TrustRadius Insights
AutoCAD is a versatile software widely used in various industries for its ability to create detailed 2D and 3D models. Many users rely on …
Starting at $245 per month
View PricingOverview
What is AutoCAD?
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.
Recent Reviews
Awards
Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards
Reviewer Pros & Cons
Pricing
Monthly Subscription
$245
On Premise
per month per user
Yearly Subscription
$1975
On Premise
per year per user
3-Year Subscription
$5925
On Premise
3 years per user
Entry-level set up fee?
- No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.autodesk.com/products/autoc…
Offerings
- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Starting price (does not include set up fee)
- $245 per month
Product Demos
AutoCAD 2010 Demo: Block Tables
YouTube
AutoCAD 2010 Demo: 3D Printing
YouTube
Demo AutoCAD 2010 en Español
YouTube
AutoCAD 2010 Demo: PDF Output
YouTube
AutoCAD 2010 Demo: PDF Underlay
YouTube
AutoCAD Architecture 2010 Demo
YouTube
Product Details
- About
- Competitors
- Tech Details
- FAQs
What is AutoCAD?
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.
It can be used to
AutoCAD includes 7 toolsets:
Key Features of AutoCAD 2024 now include:
It can be used to
- Design and annotate 2D geometry and 3D models with solids, surfaces, and mesh objects
- Automate tasks such as comparing drawings, replacing blocks, counting objects, creating schedules, and more
- Create a customized workspace to maximize productivity with add-on apps and API
AutoCAD includes 7 toolsets:
- Architecture toolset
- Mechanical toolset
- Map 3D toolset
- MEP toolset
- Electrical toolset
- Plant 3D toolset
- Raster Design toolset
Key Features of AutoCAD 2024 now include:
- Smart Blocks - Automatically place blocks based on previous placements or quickly find and replace existing blocks
- My Insights - Faster project completion with helpful tips and features from My Insights
- Floating windows - Displays drawing windows side by side or on multiple monitors within the same instance of AutoCAD
- Activity Insights - Keeps the user informed of recent changes to a shared DWG through an activity log
- Drawing History - Comparison of past and present versions of a drawing to see how work has evolved
- Sharing - A controlled copy of a drawing can be sent to teammates and colleagues for viewing or editing from anywhere
- Markup Import and Markup Assist - Imported feedback from paper or PDFs and add changes automatically, without altering an existing drawing
- AutoCAD anytime, anywhere - CAD drawings can be created, edited, and viewed with a browser using AutoCAD on mobile or on web
- Push to Autodesk Docs - CAD drawing sheets can be pushed as PDFs directly from AutoCAD to Autodesk Docs
AutoCAD Videos
Introducing AutoCAD
Introducing AutoCAD 2023
Introducing AutoCAD 2024
AutoCAD Technical Details
| Deployment Types | On-premise |
|---|---|
| Operating Systems | Windows, Mac |
| Mobile Application | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
AutoCAD starts at $245.
Reviewers rate Usability highest, with a score of 8.
The most common users of AutoCAD are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
Comparisons
Compare with
Reviews and Ratings
(546)
Community Insights
TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!
- Business Problems Solved
- Recommendations
AutoCAD is a versatile software widely used in various industries for its ability to create detailed 2D and 3D models. Many users rely on AutoCAD for Bim modeling, specifically for creating 3D models of building services like HVAC, plumbing, and fire protection. Engineers and architects appreciate its features in preparing engineering drawings, such as spool drawings, 2D sheets for construction sites, and detailed connections of plumbing and HVAC. Its ease of use and fast documentation make it a favorite among professionals for managing multiple project drawings.
AutoCAD is highly regarded for its role in architectural and interior projects, allowing designers to create high-quality and easy-to-interpret engineering drawings. Architects, engineers, and designers also utilize AutoCAD to exchange files between teams seamlessly. The software's versatility extends beyond construction-related projects as well; it is used for vehicle turn radius studies, traffic flow analysis, PCB mechanical drawings, panel forms, electrical meter items in 2D, and editing and cleaning up drawings received from customers.
Additionally, AutoCAD plays a primary role in design teams' processes by producing engineering drawings for client approval and construction purposes. It is also extensively used in educational settings to prepare students for their field of study. Its applications reach beyond designing and drafting; AutoCAD is utilized in laser cutting for precise design verification before sending the designs to the laser cutter. With compatibility with other file formats and seamless integration with other Autodesk software packages, AutoCAD has become a staple tool in many organizations across different disciplines.
Users highly recommend AutoCAD for various design purposes, including 2D drawing generation, detailing, plumbing, and electrical plans production. It is particularly recommended for architectural and engineering professionals.
Users suggest considering if AutoCAD is suitable for GIS users and checking its compatibility with other third-party tools. They also highlight that AutoCAD is considered the industry standard for 2D drawings.
Overall, users recommend using AutoCAD due to its extensive capabilities, industry reputation, and suitability for different design tasks.
Attribute Ratings
Reviews
(26-50 of 82)Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
April 01, 2021
AutoCAD, making drawing standardisation easy.
We currently use AutoCAD at my facility only. It is used to make PCB Mechanical drawings and Panel-forms, as well as some electrical meter items mostly in 2D. AutoCAD can be shared with many sub contractors and Assembly partner.
- Using DXF format permits endless sharing.
- Automatically dimension in imperial and metric units.
- Automate Q&A on drawings using custom attributes.
- LISP is hard to grasp.
- Needs some training as some features are not intuitive or easy to use.
We use it to edit and clean up drawings we get from customers that draw projects in Revit. We also use it to draw 2D plans for walk-in customers that want a shed or a house that doesn't get too complicated. It is easier to train new employees on then some other software we have been using.
- Easy to clean up drawings of unwanted layers.
- Great how to videos when you have a question and hover over an icon.
- Easy to use and learn.
- Last but not least, you can get map data to scale when you want to create a site plan.
- Sometimes I would like to delete certain layers that have things drawn on it and it will not let me do that. It would delete the layer and entities on it. A huge thumbs down on that.
April 01, 2021
Long-time AutoCAD users, it just keeps getting better.
AutoCAD is a solid tool in our organization and has been for many years. Many of our customers require an AutoCAD DWG format for the As-Built drawings that we create. We mainly use it for creating blueprints of existing conditions and also new architectural designs.
- Ease of use for us given there is no learning curve after all these years.
- Flexibility to draw and represent what you see.
- Extensive customized block library for creating blueprints.
- There are many commands that are rarely or never used depending upon your industry. It does take some effort to create custom tool bars.
- Dimension styles can be tricky to learn, other programs like Revit are easier in my opinion.
- Navigating in 3D is difficult.
April 01, 2021
AutoCAD does it best
Our firm uses AutoCAD across all 3 of our offices. We mainly use AutoCAD to layout two-dimensional plans for various building design projects. We first implemented the use of AutoCAD over 25 years ago to produce high-quality ink drawings to present to our clients.
- AutoCAD is perfect to use when the graphic representation of objects are shown in multiple drawing locations. Then this graphic can be changed once and all occurrences will be automatically updated.
- Using AutoCAD to draw plans is so much more efficient than drawing by hand. This is especially true when it comes to having to make changes. Everything can be done on the computer. There's no need to redraw or retrace the plan because with one command it's so easy to just make a digital copy of it.
- AutoCAD supports not only two-dimensional drawings but also three-dimensional drawings. With a three dimensional model, a user can actually create walkthrus and flybys of the project instead of having to create a physical model.
- AutoCAD cannot produce a drawing file that contains the needed building information for construction. It only offers various tools to create the needed drawings to communicate the design intent but not more than what is graphically shown.
- Though AutoCAD offers many three-dimensional modeling tools, it is still not efficient. It is very difficult to stretch or modify three-dimensional objects especially after holes have been cut out of the object.
- AutoCAD is missing a very important feature where it can be linked to third party spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel. Currently, there is no option where changes in an Excel spreadsheet can inform AutoCAD how to change the graphic objects to match.
April 01, 2021
AutoCAD is not bad
AutoCAD is used by our design staff only. We use it to construct signal flow diagrams and for building plan overlays.
- Precision
- Industry standard
- Expensive
- Steep learning curve
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
AutoCAD is being used in our engineering department at Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), the largest gas transmission and distribution company in Pakistan.
We prepare 3D models of gas installations and fittings for upgrading and modification assessment. With the help of AutoCAD and its built-in 3D models library time is being saved and we also get the bill of material as per international acceptable codes. For presentation purposes this software also offers animations and rendering.
- Versatility of 3D modeling features available in a single modeling software.
- With the help of cloud rendering we can get the renders quickly even though we don't have high-quality hardware resources for computer.
- It has many output formats which can be exported and used with other software.
- Its animation facility and easy to use functions.
- For oil and gas industry its built-in library misses salient fittings and equipment which I think should be added.
- It requires very high-level hardware resources for big models which I think must be optimized.
- Its cost the is same for a large corporation or small business. I recommend that there should be price slabs for the purpose for which it is being purchased.
March 11, 2020
Outdated but still useful
AutoCAD is used by architects and designers to draw details, review consultants drawings, and to convert files. In general, AutoCAD has been replaced by Revit for the production of large complex document sets, and by Rhino and SketchUp for early conceptual studies. It is still used often for tasks that do not require the BIM complexity of Revit.
- Lots of control over graphic style, line weights, etc
- Easy to use; easy to draw without constraints
- 3D functionality is rudimentary
- Lacking tools for complex geometry.
March 05, 2020
AutoCAD: Nobody does better, but too many bugs!
We use it to design yacht interiors, furniture designs, architectural drawings in general. It works, but has too many crashes.
- Layers management
- Dimensions and annotations
- Layout
- The hatches have always worked badly, there is no tolerance on the closures, everything must be perfect.
- If you attack more than 10 Xref, everything becomes too slow, unmanageable.
- The printing of many layouts, even in the background, is a nightmare. It's too slow, even with very powerful machines, in the AutoCAD engine it can be seen that it does not use the CPU.
- There is no command to block the insertion of objects on zeta equal to 0, or an automatic command that brings an entire design and all its entities to z = 0. Other programs such as Rhinoceros, Microstatio, do have this.
- The management of the scale of the hatches between layout and model is not simple. Most users with experience cannot use it.
- The transition from model to layout is incredibly slow even on €8000 workstations, just like on a € 500 machine.
- Many functions, rewrites in OS X work much better than in Windows.
February 21, 2020
How AutoCAD helps our practice
We use AutoCAD extensively in pour practice. It is generally the most common program entry-level architects are taught in school, so when they arrive here, they have a general understanding and proficiency with it. We generate concepts that can then be converted into 3D presentations by using programs that can integrate with it.
- Ability to make changes quickly.
- Used by our sub-consultants and contractors.
- Some templates are difficult to use.
- Output drawings do not always match screen images.
February 18, 2020
Great design tool for your MEP projects
AutoCAD is used widely in my organization for design and development purposes. It is used to develop drawings for various disciplines such as mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire alarm systems, fire safety, technology, security, etc. It is rarely used to view drawings developed in 3-D view but in some instances comes in handy.
- User friendly interface.
- Ease of commands.
- 3-D view.
- Slow to operate.
February 15, 2020
AutoCAD for 2D Drafters
Currently, AutoCAD is being used throughout my organization across all departments, including architecture, interiors, and construction administration. In the past four years or so, it has slowly been phased out of architecture in favor of other programs like Autodesk Revit and Rhino. However, our interiors department is still using it to do their construction drawings, given their complex geometric design and AutoCADs ability to give the designer more control. It solves our issues of creating drawings when automation does not give the correct information.
- Control Drawings
- Universal Platform across disciplines
- 3D Modeling
- User Interface
January 31, 2020
AutoCAD, the universal standard in CAD drafting
AutoCAD is widely used at my company. It is out main program for CAD drafting. Anything from detailed drawings to very schematic plans.
- Precise line drawings.
- Organization with sheets.
- Freezing with hatching and other tasks.
- Not great for 3D work.
January 15, 2020
Great for 2D!
AutoCAD is being used as the primary program for sending out construction sets and designing residential buildings within the firm. It is a small company, therefore there aren't a whole lot of departments, but it is being used by both the design team and the interior design team. It addresses design and construction problems for everyone on the team.
- Produce construction drawings.
- Lineweights and detailing ability.
- 3D interface.
- Ease of custom page size output.
January 15, 2020
Easy to use and versatile 2D software
We use AutoCAD as our primary 2D software and have been producing drawings and layouts for 30 years with it. It is mainly used in the engineering department, but other departments such as production and inspection use it as a tool to take measurements or produce their own layouts. It provides us with a stable platform to share CAD information between designers, engineers, and manufacturers.
- Stable program without glitches or errors.
- Versatile with other file formats.
- 3D drafting is difficult and it can't compete with bigger 3D modeling software.
- Problems with printing and setting up a plotter for all users to have access to.
January 14, 2020
AutoCAD for Fire Suppresion
AutoCAD is being used currently by our in house design team. Whether it be through BIM coordination, uploading models to our project management software or working through models as a group, AutoCAD has a primary function for our design team to complete the design for a Fire Suppression System.
- All encompassing tool for designers to see and dissect models.
- Is useful for Civil, Mechanical and Electrical systems.
- It requires good training to get used to the tools.
- Most problems cannot be solved through online help, but must schedule a time to meet with customer service.
October 28, 2019
AutoCAD, gets the job done
AutoCAD is used for floor drawings for our asbestos and lead inspections and abatement projects. It is also used for our engineering department for remediation design plans and to show where soil and groundwater contamination is expected on a site. We also use AutoCAD for Soil Management Plans, our Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Inspections.
- Allows for different layers to be turned on and off which allows more efficient drawing times.
- Allows a border to be created that can be carried out onto multiple layouts, so when information is changed or added to the template, it is changed and matches all the other layouts so you save time when creating multiple drawings.
- Can change the color of a layer which will change everything in that layer, so you don't have to go through and change objects one by one.
- Making page setup/changing a page layout easier would be nice, now it is a challenge to change a page layout.
- Switching from layers, turning layers on and off from the drop down option is frustrating because once you click on a layer to turn it on, the drop down box goes away, so you have to reclick on it, then find our layer again and continue what you are trying to do. Would be nice if the drop down box stayed open until you clicked outside of the drop down box.
September 20, 2019
The Industry Standard
Teaching students how to utilize software for both large projects and rapid prototyping. Developing skills that can be utilized in the real world. All students pursuing a career in engineering should definitely know how to use AutoCAD software, not only for personal use but as a skill to use for their company.
- Great at creating cross sectional views of a wide variety of parts, showing both consumers and employees the design.
- AutoCAD can be used to make creations for games, movies, but most importantly, the professional industry.
- Many detailed and specific tools in AutoCAD allow one to easily create complex geometry and surfaces to help rapidly model creations.
- Ease of isometric designing
- Circle Creation Tool not performing as the user may want
September 12, 2019
AutoCAD review from a casual user
AutoCAD is used on a per case basis as required for an event. Typically as a business, we use 3D modeling software and pull AutoCAD out when complex 3D designs need to be completed more accurately. I prefer to design and measure in AutoCAD and export out for fancier rendering requirements. AutoCAD is a great design tool when accuracy is required.
- Architectural design.
- System flow design.
- Material design and application.
- The user interface has an extremely steep learning curve.
- Blocks/symbols integration is sometimes hard to understand.
- Limited material database.
July 18, 2019
AutoCAD Review
AutoCAD is used on all projects that are not utilizing Autodesk Revit, which is the standard across the organization. It also used in some design workflows.
- It keeps the production workflow streamlined compared to BIM tools.
- It simplifies file management with the use of XREFS.
- Versatile with its file compatibility with other programs and platforms.
- Advertises support for Microsoft SharePoint and OneDrive but does not actually function with either due to .dwl and .dwl2 files preventing sync.
- Product does not introduce many new compelling additional features with every yearly iteration.
- Due to designed-in file incompatibility between every few releases, a subscription is essentially required rather than the older perpetual license model.
Our BIM department uses AutoCAD for Revit Backgrounds that we receive from other contractors as well as backgrounds for our robotic total station tablet. AutoCAD is NOT our main modeling software. We typically only use it because of other firms/contractors have not made the switch to Revit yet and because our tablet does not accept Revit as an acceptable file format for backgrounds.
- AutoCAD was a great software program for construction in the past. There are some trades that are still using it because the add ons they use are still rooted in AutoCAD.
- It works great for our RTS backgrounds. If we tried to use a Revit file it would be a HUGE file and bog down our tablet
- AutoCAD has so many customization capabilities you can really set it up to so that is able to be used exactly how you need it to be.
- AutoCAD is very likely to crash if you attempt to rotate a 3D view rapidly. Once the views are set you can zoom and pan but rotate is a sure thing to have the program crash.
- It is a program that was great in it's day and still has some uses but Revit is MADE for construction and has a lot of advantages over AutoCAD
June 23, 2019
AutoCAD for the drawings
AutoCAD is being used by our organization to produce engineering drawings for client approval and construction purposes. It is only being used by the drafting department, where all the engineers pass on their project details to get their ideas on paper. The business problem autoCAD addresses is the ability to provide formal documentation that is of a quality standard to the client.
- 2D Engineering drawings.
- Has a great ability to reference other documents within a drawing.
- The ability to export the final drawing for client approval.
- File size limitation for embedded objects.
- User interface and customization.
June 09, 2019
Stay away from AutoCAD if you can help it
Score 1 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
AutoCAD is the basic program used to create blueprints for designs.
- Clean, crisp sheets.
- The "basic" command line is a little cumbersome to get used to, but then very handy.
- Plotting. First of all, it's printing. Everything is cumbersome about this. From the many dozen of sheet sizes, scrolling to find your sheet size, the 10-12 steps you need to do to print, er, plot. It's absolutely insane.
- The MANY, MANY errors. Not copying all the elements of objects you copy--often just leaves out bits and pieces of your drawing. Very difficult to draw curves.
- Errors. All the time there are errors. The latest seems to be the license times out. Then, contacting help is impossible. You often need to book a call a day in advance meaning an entire lost day of productivity.
May 25, 2019
What happen with the Drafting Board?
I've been teaching AutoCAD for over 30 years at the College of Southern Nevada. My students learn multiple disciplines to prepare them for their field of study.
- Autodesk listens to users for improvements. AUGI submits a yearly wish list for improvements.
- Backward compatibility. You can save drawings to most versions that have been around for over 15 years.
- Can also save or export to multiple formats.
- Multi-discipline
- AutoCAD can be used for most engineering.
- Cost
- Keeping up with the changes.
- 3D editing is a challenge
May 02, 2019
Review for AutoCAD
I have been using AutoCAD for my research at Iowa State University. I used it for making 2D and 3D sketches of various things for which I later carried out finite element analysis. I used it to make buildings, towers and poles.
- It has very good graphical user interface.
- It has very good forums and help sections.
- It gives you complete control over what you want to draw.
- One can also code and draw sketches in it.
- I think the help section could be improved.
- For a beginner, there is a learning curve. Video tutorials can help combat this problem.
- Other than this, I find that this software is really powerful and useful.
AutoCAD has been used for almost all of the engineering departments in my universities. Most of us use it for sketching and designing mechanical components, building and bridge structures, and other industrial components. It has been used for both 2D and 3D modeling.
- AutoCAD has a full list of functions in modeling and its interface is user-friendly. All functions can be completed by just clicking, no coding experience is needed.
- Since most engineers use AutoCAD drawings to do finite element analysis for post-processing the mechanic components or structures, AutoCAD drawings can be imported to mostly-used commercial finite element analysis software.
- AutoCAD has been widely used in the industry, plenty of tutorials are available online for users to learn.
- Since in the University, we have been using the education version of AutoCAD, printed drawings are labeled as educational drawings, which do not look professional especially when we use and report the drawings to project committees.
- AutoCAD uses lots of RAM on my computer which slows the speed of the computer. If two or more AutoCAD windows open, the computer is easy to freeze.