Softwr

CAD · head to head

SolveSpace vs WhiteboxTools

S

SolveSpace

CAD

Open source parametric CAD with a constraint solver in a few megabytes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WhiteboxTools logo

WhiteboxTools

Maps

Open source geospatial analysis engine with several hundred raster, LiDAR and hydrological tools

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: SolveSpace the in-house geometry kernel fails on complex boolean operations and fillets, and the failure is sometimes silent bad geometry rather than an error message, so models must be checked before export or manufacture.; WhiteboxTools there is no vendor and no commercial support contract, so an organisation whose regulatory or client obligations require an answerable supplier cannot use it for that work no matter how good the algorithms are.
  • They diverge on capability: SolveSpace covers Constraint solver, WhiteboxTools covers Hydrological analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SolveSpace and WhiteboxTools actually diverge.

Attributes where SolveSpace and WhiteboxTools differ
AttributeSolveSpaceWhiteboxTools
CategoryCADMaps

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 SolveSpace

  • Constraint solver
  • Solid modelling
  • Assemblies
  • Export formats
  • Cross-platform
  • Small footprint

Only in WhiteboxTools

  • Hydrological analysis
  • LiDAR processing
  • Terrain derivatives
  • Raster analysis
  • Image processing
  • Python and R front ends
  • QGIS plugin
  • MIT licence

What people use each for

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

SolveSpace

  • Designing 3D printed parts on a machine that cannot run mainstream CADnot WhiteboxTools
  • Teaching constraint-based parametric modelling without buying licences for a classroomnot WhiteboxTools
  • Checking that a mechanical linkage moves as intended before cutting metalnot WhiteboxTools
  • Producing dimensionally accurate STEP or STL output from a small open source toolchainnot WhiteboxTools

WhiteboxTools

  • A hydrologist who needs depression breaching rather than filling on a large DEM, because filling destroys the drainage structure the model depends onnot SolveSpace
  • A forestry or environmental team processing airborne LiDAR into canopy height and terrain models without buying a point cloud licence per analystnot SolveSpace
  • A GIS developer embedding terrain analysis into a commercial product, where the MIT licence avoids the copyleft obligations of GRASS or SAGAnot SolveSpace
  • A university teaching geomorphometry where every student needs the full toolset on their own laptop at zero costnot SolveSpace

Where each one falls short

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

SolveSpace

  • The in-house geometry kernel fails on complex boolean operations and fillets, and the failure is sometimes silent bad geometry rather than an error message, so models must be checked before export or manufacture.
  • There is no proper drawing and dimensioning workflow, so manufacturing documentation has to be produced in another application.
  • Development is volunteer-led and intermittent; long gaps between releases are normal and there is no support contract available at any price.
  • Assembly-level import of external CAD is very limited, so it does not fit a supply chain that exchanges native or assembly-level models with suppliers.
  • The interface follows its own conventions rather than mainstream CAD ones, so existing SolidWorks or Fusion users spend time unlearning habits for a tool with a lower ceiling.

WhiteboxTools

  • There is no vendor and no commercial support contract, so an organisation whose regulatory or client obligations require an answerable supplier cannot use it for that work no matter how good the algorithms are.
  • Maintenance depends on a single academic research group and effectively on one professor, which is a real continuity risk for anything embedded in a production pipeline for a decade.
  • It is command line first; the QGIS plugin and Python bindings help, but analysts who expect a graphical workflow with previews and undo find it unforgiving.
  • Documentation is a reference manual rather than a set of worked workflows, so knowing which of 450 tools to chain for a given problem requires domain knowledge the software does not supply.
  • Naming and behaviour overlap confusingly with the older Whitebox GAT, a separate GPL-licensed desktop GIS from the same group, and adopters regularly install or cite the wrong one.

Pricing, plan by plan

SolveSpace

Free
  • SolveSpaceFree
    • Full application under the GPL
    • No seat limit
    • Windows, macOS and Linux builds

WhiteboxTools

Free
  • WhiteboxTools open coreFree
    • MIT licence
    • Over 450 geospatial tools
    • Python, R and QGIS front ends

Which should you pick?

Choose SolveSpace if

  • You need constraint solver.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want solid modelling.
SolveSpace review

Choose WhiteboxTools if

  • You need hydrological analysis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want lidar processing.
WhiteboxTools review

Questions people ask

Is SolveSpace or WhiteboxTools better?
Neither clearly leads. SolveSpace starts at Free and WhiteboxTools at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SolveSpace or WhiteboxTools?
SolveSpace starts at Free and WhiteboxTools at Free.
Does SolveSpace or WhiteboxTools run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, macOS, Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use SolveSpace for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is SolveSpace best used for?
SolveSpace is most often used for designing 3d printed parts on a machine that cannot run mainstream cad, teaching constraint-based parametric modelling without buying licences for a classroom, checking that a mechanical linkage moves as intended before cutting metal, producing dimensionally accurate step or stl output from a small open source toolchain. Of those, designing 3d printed parts on a machine that cannot run mainstream cad and teaching constraint-based parametric modelling without buying licences for a classroom are not what WhiteboxTools is typically brought in for.
What can SolveSpace do that WhiteboxTools cannot?
SolveSpace covers Constraint solver, Solid modelling, Assemblies, Export formats. WhiteboxTools covers Hydrological analysis, LiDAR processing, Terrain derivatives, Raster analysis.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SolveSpace: Is it really free for commercial work?

Yes. It is released under the GPL with no licence fee and no seat limit. Support is community only.

WhiteboxTools: Is WhiteboxTools free for commercial use?

Yes. It is MIT licensed, which permits commercial use and embedding without a copyleft obligation.

SolveSpace: Can it replace Fusion 360 or SolidWorks?

No. It handles parts and simple assemblies well. Complex geometry, drawings and supply chain interoperability are outside its range.

WhiteboxTools: Is there paid support?

No general commercial support contract is offered. Support is GitHub issues and community forums. Budget internal expertise instead.

SolveSpace: What hardware does it need?

Very little. It runs on old laptops and small Linux machines where mainstream CAD will not start.

WhiteboxTools: Who maintains it?

Professor John Lindsay and the Geomorphometry and Hydrogeomatics Research Group at the University of Guelph, Canada.

WhiteboxTools: How is it different from Whitebox GAT?

Whitebox GAT is an older GPL-licensed desktop GIS from the same group. WhiteboxTools is the newer Rust command line engine with a permissive licence. They are not the same product.

WhiteboxTools: Can I use it from QGIS?

Yes, through a plugin, and also from Python and R.

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