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FreeCAD

A parametric 3D CAD modeller.

FreeCAD is a parametric 3D CAD modeller aimed at mechanical design, product design, architecture, and FEM (finite-element method) simulation. Models are built from a feature tree, so changing an early sketch — making a hole 1mm wider, for example — propagates through the entire part and through any assemblies that include it. The same feature-tree approach is the basis of expensive proprietary CAD tools like SolidWorks and Fusion 360.

The application is built on Open CASCADE Technology, the same open-source CAD kernel several other projects use. Workbenches plug in for specific domains: Part Design (parametric solid modelling), Sketcher (constraint-based 2D sketching), Assembly, Path (CNC toolpath generation), Arch (architectural modelling), and FEM (engineering simulation).

FreeCAD development has accelerated in the last few years, with the long-anticipated 1.0 release in 2024. The project is LGPL- licensed and runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS. It is the leading free alternative to proprietary mechanical CAD for makers, hobbyists, and small engineering shops, and is gaining traction even among professional designers who would once have defaulted to a paid tool.

Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt install freecad
Fedora/RHEL:   sudo dnf install freecad
Arch:          sudo pacman -S freecad
macOS:         brew install --cask freecad