ABViewer vs CAD Viewer

ABViewer lets users view, edit, measure, convert, and print CAD files, 3D models, and raster images. It supports CAD, vector, 3D, complex, raster, and archive formats including DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES, PDF, STL, SVG, and ZIP. For 2D drawings, users can manage layers, blocks, dimension and text styles, snapping, comments, and markups. Measurement tools cover 3D distances, face heights, surface areas, and curvilinear edge radii, with section-view creation. Conversion options include STL, OBJ, DWG/DXF, supported 2D formats, and STEP or SAT/SAB export for parametric models. The software can generate CNC G-code from 2D drawings. Enterprise adds PDF-to-DWG/DXF conversion, batch conversion and printing, file comparison, and command-line features. ABViewer runs on Linux and Windows; Windows downloads include 32-bit and 64-bit version 16 builds. A free 30-day trial is available. Paid options include subscriptions and lifetime licenses. Professional user licensing starts at $30 a month, billed every three months.

CAD Viewer is a free, open-source browser WebGL runtime for viewing and editing DWG and DXF drawings. It displays model space, layouts, layers, blocks, and external references. Write mode supports creating, editing, and deleting drawing entities with AutoCAD-style commands. Review tools place arrows, text, clouds, rectangles, circles, and callouts over a read-only drawing background. Measurement tools cover distance, area, angle, and arc length, with results exportable as a JSON sidecar file. The product can export a self-contained HTML viewer for offline use with pan, zoom, layers, and distance measurement; exports can be password- and expiry-protected. Full-viewer examples include HTML and PDF export, while the simple viewer offers lazy-loaded HTML, PDF, and SVG plugins. Parsing and rendering occur on the client, and drawings are not uploaded, cached, or mirrored to a server. It can be embedded through iframe or npm, and a Google Drive integration opens drawings from Drive. The responsive interface supports phones, tablets, and desktops, with touch operations documented for mobile. Read-only mode disables markup, drawing, and modification commands.