Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Adobe Animate
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
Adobe Animate (or Animate CC) supports but replaces the former Adobe Flash, and allows users to design interactive animations for games, TV shows, and the web. With it, the vendor states users can bring cartoons and banner ads to life, create animated doodles and avatars, and add action to eLearning content and infographics. With Animate, users can publish to multiple platforms in many formats, and reach viewers on any screen.
$20.99
per month
AutoCAD
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
AutoCAD is a CAD product from Autodesk. It allows designers to work in 2D and 3D, and is available on Windows and Mac, but with extensive online collaboration tools.
$245
per month
DraftSight
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
DraftSight is a 2D and 3D CAD solution for architects, engineers and construction service providers, as well as professional CAD users, designers, educators and hobbyists. DraftSight lets users create, edit, view, and markup any kind of 2D and 3D DWG file with greater ease, speed, and efficiency. Its familiar user interface helps to facilitate a quick transition from other CAD applications. DraftSight Offerings: DraftSight Professional: the advanced 2D CAD drafting…
$249
per year
Pricing
Adobe AnimateAutoCADDraftSight
Editions & Modules
Annual Plan, Paid Monthly
$20.99
per month
Monthly Plan
$31.49
per month
Annual Plan, Prepaid
$239.88
per year
Monthly Subscription
$245
per month per user
Yearly Subscription
$1975
per year per user
3-Year Subscription
$5925
3 years per user
DraftSight Professional
$249
per year
DraftSight Premium (3D)
$549
per year
DraftSight Enterprise
Contact sales team
DraftSight Enterprise Plus
Contact sales team
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Adobe AnimateAutoCADDraftSight
Free Trial
YesYesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsDraftSight Professional, and Premium are available to purchase online directly. DraftSight Enterprise and Enterprise Plus are available to purchase through local resellers.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Adobe AnimateAutoCADDraftSight
Considered Multiple Products
Adobe Animate
Chose Adobe Animate
It is not easy to talk about software that can be compared as an alternative to Adobe Flash. It all depends on the need and the use that you want. I can recommend doing a thorough analysis of all software that can develop the kind of work you have to do, surely the fact that we …
AutoCAD
Chose AutoCAD
In all honesty, DraftSight is more of an Autocad LT competitor. TurboCAD is pretty decent but has a completely different interface. In the end, Autocad winds up in offices all around the world for three reasons; 1. Name recognition, your boss & the purchasing agents might not …
Chose AutoCAD
DraftSight is a very good complement to Solidworks, it looks a lot like AutoCAD, but my preference for AutoCAD is based more on emotional ties and very pleasant memories, with AutoCAD I have many years of experience, I started there.
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD has been around for over 30 years. AutoCAD was one of the first CAD programs that ran on a PC.
Intergraph ran off a mainframe until MicroStation came in a PC version at a later date. By this time, AutoCAD had a market on smaller companies because of the cost and colleges …
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD is definitely a more robust program than DraftSight. It provides much more stable features and flexibility with configuring the program. The support is much better as well, both from the official Autodesk support but also from community groups online. This is mainly to …
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD is much more stable and comes with 3D capability as standard. DraftSight is less stable and requires the pro version for 3D capability, but it is also 1/4 the price of AutoCAD.
Chose AutoCAD
All of the alternatives above work well if you are starting from scratch and are in the market for new software. DraftSight is no longer free. If you have any legacy AutoCAD drawings you are going to encounter problems as we did. Sometimes old files won't open or save …
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD is the industry benchmark and standard, it is easy to use and understand, the Graphic User Interface is fairly intuitive with icons that make sense, shortcut keys make drawing super fast, blocks prevent or at least limit costly mistakes.
The drawing exchange format (DXF) …
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD is still the top choice although the software subscription is more on the costly side. Time saved on every mouse stroke justifies the value of AutoCAD. After using AutoCAD for a while, other competitors' less expensive copycat versions feel very inefficient and not …
Chose AutoCAD
AutoCAD is the best of the bunch, but the older versions are easier to learn. We choose to stay with AutoCAD because the learning curve to switch to another software product would not be.
DraftSight
Chose DraftSight
The initial cost has AutoCAD LT beat. Draftsight functions similarly, It has been a number of years since using AutoCAD so I don't have the current experience to compare them. We selected Draftsight because, for our small business, it made no financial sense to continue with Aut…
Chose DraftSight
Very capable and at the time, much less computer locking up than AutoCAD. Video introductions with some examples of on-screen commands and how to use them. This was great !!
It was free. The price was right for a one-person business.
Chose DraftSight
Draftsight is so close to the benchmark of AutoCAD it's uncanny. At a glance, it is AutoCAD. Comparing it to TurboCAD, Draftsight for me is far more user friendly, I’m a keyboard shortcutter--Draftsight and AutoCAD keyboard commands are the same. I would rather draw my plans …
Chose DraftSight
DraftSight is very similar to order versions of AutoCAD, so the learning curve was minimal. Of course the language and commands are different; which takes some getting used to. I still have to think "Sheet Mode" and "Model Mode". I haven't really used the 3D capabilities, but …
Chose DraftSight
We selected DraftSight because Autodesk wanted too much money for their LT software. Initially, I was impressed with the seamless integration, I could use the command line just like AutoCAD. As I became more familiar with DraftSight, and also had more exposure, I started to …
Chose DraftSight
Lower price with similar performance and functions. It is extremely easy to use. I have no problem switching between Draftsight and AutoCAD. It saved me some time from learning a new software so that I can focus on the requests/tasks.
Chose DraftSight
Comparisons done with AutoCAD, FreeCAD & LibreCAD. Until DraftSight sales & support address a query raised on more than occasion, I am not willing to recommend full replacement of AutoCAD with DraftSight Pro.
Chose DraftSight
I have used the following CAD programs: VisualCADD, AutoCAD, TurboCAD, SolidEdge 2D, and DesignCAD. I have tried a few others that I didn't like. For me, drawing from scratch, the most efficient program is VisualCADD. No other CAD program I've tried so far have matched it. …
Chose DraftSight
Relatively identical interface to AutoCAD but at a much lower cost.
Chose DraftSight
We have used AutoCAD in the past and it often had extended hang times when working on drawings.
DraftSight has cut that almost completely out, processing and rendering times are so fast.
The cost of DraftSight compared to AutoCAD was also a huge impact for us.
Chose DraftSight
DraftSight is just as good, or better, than AutoCAD. Also at a price that is very competitive. Plus, DraftSight has new features every few releases.
Chose DraftSight
In my opinion, very similar to each other but DraftSight Professional is priced at $299 per year while AutoCAD is priced at $2030 per year. The $1731 savings per year allows for hardware upgrades sooner.
Chose DraftSight
DraftSight does not have some of the features that AutoCAD has, but for most users, they aren't needed. The price difference is a major benefit in favor of DraftSight.
Chose DraftSight
Far simpler to use, and includes many of the same tools as AutoCAD. In our business, the ability to quickly get up and running without a long learning curve is of paramount importance. We are a startup, and don't have a lot of resources, which requires each of us to fill many …
Chose DraftSight
DraftSight offers simple cost-effective options. The ease of use and functionality outweighs all the other products.
It is easy to transfer from the other products as a user, while not offering parametric modelling, it does allow the designer to effectively solve problems that …
Chose DraftSight
Being a user for almost 10 years of DraftSight, the ease of use, the distribution of functions, etc. make switching to another program a bit painful and in need of a learning period.
Chose DraftSight
DraftSight is more simple and very economical to use.
Chose DraftSight
Draftsight has, for our organization, the capability we require that AutoCAD has but without the excessively over-inflated price. We have been using Draftsight for many years. If Draftsight stability and LISP integration were more stable, they could easily take over the DWG/DXF …
Chose DraftSight
overall my favorite since it was free. The interface is friendly and highly customizable, you can find a lot of resources on youtube because it is a widely used software, it has never betrayed me by crashing (and I have been using it for many years). I have no intention of …
Chose DraftSight
We use Draftsight in conjunction with the above products. Some users are primarily reviewing drawings and they use DraftSght while others need the 3D modelers for conceptual work and more detailed analysis.
Features
Adobe AnimateAutoCADDraftSight
Computer-Aided Design Software
Comparison of Computer-Aided Design Software features of Product A and Product B
Adobe Animate
-
Ratings
AutoCAD
6.5
6 Ratings
13% below category average
DraftSight
7.1
6 Ratings
4% below category average
3D Modeling00 Ratings5.06 Ratings7.72 Ratings
2D Drafting00 Ratings9.06 Ratings8.46 Ratings
Rendering and Visualization00 Ratings5.56 Ratings6.33 Ratings
Parametric Design00 Ratings7.16 Ratings7.31 Ratings
Collaboration and Sharing00 Ratings7.66 Ratings7.55 Ratings
Compatibility with other software and formats00 Ratings8.16 Ratings8.46 Ratings
Assembly Design00 Ratings6.06 Ratings7.73 Ratings
Simulation and Analysis00 Ratings4.25 Ratings4.01 Ratings
Documentation and Annotation00 Ratings7.56 Ratings6.96 Ratings
Customization and Extensions00 Ratings5.46 Ratings6.85 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Adobe AnimateAutoCADDraftSight
Small Businesses
Autodesk Maya
Autodesk Maya
Score 8.7 out of 10
Onshape
Onshape
Score 8.3 out of 10
Onshape
Onshape
Score 8.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Blender
Blender
Score 9.2 out of 10
Onshape
Onshape
Score 8.3 out of 10
Onshape
Onshape
Score 8.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Adobe After Effects
Adobe After Effects
Score 9.1 out of 10
Rhino
Rhino
Score 8.3 out of 10
Rhino
Rhino
Score 8.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Adobe AnimateAutoCADDraftSight
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(28 ratings)
7.6
(87 ratings)
9.2
(416 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(3 ratings)
9.1
(23 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(2 ratings)
8.4
(8 ratings)
8.3
(23 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(7 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(6 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
6.9
(13 ratings)
4.7
(15 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(2 ratings)
9.0
(16 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.3
(6 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(4 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.4
(7 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(4 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(5 ratings)
User Testimonials
Adobe AnimateAutoCADDraftSight
Likelihood to Recommend
Adobe
Scenarios where Adobe Animate is well suited:2D animation for web, mobile, and video games: Adobe Animate is well suited for creating 2D animations for web, mobile, and video games. With its vector-based drawing tools, bone rigging, and inverse kinematics features, it's easy to create smooth, scalable graphics and realistic movement.Scenarios where Adobe Animate is less appropriate:Complex 3D animation: Adobe Animate is primarily a 2D animation software, and while it does have some basic 3D features, it is not as robust as specialized 3D animation software like Autodesk Maya or Blender.
Read full review
Autodesk
AutoCAD is the Industry best and standardized software used industry wide. This comes with support of some free to use plugins which can be downloaded form AutoDesk Store. AutoDesk has already nurtured a strong community of Developers, Students and Architects this helps any one new with Forms which help them get integrated with the commiunity very quickly.
Read full review
Dassault Systemes
2D design work
3D design work
Large area (500m²+) analysis and assessment
From product design, including production drawings to lay out of large (10m x 1m footprint) layouts DraftSight is a cost effective solution providing all appropriate interfaces for BIM.
The level of detail during rendering (while it can be slow) is good for visualization and for use in installation and training materials
Read full review
Pros
Adobe
  • The adaptability of what Adobe Animate can do makes it so helpful. You can accomplish something basic like make a ball bob on-screen over certain letters prior to showing your logo, or something more mind-boggling like building up a vivified short to show.
  • Utilizing Adobe Animate recordings on sites is typical, so individuals are accustomed to seeing it and have the essential modules introduced as of now.
  • The records are little, and the pressure is extremely smooth. This aids in the event that you are attempting to send substance to cell phones or essentially keep your site impression little to guarantee quick stacking times.
Read full review
Autodesk
  • The tools are easy to use and the learning curve is fairly minimal to be able to create blueprints.
  • The 3D application is very fun to use and it is nice to be able to see your product instead of having to imagine what it will look like.
  • The speed and accuracy in which students can create plans is a huge bonus. Students can plan their industrial art projects out and use their own set of plans to build them.
Read full review
Dassault Systemes
  • You can easily bring in a dwg format drawing into the programme and it will display the information just as well as AutoCAD.
  • The programme supports shortcut features or one-click buttons for the most commonly used operations.
  • Script files can be used which is a bonus.
Read full review
Cons
Adobe
  • There are too many updates and they are constantly popping up - especially during the middle of a projects, which causes me to shut down the application and restart the program. Wastes time.
  • There is no mobile browser or device support. Limits a lot of projects - especially apps.
  • Flash player can require a lot of RAM and battery
Read full review
Autodesk
  • User Interface Customisation: AutoCAD's user interface could benefit from more robust customisation options. Allowing users to rearrange toolbars, menus, and panels according to their specific workflows and preferences would enhance productivity.
  • Enhanced 3D Modeling Tools: While AutoCAD is capable of 3D modeling, it's not as intuitive or feature-rich as dedicated 3D modeling software. Streamlining the process and adding more advanced modeling tools would be a welcome improvement.
  • Enhanced Collaboration and Version Control: AutoCAD could improve its collaboration tools, such as real-time editing and version tracking, to facilitate smoother teamwork, especially in multi-disciplinary projects.
  • Intelligent Object Libraries: AutoCAD could benefit from an expanded and more intelligent library of standard objects and components. This would save time for designers who often have to create custom components from scratch.
Read full review
Dassault Systemes
  • The text search and replace is very crude and barely works. Needs a major revamping.
  • The layout tabs are very clunky and hard to use. Needs to be fixed.
  • DraftSight will fix a problem in one version, mess it up in another version, then fix it again later on. And so forth, and so forth, and so forth. Very poor software update control.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
Because rarely we [would] rather wait for a whole year to update, sometimes the new updates don't bring many new features and we are still ok with the current version. Also the change of interface is always something that takes time for every partner in the company to get comfortable with. So those are the main reasons we may want to keep the same version.
Read full review
Dassault Systemes
It has given us, a small startup, the ability to compete effectively with far larger competitors by evening the playing field at a low cost.
Read full review
Usability
Adobe
Adobe Animate is difficult to learn because its totally different from the other animation tools but one thing for sure if you want to build a quality on industry standards then Adobe Animate is your knight in shining armour. so using Adobe Animate is easy but you have to spend a lot of time learning it and practicing it. their ui is more like a design software with added keyframes. but if you know your way to work it will be a legend to work with.
Read full review
Autodesk
It is very usable once you understand the program. I believe there is room for improvement in the 2D to 3D modeling capability. We have to use other apps to 3D model and that can be time consuming and sometimes AutoCAD doesn't transfer work that well between apps. They can improve there.
Read full review
Dassault Systemes
Easy if you know how to use CAD software. But is not very difficult to learn using DraftSight if this is your first CAD software. As soon as you get in to it the work flow will save you a lot of time and its simple interface is very nice.
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Reliability and Availability
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
No answers on this topic
Dassault Systemes
Other than a bug created by a VAR tech support that didn't get resolved until I installed the next version, DraftSight has worked fine.
Read full review
Performance
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
No answers on this topic
Dassault Systemes
In general it's very quick to load drawings...now it depends a lot on the file we're opening or working on.
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Support Rating
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
AutoCAD has the issue of crashing or slowing down the design procedure once a heavy design that includes several disciplines or multiple families/blocks is involved. Customer services gets the feedback from the crash reports but this issue seems like it has never been addressed in the software updates past several years.
Read full review
Dassault Systemes
Technical support seems to be overseas with broken English and difficulty to read English. I asked for a trial license to try the fix but it was declined. Ask pratiksha.dahotre and gayatri.keskar for details. In summary, they released a broken version, I helped to fix by providing feedback and error logs. They claimed it is fixed but I can't test it.
Read full review
In-Person Training
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
No answers on this topic
Dassault Systemes
Based on some knowledge of AutoCad, using Draftsight took a short time before I felt comfortable using it.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
the implementation was realy easy , to set up our workstation we pay for the licenses we are about to use , there was a little bit of delay to get the payment processed to receive the serial but after that the install runs without any problem , so you can fell secure there will be not issue with the implementation.
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Dassault Systemes
Take time to get used to where commands are and how the interface can be customized to suit your needs and work style. The keyboard commands are very helpful and can make work more efficient if time is taken to learn them.
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Alternatives Considered
Adobe
Adobe Animate was always the preferred software as the support was much better than the competition. And the ease of rendering was also a deciding factor. Results with character animations are much more crisp with Adobe Animate than in any other 2d based animation software.
Read full review
Autodesk
I use Revit far more than I use AutoCAD. AutoCAD is great for simple linework, but even then I will often create the lines in Revit and then export to AutoCAD for final touches and printing. AutoCAD is a bit easier for large-format prints, which is why I almost always end up using it after starting in Revit.
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Dassault Systemes
While SketchUp is free, DraftSights cost is minimal and its abilities are much greater. It is so much easier to layout and modifies a system design. Since DraftSight is compatible with all versions of CAD, it makes it easy to collaborate with customers on their specific system design. We spend less time and see greater sales on our projects.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
No answers on this topic
Dassault Systemes
It's a typical contract for cad software. It was inexpensive at the time I started. But now the more useful features are on the more premium (priced) version.
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Scalability
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
No answers on this topic
Dassault Systemes
As a startup, we really appreciate scalable software or tools, and because we use it for diverse types of projects, flexibility is key.
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Professional Services
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Autodesk
No answers on this topic
Dassault Systemes
Quite responsive when I have an issue, and with little to no delay in responding. They are professional and know the software so have been able to solve all of the issues that I have had with both using the software and also with making revisions as required. Non-technical issues like invoices have also been resolved quickly.
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Return on Investment
Adobe
  • Negative, anyone who spent time learning the program now feels sad that it's going away.
  • Animation that was done on Flash but can now be made with Toon Boom or even Adobe After Effects.
  • On the plus side, since it's an Adobe product, you can rent it instead of buying the full license. That means potentially people could use it for a little longer without having to shell out as much money.
Read full review
Autodesk
  • AutoCAD has helped our smaller firm produce lots of finished products matching that of a much larger size firm. With its many features, we have been able to do so much more and meet deadlines that much faster.
  • Since we do use AutoCAD, we're able to work with many other engineering firms to collaborate together to complete various building projects.
  • We have many clients now who expect us to provide for them at the end of a project not just printed construction drawings but also the digital AutoCAD drawing so they can in turn use it for future modifications themselves.
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Dassault Systemes
  • Draftsight has been very cost effective, it was free a few years ago then £79 a year, which it still is if you have the standard version. Now the minium level is Profession edition at £159+ VAT per year. Which is still very good value for money, just more that what we currently pay with the standard licences we have.
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ScreenShots

DraftSight Screenshots

Screenshot of Plate InsertScreenshot of Image TraceScreenshot of 2D and 3D DWG filesScreenshot of HomeByMe Integration