Side by side
Alibre Design vs CADian
Both stand on engineering cad software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free trial APISelf-hostedWindows
Alibre Design combines mechanical modeling, drawings, sheet-metal tools, rendering, and automation, with a 30-day Design Expert trial. It is Windows-only, and buyers should note that STL export does not include opening or editing those files.
Visit Alibre Design Free trial Windows
CADian provides Windows CAD drafting with broad DWG compatibility and separate Classic and Professional capabilities. Choose carefully between the 2D-only Classic limits and Professional features such as 3D and LISP.
Visit CADianThe facts
| Alibre Design | CADian | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | A free trial | A free trial |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Self-hosted, Windows | Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | See the plans | See the plans |
| Plans published | 4 | 6 |
| Maker | Alibre Design | Not published |
| Website | alibre.com | cadian.com |
| On engineering cad software | #12 of 27 | #16 of 27 |
Alibre Design: what it does well
- Model changes update drawing views and annotations
- Sheet-metal tools generate flat patterns
- Built-in rendering supports CPU or GPU
- Alibre Script uses Python
- Customer design files remain on the user's machine
What to know first
- Runs on Microsoft Windows only
- Cannot open or edit STL files
- Regular licenses need periodic internet access
- Design Expert trial lasts 30 days
CADian: what it does well
- Bidirectional DWG compatibility
- Supports 2D and 3D in Professional
- LISP and utilities in Professional
- DXF, PDF underlay, and batch printing
- 30-day Classic trial
What to know first
- Windows 64-bit only
- Classic plans are 2D only
- Classic excludes LISP and third-party products
- Paid plans start at $260 a year
Alternatives to Alibre Design Alternatives to CADian The whole list