Free Online CAD Software: 8 Browser Tools Compared (2026)

What to Look for in Free Online CAD Software

A browser tool is only a good deal if it can finish the job you have in mind. Before you spend evenings on a project, check these points:

• What does free really mean? Onshape Free is for non-commercial use and every document is public. SketchUp Free may only be used for personal projects. AutoCAD Web is not free at all after the trial. Read the license terms before you start a project you may want to use commercially.
• What is the tool made for? Onshape and Tinkercad are built for parts and objects, SketchUp for general 3D models, Floorplanner, Planner 5D and Homestyler for rooms and furniture. Only a few tools know what a wall, a roof or a stair is.
• Which drawings can you get out? A 3D image is great for ideas, but builders and building departments need floor plans, sections and elevations to scale.
• Where are your files? Online tools save your projects in the vendor cloud and need an internet connection. That is convenient for sharing, but you depend on the account and the plan you are on.
• File exchange: if an architect, engineer or builder will continue your plan, DWG/DXF export saves them from redrawing everything.

Online CAD Tools vs. a Desktop House Planner

The real difference is not the browser but the way you work. Most online CAD tools give you lines, shapes and solids, and you decide what they represent. Floor plan apps add walls and furniture, but stop at the room. A house planning program works with real building elements from the first wall to the permit drawing. This is what it means for a house project:

None of this makes browser tools bad. For a quick idea, a part for a 3D printer or a furnished room, they are often all you need. For a broader overview of 2D tools, see also our comparison of the best free floor plan software.

1. Plan7Architect: Best Desktop Option When Online Tools Are Not Enough

Price: $259.99 Original price was: $259.99.$169.99Current price is: $169.99. one-time purchase, lifetime license, no subscription (not free)
Platform: Windows desktop software, activation on up to 3 PCs
Best for: homeowners, self-builders and contractors who want to plan a complete house, from the first floor plan to the permit drawings

Plan7Architect is not an online tool. It is a Windows program that you install on your PC, and we list it first because it is where many people go when a browser tool cannot finish their house plan. It is a dedicated house planning program made for beginners without CAD experience: you draw walls, place doors and windows, add floors and a roof, and the program builds the floor plans, the 3D model, the sections and the elevations at the same time.

Real Building Objects Instead of Shapes

Nothing is drawn line by line. A wall has a thickness, layers and a height, a window creates its own opening, and floors, ceilings and slabs connect to the walls. You enter exact lengths, angles and distances, and the dimensions are created automatically. When you move a wall, the 3D model, the dimensions and the room areas update with it. You can work in feet and inches or in meters and switch at any time.

Building Tools That Browser Tools Leave Out

Everything a house project needs is built in, without plugins:

• Automatic roof construction for gable, hip, shed, flat and mansard roofs, including dormers
• Terrain modeling with contour lines and sloped lots
• Stairs, foundations, slabs and beams
• Timber construction tools and custom beam structures
• Decks, terraces, balconies, railings and garden objects
• Electrical, heating and plumbing planning
• Unlimited floors and buildings in one project, plan variants and detailed layer management
• Living and usable area calculation

Sections, Permit Drawings and DWG Files

Sections, elevations and complete plan sheets with title blocks come directly from your model, which makes creating building permit drawings much simpler. You can print to scale, save as PDF, or export DWG/DXF for your architect, engineer or builder. DWG and DXF files can also be imported, for example an existing plan you received from someone else.

3D Walkthrough and Twinmotion Export

You can walk through the house in 3D at any time and furnish it from an extensive object library. Models from the SketchUp 3D Warehouse can be imported as well. For photorealistic images and videos, you export the model to Twinmotion with all textures.

Pricing

Free online tools cost nothing at first, but the paid plans add up once you need commercial use, private projects or exports. Onshape Standard costs $1,500 per year, Floorplanner Pro about $29 per month or $348 per year, and Planner 5D Professional $399.99 per year. Plan7Architect Pro costs $259.99 Original price was: $259.99.$169.99Current price is: $169.99. once, with no subscription and no renewal.

2. Onshape: Best Free Browser CAD for Precise 3D Models

Price: free plan for non-commercial use with public documents; Standard $1,500 per user per year; Professional $2,500 per user per year
Platform: any web browser, plus iOS and Android apps
Best for: hobbyists, makers and students who want real parametric CAD in the browser

Onshape is full parametric CAD that runs entirely in the cloud. You get sketches, features, assemblies, drawings, version control and real-time collaboration, and it works on almost any device, including Chromebooks. For mechanical parts and products, it is the most professional free option in this list.

For a house, Onshape is the wrong kind of tool. It is made for parts and assemblies, so every wall, opening and roof is a solid you model yourself. On the free plan, all your documents are public and may not be used commercially.

3. SketchUp Free: Best Free 3D Modeler in the Browser

Price: free for personal use; SketchUp Go $129 per year; SketchUp Pro $399 per year
Platform: web browser
Best for: quick 3D concepts, massing models and personal projects

SketchUp Free is the browser version of the well-known 3D modeler. Push and pull makes it easy to turn a rectangle into a box, and the 3D Warehouse gives you a huge library of models. For a first idea of a shed, a deck or a room, it is quick and fun.

It is a general modeling tool, so walls, openings and roofs are geometry you draw and maintain yourself. The free version may only be used for personal projects, and LayOut for drawings and DWG export are reserved for paid plans. Read more on our SketchUp alternative page.

4. AutoCAD Web: Best for Editing DWG Files in the Browser

Price: 30-day trial, then from $9 per month; included with AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT subscriptions
Platform: Chrome, Firefox or Edge on Windows or Mac, plus mobile apps
Best for: people who need to open, check and edit DWG drawings without a desktop CAD program

AutoCAD Web brings the core 2D tools of AutoCAD into the browser. You can open DWG files from cloud storage or a local drive, edit and create drawings, manage layers and blocks, and work with sheet sets. If you receive DWG plans from an architect, it is a practical way to view and mark them up.

It is not free after the trial, and it is a 2D drafting tool: every wall is drawn line by line and every change means editing lines by hand. For a complete house plan, it is a lot of manual work.

5. Floorplanner: Best Free Online Floor Plan Tool

Price: free basic plan; Plus about $5 per month; Pro about $29 per month
Platform: web browser, plus mobile apps
Best for: quick 2D and 3D floor plans of apartments and rooms

Floorplanner is one of the easiest ways to draw a floor plan online. You draw rooms, add doors and windows, furnish them from the library and switch to a 3D view. It is popular with real estate agents for simple listing plans.

The free plan limits the number of projects and floors, and exports are low resolution with a watermark. Higher-quality exports, PDF and DXF need credits or a paid plan. There is no roof tool, no terrain and no sections. Compare more options in our Floorplanner alternatives overview.

6. Planner 5D: Best for Furnishing Rooms in the Browser and on Mobile

Price: free plan; Premium $59.99 per year; Professional $399.99 per year
Platform: web browser, iOS, Android, Windows and Mac apps
Best for: furnishing and decorating rooms on any device

Planner 5D is easy to use and works almost everywhere. You draw rooms, place furniture from a large catalog and see the result in 3D right away. For interior ideas and quick layouts, it is a good free start.

The free plan only includes part of the catalog, and CAD export is limited to the Professional plan. Planner 5D is made for interiors, so roofs, terrain, sections and permit drawings are not part of it. See our Planner 5D alternative page for details.

7. Homestyler: Best for Quick Interior Renderings Online

Price: free basic plan; paid plans from about $6.80 per month
Platform: web browser, plus mobile apps
Best for: interior design ideas with attractive renderings

Homestyler combines a simple floor plan editor with a very large library of furniture and decor models and cloud rendering. You can create panoramas and videos of your rooms, which makes it popular for interior inspiration.

The focus is clearly on interiors. Construction details, roofs beyond simple editing, terrain and construction drawings are not what Homestyler is made for.

8. Tinkercad: Best for Beginners, Kids and 3D Printing

Price: free
Platform: web browser
Best for: first steps in 3D design, school projects and simple 3D printing models

Tinkercad is a free browser app from Autodesk. You combine basic shapes like boxes, cylinders and roofs into objects and export them for 3D printing. It is the easiest way for kids and beginners to learn how 3D modeling works.

Tinkercad is a block modeler. You can build a simple house model from shapes, but there are no floor plans, no dimensions for construction and no drawings you could give a builder.

How to Choose the Right Free Online CAD Software

• You want real parametric CAD in the browser for parts and products: Onshape, as long as your projects are non-commercial and may be public.
• You want quick 3D concepts for personal projects: SketchUp Free.
• You need to open and edit DWG files without a desktop program: AutoCAD Web, after the 30-day trial as a paid plan.
• You want a simple floor plan or furnished rooms online: Floorplanner, Planner 5D or Homestyler.
• You want to plan a complete house with roof, terrain, sections and permit drawings: Plan7Architect is the best low-cost choice, even though it runs on your Windows PC instead of in the browser.

Plan Your House with Plan7Architect

When a browser tool is no longer enough, Plan7Architect gives you floor plans, 3D, roofs, terrain, sections, elevations and permit drawings in one Windows program, with your projects on your own PC and video tutorials that help beginners get started. You pay once and keep the license for life. Every purchase comes with a 14-day right of withdrawal, so you can try it on your own project and simply cancel your purchase by email if it is not right for you.