Autodesk Civil 3D vs. FreeCAD

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Civil 3D
Score 9.3 out of 10
N/A
Autodesk's Civil 3D is a computer aided design (CAD) application designed to support a variety of civil infrastructure projects including rail, roads and highways, land development, airports, drainage, storm and sanitary, and civil structures.
$335
per month
FreeCAD
Score 7.9 out of 10
N/A
FreeCAD is an open-source CAD software that specialized in 3D design. New features are added to FreeCAD by an active community of developers.N/A
Pricing
Autodesk Civil 3DFreeCAD
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Civil 3DFreeCAD
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsCan be licensed monthly ($305), Annually ($2,430), or every 3 years ($6,560).Available free for one year on a student license.
More Pricing Information
Features
Autodesk Civil 3DFreeCAD
Computer-Aided Design Software
Comparison of Computer-Aided Design Software features of Product A and Product B
Autodesk Civil 3D
-
Ratings
FreeCAD
7.4
1 Ratings
4% above category average
3D Modeling00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
2D Drafting00 Ratings6.01 Ratings
Rendering and Visualization00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Parametric Design00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Collaboration and Sharing00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Compatibility with other software and formats00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Assembly Design00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Simulation and Analysis00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Documentation and Annotation00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Customization and Extensions00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Autodesk Civil 3DFreeCAD
Small Businesses
Revit
Revit
Score 9.1 out of 10
Onshape
Onshape
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Revit
Revit
Score 9.1 out of 10
Onshape
Onshape
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Revit
Revit
Score 9.1 out of 10
Rhino
Rhino
Score 8.7 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Autodesk Civil 3DFreeCAD
Likelihood to Recommend
9.7
(7 ratings)
8.0
(2 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Autodesk Civil 3DFreeCAD
Likelihood to Recommend
Autodesk
Well suited:
  1. Simple and self-explanatory user interface.
  2. Inter usability between other software such as MicroDrainage and Bentley CivilStorm.
  3. Autodesk customer service.
  4. Easily customizable.
Not suitable: The software is still very resource intensive on the machines and often crashes when too much data is being shown. Though significant improvements have been made in other Autodesk software like Revit, older applications like AutoCAD and C3D seem to be stuck on old, inefficient source codes.
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FreeCAD
I see FreeCad as the perfect solution for a startup with limited resources that want to save as much as possible and doesn't mind using non-standard 3D CAD software, i.e., it's not required by customers to use specific software for compatibility. It's perfect for hobbyist use and makers who don't care about brands and pay monthly fees. I see it as very well suited for small businesses that need FEA (finite element analysis) and can't/don't want to pay huge amounts of money for it, just like us. I see FreeCad as less appropriate for big corporations or well-established businesses that need standardized solutions, compatibility with clients or good version management. Don't get me wrong, it can get the job done, but it will be much slower than state-of-the-art CAD systems.
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Pros
Autodesk
  • Ease of functionality
  • Templates make design and drawings easier to complete
  • The ability to design and setup drawings simultaneously, where the drawings will be updated as the design is updated should there be changes
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FreeCAD
  • Importing CAD formats
  • Converting mesh formats to solid and surface objects geometry
  • Fixing errors in geometry cad
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Cons
Autodesk
  • The processing of huge sized files in such in big projects, the delay of opening a sheet in Civil3D would burn time
  • Sometimes, it crashes while opening or processing
  • The vast number of tools and functions which make it difficult to use at times hence decent amount of training may be required
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FreeCAD
  • Overall, the UI feels very old and non-polished.
  • There are some quirky behaviors, like being unable to select a plane by having the cursor over it; it has to be over the edges of the plane.
  • It's overwhelming having those many modules and options for doing things that appear to be similar.
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Usability
Autodesk
No answers on this topic
FreeCAD
Usability is awkward. Perhaps if you learn it as your first CAD, it will feel OK. Still, it comes from commercial CAD products like mine (Onshape, Solid Works, Inventor, Solid Edge). You will feel it is less intuitive, with a less polished UI, difficult to customize and, this is a subjective one, less serious. I'd love to see it improve the usability and UI. I believe the engine behind it is powerful, but how you interact with the software is still lacking.
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Support Rating
Autodesk
They have a vast open community, which has helped us understand Autodesk Civil 3D from the beginning. They have provided many templates and tutorials videos to our team due to that we can learn every new feature from them. Autodesk Civil 3D has also helped us to interconnect all its software in an internal bridge, which helps us switch between software as we need.
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FreeCAD
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Autodesk
Nothing compares to the ease of learning for Autodesk Civil 3D. It is very intuitive and easy to pick up. However, most DOTs require the use of MicroStation for roadway and transportation modeling. Autodesk Civil 3D does NOT integrate well with GIS or Bentley products. However, most aviation jobs and land development firms use the software and most students learn to model on a student trial of the software.
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FreeCAD
Freecad is used often when receiving files from multiple sources and the need to work with cad in various forms from meshes to solid cad. Often when receiving scans of 3d objects the format is easy to work with and convert to traditional cad later on. There is no other cad that can bridge the gap between all the cad formats that we found yet.
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Return on Investment
Autodesk
  • Possibility to analyze different scenarios of underground infrastructure design
  • Fast material volumes and quantities reports
  • Easiest way to achieve BIM mandate's objectives
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FreeCAD
  • It has allowed us to do some cad work that no other systems has allowed us to do and is key to getting that done fast
  • It has lots of online support through forums and blogs for trouble shooting
  • It could have an updated interface to make the functionality more user friendly for first time users
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ScreenShots

Civil 3D Screenshots

Screenshot of Civil 3D - Infrastructure Software from AutodeskScreenshot of Civil 3D - Rail Alignments