Many architects, engineers, and designers have grown frustrated with the rising costs and forced subscription models of major CAD software. Autodesk’s move to subscription-only licensing and regular price hikes have intensified this frustration. For instance, on most renewing AutoCAD annual subscriptions, there was a 7.7% price increase in 2024. Such increases, year after year, contribute to what’s been dubbed “subscription fatigue,” especially among small firms and independent CAD professionals.
Cost is a major driver. The annual AutoCAD subscription now exceeds £1,900, a significant burden for freelancers, students, and small businesses. These users are questioning why they should keep paying steep recurring fees for tools they may not fully utilise. In the past, one could buy a perpetual license and use it for years; today, stopping your subscription means losing access. This “renting” model rubs many the wrong way, prompting a clear and growing movement back toward owning software and cutting long-term costs.
As a result of this discontent, Google searches for terms like “AutoCAD alternative” have surged in recent years. CAD users are actively seeking more affordable, DWG-compatible solutions that let them escape high fees without losing productivity. In particular, freelancers and small companies want cheaper CAD programs that can still work with the industry-standard DWG format used by AutoCAD. AutoCAD’s subscription-based pricing can simply be prohibitive for these budget-conscious users, leading them to explore alternatives.
The good news is that a number of viable CAD alternatives have matured in the market. Names like BricsCAD®, DraftSight, ZWCAD, FreeCAD and others often come up as substitutes. These tools can open, edit, and save DWG files, meaning you don’t have to worry about converting drawings when collaborating with AutoCAD users. In fact, many of these AutoCAD alternatives offer perpetual licensing options at a fraction of the cost, making them attractive choices for those watching their software budget closely. Industry blogs note that a BricsCAD® perpetual license is roughly half the price of just one year of AutoCAD, highlighting how much cost can be saved by switching. With Autodesk and other big vendors unlikely to advertise cheaper rivals, independent reviews and reseller blogs have filled the gap, shining light on these lower-cost solutions that deliver comparable results.
One standout alternative is BricsCAD®, which is positioned as a drop-in replacement for AutoCAD but at a much lower cost. BricsCAD® is a modern, DWG-native CAD platform that delivers the same level of power and familiar interface as AutoCAD – but for a fraction of the cost. For example, BricsCAD’s® pricing (whether perpetual or annual) can amount to up to 50% cost savings versus AutoCAD, according to user webinars. Professionals find such options compelling: one analysis notes that BricsCAD® and similar tools offer significantly lower pricing, making them “attractive choices for budget-conscious” organisations.
How does BricsCAD® save you money? First, it offers flexible licensing. Users can choose a perpetual license (buy once and own it forever) or a cheaper annual subscription – whichever makes more financial sense. Autodesk, by contrast, no longer sells perpetual licenses at all. The ability to buy BricsCAD® outright means you’re not forced into endless payments just to keep using your CAD software. Even BricsCAD’s® subscription fees are considerably lower than AutoCAD’s; as mentioned, a perpetual BricsCAD® license can cost about half of a single year of AutoCAD, highlighting the dramatic price difference.
Secondly, BricsCAD® Lite (the entry-level version) packs more value than AutoCAD’s entry version (AutoCAD LT). A key example: BricsCAD® Lite supports full LISP automation and scripting, whereas AutoCAD LT does not. In AutoCAD, you must upgrade to the expensive full version to run LISP routines for custom commands or macros. BricsCAD® Lite, however, lets users run custom LISP programs even in this affordable tier. In short, you don’t pay extra for customisation capability – an under-discussed value angle that can be crucial for automating tasks in small offices. This means a small firm can pick BricsCAD® Lite and still automate workflows, instead of paying Autodesk a premium for the privilege.
Third, compatibility and familiarity minimise any switching costs. BricsCAD® uses DWG as its native format, just like AutoCAD, so you can open and save the same files without conversion. All your existing drawings, blocks, and templates work out-of-the-box. The interface and commands in BricsCAD® are extremely similar to AutoCAD’s, reducing the learning curve to practically zero. Users often report they can sit down in BricsCAD® and feel at home within an hour, since menus, toolbars, and shortcuts behave as expected. Even specialized items like hatch patterns, plot styles, and LISP scripts are cross-compatible, so your investment in standards and libraries carries over. In other words, you won’t lose productivity by switching, but you will likely lose a big chunk of the annual expense.
Crucially, opting for BricsCAD® (or a similar alternative) doesn’t mean “settling” for a sub-par tool – it’s about getting the same core functionality for less. BricsCAD® covers the spectrum from 2D drafting (in BricsCAD® Lite) to advanced 3D modeling, BIM, and mechanical design features (in higher editions), all within one DWG-based platform. It’s fully capable of handling professional design tasks that AutoCAD users demand. What changes with BricsCAD® is not the work you can do, but how you pay for the software. Firms that have switched report maintaining their workflow and output quality, while cutting overhead. In fact, using a mix of AutoCAD and BricsCAD® side-by-side is an emerging strategy: many companies keep a few AutoCAD seats for specialized needs but equip the rest of the team with BricsCAD® to slash licensing costs by 50% or more. This approach ensures everyone gets the tools they need without paying Autodesk’s premium for every seat.
From a return on investment (ROI) perspective, the numbers are hard to ignore. By paying less per license (and having the option to own the license perpetually), organisations can dramatically reduce their 3- to 5-year CAD spending. For example, one source calculated that switching to BricsCAD® or a similar tool can cut CAD software expenses by thousands of dollars for a small office, savings that can be reallocated to other needs. Additionally, the freedom from annual contracts means no more surprise price hikes – you regain control over when to upgrade or renew on your own schedule.
