools
- [Mesh & visualisation](https://cadalts.com/categories/mesh-modelling/): 2 tools

## Tools by repository stars (sample)
- [FreeCAD](https://cadalts.com/tools/freecad/): ★ 34.5k, last commit 2026-10-19, LGPL-2.1+
- [MCP for Blender](https://cadalts.com/tools/mcp-for-blender/): ★ 31.6k, last commit 2026-10-18, MIT
- [Blender](https://cadalts.com/tools/blender/): ★ 21k, last commit 2026-10-19, GPL-2.0+
- [OrcaSlicer](https://cadalts.com/tools/orcaslicer/): ★ 16k, last commit 2026-10-19, AGPL-3.0
- [OpenSCAD](https://cadalts.com/tools/openscad/): ★ 10.5k, last commit 2026-10-18, GPL-2.0
- [PrusaSlicer](https://cadalts.com/tools/prusaslicer/): ★ 9.4k, last commit 2026-09-21, AGPL-3.0
- [UltiMaker Cura](https://cadalts.com/tools/cura/): ★ 7.1k, last commit 2026-10-14, LGPL-3.0
- [LibreCAD](https://cadalts.com/tools/librecad/): ★ 6.5k, last commit 2026-10-19, GPL-2.0
- [CadQuery](https://cadalts.com/tools/cadquery/): ★ 6k, last commit 2026-10-18, Apache-2.0
- [MeshLab](https://cadalts.com/tools/meshlab/): ★ 5.9k, last commit 2026-08-25, GPL-3.0
- [Adam](https://cadalts.com/tools/adam/): ★ 5.3k, last commit 2026-10-15, GPL-3.0
- [SolveSpace](https://cadalts.com/tools/solvespace/): ★ 4.2k, last commit 2026-10-15, GPL-3.0
- [Search all tools](https://cadalts.com/search/)

## Recently added
- [ArgilCAD](https://cadalts.com/tools/argilcad/): AI parametric CAD that writes build123d code you can edit (Freemium, Proprietary (free plan, paid plans), added 2026-10-19)
- [Meshra](https://cadalts.com/tools/meshra/): Text-to-CAD that makes parametric solids with a slider for each dimension (Freemium, Proprietary (free plan, paid plans), added 2026-10-19)
- [Ragnar](https://cadalts.com/tools/ragnar/): Text or image to CAD for functional parts, with STEP, STL and DXF export (Freemium, Proprietary (free plan, paid plans), added 2026-10-19)
- [Snaptrude](https://cadalts.com/tools/snaptrude/): Browser-based AI concept design and BIM for architects, with Revit export (Freemium, Proprietary (free plan, paid plans), added 2026-10-19)
- [Vizcom](https://cadalts.com/tools/vizcom/): AI tool that turns product sketches into renders and 3D models (Freemium, Proprietary (free plan, paid plans), added 2026-10-19)
- [MecAgent](https://cadalts.com/tools/mecagent/): AI copilot that builds parts, assemblies and drawings inside SolidWorks (Freemium, Proprietary (free plan, paid plans), added 2026-10-19)
- [DeepPCB](https://cadalts.com/tools/deeppcb/): AI PCB routing engine from InstaDeep, pay as you go (Paid (free trial), Proprietary (pay as you go, free trial), added 2026-10-19)
- [Flux](https://cadalts.com/tools/flux/): Browser-based PCB design suite with an AI hardware engineer built in (Paid (free trial), Proprietary (paid, 14-day free trial), added 2026-10-19)
- [MCP for Blender](https://cadalts.com/tools/mcp-for-blender/): Open-source plugin to control Blender with the AI model of your choice (Open source, MIT, added 2026-10-19)
- [KiCAD MCP Server](https://cadalts.com/tools/kicad-mcp-server/): Open-source MCP server that lets AI assistants work on KiCad PCB designs (Open source, MIT, added 2026-10-19)
- [FreeCAD AI](https://cadalts.com/tools/freecad-ai/): AI chat workbench inside FreeCAD that builds models from plain-language requests (Open source, LGPL-2.1, added 2026-10-19)
- [FreeCAD MCP](https://cadalts.com/tools/freecad-mcp/): Open-source bridge that lets Claude and other AI assistants drive FreeCAD (Open source, MIT, added 2026-10-19)

## Optional
- Contact: submit@cadalts.com
- Stats last fetched: 2026-10-19
- Built: 2026-10-19
- This file: https://cadalts.com/llms.txt