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AutoCAD

AutoCAD

Overview

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.

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Recent Reviews

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 …
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AutoCAD Review

10 out of 10
October 26, 2023
AutoCAD is one of the most used software for desigining and and preparing the civil Engineering design in my firm. As of AutoCAD I use it …
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A review of AutoCAD

9 out of 10
September 18, 2023
We use AutoCAD for 2D drafting, and creating drawing deliverables for multiple clients. We import data from other engineering/design …
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Well oriented tool

8 out of 10
December 27, 2021
This is one of the best software for preparing engineering drawings. It has many features for preparing drawings for clients. 1. Preparing …
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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

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Pricing

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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
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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
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Product Details

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
  • 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 Competitors

AutoCAD Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows, Mac
Mobile ApplicationNo

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.

ZWCAD, BricsCAD, and FreeCAD are common alternatives for AutoCAD.

Reviewers rate Usability highest, with a score of 8.

The most common users of AutoCAD are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

View all alternatives
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Reviews and Ratings

(549)

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!

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

(1-2 of 2)
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April 01, 2021

AutoCAD is not bad

Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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
AutoCAD is the undisputed industry standard for architectural or engineering work. It does exactly what you think it would.
  • To compete in this industry AutoCAD is a necessity.
Our design engineers have their choice of software to work with and never once was AutoCAD not part of this.
3
System Design
1
The willingness to watch youtube videos to learn all functions
  • Audio system design
  • Video system design
  • Network design
  • Fabrication
  • Front Face design
No other software fills the need as of yet
Yes
It replaced Bluebeam for technical drawings
  • Product Reputation
  • Prior Experience with the Product
It is the standard for a reason. All other products are a copy and not quite the same experience.
I would get a bundle deal with revit instead of two separate license
  • Implemented in-house
No
Change management was minimal
  • learning curve
  • Easier programs available for some function
  • stubbornness
Youtube is your friend for learning this software
We have had minimal support issues and the few that have come up were handled appropriately and in a timely manner.
We have had very few reasons for added support. We have not found it to be a need.
No
In my years of using the software we have never really had a support needed. I prefer this over exceptional support.
Big learning curve but worth it.
  • Precision
  • Pro results
  • Interoperability with Autodesk world
  • Learning Curve
  • Set up
  • Profesional type interface a little difficult to get used to
Yes
I have only briefly played with. I could not use for what I do
August 30, 2017

Autocad Pros And Cons

Nelson David Sanchez Villasmil | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Autocad has been a primary tool for the office. With it, we are able to coordinate the various engineering specialties with an architectural project via the implementation of the Xref feature. We send architectural drawings to engineers and contractors and they send back the mechanical, electrical and structural drawings. And then we can compile all that info to start the bidding and construction process.

It is being used by the project department only because we have the knowledge to manage the software but the entire company bases the process on the drawings created in autocad. We print drawings for contractors and all the billing and accounting have direct relation with what comes out of autocad.
  • Manage extremely exact details and measures.
  • Also have the possibility to work in 3D space.
  • You can coordinate entire construction drawing documentation.
  • It has features to work on the cloud.
  • It has features to manage very large projects.
  • It requires good training to get used to the tools.
  • As it is very exact software, to draw a line is a process which involves around 3 actions and can be long to finish a building project.
  • To improve the rendering quality
For precision AutoCAD is the one; for quick work or presentation, it is not the best. If the requirement is to work with another contractor, it is good to use AutoCAD because it is an industry standard and [it's in] the majority of the construction offices. If the intention is to do project visualization it is not the [right] tool. AutoCAD is exceptional if you need precision and the ability to coordinate with other offices.
  • It is very positive the have the precision to avoid any bad measures.
  • It has a very high return because it is the tool that can manage all the info for a construction. Without it may be impossible to complete any project in these highly technological times.
  • The only negative I can see is that training is required to make it productive.
Revit is great but not all offices use it, so we pick autocad because it is a standard for every office and for the construction industry. eTakeoff is great to do measures of a project but it doesn´t manage any drawings so again that is way autocad the standout of all these. It is a standard and it is precise.
8
the main functions are for architectural project visualization, viewing, and printing. We are a construction company and we receive many Dwg files from many architectural and engineering companies. So with that, we are able to coodinate all the construction process, from takeoff to buyouts. If it is required we use the drawing capabilities to coordinate all the change requests and do a follow up on that information.
9
To work with Autocad, personally, I think that is always a good idea be organized in the way of work. If working in coordination with other companies it is required to have skills on the usage of Xref. For creating an architectural drawing it is required to have skills in the architectural space (planning, details, line weight and that kind of stuff). Finally, the most important are to get used to autocad commands and its core functionability.
  • Drawings reviews and printing
  • Architectural and engineer companies project coordination
  • We create the buyout from autocad drawings
  • For creating a base 3D and afterward we refine it in Revit.
  • We scale the PDF drawing from other companies to be able to take measures from PDFs
  • We would like to start working with AutoCAD on the cloud
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.
No
  • Product Features
  • Product Usability
  • Product Reputation
The most important factors are the features, usability, and reputation. With this I want to say that the majority of the construction companies use it, which gives a highly rated reputation and its features for milimetric details handling and accurate drawing documentaton is a standard for all construction companies.
To be honest I think my evaluation and selection process won't change because with an objective analysis of the fact you will get to the same answer; it does what it does and that will also stay the same. So with that being said it is not logical to be changing the evaluation and selection process.
  • Implemented in-house
  • licesing
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.
To be honest I give this rating because when looking for support they have always been very kind and effective in solving the issue. But in some cases there has been a lack of support feedback. But I think that also the issues were not common. So there it felt like a little neglect on the support, but again those were minor cases.
Yes
I have been reporting several bugs or software crashes, but with that I'm not highly satisfied. Those are related to the programing section of the software and they used to take care of bugs on updates and patches. So those are not created so quickly. So to me it is more than understandable not having a solution very quickly.
Autodesk provided exceptional support for this product for the licensing issues and for any reinstall or issues regarding the software function. I can say that you can be very sure that when using an Autodesk product and AutoCAD you will not have any problems running the program and licenses. This will be 100% satisfying.
  • Drawing exact lines
  • Measuring areas
  • Coordinating specialties
  • complex booleans
  • renderings high quality
  • the xref is a complex workflow
Yes
is a really good an , i have test it on an iphone ios system , and it works very well for reviewing plans and projects , it also depends wich media are you using , in my case on an iphone 5s is not that much what i can do , but is always good and productive to be able to visualize on the go.
Is an extremely usefull and accurate software , yo certainly can do almost every task requiered to document a project drawings and specifications , the only is that to be confortable with it you need a little of practice and to be familiarized with the commands and the core functioning to get expected results.
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