Sometimes free is totally awesome and there are no strings attached. Other times free makes us choose vastly inferior solutions. We spend so much time fighting with the free software that in the end, had we spent just a little bit, we might have come out a lot better. And sometimes free has sneaky hidden costs.
Keep all that in mind as you check out our choices for the best Free CNC Software you can find.
CNCCookbook Free CNC Software
We always provide a free trial for our software. In addition, when we’re introducing new products, we release them for free while in Beta test and don’t charge until we finish the software. Typically you use it for many months if not a year or two when that happens. We don’t believe in shipping software until it is great. In addition to all that, some of our software is filled with a ton of free features even if you never subscribe.
So checkout our free stuff!
G-Wizard Calculator
We do a terrible job advertising it, but most of G-Wizard Calculator is free. Seriously. You sign up for the free trial, and when that ends, even if you don’t purchase, most of the tabs will go right on working for you. There’s a giant treasure trove of useful calculators, utilities, and reference information there including:
- Fancy scientific calculator with automatic unit conversions and much more.
- The ultimate productivity hack for busy people–the same ToDo list with Pomodoro timer system I use myself to get all this crazy stuff done for CNCCookbook.
- Geometry and Trig Calculators for Right Triangles, Oblique Triangles, Bolt Circles, Dovetails, Tapers, Chamfers, Drilling, Chords, True Position, Points, Turner’s Cubes
- Fits and Tolerances for ISO 286, ANSI B4.2, and DIN 7172
- Thread Database with all the dimensions, tapping drills, and more
- Drill Chart
- Fastener Database with dimensions for Socket Head and Flat Head Cap Screws
- Weights and Volumes for standard metal structural shapes as well as standard lumber sizes
- Thermal Expansi0n Calculator
- Electrical Ohms Law Calculator
- Resistor Color Codes
- CNC Servo and Stepper Motor Sizing Calculators
- G- and M-Code Quick Reference
- Hardness Quick Reference with Rockwell (A, B, C, D, 15H, 30H, 45N), Brinell (Std, Hultgren, Tungsten), Vickers, and Shore scales
- Rigidity Calculator to help figure your tool rigidity
- Chatter Calculator to figure the right spindle speed to stop chatter
- Geometric, Dimensioning, and Tolerancing Quick Reference
Phew! I can hardly keep up with all of it myself. I know there a lifetime subscribers who are still delighted at the new things they discover. And we just keep adding more all the time!
I thought I’d make a quick video showing how it all works:
All of this will save you time digging through machinery’s handbook or trying to Google for it. It’s all stuff that I use constantly and you will love having it at your fingertips. So what are you waiting for–give the G-Wizard free Trial a try:
Free 3d Cad Software Open Source Online
[ I Savvy, Get Me My Free Trial Now! ]
BTW, you have the choice of buying the software outright (lifetime subscription) or subscribing. Now I hear all the time from hobbyists who don’t think they can afford G-Wizard. First thing is that one year is cheap–not much more than a single cutter costs. But okay, let’s suppose you still think that’s too expensive. The thing is, at the end of that 1 year,Feeds and Speeds keep right on working too.
What’s the catch?
The catch is that once the subscription expires, there’s a spindle power limit equal to 1 horsepower for each year you subscribe. This is perfect for a hobbyist. A small CNC Router may not be able to use more than a 1 horsepower cut–tiny machines just aren’t rigid enough. That means a lifetime of Feeds and Speeds, limited to 1 HP, for just the cost of 1 year of subscription. It’s perfect for the hobbyist trying to save.
And, if you ever get a more powerful machine, just re-subscribe to unlock the limit. No muss, no fuss.
Here you can create the content that will be used within the module.
G-Wizard Editor
Everybody who tries G-Wizard Editor loves it because it’s the first G-Code software whose focus is on simplifying g-code, and it’s also the first to build in Conversational CNC. With conversational CNC, you can work without using CAD. Just answer a few simple questions and GW Editor will write the g-code for you. It’s for all those jobs you were thinking would be faster on a manual machine, and it’s a totally free additional module you get with G-Wizard Editor.
Free DXF Files
[ Get my Free DXF Files Now! ]
Download our free DXF files and be cutting cool patterns on your CNC Laser, Router, Waterjet, or other machine before you know it.
More Free CNC Software
Downloader Beware: Every now and then a great piece of free software will save you time and money. Just be aware it is a big bad world online, and free software or freeware is a tool used from time to time by those up to no good. CNCCookbook isn’t vouching for any of this software and we don’t necessarily use it ourselves, except our own software of course. It’s just stuff we’ve come across or had recommended to us by readers. Make sure your antivirus program is tuned in and turned on if you decide to download freeware and start using it. Just sayin’!
Best Free CAD Software
Which one of these packages is your pick for the Best Free CAD Software out there?
| A9 CAD | CAD | http://www.a9tech.com/products/a9cad/ |
| Blender | CAD | https://www.blender.org/ |
| Draftsight | CAD | https://www.solidworks.com/product/draftsight |
| eCabinet: CAD for custom cabinet makers | CAD | http://www.ecabinetsystems.com/ |
| gCAD3d | CAD | http://www.cadcam.co.at/freiter/gCAD3D_en.htm |
| FreeCAD | CAD | https://www.freecadweb.org/ |
| Google Sketchup | CAD | https://sketchup.google.com/ |
| Fusion 360 | CAD + CAM | https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/students-teachers-educators |
| GraphiteOne CAD | CAD | https://www.graphiteone-cad.com/ |
| HeeksCAD | CAD | https://github.com/Heeks/heekscad |
| Minos | CAD | http://www.le-boite.com/minos.htm |
| nanoCAD | CAD | https://nanocad.com/ |
| OnShape | CAD | https://www.onshape.com/ |
| Solid Edge Free 2D Drafting | CAD | http://www.solidedge.com/free2d/ |
| TinkerCAD | CAD | https://www.tinkercad.com/ |
| Wings 3D | CAD | https://www.wings3d.com/ |
Free CNC CAM Software
| Estlcam | CAM | http://www.estlcam.com/ |
| Free Mill: 3D Milling from the makers of Visual Mill | CAM | http://www.mecsoft.com/freemill.shtml |
| DeskProto | CAM | https://www.deskproto.com/products/free-ed.php |
| HSMExpress | CAM | http://www.hsmworks.com/hsmxpress/ |
| Fusion 360 | CAD + CAM | https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/students-teachers-educators |
| G-Simple | CAM | https://www.gsimple.eu/ |
| Heeks CAD/CAM | CAM | https://www.heeks.net/ |
Other Free CNC Software
| GCode Ripper | Wrap GCode for 4th Axis or do Engraving on Irregular Surfaces after Probing | See article link |
| LinuxCNC / EMC2 | Free CNC Control Software | https://www.linuxcnc.org/ |
| Jedicut | CNC Foam Cutting | http://www.aeropassion.net/index-en.php |
| Ace Converter | DXF to G-Code | http://www.dakeng.com/ace.html |
| 2linc Engraving Software: Light Version | Engraving Software | http://www.2linc.com/cnc_programming_software.htm |
| DeskEngrave | Engraving Software | http://www.deskam.com/download.html |
| PCB-GCODE | G-Code for Eagle PCB | https://groups.yahoo.com/group/pcb-gcode/ |
| Auto-trace | Image or bitmap to g-code | http://autotrace.sourceforge.net/ |
| Image to G-Code | Image or bitmap to g-code | http://www.imagetogcode.com/ |
| Scan2CNC | Image or bitmap to g-code | http://www.gravomaster.com/Tristan_Dean/scan2cnc.html |
| MaxCut | Nesting | http://www.maxcut.co.za/ |
Free CNC Software FAQ
What is CNC Software?
CNC Software is the Digital Tooling used to create programs for CNC Machines. There are many kinds, but CAD and CAM are the most common.
What is the minimum CNC Software for a Beginner?
A beginning CNC’er needs to learn to use CAD Software for creating designs, CAM Software to convert the designs to g-code, and Feeds and Speeds Software to determine the proper cutting feeds and speeds for their CAM software to use.
What is the most popular CAD Software for CNC?
Fusion 360 followed by Solidworks are the most popular CAD Software packages among CNC’ers according to CNCCookbook’s CAD Survey. Fusion 360 is free for non-business users and some small business users.
What is the most popular CAM Software?
Fusion 360 is the most popular CAM Software followed by Vectric/Aspire and Mastercam according to CNCCookbook’s CAM Survey. Fusion 360 is free for non-business users and some small business users.
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GCode is Complicated
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In the field of drafting and 3D design, few names are as well-known as AutoCAD. First launched by AutoDesk in the 1980s, AutoCAD was considered THE standard software platform for drafting for decades. Until today, there are still so many AutoCAD users that the standard AutoCAD output file – the DWG – can be found everywhere.
However, not all people have the budget to buy the AutoCAD software platform, which costs more than $1000. For users, who just want to view DWG files, a free DWG viewer software could be really useful. If you’re one of these people, then read on as we look at the best alternative DWG viewers. Best of all, they’re all free!
What are DWG files?
DWG (from drawing) is the native file format for 2D and 3D drawing created in AutoCAD, as well as in other CAD packages such as BricsCAD and IntelliCAD. It is a proprietary binary file format. Since it contains vector image data, the drawings in each DWG file can be scaled while still preserving resolution. Each DWG files contains metadata that describes the contents of the file. Its interchange file format is DXF, which is an ASCII version of the contents of a DWG file.
The top 8 best free DWG viewers
1. AutoDesk DWG TrueView (with Design Review)
DWG TrueView is the official free DWG viewer software from AutoDesk which can be downloaded from their website. Aside from being able to view DWG drawings, DWG TrueView was for the conversion of DWG and DXF files into 3D DWF for quick markup and publishing.
Since the software is built on the same architecture as AutoCAD, you are assured of drawing fidelity and integrity, even when you switch from one format to another. This is very useful if you need to collaborate with other users who are using different versions of AutoCAD.
DWG TrueView is made even better with Design Review, a free add-on also developed by AutoDesk. Design Review allows you to make length, area, and angle measurements on the design, as well as add annotations and comments. Again, these are great tools for collaboration. With the add-on feature, you can pretty much do everything you want with your DWG file short of editing it.
2. LibreCAD
LibreCAD is an open source platform for viewing, editing, and converting DWG files. Being an open source software, it’s completely free with all functions included. However, its biggest limitation is that it can only display 2D views, which helps keep the size of the software quite small. It can also display isometric views but lacks any sort of 3D navigation.
Aside from the lack of 3D viewing, you can do just about anything with LibreCAD.
Google chrome for macbook pro free download. You can add basic lines and polygons, take measurements, and export your files into other formats. It’s also quite easy to learn, and the interface is user-friendly, features that are unusual in open source software platforms.
The main limitation of the open source nature of LibreCAD is that some of its versions can be unstable. Before updating to another version, you need to read up on update notes and feedback from other users to make sure that you are updating to a functional build. As a free software platform, LibreCAD certainly gets the job done – just don’t expect anything fancy.
3. FreeCAD
FreeCAD is certainly one of the most feature-rich free DWG viewers out there. Calling it a DWG viewer might even be a disservice to FreeCAD, as it can be considered a full 3D parametric modeling software. Best of all, FreeCAD is open source, so everything is completely free.
With FreeCAD, you don’t have to begin with an existing DWG file and simply make edits. You can use FreeCAD to come up with your very own 2D sketches and model them in 3D space. From these models, you can take measurements, adjust dimensions, and extract various design details. The program has a steeper learning curve compared to LibreCAD, but it’s not so overwhelming to be inaccessible. Still, we wouldn’t classify FreeCAD as beginner friendly.
Being another open source software, FreeCAD can be prone to bugs, especially when new builds are released. Although it’s one of the most feature-rich free CAD software platforms, it still doesn’t compare to the full range of functions of AutoCAD, but perhaps that’s an unfair comparison.
4. ShareCAD
Instead of a software that needs to be installed, ShareCAD provides an online browser-based platform for viewing of CAD drawings. It supports the proprietary DWG, DWF, and DXF file formats plus a host of other formats for 3D drawings, raster, and vector images, and even archives. The service does not require any downloads or registration, but the file you need to view will have to be uploaded to their server. The file size is also limited to only 50 MB.
The features of ShareCAD are quite limited but are enough for a quick inspection of 3D drawings. You can view individual layers, zoom in on features, or change the background color for easier viewing. You can also print out the drawings. If you’d like to share your drawings with other contacts, ShareCAD can generate a link that you can share.
5. Autodesk A360
A360, an official AutoDesk release, is quite different from the other entries in the list. Instead of desktop software, A360 is a mobile app compatible with both Android and iOS. It can view both DWF and DWG files, as well as 50 other CAD file formats. With the ability to make annotations, take measurements, and navigate components, A360 is surprisingly powerful for a mobile app.
The intention of A360 is to allow engineers and project managers to view CAD files anywhere in the world using just their mobile devices. This is a great tool for collaboration and can be very useful during project execution. Of course, the quality of the experience when viewing project files will vary based on the specs of the mobile device being used. If your smartphone or tablet has a low-specs GPU, then merely opening a DWG file can be very slow.
The A360 mobile platform does not allow for editing of files. Although this seems hardly surprising, there are already mobile platforms being developed that have functions that the A360 does not offer. Autodesk seems like they have a bit of catching up to do, but the A360 is a perfectly serviceable mobile app for now.
Free 3d Cad Software Open Source Download
6. OnShape
OnShape is an entirely cloud-based 3D CAD software that has been designed especially for collaborative work. Since everything is cloud-based, there is nothing to install and you can access the platform from any workstation – even on your phone or tablet. It has a friendly learning curve, and anyone who has had any experience with standard CAD software can get the hang of it quickly.
OnShape is capable of just about anything you could want from CAD software. You can create and edit models, take measurements, extract design details, and export to a variety of file formats. Where OnShape truly shines is in its collaborative platform. OnShape allows multiple users to simultaneously a single master file. Everyone shares the same workspace and works with the same dataset, eliminating the need to keep track of different versions of the same file.
The drawback is that OnShape isn’t actually free – they now charge for an annual subscription, and the price depends on the package you want. However, they still offer a free trial. This is something you can take advantage of, although you can probably only use it for a limited time.
7. Autodesk Fusion360
Another free DWG viewer from Autodesk, Fusio360 is an all-in-one platform designed for industrial designers, mechanical engineers, students, and educators. It’s a very simple software with basic functions, making it an excellent option for coming up with quick 3D models, simulations, and analysis. Everything is cloud-based, so the platform is quick even without advanced hardware.
Fusion360 is ideal for simple design jobs with assembly and parametric design features. If you’re going for complex models, then you’ll probably have to look elsewhere. However, there’s no reason that Fusion360 can develop more complex functions in future versions.
Models made in Fusion360 can be exported as STL files, which is one of the default file formats used by 3D printers. This makes Fusion360 one an especially suitable design software for rapid prototyping. Moreover, the software is quite easy to learn even for relative beginners.
The downside of Fusion360 is that it’s only free for a 30-day trial. After the trial period, you’ll have to fork out around $60 per month for a subscription. We still recommend trying it out – you might like it so much that you end up paying full price.
Free 3d Cad Software Open Source Software
8. IrfanView
IrfanView is described as a free, fast, and compact “graphic viewer.” It can open just about any graphic or design file format. Although it’s more well-known as an all-around image viewer, it’s also capable of opening CAD files in DWG or DWF formats. You’ll need to install the BabaCAD4Image plug-in, but don’t worry – the plug-in is also free.
Granted, there’s not much else you can do with IrfanView aside from rotating your models, adjust its brightness, modify its color, and a bunch of other cosmetic changes. After all, it’s not a dedicated CAD software. IrfanView is still a nice software that you can keep installed in your system. It hardly takes any disk space and could be useful when you encounter a tricky image file format.
Final thoughts
Free 3d Cad Software Open Source Free
3D and 2D models made from AutoCAD have remained the standard file formats in the fields of drafting, engineering, and industrial design for the past few decades. Frankly, we can’t imagine a future where DWG files aren’t the standard way that people share and collaborate on 3D designs. This can be challenging for professionals and small firms that can’t afford a full AutoCAD platform.
The free DWG viewers we have listed here offer a partial solution to this problem. None of them come quite close to the functionality of the original AutoCAD, but they are, at least, good enough to view DWG files. Some of them offer limited measurement and editing features. Most importantly, they are free. If you work in any field that requires sharing and viewing of DWG files, it would be a good idea to have one or two of these installed in your workstation.
Warning; 3D printers should never be left unattended. They can pose a firesafety hazard.
