Softwr

CAD · head to head

DraftSight vs MicroSurvey CAD

DraftSight logo

DraftSight

CAD

Professional 2D CAD drafting

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MicroSurvey CAD logo

MicroSurvey CAD

CAD

Survey drafting and COGO on an IntelliCAD engine, sold outright rather than by subscription

From
$2945/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DraftSight specific pricing amounts not disclosed on website; MicroSurvey CAD dWG compatibility is file-level, not feature-level, so Civil 3D corridors, pipe networks and other object-enabled entities do not arrive intact and collaboration with engineering consultants remains awkward
  • They diverge on capability: DraftSight covers DWG/DXF support, MicroSurvey CAD covers Coordinate geometry.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DraftSight and MicroSurvey CAD actually diverge.

Attributes where DraftSight and MicroSurvey CAD differ
AttributeDraftSightMicroSurvey CAD
Starting price$29/month$2945/one-time
Pricing modelsubscriptionOne-time purchase
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows
Founded1981Unknown

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 DraftSight

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

Only in MicroSurvey CAD

  • Coordinate geometry
  • Traverse adjustment
  • Field data reduction
  • IntelliCAD drafting
  • Legal descriptions
  • Surface and contours
  • Point cloud viewing

What people use each for

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

DraftSight

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

MicroSurvey CAD

  • A boundary surveying practice that wants to reduce field data, adjust the traverse and write the legal description in one packagenot DraftSight
  • A firm that refuses to pay an AutoCAD subscription but must deliver DWG files clients can opennot DraftSight
  • A survey office standardised on Leica total stations that wants instrument data flowing in without a translation stepnot DraftSight
  • A two-person practice with irregular workload that wants to own its software outright rather than lose access if it stops payingnot 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

MicroSurvey CAD

  • DWG compatibility is file-level, not feature-level, so Civil 3D corridors, pipe networks and other object-enabled entities do not arrive intact and collaboration with engineering consultants remains awkward
  • Only one price is listed publicly, for the floating network licence, and the differences between the Standard, Premium and Ultimate editions are resolved through a reseller conversation rather than a published comparison
  • It is Windows only and the installed base is concentrated in North America, so support, training material and experienced staff are much harder to find elsewhere
  • IntelliCAD lags AutoCAD on newer drawing format features and on third party plug-in availability, so a firm depending on a specific AutoCAD add-in will not find an equivalent
  • MicroSurvey now sits inside Hexagon alongside Leica Geosystems, which means the product competes for investment with a much larger portfolio, and buyers of a perpetual licence should ask about the release cadence commitment before assuming years of updates

Pricing, plan by plan

DraftSight

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

MicroSurvey CAD

$2945/one-time
  • MicroSurvey CAD, floating network licence$2945/one-time
    • Perpetual licence, shared use with no USB dongle
    • Includes one year of maintenance and support
    • Standard, Premium and Ultimate editions differ in included modules
  • Edition upgrades and add-ons$undefined/one-time
    • Premium and Ultimate edition pricing quoted by MicroSurvey or a reseller
    • Point cloud and scanning modules priced separately
    • Reseller pricing varies by region

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 MicroSurvey CAD if

  • You need coordinate geometry.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want traverse adjustment.
MicroSurvey CAD review

Questions people ask

Is DraftSight or MicroSurvey CAD better?
Neither clearly leads. DraftSight starts at $29/month and MicroSurvey CAD at $2945/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DraftSight or MicroSurvey CAD?
DraftSight starts at $29/month and MicroSurvey CAD at $2945/one-time.
Does DraftSight or MicroSurvey CAD run on more platforms?
DraftSight runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. MicroSurvey CAD runs on Windows.
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 MicroSurvey CAD is typically brought in for.
What can DraftSight do that MicroSurvey CAD cannot?
DraftSight covers DWG/DXF support, 2D drafting, 3D modeling, Batch printing. MicroSurvey CAD covers Coordinate geometry, Traverse adjustment, Field data reduction, IntelliCAD drafting.

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
MicroSurvey CAD: Do I need AutoCAD to run it?

No. It is built on the IntelliCAD engine and reads and writes DWG natively without an Autodesk licence.

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
MicroSurvey CAD: Is it a perpetual licence or a subscription?

Perpetual. The listed 2,945 US dollar licence includes one year of maintenance and support, after which maintenance is optional.

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
MicroSurvey CAD: Who owns MicroSurvey?

Hexagon, the same group that owns Leica Geosystems.

MicroSurvey CAD: Will Civil 3D drawings open correctly?

The geometry will. Civil 3D object data such as corridors and pipe networks will not come through as editable objects.

Share

Related pages

More on DraftSight

More on MicroSurvey CAD

Keep looking

Other head to heads