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CAD · head to head

BricsCAD vs Nomad Sculpt

BricsCAD logo

BricsCAD

CAD

DWG-based CAD platform

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nomad Sculpt logo

Nomad Sculpt

CAD

Digital sculpting on tablets, bought once, with no account and no subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: BricsCAD the Lite edition has no 3D modelling, surveying or point cloud support; Nomad Sculpt polygon budgets are bounded by tablet memory, so a base-model device stalls at a fraction of the detail a desktop sculpting application handles, and the ceiling only becomes apparent once a sculpt is well underway.
  • They diverge on capability: BricsCAD covers DWG native, Nomad Sculpt covers Voxel remesh.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BricsCAD and Nomad Sculpt actually diverge.

Attributes where BricsCAD and Nomad Sculpt differ
AttributeBricsCADNomad Sculpt
Starting price$29/monthOn request
Pricing modelone-timeOne-time purchase
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxiOS, Android
Founded2002Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CAD).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BricsCAD

  • DWG native
  • 2D drafting
  • 3D modeling
  • BIM
  • Sheet metal
  • Mechanical
  • LISP support
  • AutoCAD compatible

Only in Nomad Sculpt

  • Voxel remesh
  • Multiresolution
  • Dynamic topology
  • Layers
  • PBR painting
  • Internal renderer

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BricsCAD

  • 2D drafting as a DWG native alternative to AutoCADnot Nomad Sculpt
  • 3D mechanical design and assembly modellingnot Nomad Sculpt
  • BIM modelling and construction documentationnot Nomad Sculpt

Nomad Sculpt

  • Producing concept sculpts away from a workstation without carrying a laptopnot BricsCAD
  • Creating 3D printing masters on a tablet and exporting STL directlynot BricsCAD
  • Teaching sculpting fundamentals where per-seat desktop licences are not affordablenot BricsCAD
  • Sketching character and creature forms that are finished later in a desktop packagenot BricsCAD

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BricsCAD

  • The Lite edition has no 3D modelling, surveying or point cloud support
  • Lite is sold as a network licence only with a 5 seat minimum
  • Mechanical excludes BIM tools and BIM excludes mechanical and surveying tools, so cross discipline work needs Ultimate at 1,176 euro
  • Importing 3D geometry and PMI from other CAD systems requires the Communicator add on at 294 euro per year
  • Network licences require the customer to run their own licence server
  • Maintenance is included for the first year only and renewal is a separate annual charge on perpetual licences
  • Listed prices exclude local taxes
  • Bricsys now trades as Octave and the product site has moved to bricscad.octave.com

Nomad Sculpt

  • Polygon budgets are bounded by tablet memory, so a base-model device stalls at a fraction of the detail a desktop sculpting application handles, and the ceiling only becomes apparent once a sculpt is well underway.
  • One developer maintains it, so a bug that blocks your workflow waits on one person with no support channel to escalate through.
  • There is no serious retopology or UV unwrapping toolset, so anything destined for a game or animation pipeline has to leave for a desktop package regardless.
  • Rendering is presentation grade rather than production grade, so client-facing images generally need an export to a desktop renderer.
  • Sculpt layers and brushes are application-specific and the route out is OBJ, glTF or STL, so layered non-destructive data does not survive the transfer to another tool.

Pricing, plan by plan

BricsCAD

$29/month
  • Lite$550/month
    • 2D drafting
  • Pro$875/month
    • 2D + 3D
  • Ultimate$1575/month
    • All features

Nomad Sculpt

On request
  • Nomad Sculpt$undefined/year
    • Perpetual licence through the app store
    • No account or subscription
    • Updates included to date

Which should you pick?

Choose BricsCAD if

  • You need dwg native.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want 2d drafting.
BricsCAD review

Choose Nomad Sculpt if

  • You need voxel remesh.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want multiresolution.
Nomad Sculpt review

Questions people ask

Is BricsCAD or Nomad Sculpt better?
Neither clearly leads. BricsCAD starts at $29/month and Nomad Sculpt at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BricsCAD or Nomad Sculpt?
BricsCAD starts at $29/month and Nomad Sculpt at On request.
Does BricsCAD or Nomad Sculpt run on more platforms?
BricsCAD runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Nomad Sculpt runs on iOS, Android.
What is BricsCAD best used for?
BricsCAD is most often used for 2d drafting as a dwg native alternative to autocad, 3d mechanical design and assembly modelling, bim modelling and construction documentation. Of those, 2d drafting as a dwg native alternative to autocad and 3d mechanical design and assembly modelling are not what Nomad Sculpt is typically brought in for.
What can BricsCAD do that Nomad Sculpt cannot?
BricsCAD covers DWG native, 2D drafting, 3D modeling, BIM. Nomad Sculpt covers Voxel remesh, Multiresolution, Dynamic topology, Layers.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BricsCAD: Does BricsCAD offer a trial?

Yes, BricsCAD offers a 30-day trial to 'Start designing in BricsCAD today'.

Source
Nomad Sculpt: Is it a subscription?

No. It is a one-time app store purchase with no account and no cloud service behind it.

BricsCAD: Is BricsCAD free for any users?

Yes, BricsCAD is available at no cost for students and schools.

Source
Nomad Sculpt: Which tablet should I buy for it?

Buy for memory rather than for processor. Sculpt detail is limited by RAM, so a higher-memory model raises the ceiling more than a faster chip does.

BricsCAD: What product tiers does BricsCAD offer?

BricsCAD offers five tiers: Lite (essential 2D CAD), Pro (professional 2D & 3D CAD), Mechanical (2D & 3D mechanical CAD), BIM (2D & 3D building modeling), and Ultimate (integrated 2D & 3D for multiple disciplines). Specific pricing for each tier is not disclosed on the website.

Source
Nomad Sculpt: Can it replace ZBrush?

For sculpting itself it goes a long way. For high-density production sculpts, retopology, UVs and pipeline integration it does not.

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