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CAD · head to head

DraftSight vs Mari

DraftSight logo

DraftSight

CAD

Professional 2D CAD drafting

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mari logo

Mari

CAD

3D painting for film and games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mari has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: DraftSight specific pricing amounts not disclosed on website; Mari the full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • They diverge on capability: DraftSight covers DWG/DXF support, Mari covers High-resolution painting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DraftSight and Mari actually diverge.

Attributes where DraftSight and Mari differ
AttributeDraftSightMari
Starting price$29/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
Founded19811996

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux), 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 DraftSight

  • DWG/DXF support
  • 2D drafting
  • 3D modeling
  • Batch printing
  • PDF import
  • Layer management
  • SolidWorks
  • CATIA

Only in Mari

  • High-resolution painting
  • UDIM support
  • Procedural layers
  • Baking
  • Node graph
  • Color management
  • Maya
  • Nuke

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • MacOS support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

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

DraftSight

  • 2D drafting and annotation on DWG filesnot Mari
  • Opening and editing DWG drawings without AutoCADnot Mari
  • Architectural and engineering drawing productionnot Mari
  • Working alongside SOLIDWORKS in a Dassault toolchainnot Mari

Mari

  • Painting textures directly onto high complexity 3D assets for film and gamesnot DraftSight
  • Handling very large multi-UDIM texture sets in a look development pipelinenot DraftSight

Where each one falls short

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

DraftSight

  • Specific pricing amounts not disclosed on website
  • Directs customers to contact sales or visit store for pricing
  • Three tiers available but feature differences not fully detailed

Mari

  • The full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • The cheap $299 per year or $35 per month subscription is restricted to a single licence for people working alone or in small companies
  • Node-locked and floating are separate licence types you must choose between
  • All listed prices are before applicable taxes
  • A separate non-commercial licence exists, so commercial use requires a paid tier

Pricing, plan by plan

DraftSight

$29/month
  • Standard$99/month
    • 2D drafting
  • Professional$199/month
    • 2D + 3D
  • Premium$499/month
    • Advanced features

Mari

Free
  • Individual Subscription$86/month
    • Solo artists or small companies
    • $689 per year alternative billing
  • Team Subscription$null/year
    • Node-locked or floating licenses
    • Annual payment
  • Team Rental$949/quarter
    • Short-term access
    • Node-locked or floating licenses

Which should you pick?

Choose DraftSight if

  • You need dwg/dxf support.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want 2d drafting.
DraftSight review

Choose Mari if

  • You need high-resolution painting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want udim support.
Mari review

Questions people ask

Is DraftSight or Mari better?
Neither clearly leads. DraftSight starts at $29/month and Mari at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DraftSight or Mari?
Mari has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for DraftSight and Free for Mari.
Does DraftSight or Mari run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, MacOS, Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Mari for free?
Yes. Mari has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DraftSight starts at $29/month.
What is DraftSight best used for?
DraftSight is most often used for 2d drafting and annotation on dwg files, opening and editing dwg drawings without autocad, architectural and engineering drawing production, working alongside solidworks in a dassault toolchain. Of those, 2d drafting and annotation on dwg files and opening and editing dwg drawings without autocad are not what Mari is typically brought in for.
What can DraftSight do that Mari cannot?
DraftSight covers DWG/DXF support, 2D drafting, 3D modeling, Batch printing. Mari covers High-resolution painting, UDIM support, Procedural layers, Baking. Both handle Windows support, MacOS support, Linux support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DraftSight: Is there a free trial for DraftSight?

Yes, DraftSight offers a 30-day full-featured trial available for download. The trial provides complete access to all 2D/3D tools and advanced features.

Source
Mari: What is Mari's pricing?

Individual Subscription costs $689 per year or $86 per month. Team Subscription costs $1,289 per year. Team Rental costs $949 per quarter for short-term access. Both subscriptions support node-locked or floating licenses.

Source
DraftSight: What DraftSight tiers are available?

DraftSight offers three pricing tiers: Professional (core 2D CAD tools), Premium (adds advanced tools, STEP import, and BIM module), and Enterprise (for large organizations with multiple sites).

Source
Mari: Does Mari offer a free trial?

Mari offers a free 30-day trial with unrestricted access to help users evaluate the software before purchasing.

Source
DraftSight: What licensing options does DraftSight provide?

DraftSight offers Named-User Licensing for individuals and dedicated workstations, Network Licensing for shared access across users and locations, Perpetual Licensing for one-time purchase, and Cloud and Remote Access options.

Source
Mari: Does Mari offer student pricing?

Yes, Mari offers free or discounted access to all Foundry products for students, as well as free non-commercial licenses for learning and exploration.

Source
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