Popular Woodworking CAD Software

There are lots of CAD products on the market but which are the best ones for woodworking purposes? That is a very common question for woodworkers that are looking to go "digital" and hopefully the information on this page will help. Here is a compilation of CAD products that seem to be most popular among hobbyist and small shop woodworkers. This determination was based on an extensive review of various woodworking discussion forums, product reviews online and in a couple woodworking mags, and feedback from woodworkers here at WoodBin over the years.

The CAD products in this list tend to occupy the low to middle ground of the CAD spectrum in terms of price. These products are appropriate for budget-conscious woodworkers, many of which practice their craft strictly on a part-time basis. No AutoCAD's or Cabinet Visions here. Most of these products are under $200 although there are a couple in the $500-$1000 range (for you more experienced drafting types).

Here are the top woodworking CAD products in alphabetical order:

AutoCAD LT
Autosketch
CADOpia (IntelliCAD)
DeltaCad
DesignCAD
Design Intuition
QCad
SketchUp
TurboCAD
Honorable Mentions (CAD and otherwise)

Summary: DesignCAD and Design Intuition stood out from the rest in terms of ease of use, bang for the buck, and favorable woodworker comments. I would rate these as top picks. TurboCAD was right up there although it is bit more challenging to learn. However, it is also quite powerful and offers you plenty of room to grow. The same is true of AutoCAD LT, Autosketch, and CADOpia. If you are familiar with and like AutoCAD, these products might be for you. If you're looking for CAD on the cheap, it's hard to beat DeltaCAD and QCad. SketchUp is a very intriguing design tool that has a lot of potential but is just too pricey ($500) for most hobbyist woodworkers. If none of these products catch your fancy, check out the honorable mentions for additional ideas.

AutoCAD LT

If you've never tried CAD software before and you're not really sure you want to give up pencil and paper in favor of CAD, this is not the product for you. On the other hand, if you're an experienced CAD user, you design a lot of furniture, and you don't mind shelling out $800, then AutoCAD LT warrants serious consideration. It provides the look and feel and perhaps 80% of the functionality of its AutoCAD brethren but for a lot less dough. Both products share the same architecture and technology, both support the DWG and DWF (Design Web Format) file formats but AutoCAD LT lacks 3D modelling, sheet set management, dynamic block authoring, presentation graphics, and customization via LISP and VBA. But for basic woodworking design tasks, AutoCAD LT certainly has sufficient capabilities to get the job done. Beware: if you've never used AutoCAD-like products before, you'll likely find the interface to be counter-intuitive and perhaps even bizarre (ex: "c" for circle, "co" for copy). Note that Autodesk suggests AutoCAD LT if you are looking for something that is similar to QuickCAD (a product that is no longer available).

Check pricing: AutoCAD LT (Amazon)

AutoSketch

AutoSketch is a 2D CAD product from the folks that make AutoCAD. It started life as Drafix for DOS, it was rebranded as QuickCAD and has since become AutoSketch. Note that AutoSketch is a mechanical or architectural design tool - not a graphics design tool (a common misperception). Experienced CAD users recommend AutoSketch if you don't want to spend the bucks or master the learning curve for AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT. Many of them will also tell you that it is simple to learn and use and produces accurate results. However, lots of other people (mostly inexperienced at CAD) have major issues with the learning curve. One frustrated user put it this way: "The simplest actions in AutoSketch are mind-bogglingly complicated and arcane". Countered by this experienced users comment: "Like any other good CAD system there is a huge learning curve to become very proficient with it although almost anything can be drawn with a few minutes of practice." So, draw your own conclusions depending on your own level of CAD expertise. But for around $120, I think AutoSketch provides pretty good value. Phil Bumbalough, who has put together a very informative series of Woodworking with CAD articles, shares this sentiment. He also likes SketchUP (which unfortunately is a bit pricey...)

Check pricing: AutoSketch (Amazon)

CADopia (IntelliCAD)

CADopia (the product formerly known as IntelliCAD) has much of the look, feel, and functionality of AutoCAD but at a fraction of the price. We're talking $200-$500 vs $4000. The word is that if you can use AutoCAD, that expertise is directly applicable to CADopia. (Reportedly, IntelliCAD was an AutoCAD Release 14 clone). The newer versions of the software have many nice features including photorealistic rendering, saving of drawings as PDF files, handling of most AutoCAD file formats, and support for over 100 image formats including BMP, TIF, GIF, JPG, and CALS. It also gets high marks for documentation and the ability to run lisp routines. If you're in the market for a woodworking CAD package and you've never used one, there are simpler and less expensive options such as DesignCAD. But, if you do AutoCAD and want to stay in that world without paying the AutoCAD premium, CADopia is definitely worth checking out. It comes in Standard and Professional versions. The Standard edition is adequate if your needs are limited to basic drafting, dimensioning and annotation.

Check pricing: CADOpia (look for Buy Now at top)

DeltaCAD

DeltaCAD has traditionally been a popular CAD package for woodworkers due to it's low cost (under $50) and "relative" ease of use. Midnight Software, the producer of DeltaCAD bills it as "the world's easiest CAD program." Its feature set is far from best of breed - for example, it lacks 3D rendering - but it does provide sufficient power to meet the basic drafting needs of most part-time woodworkers. And it saves files as DXF and DWG so it is compatible with other, more powerful, CAD packages. DeltaCAD seems to have lost some of its cachet among woodworkers in recent years (it gets far fewer mentions in the various woodworking forums now compared to several years ago) so perhaps it hasn't kept up with the competition. Still...if you're new to CAD software, have fairly modest design needs, and don't want to invest the time and money into a higher-end CAD program, DeltaCAD is worth a gander. And you can get a fully functional demo that's good for 45 days.

Check pricing: DeltaCAD Professional (Midnight Software)

DesignCAD

DesignCAD has come on strong in recent years and may very well be the most popular CAD package among hobbyist/small shop woodworkers. The September-October 2004 edition of Fine Woodworking rated it tops among the CAD packages they tested (competitors included TurboCAD and AutoSketch). IMSI, who produces both DesignCAD and TurboCAD, has done purty darn well for themselves. Both of these products allow you to draw in 2D and then produce 3D renderings. DesignCAD comes in several flavors including 3D Max and Express and there are also add-ons such as Shed & Shop Design Add-on and Woodworking Design Add-on. A starter kit with a training CD is also available. Of course, DesignCAD also supports DXF/DWG file import and export so you can interface with other CAD products such as AutoCAD.

It's hard to go wrong with DesignCAD if you're looking for a decent CAD package that's reasonably priced ($50-$100 depending on the version). But don't expect miracles - there's still a hefty learning curve as with any full-featured CAD tool. Note that DesignCAD may be a bit easier to master than TurboCAD although it lacks some of the latter's features such as associative dimensioning.

Check pricing:
DesignCAD 3D Max, DesignCAD Express (IMSI)

Design Intuition

Rejoice Macintosh users - here's one for you! (Windows XP and 2000 users also). Design Intuition from GizmoLab is woodworking-oriented design software that enables the average woodworker to produce construction-quality blueprints in minutes, rather than hours or days. The original developer, Jonathan Sand, is a professional woodworker who created Design Intuition because he was frustrated with all the other clunky CAD products on the market that weren't really designed with the woodworker in mind. If you read some of the woodworking forum postings about this product, it seems that Sand has succeeded in building a better mouse trap. Here's a typical comment: "For our two-person woodshop, it is a godsend. Easy to use -- launch it then use it. Amazingly intuitive, well-organized interface, easy to comprehend syntax and tools, powerful library functions, scaling, printing and layout tools, 3D visualization, ..." Another plus is that Gizmolab's website provides a reference manual, an FAQ, how-to articles, demos, and other resources to help you master the software.

Design Intuition was originally developed for the Macintosh platform but is now also available on Windows. MacWorld reviewed the product in 2004 and they rated it very highly as far as ease of use, availability of a materials list, and the smart objects/repeaters technology. The only negatives were a limited library of shapes and no DWG file export. At the time of this writeup, Design Intuition cost about $180 -- not dirt cheap but pretty good value when you consider what it delivers. (check the price of AutoCAD first and then this will seem like a steal). Note: you can download a free test version that offers complete functionality except for saving and printing.

Check pricing: Design Intuition (Gizmolab)

QCad

QCad is a generic 2D CAD product that costs about $30. The source code is also available for free under terms of the GPL Open Source agreement, so a great many people have devoted their time to improving the software over the years (since 1999). One of the most appealing and unique things about QCad is that it works under many different operating systems: Linux, Unix Systems, Mac OS X and Windows. Now, that's impressive! It also supports DXF so it can integrate at the file level with other CAD products. But, is it any good for furniture design? Well, I was unable to find much discussion about QCad in the woodworking forums which is a bit surprising given that the QCad site states there is an estimated user base of over 100,000 people worldwide. However, I did come across a few woodworking sites that feature projects designed with QCad (do a Google search for "qcad woodworking"). One of these is hoopajoo.net (?) and the person who runs it said that although he had never used CAD software before, he was able to become productive with QCad after one day of tinkering. "Works well enough for me" was his comment.

SketchUp

SketchUp is a 3D sketching application that can produce very impressive 3D renderings of furniture, once you get the hang of it. It reportedly does a good job with filled in drawings, raised panels and other typical furniture construction details. Smart Computing did a side-by-side review of DesignCAD and SketchUp and found that both programs provide many similar features with the main difference being the user interface. Simplicity and ease-of-use were cited as two of SketchUp’s strengths. However, I did come across one forum posting in which the person found SketchUp to be totally unintuitive with many operations resulted in completely unexpected screen displays. On the flip side, the moderator of the design forum at Sawmillcreek.org is a long-time DesignCAD user who has become a SketchUp convert because it allows him to "stretch into places that CAD programs, even 3D versions, are very difficult to go". Unfortunately for us budget-conscious woodworkers, SketchUp comes with a pretty hefty price tag - about $500 list. But, if the whole family chips in next year for your Christmas present...

One more thing: check out this page containing SketchUp drawings of common shop tools. Nicely done and useful for laying out tools in your woodshop.

Check pricing: SketchUP - PC and Mac (Last Software)

TurboCAD

TurboCAD has been around for a number of years and has been discussed at considerable length in various woodworking forums. It is sometimes compared with DesignCAD, another popular CAD package sold by IMSI. These products do have a number of features in common but TurboCAD is a more advanced, full-featured program that comes with a commensurately greater learning curve -- and price tag, if you opt for the Professional version (about $800). This version offers 2D drafting integrated with 3D modeling and photo-realistic rendering. [Tip: ask about "competitive upgrade" pricing - you may be able to finagle a discount].

Of more interest to CAD novices is TurboCAD Deluxe, a slim-downed version with less advanced 3D capabilities that provides good bang for the buck at just over a hundred bucks. In fact, the September 2004 issue of American Woodworker reviewed about 15 different CAD packages and they rated TurboCAD (and Quick CAD) best buys. Attention Mac users -- there is also a Macintosh version of TurboCAD for you! IMSI used to offer a free TurboCAD Learning Edition that had limited 3D capabilities but was otherwise a pretty decent starter CAD product. Apparently, it was too decent because it is no longer available. Rats...

The consensus among woodworkers who use TurboCAD seems to be that it is a very powerful tool for designing furniture - once you get over the learning hump. But climbing that hump can be frustrating if you've never used CAD software before. So, be patient and go with the flow... Also note that here is a TurboCAD users forum that is a good learning resource with lots of active and helpful members.

Check pricing:
TurboCAD Deluxe, TurboCAD Professional, TurboCAD Macintosh (IMSI)

Honorable Mentions

Here are some other products that are occasionally mentioned by woodworkers but aren't quite in that sweet spot occupied by the CAD tools listed above. Some lack the customization features found in true CAD products while others are sufficiently powerful but are probably too expensive for the average woodworker.

Basic Furniture Design - "BFDesign" is woodworking design software from an Australian company named Homia PC Applications. The product does not yet seem to have a wide following among woodworkers but the potential is there. This is not a conventional CAD tool. Instead, you select a piece of furniture such as a table or bookshelf, specify initial dimensions, and then a wire frame model is generated (which can also be viewed as a 3D model). There is some flexibility in modifying designs but nothing like what most CAD products deliver. To learn more, check out this review of BFDesign by OnlineToolReviews.com

eCabinet - eCabinet is cabinet and furniture design software that is available for free to commercial woodworking shops. It offers lots of features such as dynamic 3D viewing, complete kitchen layout, CNC program generation, nesting diagrams, and generation of cut/buy lists for any cabinet, group of cabinets or the entire job. What's the catch you ask? Well, eCabinet channels you to purchase your cabinet supplies from their sponsoring vendors - which allows them to offer the software for free.

Macromedia Freehand - Freehand is a versatile illustration package that is used to create line art, flow charts, page layout, web design, and even technical drawings for furniture. Reportedly, it is fast and easy and has the best "snap to point" of all the drawing programs. Freehand is a bit pricey ($400) so it wouldn't make sense to buy it for the sole purpose of designing furniture (besides there are better products for that purpose). But, if you can find a used copy at a good price, it may be worth checking out. Compare to CorelDraw which some people say is more intuitive than Freehand.

Rhino 3D - Rhino3D is a 3D modeling tool that is popular for industrial design applications due to its ability to efficiently model highly complicated shapes. It offers features like parts shading, woodgrain "bump" maps, and miscellaneous ambient lighting effects. One woodworker reported that it enables you to draw parts quickly and easily plus it has good Boolean operators for "hacking out rabbets and mortices". The import and export capabilities are extensive, allowing Rhino to act as a converter tool that allows other programs to communicate with each other.

SmartSketch - SmartSketch is a little known 2D CAD package from Intergraph that gets high marks for smart diagramming features, drag-and-drop symbol libraries that have built-in intelligence, and an intuitive user interface. I came across a review at CadInfo.net that said SmartSketch is "very easy to learn and to use, and its ease of use translates to speed of use with a little familiarity." Of course, this comes at a price - $1500 for an initial purchase or $350 for an upgrade. (perhaps they offer upgrade pricing for competing products?)

Visio - This is a design tool from Microsoft that involves selecting pre-drawn shapes from a template (stencils) and dragging them into position to create a drawing. It is quite easy to use - it does not require drafting skills - and many woodworkers find it quite adequate for their needs. Harvey Chute has put together a rather impressive collection of Visio woodshop tool objects that can be used to design a woodshop layout.