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Autodesk Fusion vs FreeCAD

Autodesk Fusion and FreeCAD, one of its free alternatives, side by side.

Side by side

Autodesk Fusion vs FreeCAD: facts
FactAutodesk FusionFreeCAD
LicenseLicense: Free tierLicense: Open sourceLGPL-2.1-or-later
MaintenanceStatus: VerifiedStatus: Active
WindowsYesYes
macOSYesYes
LinuxNoYes
Self-hostableNoNo
Works offlineYesYes
No account neededNoYes
Parity with Autodesk FusionThe reference43%

License classes: Free tier and Open source. Status rules: Active means a commit in the last 90 days. See the methodology.

Feature parity with Autodesk Fusion

How FreeCAD covers what people use Autodesk Fusion for.

Feature parity with Autodesk Fusion
FeatureFreeCAD
Modeling
Parametric solid and surface modelingYesNote 1
Assemblies and jointsPartialNote 2
Documentation
2D drawings from modelsPartialNote 3
Manufacturing
CAM toolpaths for CNC machiningPartialNote 4
Analysis
Simulation (FEA)PartialNote 5
Electronics
Electronics and PCB designNoNote 6
Collaboration
Cloud data management and sharingNoNote 7
Parity score43%
  1. FreeCAD, Parametric solid and surface modeling: Part Design and Sketcher build solids with a feature tree
  2. FreeCAD, Assemblies and joints: A built-in Assembly workbench with fewer joint types
  3. FreeCAD, 2D drawings from models: TechDraw makes dimensioned sheets; the tools are less polished
  4. FreeCAD, CAM toolpaths for CNC machining: The CAM workbench covers 2.5D and 3-axis toolpaths with a manual setup
  5. FreeCAD, Simulation (FEA): The FEM workbench runs CalculiX and other solvers; setup is manual
  6. FreeCAD, Electronics and PCB design: No PCB design; KiCad is the usual companion
  7. FreeCAD, Cloud data management and sharing: Files are local; share them with Git or a file service

All free alternatives to Autodesk Fusion

File formats

Autodesk Fusion vs FreeCAD: file formats
FormatAutodesk FusionFreeCAD
.f3dOpens and savesFull fidelityNoNote 1
.stepOpens and savesFull fidelityOpens and savesNote 2Full fidelity
.stlOpens and savesFull fidelityOpens and savesNote 3Full fidelity
.dxfOpens and savesFull fidelityOpens and savesNote 4Partial fidelity
  1. FreeCAD, .f3d: Fusion files do not open; export STEP from Fusion
  2. FreeCAD, .step: Solid geometry exchange
  3. FreeCAD, .stl: Mesh format
  4. FreeCAD, .dxf: 2D geometry, layers and text carry over; blocks and dimensions can lose detail