# DraftSight Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is DraftSight the right Architectural CAD solution for you? Explore 57 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/172808/DraftSight/reviews --- DraftSight 4.4 (57) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/172808/DraftSight/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of DraftSight Ease of use 4.2 Customer Service 3.4 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews HE Hyla E Owner and Chief EngineerDesign, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Reasonably priced 2D CAD package - meets my needs.“ December 8, 2024 HE Hyla E Owner and Chief EngineerDesign, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I tried many free (or cheap) drafting packages and struggled to learn them well enough to really create a good drawing. And most of the free ones were just unintuitive and difficult to use. “ December 8, 2024 EA Eduardo A AnalystPharmaceuticals, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The ease of interacting with the menus and options“ May 2, 2023 RJ Rumey J DesignerTelecommunications, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Your security shouldn't be so strict that it hinders legitimate users from using the product --- at all“ October 7, 2023 Darren T DarrenConstruction, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I love the ease of use when transition between Draftsight and Autocad, the command structure is very similar and the drawing output is compatible. When I am working from home I have purchased a Draftsight license for odd drawings and projects, as I could not justify the cost of Autocad for occasional use.“ March 31, 2021 AA Andre A Electrical EngineerHuman Resources, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “Converting between DWG to PDF in some cases doesn't work very well in the free version.“ November 17, 2021 Valarie V Project DirectorConstruction, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Modeling tools and very excellent drafting solution for the different projects like Construction, Engineering and other similar projects.“ October 10, 2021 Ricardo S ManagerFood & Beverages, Self-employedUsed the software for: I used a free trial. “Technical support seems to be overseas with broken English and difficulty to read English.“ February 28, 2022 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 57 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Carolina C. light designer Logistics and Supply Chain Used the software for: 2+ years ### "the best alternative to autocad" October 11, 2023 5.0 Pros What I like most about the program is that for the little money the license costs you have access to a very complete CAD drawing assistant. The functionalities and tools are very well developed and the interface is quite accessible if you are used to working in similar programs. Cons Perhaps what I like least about the program is that it uses a lot of RAM, especially in complex drawings with a lot of shading.I also found it a little complicated to be able to print several sheets at the same time from the plotter.I would really like it if more tutorials were included on their official website, since they are sometimes difficult to find. Switched from [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) The AutoCAD license is too expensive and I needed a similar but cheaper program Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Darren Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "DRAFTSIGHT IS A GREAT TOOL" March 31, 2021 5.0 Easy to use and great tool sets. My go to choice for CAD software now. Pros I love the ease of use when transition between Draftsight and Autocad, the command structure is very similar and the drawing output is compatible. When I am working from home I have purchased a Draftsight license for odd drawings and projects, as I could not justify the cost of Autocad for occasional use. I now prefer the Draftsight tool over Autocad. Cons I was using a freeware version for a number of years, this disappeared and when I tried to log in I needed to purchase. As an occasional part time user (from home) I was trying not to purchase, however the cost is negligible in the end. Switched from [AutoCAD LT](https://www.capterra.com/p/2011/AutoCAD-LT/) Cost benefit analysis for an occasional user. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Design Engineer Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Easy 2D tool when using Dassault Systemes software" March 6, 2022 3.0 Basic 2D software, if you use Solidworks it can be very helpful otherwise look for other options. Pros You can import drawings to Solidworks 3D CAD software with many properties without failing to recognize entities. Cons The price is a little bit high for the resources it includes. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Lecturer Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Probably the best CAD software for GNU/Linux (if you only need 2D drawings)" August 31, 2019 5.0 As an architect that uses GNU/Linux I have been struggling to find a good piece of software for CAD drawing, and only Draftsight has been able to fulfill my needs (Except by the fact that it is not possible to work with 3D). Pros \* Open and saves dwg files without problems \* Multi-plattform software (Windows, Mac, and GNU/Linux) \* Feature rich \* Known interface for AutoCAD users: you can use GUI + CLI. For those using command line, most commands are exactly the same as AutoCAD, so transitioning from there is extremely easy \* Price. Even free version is great for most user cases Cons \* It just works for 2 Dimension drawings, which may be a big limitation for some, yet nothing relevant for others. \* Printing is slightly more cumbersome than printing in AutoCAD (and there's no option to print in batches) Switched from [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) Price. And the fact that AutoCAD is not available for GNU/Linux Review Source Jason E. Design Engineer Pharmaceuticals Used the software for: 2+ years ### "For a free software, it's quite a deal." October 7, 2019 5.0 Excellent software. They tried hard to mimic autocad and did a great job with it. Pros Firstly, it's free. So that's awesome. When I lost my access to autocad years ago, I had a panic moment and was sent scrambling for another cheaper software license. I happened upon draftsight and everything changed Cons Some of their snap functions are a bit off. They dont have quite the same features as the super expensive (compared to draftsight)autocad. Switched from [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) Cost. Autocad was pricey. Draftsight was not! Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Senior Product Developer Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent 2D Mechanical Application" May 2, 2019 5.0 Pros Uses a common interface and commands that pretty much any designer can master in a quick period of time. Offered in a free version up until this year. Cons Users must re-register on a regular basis to use the free version. Some stripped functionality in free version. Both issues would be resolved by purchasing a paid license which at last glance was still much cheaper than competitor's tools. Alternatives considered [AutoCAD LT](https://www.capterra.com/p/2011/AutoCAD-LT/) Reason for choosing DraftSight The version of Draftsight I currently use is free. It also has a migration path to Solidworks. Review Source TR Tim R. Engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Review for DraftSight" September 14, 2021 4.0 Very mixed I like the software, but don't try to transfer the product license from one computer to another. Pros It was a good AutoCad clone. The interface was polished. Cons The activation can be pretty cumbersome, if not impossible Switched from [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) This product was originally free......but not any more! Review Source Dave S. Owner Computer & Network Security Used the software for: 2+ years ### "does great 2D drafting" December 8, 2019 5.0 this was one of two 2D drafting programs that i found. i installed both of them, and actually use both of them, depending on the task at hand. draftsight is very easy to use, and i use it most of the time. the only time i use the other software is when i need some feature that draftsight just doesn't have. Pros it does everything i want it do to, and it's very easy to use. it has a lot of really good features, and you can create drawings very quickly. much easier than some other alternatives Cons i can't really say there is anything i don't like. i needed a good, versatile 2D drafting program, and this was one of two that i found. Switched from [AutoCAD LT](https://www.capterra.com/p/2011/AutoCAD-LT/) because AutoCAD products are a royal pain to use. they are huge, they are slow, and they are hard to use. Review Source PR Pawel R. Design engineer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Very buggy piece of software" September 10, 2019 3.0 It was good till 2017. Then it become buggy. And after December 2019 it won't be free any more... Pros Draftsight is very easy to use cad software. Cons Since 2017 each new version of the draftsight is more and more buggy. Even such a simple thing like joining two arcs often doesn't work. Alternatives considered [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) Reason for choosing DraftSight It was free in 2015 when we decided to use it for the first time Review Source AS Aleksandar S. NDT Specialist Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "DraftSight" January 15, 2021 4.0 Generally, it's not expensive. Doesn't have big size of file. Easy to download and to install. Pros It's ok replacement for AutoCAD. Similar command as CAD. Easy to make 2d drawing and convert. Cons Not too much friendly for new users. It's not easy to print some part from drawing. Switched from [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) Because it' s not expensive. Not big size of file, easy to download and you can use it any where. Easy commands. Review Source SM Stefano M. Ufficio tecnico Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Fa il suo dovere" February 19, 2023 5.0 Pros Valida alternativa a auto ad con costi più contenuti Cons Funzioni ben chiare eccetti alcuni campiNoi lo utilizziamo per progettare impianti di climatizzazioneMancano alcuni elementi dalle librerie ma è bypassabile Switched from [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) Costi più contenuti Review Source CM Christine M. Helpdesk IT technician Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "DS Software is excellent" March 6, 2022 5.0 We draw Information Technology solutions diagrams as well as components for stores' network infrastructure. DraftSight has proven to be and excellent resource. Pros product is easy to use. The Drawing features allow for trimming and use of templates, which make it very convenient. Cons I wish it was able to do 3D drawings or if there was a free basic version. Review Source MG Monica G. Engineer Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A great Cad software at low price with nice features." April 14, 2018 5.0 Easy to use. DWG Compatibility. Its price. Pros Draftsight is an easy to use CAD software. Has many features that others CAD don't had. The best of the software is the DWG compatibility and the PDF printer. No other CAD software has that pdf feature at a low cost. The interface is very similar to leading CAD software. The free version is amazing for a 2D CAD. Cons The support for free version is bad, but if you buy the PRO version of the software the support is excellent. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Tornero Mecánico. Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Awesome software to start." July 27, 2018 4.0 Pros Well, I think that the main pros obviously is the fact that it's free, and have a really intuitive way to use. It's a great gate to enter at the world of design. Cons As almost any software free, it's has a lack of solutions for many problems or has solutions that in a pay software would it be most easy to solve. Review Source BB Barry B. General Manager Shipbuilding Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Draftsight - " August 28, 2019 4.0 Draftsight makes converting CAD files to different formats a snap, and the 2D drafting tools are not bad, as well. Pros Cost, easy integration with other system and file types, great for converting CAD files Cons Nothing - it's been great. Very hard to beat for the price. Alternatives considered [SketchUp](https://www.capterra.com/p/211798/SketchUp/)[TurboCad](https://www.capterra.com/p/32368/TurboCAD-Professional/) Reason for choosing DraftSight Ease of use Review Source KK Karol K. Utility Engineer Cosmetics Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Very good for editing CAD files" October 27, 2020 5.0 Pros I like that there is free trial version for people who would like to test it. It's really simple tool for people without big experience in making CAD projects. Cons There should be more visible tools which are used more often in this type of programs. Review Source JH Jack H. President Research Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Very poor customer support." September 20, 2019 4.0 Pros Outstanding replacement for AutoCAD, and requires very little new learning. Cons I paid for the upgrade license, and it worked well for several months, but now it only gives me an error message when I try to open it. And there is no possible way to get help from the publisher. Review Source JB Joseph B. PCB Librarian Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great" October 22, 2020 5.0 Pros This tool work very well. I usually use it to measure dimension on 3d model. Cons It's not the best looking option out there but it does the job. Review Source DL Don L. Manager Construction Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Software issue" September 28, 2020 3.0 Average Pros Much lower cost than ACAD, quite easy to use with commands similar Cons From firt use, it has a high frequently of crashing particularly when opening files created in AUTOCAD Review Source HE Hyla E. Owner and Chief Engineer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Much cheaper option for 2D CAD needs than AutoCAD" December 8, 2024 5.0 I had used AutoCAD at work off and on for years. So I'm very familiar with it. Once I retired, I had needs to create drawings, but couldn't afford an AutoCAD license ($$$$). I tried many free (or cheap) drafting packages and struggled to learn them well enough to really create a good drawing. And most of the free ones were just unintuitive and difficult to use. Then I found DraftSight and it is reasonably priced and uses the same commands as AutoCAD! I've now been using it for about 5 years and have created dozens of useful drawings for myself. Building a new house, I was able to provide several drawings to the builder for how we wanted certain rooms built. These are full engineer drawings, to scale with dimensions, etc. I also designed our pool and entire back yard with drawings that were then followed by the pool builder and sub contractors. Pros Reasonably priced 2D CAD package - meets my needs. Mimics AutoCAD in both commands and functions. Cons Have struggled with licensing here and there and found their support difficult, as there is no one to call. You wait for a response from an email and they may or may not actually address the issue, as licensing problems sometimes require dialog. Printing setup/layout are not easy to get right and keeping them configured is touch-and-go. With persistence, you can eventually get it close to what you need, but don't expect it to be perfect and you should be okay. Review Source AR Antoine R. Gérant Construction Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Très bon logiciel mais légèrement vétuste d'aspect." October 11, 2024 4.0 J'ai utilisé ce logiciel quand il était gratuit. L'installation est facile et la prise en main pour une personne formée est aisée. Pros Le logiciel était gratuit donc très appréciable. Toutes les fonctionnalités nécessaires à mon activité sont incluses et il est simple d'utilisation. Cons Un peu rustique par rapport à ses concourants. Le logiciel DraftSight est cependant très performant. Switched from [AutoCAD LT](https://www.capterra.com/p/2011/AutoCAD-LT/) J'ai utilisé autocad LT lors de mes études puis je suis passé à Draftsight car il était gratuit et quasiment aussi performant. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer CAD Manager Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "customer support" October 29, 2018 4.0 Worked great for the year i paid for it, and then after the paid renewal would not accept the serial number DraftSight sent to my email. the system shut down after the end of my original subscription. program will not accept the new serial number till next year (2109) because it says i've already registered. but the program doesn't work and there is NO CUSTOMER support for the professional version even with a service number for the problem. I downloaded Autocad lt. and will not go back to Draftshight due to no customer support and a major waste of time trying to get it fix. Pros good software, works well easy to use base on the similarity of autocad, would recommend it it wasn't for lack of support. Cons terrible customer support. after buying the one year subscription and renewing the product and getting a serial number to enter, the program stop working at the end of my original subscription. contacted (customer service) NO HELP AT ALL. Referred me to the general web site. i had a project that i was in the middle of and it cost me money and time when it stop working. I now wont recommend it and going to autocad lt. Review Source RJ Rumey J. Designer Telecommunications Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Good for Small scale drawing projects --- until it stops working" October 7, 2023 3.0 Was great when it was workingWished they could go easy on the security to users who purchased it legally. Your security shouldn't be so strict that it hinders legitimate users from using the product --- at all Pros Clone commandsAnyone familiar with AutoCad can simply use this Cons The fact that it stops working unpredictablyI was using this only very occasionally to mark up drawings or tune up designsHowever after having worked on the same machine for years, it did stop working (or activating) a few timesB had bought a lifetime copy, but sadly it seems to check with their servers occasionally and lock me outAt the moment I haven't used it for three years and have contacted support, but feel that it has been blocked by them. I've reinstalled my copy on the same and other machines Reason for choosing DraftSight We didn't. We use a number of design tools and Draftsight was one of them (which was less frequently used) but useful enough to buy a lifetime version Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Project engineer Oil & Energy Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Low cost alternative to other CAD" February 14, 2020 5.0 The learning curve is very smooth, you can almost start drawing from the beginning Pros It's a low cost CAD, but full of features and very easy to use. You can do almost anything a medium user needs to do. Cons Until december 2019 it was free software, now it's not free anymore, anyway the price is very low compared to other CADs Review Source VR Verified Reviewer President Animation Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Draftsight is the AutoCAD clone you've been looking for." May 16, 2019 5.0 I'm a 3D animator and I need a CAD program to prep 2D drawings for export into my 3D software. Nothing fancy, but effective, and preferably inexpensive. Draftsight fits the bill perfectly. I don't even mind that there's no free version anymore. It's well worth the price compared to the alternatives. Pros Although Draftsight has it's own typed-in command structure, AutoCAD commands all work here too, not like some other CAD programs I've tried. So if you have years worth of habitual keystrokes burned into your mind like I do, then you'll feel right at home here. It reminds me of AutoCAD from about version 2000 or so, which frankly is all I ever need. Until recently, it came in a free version. Cons It has occasionally been a bit buggy, but the latest version is quite stable. Printing to scale and with proper lineweights is not as intuitive as I'd like it to be. Probably just different enough from AutoCAD that it confuses me a bit. Review Source Similar Products Featured