CADCraft

CADCraft is a free, open source computer-aided design app from the ArtCraft team, built to work like Autodesk AutoCAD. Drafters will recognise the command line, object snaps, layers and dimension styles. It runs on Mac, Windows, Linux and FreeBSD, and in a web browser.

What it can do

• The command line you know. Type LINE, CIRCLE, TRIM, OFFSET, FILLET and dozens more, with prompts, aliases, autocomplete and coordinate entry.
• Precision drafting. Object snaps for endpoints, midpoints, centres, intersections and tangents, plus an adaptive grid.
• Layers and annotation. A Layer Properties Manager, every DIM command with full dimension styles, leaders, tables and text.
• Hatches and blocks. Pick-point hatches with gradients, and blocks with attributes.
• DXF and DWG. DXF is read and written natively, and DWG files open and save through an open source library.
• Layouts and plotting. Paper-space layouts, viewports, page setups and PDF export.
• Parametric constraints. Geometric and dimensional constraints that re-solve after every edit.

Part of the Crafting Apps

CADCraft is one of the Crafting Apps, a family of free, open source creative and office apps from ArtCraft, each a clean-room rebuild of a well-known paid app written from scratch in Rust. The best known is PhotoCraft, a Photoshop-style photo editor. They share the same approach: familiar menus and shortcuts, fast native apps on every major system, a version that runs in your browser, and commands an AI assistant can drive.

CADCraft, LibreCAD, FreeCAD or AutoCAD?

All four make technical drawings. The difference is what they focus on, how mature they are, and what they cost.

CADCraftThis page

Best forAutoCAD users who want a free, familiar alternative to try

Copies AutoCAD's command line and drafting tools and works with DXF and DWG. Still pre-alpha.

How mature

Pre-alpha (2026)

Open source

Yes (MIT or Apache 2.0)

Cost

Free

LibreCAD

Best forFree, lightweight 2D drafting

A mature open source 2D CAD app, simple and quick. DWG support is limited.

How mature

Mature

Open source

Yes (GPL 2.0)

Cost

Free

FreeCAD

Best forFree 3D and parametric design

A powerful open source CAD app for 3D parts and engineering, with 2D drawings too. A different workflow from AutoCAD.

How mature

Very mature

Open source

Yes (LGPL)

Cost

Free

AAutoCAD

Best forProfessional drafting today

Autodesk's industry standard, with perfect DWG compatibility. Closed source and paid by subscription.

How mature

Industry standard

Open source

No

Cost

Subscription

A quick way to choose: need simple free 2D drafting today? Use LibreCAD. Designing 3D parts? Try FreeCAD. Exchanging DWG files professionally? AutoCAD is still the safe choice. Know AutoCAD and want a free, open source app that feels the same? Try CADCraft.

How to get it

• Easiest: download it from the CADCraft page on getartcraft.com, or from the latest release on GitHub.
• Every system: installers for Mac (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows (including ARM), Linux (AppImage, Flatpak, .deb, .rpm) and FreeBSD.
• In a browser: a web version runs the whole app in a modern browser, and you can host it yourself.
• For scripts and AI assistants: the cadcraft-cli tool runs the same commands without opening the app and includes an MCP server.

Good to know

• Pre-alpha. CADCraft is still pre-alpha. Its team estimates it's about 38% ready for real work. These are the team's own estimates; nobody has tested them independently yet.
• Changing very fast. New versions arrive every few days, so expect bugs and update often.
• Built with AI help. The ArtCraft team uses AI coding agents heavily, which is how so much appeared so quickly. Test it on your own files before you rely on it.
• No Autodesk code. It's a clean-room rebuild, written from public file specifications and by observing how AutoCAD behaves, not from Autodesk's code.
• Licence: MIT or Apache 2.0, your choice. Free to use, including at work. The ArtCraft and CADCraft names and logos have their own, stricter terms.