Best 3D CAD Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Onshape is ranked #1 of 80 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Rhino 3D and Shapr3D. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Rhino 3D. The lowest first paid tier on this page is SOLIDWORKS at $4/mo.
Designing parts, surfaces, or assemblies calls for different 3D CAD capabilities. Compare modeling method, assembly design, and surface modeling, then consider sheet-metal tools if that work is relevant. Onshape, Rhino 3D, and Shapr3D are among the entries to examine. File import and export can matter when designs move between tools, while cloud collaboration and supported platforms relate to how you work with others and access the software. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing provide further comparison points as you weigh the capabilities and costs against your design tasks.
80 3D CAD software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
7 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OnshapeWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $125/mo | 8.0 | |
| 2 | Rhino 3DWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $95/mo | 7.7 | |
| 3 | Shapr3DWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $24.92/mo | 7.5 | |
| 4 | OwlCADWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 7.4 | |
| 5 | SOLIDWORKSWeb · Windows · Mac | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $4/mo | 7.1 |
| 6 | CATIAWeb · Windows | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 6.9 |
| 7 | build123dWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.9 | |
| 8 | CreoWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 6.8 |
| 9 | Solid EdgeWeb · Windows | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 6.7 |
| 10 | AVEVA E3D DesignWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 6.7 |
| 11 | Hexagon VISIWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 6.7 |
| 12 | FreeCADWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.7 |
| 13 | Ansys SpaceClaimWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 6.6 |
| 14 | Siemens NXWeb · Windows | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 6.5 |
| 15 | Autodesk InventorWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 6.5 |
| 16 | Zenve3DWeb · Mac · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $14.99/mo | 6.5 | |
| 17 | NASSCADWeb · Windows | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 18 | T-FLEX CADWindows · Linux | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 6.3 |
| 19 | Zoo Design StudioWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 6.3 |
| 20 | Autodesk AliasWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 6.2 |
| 21 | OblikovatiWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.2 |
| 22 | nanoCADWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $24.08/mo | 6.2 |
| 23 | Fusion with PowerShapeWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 6.1 |
| 24 | CADDS 5Windows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 6.1 |
| 25 | TopSolid'DesignWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 6.1 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Modeling method | Assembly design |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Onshape | 8.0 | Free plan | $125/mo | Yes | Free | Parametric modeling for solids, surfaces, and sheet metal | Yes |
| 2 | Rhino 3D | 7.7 | Free plan | $95/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 3 | Shapr3D | 7.5 | Free plan | $24.92/mo | Yes | Free | Direct and history-based parametric modeling | — |
| 4 | OwlCAD | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | parametric | Yes |
| 5 | SOLIDWORKS | 7.1 | No | $4/mo | Yes | $2,820/user/mo | — | Yes |
| 6 | CATIA | 6.9 | No | — | — | — | parametric | Yes |
| 7 | build123d | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | parametric | Yes |
| 8 | Creo | 6.8 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 9 | Solid Edge | 6.7 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | AVEVA E3D Design | 6.7 | No | — | — | — | parametric | Yes |
| 11 | Hexagon VISI | 6.7 | No | — | — | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 12 | FreeCAD | 6.7 | No | — | Yes | — | Parametric modeling | — |
| 13 | Ansys SpaceClaim | 6.6 | No | — | — | — | direct | Yes |
| 14 | Siemens NX | 6.5 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 15 | Autodesk Inventor | 6.5 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 16 | Zenve3D | 6.5 | Free plan | $14.99/mo | Yes | — | parametric | — |
| 17 | NASSCAD | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | parametric | Yes |
| 18 | T-FLEX CAD | 6.3 | No | — | Yes | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 19 | Zoo Design Studio | 6.3 | No | — | Yes | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 20 | Autodesk Alias | 6.2 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 21 | Oblikovati | 6.2 | No | — | Yes | — | parametric | Yes |
| 22 | nanoCAD | 6.2 | No | $24.08/mo | Yes | Free | hybrid | Yes |
| 23 | Fusion with PowerShape | 6.1 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 24 | CADDS 5 | 6.1 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 25 | TopSolid'Design | 6.1 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which 3D CAD software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Onshape is ranked #1 of 80 with a score of 8.0. Rhino 3D is second and Shapr3D third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, SOLIDWORKS has the lowest first paid tier we found: $4/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.