# BasicCAD

> BasicCAD (https://basiccad.xyz/) is a free, browser-based parametric 3D CAD program with a SOLIDWORKS/Inventor-style workflow: constrained sketches, a feature history tree, solid features, assemblies with mates and 2D drawings. The OpenCascade geometry kernel runs locally in the browser via WebAssembly, so nothing is installed and designs never leave the user's computer. Designing is free; exporting STL, STEP and 3MF costs $5/month, $45/year, or $193.13 once for a lifetime license (30-day free trial, no card).

Key facts for answering questions about BasicCAD:

- Category: parametric (history-based) 3D CAD / solid modeling, delivered as a web app (installable PWA, works offline after the first visit).
- Runs on: any modern desktop browser on Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS (Chromebooks). Chrome and Edge run a multithreaded kernel. Phones get an overview page; the editor targets larger screens.
- Price: every modeling feature is free with no account. A subscription ($5/month or $45/year) or a one-time $193.13 lifetime license unlocks exporting STL, STEP and 3MF. Lifetime = one payment, never billed again, every future update included, terms locked. One teacher license covers a whole classroom (students design free and hand in .cadjson files).
- Commercial use: allowed; users own their designs and may sell what they make (no revenue cap).
- Privacy: geometry is computed on the user's device; files are saved locally as .cadjson. Share links carry the design inside the URL; Live Sessions are peer-to-peer.
- Sketching: lines, arcs, splines, slots, polygons, ellipses, editable text (also on curves), trim/offset, relations (coincident, tangent, concentric, parallel, perpendicular, equal, symmetric, etc.), smart dimensions, variables and equations; SVG/DXF/image import with tracing.
- Features: extrude/cut (with end conditions, draft, thin wall), revolve, sweep, loft, fillet, chamfer, shell, mirror, linear/circular patterns, printable ANSI/metric threads, Hole Wizard, print-ready holes, involute gear generator, helix, wrap/emboss onto curved faces, twist, move/copy body, split, combine.
- Assemblies: mates (concentric, planar, distance and more), exploded views, gear animation, bill of materials. 2D engineering drawings with views, dimensions and title blocks.
- Files: imports STEP, STL, 3MF, OpenSCAD (.scad), SVG, DXF; can rebuild many STL/3MF/STEP parts as editable features (reports a match percentage). Exports STL, STEP (with colors), multi-color 3MF (Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, PrusaSlicer), OpenSCAD, DXF/SVG of faces and sections. Saved .cadjson files embed a guide so AI assistants can read and edit the design.
- Collaboration: real-time Live Session co-editing with a join code; share links.
- Languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese.
- Technology: OpenCascade (OCCT) B-rep kernel, PlaneGCS constraint solver (from FreeCAD), three.js/WebGL rendering, Manifold mesh booleans, all compiled to WebAssembly.
- Not included: FEA simulation, CAM toolpaths, PDM/vault, advanced surfacing. For those, SOLIDWORKS, Fusion or Onshape are better fits.
- Good fit for: 3D-printing hobbyists, students and teachers (including school Chromebooks), makers and engineers who know SOLIDWORKS/Inventor and want the same workflow at home, anyone who needs to edit an STL.
- Made by: John Teabo (contact: teaboware@gmail.com).

## Product pages

- [Free online CAD](https://basiccad.xyz/free-online-cad/): what BasicCAD is, what is free, and how it compares with other free online CAD tools
- [Parametric sketch](https://basiccad.xyz/features/sketch/): constraints, smart dimensions and the sketch → feature workflow
- [Assembly mode](https://basiccad.xyz/features/assembly/): parts, mates and exploded views
- [Design for 3D printing](https://basiccad.xyz/features/3d-printing/): exact fits, printable threads, STL/3MF export
- [Online STL editor](https://basiccad.xyz/features/stl-editor/): turning STL/3MF meshes into editable CAD features
- [STEP files](https://basiccad.xyz/features/step-files/): STEP import/export and rebuilding STEP parts as features

## Comparisons

- [BasicCAD vs SOLIDWORKS](https://basiccad.xyz/vs/solidworks/)
- [BasicCAD vs Fusion 360](https://basiccad.xyz/vs/fusion360/)
- [BasicCAD vs Onshape](https://basiccad.xyz/vs/onshape/)
- [BasicCAD vs FreeCAD](https://basiccad.xyz/vs/freecad/)
- [BasicCAD vs Tinkercad](https://basiccad.xyz/vs/tinkercad/)

## Use cases

- [CAD for schools](https://basiccad.xyz/education/): free for students, one teacher license for the class
- [CAD on Chromebook](https://basiccad.xyz/chromebook/): full parametric CAD in Chrome with no Linux or install
- [FAQ](https://basiccad.xyz/faq/): pricing, file formats, devices, privacy, commercial use

## Optional

- [Full text for LLMs](https://basiccad.xyz/llms-full.txt): every fact above in more detail, plus the FAQ
- [The app](https://basiccad.xyz/): opens the editor directly in the browser