Side by side
CADian vs OpenCAD
Both stand on 2d 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 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 CADian Free trial Self-hostedWeb
OpenCAD combines a broad 2D toolset with DXF roundtripping, layer controls, and self-hosting. Buyers needing native DWG should note that DWG export uses ODA File Converter instead.
Visit OpenCADThe facts
| CADian | OpenCAD | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | A free trial | A free trial |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Windows | Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | See the plans | OpenCAD: $5 a month |
| Plans published | 6 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | cadian.com | opencad.dev |
| On 2d cad software | #30 of 41 | #34 of 41 |
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
OpenCAD: what it does well
- 39 drawing and editing tools
- DXF roundtrip support preserving 24 entity types
- MIT-licensed and self-hostable
- Layer visibility, locks, colors, and isolation
- 30-day trial without a credit card
What to know first
- No native DWG support
- Paid plan costs $5 a month
- CivilAL modules target civil engineering workflows
Alternatives to CADian Alternatives to OpenCAD The whole list