SSolveSpacevs
FreeCAD
FreeCAD: If you need drawings, a larger toolset and an addon ecosystem, at the cost of size and complexity
S
SolveSpace
Open source parametric CAD with a constraint solver in a few megabytes
As of 1 September 2026, SolveSpace is free to use. The whole application is a few megabytes and runs on hardware that struggles to open FreeCAD. Softwr lists it under CAD. SolveSpace is made by SolveSpace project, available on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Overview
What SolveSpace does
SolveSpace is a free, open source parametric 2D and 3D CAD application released under the GPL. It works from constrained sketches, extrudes and revolves them into solids, assembles parts through constrained relationships, and exports STEP, STL, DXF and other common formats. It also performs basic mechanism analysis, dragging a constrained linkage to check its motion. The practical distinction is size and cost. The binary is a few megabytes, it starts instantly, and it runs on old and low-powered hardware including small Linux machines where mainstream CAD is not an option. For a maker, a lab or a school that needs real constraint-based parametric modelling rather than a toy, the total cost is zero and the hardware requirement is close to nothing. The limit is the geometry kernel. SolveSpace uses its own rather than a commercial one, and complex boolean operations and fillets can fail, occasionally producing incorrect geometry instead of an error. That means models must be inspected before export, and it means the tool has a real ceiling: it is right for parts and simple assemblies, and wrong for anything approaching production complexity.
What people use it 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
Related searches
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 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.
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of SolveSpace
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.
- SSolveSpacevsFusion 360
Fusion 360: If assemblies, drawings and manufacturing output matter and a subscription is acceptable
- SSolveSpacevsOnShape
OnShape: If browser-based collaborative CAD suits the team and a free public-documents tier is workable
Pricing
What SolveSpace costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
SolveSpace
Free
- Full application under the GPL
- No seat limit
- Windows, macOS and Linux builds
- Community support only
Capabilities
Features
Constraint solver
Fully constrained parametric sketching in 2D and 3D
Solid modelling
Extrude, revolve, helix and boolean operations on sketches
Assemblies
Parts positioned by constraints, with linkage motion checking
Export formats
STEP, STL, DXF, SVG and G-code style toolpath output
Cross-platform
Native builds for Windows, macOS and Linux from one codebase
Small footprint
Application measured in megabytes with near-instant startup
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.
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.
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.
What hardware does it need?
Very little. It runs on old laptops and small Linux machines where mainstream CAD will not start.
Keep looking
Where to go from SolveSpace
- SolveSpace alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- SolveSpace pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- SolveSpace badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All CAD softwareThe full category
- Best CAD softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best CAD software for
Compare SolveSpace with
- FreeCAD
- OnShape
- Creo
- Alibre Design
- Bambu Studio
- IronCAD
- OpenSCAD
- Zoo
- Bentley MicroStation
- CloudCompare
- KiCad
- PrusaSlicer
- Mudbox
- Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
- Carlson Software
- Corona Renderer
- D5 Render
- CATIA
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for SolveSpace, 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.
More on SolveSpace
SolveSpace alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
SolveSpace pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare SolveSpace
Put it head to head with anything we hold
SolveSpace badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
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