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DraftSight

DraftSight

Overview

What is DraftSight?

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…

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Recent Reviews

Easy to Share

10 out of 10
December 18, 2023
Our company uses DraftSight to layout systems for our customers. This allows our customers to see a professional representation of how …
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TrustRadius Insights

DraftSight is a versatile and user-friendly 2D CAD tool that is highly valued by organizations across industries. Users find it to be a …
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DraftSight Review

9 out of 10
June 01, 2023
Handle customer graphic requirements of customers accurately and efficiently as it makes it easier to manage and share graphic files. we …
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Overpowered

10 out of 10
December 09, 2022
I have used AutoCAD for over 5 years. My company uses Draftsight as an alternative of AutoCAD sometimes. It is way less expensive with …
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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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DraftSight Professional

$249

On Premise
per year

DraftSight Premium (3D)

$549

On Premise
per year

DraftSight Enterprise

Contact sales team

On Premise

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttp://www.draftsight.com/BuyProfession…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Demos

DraftSight Demo Video

YouTube

DraftSight Demo (Engelsk)

YouTube

3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight Demo

YouTube
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Product Details

What is DraftSight?

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 solution with time-saving functionalities and an API to help bring designs to life quickly and easily. Ideal for companies, individuals and designers.
  • DraftSight Premium (3D): a robust 2D drafting and 3D design experience with full 3D capabilities and constraints features to help meet any drafting, modeling, prototyping, manufacturing, laser cutting and 3D printing needs. Created for individuals, designers, companies, manufacturers and makers.
  • DraftSight Enterprise and Enterprise Plus: a comprehensive 2D drafting and 3D design solution created to meet various drafting, modeling, prototyping, manufacturing, laser cutting, and 3D printing requirements. Designed for large organizations with many users or multiple sites.

DraftSight Screenshots

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

DraftSight Video

DraftSight: A Better 2D Drafting and 3D Design Experience

DraftSight Integrations

  • GEOVIA Surpac
  • SOLIDWORKS PDM
  • SOLIDWORKS Electrical
  • 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

DraftSight Competitors

DraftSight Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows, Linux, Mac
Mobile ApplicationNo
Supported LanguagesEnglish, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese-Brazilian, Turkish, Russian

Frequently Asked Questions

SketchUp, TurboCAD, and AutoCAD LT are common alternatives for DraftSight.

Reviewers rate Availability highest, with a score of 8.7.

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

View all alternatives
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Reviews and Ratings

(1339)

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!

DraftSight is a versatile and user-friendly 2D CAD tool that is highly valued by organizations across industries. Users find it to be a cost-effective solution for a wide range of design and drafting needs. It is particularly suitable for creating and exchanging files with other companies and professionals, making it an ideal choice for collaboration in the furniture industry. Design teams appreciate DraftSight's simplicity and power, as it allows them to collaborate on the creation of new products, improving speed and focus. The software has also been instrumental in various charity projects, such as designing and rebuilding a temple. Engineering departments rely on DraftSight for electrical and mechanical design, taking advantage of its performance and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, DraftSight is widely used as a replacement for AutoCAD in the transition to SolidWorks, enabling quick and easy modification of existing drawings. The software caters to a diverse range of applications, from generating geometry for CAM files to performing geometric layouts for inspection or small construction projects. It is also favored by users for build floor plan layouts, partnering with molding companies, verifying client or vendor drawings, and even creating aircraft floorplans. Users appreciate DraftSight's simplicity, power, and ability to open and edit designs of all kinds while serving as a cost-effective alternative to more expensive software options. Whether it is designing tooling or creating shop floor drawings, DraftSight proves to be reliable for daily tasks and future designs. Furthermore, drafting departments benefit from DraftSight's compatibility with common 2D file formats and its ability to handle technical aspects effectively when preparing 2D CAD drawings for customers provided by vendors. The software is also recommended for architectural projects with no issues, the design and development of engineering projects, the creation of system block diagrams and schematic development, manufacturing drawings, custom drawings conversion from Gerber data into DXF format, mechanical design layouts, die-making models, CNC programming models as well as creating and reviewing basic 2D drawings within the organization. DraftSight is highly valued for its simplicity, affordability, and compatibility with different file types, making it a perfect fit for microbusinesses and individual users. Users appreciate its efficiency in creating professional-grade detailed drawings while reducing installation problems. Moreover, DraftSight's API is utilized for extracting details from drawings and creating BOMs. Cabinet design and construction benefit from using DraftSight, leading to improved manufacturing accuracy and reduced installation issues. The software is relied upon as primary 2D CAD software for creating and

Cost-effectiveness: Many users have praised DraftSight for being an economical option compared to similar CAD software, making it a cost-effective choice for small businesses. Some reviewers have mentioned that the affordability of DraftSight played a significant role in their decision to choose it over other options.

Stability and performance: Users consistently mention that DraftSight is stable and reliable, with no crashes or technical issues. Several reviewers have specifically highlighted the software's stability, noting that they have not experienced any crashes while using it. This aspect has greatly contributed to the positive sentiment surrounding DraftSight.

Compatibility with AutoCAD: The ability of DraftSight to open both old and new DWG/DXF files has been highly appreciated by users. Many AutoCAD users feel that this feature makes the transition to DraftSight seamless and efficient. Additionally, several reviewers praise the inclusion of commonly used AutoCAD commands in DraftSight, which further enhances its compatibility with industry-standard drawing file types.

Confusing User Interface: A significant number of users have expressed frustration with DraftSight's user interface, finding it confusing and experiencing difficulties while completing tasks. They feel that the layout and organization of features could be improved to enhance usability.

Crude Text Search and Replace Function: Users have criticized the text search and replace function in DraftSight, describing it as crude and barely functional. Many users find it difficult to perform accurate searches or efficiently replace text within their documents.

Issues with Software Updates: Several users have voiced their dissatisfaction with DraftSight's update control. They claim that although updates address certain problems, new issues are introduced in later versions. This inconsistency affects user experience and undermines confidence in the software's stability.

Users have made several recommendations for DraftSight based on their experiences. The most common recommendations include shopping around for options in 2D CAD software. Users suggest exploring different options available in the market before deciding on DraftSight. This recommendation highlights the importance of evaluating different tools to find the best fit for specific needs or preferences.

Another recommendation is to utilize the free trial of DraftSight. Users recommend taking advantage of the free trial offered by DraftSight. This allows potential users to test the software's capabilities and determine if it meets their requirements before making a purchase.

Users also recommend using DraftSight for beginners, students, small businesses, and hobbyists. Several users have recommended DraftSight as an ideal choice for individuals or organizations with limited budgets or less complex drafting needs. This cost-effective solution is often suggested for beginners, students, small businesses, and hobbyists who want to perform 2D CAD tasks without investing heavily in high-end software.

These recommendations highlight the flexibility and affordability of DraftSight as an alternative to AutoCAD. Users also emphasize the importance of checking hardware requirements and testing all functionality before implementing the software. Additionally, tutorials are suggested as a time-saving resource when working with DraftSight, particularly for editing legacy DWG files. Overall, these recommendations present DraftSight as a lightweight and low-cost option comparable to other drafting software available in the market.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 345)
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December 18, 2023

Easy to Share

James Bryan Palmer | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
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.
Darryle Ziegler, CTS-D, CTS-I | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
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.
This was a huge savings on our operating costs because we are a small company.
Scott Gold | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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. DraftSight comes in second. In terms of performance versus cost.
Mark Horton | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 4 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
SOLIDWORKS is incredibly difficult to learn and very cumbersome for complete industrial plant design. Much faster to draw 2D in DraftSight or AutoCAD.
Score 1 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
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.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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.
December 09, 2022

Overpowered

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
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.
September 27, 2022

Cheap software

Score 1 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
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 see, in my opinion, irritating differences and some very buggy behavior. Often the support boilerplate answer is to reload the software.
Uday Singh | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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 roles.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
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 I understand that they are a bit clunky. My org selected DraftSight because of price point. Great functionality for $150! Autodesk wanted $800 for a license.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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 market. My biggest issue with Draftsight is that previouis versions of Draftsight used LISP files better than the newest versions. I have one LISP routine I use all the time that just wont work in newer version and crashes Draftsight.
Daryl Garner-Savory | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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 and designs in Draftsight than any other package for 2D.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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 changing it.
Glen Morgan | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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.
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