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BricsCAD

DWG-based CAD platform

As of 30 August 2026, BricsCAD starts at $29/month. BricsCAD is a powerful CAD software based on DWG format, offering 2D drafting, 3D modeling, BIM, and mechanical design capabilities. Softwr lists it under CAD. BricsCAD is made by Bricsys (Hexagon), launched in 2002, available on Windows, macOS, Linux.

Overview

What BricsCAD does

BricsCAD is a powerful CAD software based on DWG format, offering 2D drafting, 3D modeling, BIM, and mechanical design capabilities.

What people use it for

  • 2D drafting as a DWG native alternative to AutoCAD
  • 3D mechanical design and assembly modelling
  • BIM modelling and construction documentation

The honest half

Where it falls short

Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about 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

Cross-shopped

What people choose instead of BricsCAD

Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.

Pricing

What BricsCAD costs

Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.

Lite

$550 /mo

  • 2D drafting

Pro

$875 /mo

  • 2D + 3D

Ultimate

$1,575 /mo

  • All features

Capabilities

Features

  • DWG native

  • 2D drafting

  • 3D modeling

  • BIM

  • Sheet metal

  • Mechanical

  • LISP support

  • AutoCAD compatible

    Integration with AutoCAD compatible

  • Revit IFC

    Integration with Revit IFC

  • License management

    License management security feature

  • Windows support

    Available on Windows

  • MacOS support

    Available on macOS

Answered, with sources

Questions people ask

Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.

Does BricsCAD offer a trial?

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

Source
Is BricsCAD free for any users?

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

Source
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

Behind it

Who makes BricsCAD

Company
Bricsys (Hexagon)
Based in
Ghent, Belgium
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for BricsCAD, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.

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