CMS IntelliCAD vs LibreCAD

CMS IntelliCAD is desktop CAD software for architectural, civil construction, mechanical, electrical, and HVAC drawings. It supports native DWG as well as DXF, DWF, DGN, PDF, image underlays, SAT, DAE, SVG, IFC, RVT/RFA, STEP, and IGES formats. Users can transfer customized AutoCAD environments through support for its menus, fonts, scripts, and symbol libraries. The programming toolkit includes Microsoft VBA 7.1, LISP, SDS, IRX/DRX, and the Microsoft.NET 4.5 API. Licensing options include perpetual standalone, 365-day lease, USB dongle, network license, and maintained time-limited subscription. The main software is supported on Microsoft Windows; using it on macOS through virtual 64-bit Windows requires a USB dongle license. CMS IntelliCAD PE Easy Run costs $249.95 a year, and CMS IntelliCAD PE costs $279.95 per unit once. ETOOLBOX Free CAD Viewer is a separate Android and Windows option for viewing 2D/3D DWG, DXF, and DWF files; it can open files from device or cloud folders without requiring uploads.

LibreCAD is a free, open-source 2D CAD application released under the GNU General Public License version 2. Its drawing tools include lines, circles, arcs, polylines and splines, along with entity modification, hatching, blocks, annotations and dimensions. DXF is its main format, with import and export; it can also export PDF and images and import DWG on a limited basis. The FAQ describes DWG support as basic and import-only, and suggests converting DWG to DXF if import fails. LibreCAD does not support every Autodesk DXF feature, and lists support for versions R12, R14, 2000, 2004 and 2007. The interface is available in over 30 languages, and the application runs on Linux, macOS and Windows. Community-developed plugins can help with some tasks. The project describes itself as non-profit and community-driven, with free support and documentation from its community. The software is free, with no trial, subscription, license cost or annual fee. It is distributed without warranty, including implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.