IntelliCAD vs LibreCAD
IntelliCAD
intellicad.orgLibreCAD
librecad.orgSide by side
| Figure | IntelliCAD | LibreCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $83.33/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · 2D CAD Software | 8.2 (#10) | 7.9 (#16) |
| Spec score · CAD software | 7.8 (#24) | 7.8 (#22) |
| Support | ITC does not directly support end users; the commercial member that sold the IntelliCAD-based product handles its customer support. | The project says support and documentation are free and provided by its community of users, contributors and developers. |
Plans
IntelliCAD
- API Membership$1,000 a year
- Government Membership$35,000 a year
- Royalty Membership$38,000 a year
- Royalty-Free Membership$75,000 a year
In their own words
IntelliCAD
IntelliCAD is commercial 2D/3D CAD software and a development platform for building CAD solutions. The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium licenses it to commercial members, who market and support products for architects, designers, engineers, surveyors, and other CAD users. The platform reads and writes native DWG files, with legal compatibility described for releases 2.6 through 2020. It also supports DXF files and PDF underlays. Developers can use LISP, DCL, VBA, COM, .NET, and C++ extensions. Version 15 adds Drawing Compare, AI feature previews, and a modernized LISP API. Supported AI previews can connect with Claude, Google Antigravity, or ChatGPT to query drawings and run generated LISP code. BIM tools attach IFC, Revit RVT, and Revit RFA files as underlays. IntelliCAD 15 requires 64-bit Windows 10 or 11; the Mobile Viewer is available for Windows desktop and Android. Pricing is on request, and end-user support comes from the selling member.
LibreCAD
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.