text: Electrical CAD Systems
  Creo/Elements Direct Easy to use and free 3D CAD modeler. It does not use history based modeling, instead click directly anywhere on the model to add or adjust features. It is a lighter version of their commercial product so assemblies are limited to 60 parts.
  Created by PTC Inc.
  DesignSpark Mechanical Free gesture based direct modeling 3D CAD software that is powered by SpaceClaim. There is no limit to the number of assembled components. Online electrical CAD components can also be downloaded and imported into your model.
  Created by RS Components Ltd
  DraftSight 2D CAD that is exactly like AutoCAD but is completely free. Can open AutoCAD native file formats.
  Created by Dassault Systemes.
  nanoCAD A powerful free 2D CAD just like AutoCAD. They also have a paid version called nanoCAD Plus, but you will not miss any of those additional features while using the free version.
  Created by Nanosoft
  QCAD A free 2D CAD drafting program that is effective and easy to use.
  Created by RibbonSoft GmbH
  LibreCAD A free 2D CAD drafting program. It's a clone of QCAD but has taken a life of it's own.
  Solid Edge Drafting A free 2D parametric CAD program. As a parametric program you would think changing a dimension should change the entity. Not so. You have to select the actual entity and not the dimension to change it. Here is a book to help you learn.
  Created by Siemens PLM Inc.
  T-Flex Student A 2D & 3D parametric CAD version of their commercial product, includes an FE solver and dynamics simulator. Files created by the student edition cannot be opened by any other software including their own commercial version. Expect other limitations to the features available. Commercial use is prohibited.
  Created by Top Systems Ltd..
  Solvespace A 3D CAD program that uses constraints and history to propagate design modifications. It can be used for assemblies. It's an astoundingly light program for what it does and is fun to use. But it can get stuck in long computation loops as the model progresses.
  Created by Jonathan Westhues
  FreeCAD It's a free open source 2D/3D CAD program that is a work in progress.
  Created by J Riegel, W Mayer, Y van Havre.
  PowerSHAPE-e Free 3D CAD designer using wireframe, surface, solid & triangle modeling. Files can only be saved in their propreitary format.
  Created by Delcam Inc.
  X11 2D CAD but 3D features can also be created. As this is a free version of their commerical product, only one layer can be created for 2D modeling and the model size is limited to 200kB.
  Created by GrayTech Software, Inc.
  CadStd A simple 2D CAD program suitable for most drafting work.
  Created by John Apperson.
  JustCAD 2D CAD software.
  Created by Jon Hoke
  PythonCAD 2D CAD software.
  Created by Matteo
  VectorEngineer A compact & efficient 2D CAD software, some features have been disabled in the free version, but nothing you can't live without.
  Created by Duncan Aylwin
  A9CAD General purpose 2D CAD program.
  Created by A9 Tech Inc., Inc
  ProgeCAD Smart A 2D CAD program.
  Created by ProgeCAD
  BRL CAD The U.S army has released a CAD system to open source, which is now being enhanced by the open source community.
  Operating System: Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris.
  Draft IT Good 2D drafting program. Light version of their commerical product.
  Created by CAD Logic
  Cap Free simple & smart 2D CAD program.
  Created by Michael Henderson
  Operating System: All (Java)
  DoubleCAD Free 2D CAD drafting program, just like AutoCAD LT.
  Created by IMSISOFT
  DesignSpark The best free PCB design software available. It allows you to generate all the files required to take your project from circuit diagram to layout schematic to a circuit board built project. Gerbers (Extended RS-274-X), Excellons, BOMs, component lists and positions are possible along with DXF (import and export) and IDF for interfacing to mechanical CAD software. Supports the importing of Eagle CAD design files, circuit diagrams and libraries.
  FreePCB Free PCB design software. 1 to 16 copper layers. Board size up to 60 inches by 60 inches. Lots of options when generating CAM gerber files. You usually import a PADS netlist generated from a schematic capture program (TinyCad) then you can run connectivity checks to validate your layout against the schematic. Lots of layout design rule checks are also included. It even uses a free online auto-router.
  Express PCB/SCH Free Circuit Board Design and Schematic Design Software.
  Created by Express PCB
  AutoTRAX AutoTRAX integrates tools that include schematic capture, simulation, layout with autoplacement, autorouting and 3D visualization. Light version of their commerical product so expect limitations on the number of pins, parts and PCB size.
  McCAD Collection of fully functioning electronic circuit design tools which are functional and can be used to create schematics, printed circuits, view Gerber documents, and run simulations. Free version has limitations on net, pin & board sizes.
  Created by McCAD Inc
  Operating System: Windows, Mac.
  Rimu Schematic Electrical and electronic schematic capture software, free version limited to 100 pins.
  Created by Hutson Systems
  TinyCAD Free open source software for drawing circuit diagrams, comes with a library of standard symbols.
  Target3001 Free light version of their commerical PCB design product, this one does save to production file formats (Gerber etc).
  Created by Distrelec PCB Services
  FreeShip Plus Free software to analyze the resistance and power for a ship and other hydrodynamic calculations for vessels and underwater vehicles.
  Created by HydroNShip
  Sea Solution CAD software specific to ship building. While their latest software is not free, they have made their first version of the software freely available. Scroll to the bottom of their download page to find the free release.
  Created by Sea Solution Inc
  DesignWorkshop Lite Build 3D models for home design, visualization of architecture, landscapes, exhibits, or any kind of spatial design with DesignWorkshop Lite, courtesy artifice Inc, you can also view and walk-through ready-made models created in 3DMF format, DXF, Design Workshop etc.
  Created by Artifice Inc
  Sweet Home 3D Open source cad program that lets you use drag and drop to lay-out rooms, houses and apartments in 2d. 3d projections can be displayed. It also allows you to create photo-realistc PNG files and videos. It can import images from google sketch-up and 3DS files.
  Created by Emmanuel Puybaret
  Operating System: All (Java), Web browser
  TigerCAD Free 2D general diagramming software which can be used for garden design, building & room plans as well as mechanical & electronic drawings. Very capable and simple simple to use, also creates pdf files of your drawings.
  Created by Peter Howard
  AllyCAD Free version of their commerical product, file size limited to a maximum 150kb. Can be used for both architectural & mechanical work.
  Created by Knowledge Base Pty Ltd
  CYCAS Architectural software for drafting and design in 2D & 3D. Rendering is provided by the freeware POV-Ray engine. The freeware version of their commercial product is restricted to using just one layer, printing to only A4 size, there may also be additional limits to the features offered.
  Created by Verlag A.C.Frese
  KREOnet For laying out tiles & mosaics on floors & walls with texturing.
  Created by Iris Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti
  Octree The beta releases are free for now. It's a revolutionary idea in interface design that maximizes the screen space for drawing.
  Created by FCA GmbH and GbR HNS
  Operating System: Windows (some limitations on Windows), Unix
  Envisioneer Express Simple creation of floor plans, 3D models, and interior design concepts, it uses real world objects such as walls, doors, windows and stairs. Very easy to learn.
  Created by CadSoft Corp.
  Copan Lite Designed for land surveyors, processes and adjusts raw field survey data, computes and adjusts map traverse data, performs map or deed checks, calculates areas and perimeters, performs coordinate transformations.
  Created by Underhill Geomatics Ltd.
  Scalinata Liberata is a free timber roof and dormer design software. Scalinata is a free wooden staircase design software.
  Created by Weto AG
  iges2step Allows viewing IGES and STEP files and translating between them.
  Viewplot Viewplot allows you to inspect various CAD formats, take measurements and manipulate data.Create high resolution PDF documentation within the graphical user interface or in batch mode. Supported Input formats: Gerber(X), DXF, Drill, Hpgl.
  Created by Roneda
  Bentley A CAD file viewing for DGN, DWG and DXF file formats.
  Created by Bentley
  WorkXPlore Freeware to view DXF, DWG, STL, IGES, STEP, UNISURF.
  Created by Sescoi USA Inc
  Solidworks Viewer eDrawings Viewer allows viewing of native AutoCAD\AE files (DWG and DXF) and native SolidWorks parts, assemblies, and drawings.
  Created by Solidworks Inc.
  CAD Exchanger Freeware program to convert between the following formats ACIS SAT, IGES, STEP, STL, VRML and Open CASCADE BRep. Work is under-way to include X3D, Parasolid XT, and others.
  Created by Roman Lygin
  Anim8or Free 3D modeling and character animation software. Create figures, sequences, scenes, materials & animations.