Item: FreeCAD
Rating: 8
Author: Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with FreeCAD

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

FreeCad is a free-to-use 3D computer-aided design suite that has improved over the last few years. At my organization, I use FreeCad mainly for the analytics it offers, which are awesome. I have compared its results with those of SW to find that they are very close. I don't use FreeCad for modeling or designing as I feel there are better tools for that, namely Onshape, SOLIDWORKS, or Inventor.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Finite element analysis.
Being free.
It is very flexible and customizable with Phyton.

Cons

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.

Return on Investment

I have been able to secure projects just because I can provide the customer with a resistance analysis that guarantees the system is safe to work.

Usability

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.

Alternatives Considered

Onshape, SOLIDWORKS, Solid Edge, Autodesk Inventor and Blender

Free Cad is still behind the big guys of CAD systems, but it is understandable being a free product developed by the community, which is, in fact, awesome. As I said before, it's a powerful software that needs the user to be well-trained to produce good results in good time. Otherwise, it becomes frustrating to use. Where it shines, according to me, is in the FEA analysis module; it blows my mind to be able to do it for free.

Key Insights

Do you think FreeCAD delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with FreeCAD's feature set?

Yes

Did FreeCAD live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of FreeCAD go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy FreeCAD again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Onshape, Blender, DaVinci Resolve, FactoryTalk by Rockwell Automation, Studio 5000

Likelihood to Recommend

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.

FreeCAD Feature Ratings

Evaluating FreeCAD and Competitors

Products Replaced

Yes - It replaced the need for a FEA analysis module for SOLIDWORKS or any other CAD software. It simply delivers what's needed, and it's free.

Key Differentiators

Other

It saves you money by letting you analyze FEA without buying expensive software and FEA modules.

Evaluation Lessons Learned

As far as I know, there are no other options when talking about free-to-use FEA tools, so to me, there was no selection process; I went straight to the software. For CAD design, though, I wouldn't use it unless it's well-polished and easy to use. At this point, it lags behind industry leaders.

Comments

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Great free software that has room to improve.