Free Product Design Software For Mac

  1. Design Software For Mac
  2. Best Design Software For Mac
  3. Free Product Design Software For Mac Windows 10

Product design is an industry with a plethora of capabilities. Professionals that specialize in product design are often required to think outside the box to innovate, create, and apply their knowledge. In short, everything we can see, touch and use in a utilitarian sense is a product (pun intended) of product design.

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Products had to be compatible with Mac and offer core CAD software capabilities, such as: 2D drawing or 3D modeling features; Collaborative editing of drawings; Products needed a minimum of 20 user reviews on Capterra (published in the last two years). Products had to have a high overall rating (an average of at least 4 out of 5 on Capterra). Homestyler was originally made by Autodesk, the makers of the industry leading AutoCAD for Mac software and was an incredibly powerful home design software for Mac and PC. It discontinued the product in 2017 but it has been continued as a somewhat lighter version under Chinese ownership by Easyhome. The surprising thing is that Homestyler is a.

Recent studies show that product design has a predominant role in the economy as well. More than 50% of new job openings in manufacturing are strictly targeted towards product design. Creating a new piece of furniture or a vehicle wouldn’t be possible without CAM or CAD software, however. With that in mind, let’s take a look at several software applications and website that can help aid in product design. These can not only make the entire process easier to learn but also more straightforward in the long run.

The field of industrial design has a lot to offer when it comes to software applications. One of the easiest-to-learn and most comprehensive tools for that purpose is Red Dot. Red Dot is a smartphone app with pre-built assets and repositories ready for the design of new products.

It represents the perfect jumping off point for new product designers and people who are interested in product design in general. Chris Mercer, a frequent user of Supreme Dissertations, said recently: “I strongly believe that minimalistic and approachable design takes precedent over complex and robust UI.'

2. Behance

Behance is not a software application as much as it is a networking platform. People that want to learn more about product design should affiliate themselves with Behance as soon as possible.

The platform allows you to meet professional designers, learn more about their work, reach out to them and showcase your own creations. There is no better way to learn about product design than by following in the footsteps of those who came before you.

3. Learn Design Sketching

Free product design software for mac os

Every good design starts from sketches. To that end, Learn Design Sketching is a software application geared towards product design students and beginners.

It allows for a multitude of options in regards to sketching, planning and drawing of product models. The application also covers all of the basic knowledge and information needed for successful ongoing product design.

4. Morpholio Trace

Just like with any other profession, communities are gathering around product design. Morpholio is one of the largest growing online communities geared towards product and industrial design. Their Trace application is designed with templates and baseline drawings that are built on by each member of the community.

You can easily start developing new ideas and projects as well as get valuable insight from industry professionals through Morpholio. Daniela McVicker, a writer at Hot Essay Service, spoke of the importance of community recently: “I love working in a team because it brings out the best in me. I could never see myself working independently after so many years in a professional writing agency.”

5. Materials & Processes

As the name suggests, this software application aims to introduce materials and processes to future product designers. It’s quite easy to learn which products are made of which materials, as well as their base values and structures.

This app is quite handy even for seasoned product designers since it encompasses a wide range of material categories as well as their derivatives. You can also learn how each material is processed and used in further product design processes, always a nice plus.

6. Pro ENGINEER Wildfire

As one of the most comprehensive product design and engineering applications on the market, Pro ENGINEER Wildfire has a lot to offer. The app is based around CAD and CAM design logic, meaning that engineers also have a way of understanding the basic processes.

Some of the most comprehensive features in Wildfire include complete product design sketching and assembly as well as photorealistic rendering capabilities. The application might be more difficult to master than most but it represents one of the pinnacles of the product design industry.

7. Invention Calculator

Free Product Design Software For Mac

Product designers are thinkers and creative professionals by trade. Their job is to find ways to create something new at low cost and fast manufacture times.

To that end, Invention Calculator aims to ease this difficulty for newcomers to the profession. You can use Invention Calculator to calculate the potential and realistic costs of newly-created products. The app features international localization, meaning that you can use it effectively no matter where you are.

8. AutoCAD 360

While desktop AutoCAD applications allow for numerous product design options, their mobile offering doesn’t lag behind too much. Beginners in product design and engineering will be happy to hear that AutoCAD has an official mobile app.

This application allows for more than meets the eye, with all of the desktop offerings available in one form or another. You can design new product schematics, preview rudimentary 3D renderings and work in a fully offline environment.

9. eDrawings

As the arguably easiest way to produce new design solutions, eDrawings is one-of-a-kind in its offering. The tool is suitable for both amateurs and professionals. It boasts intuitive UI with an easy-to-manage work environment.

You can draw 2D schematics and seamlessly preview your work in 3D. One of the latest additions to eDrawings is the implementation of AR preview modes for better immersion and design workflow.

10. GrabCAD Workbench

Lastly, beginners in product design should be aware of the nature of their profession. No designer works individually, which is why GrabCAD Workbench is a great tool for collaboration and file management.

Workbench is a CAD collaboration tool that works the way engineers do. It offers full set cloud collaboration to ensure that you and your team can find the CAD files you need, avoid duplicating work, and solicit input from everyone who has a stake in the project.

Long-term Software Solutions (Conclusion)

The tools listed above are perfect for beginners and curious individuals ready to take on product design. Amanda Sparks, writer and blogger for Flash Essay and Get Good Grade weighed in with a quote: “The journey from amateur to professional is very slippery. It’s important to choose the right tools and platforms for personal development as soon as possible.”

While you should definitely give all of these tools a chance, make sure to choose the ones that suit you early on. Stick to your favorites and build a skillset that will allow you to land a competitive job in today’s global market.

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If you’re looking for CAD software for Mac, you’re not without options. We’ve found some standout Mac and cloud-based CAD platforms for you.

You’re likely to hit a wall if you’re searching for computer-aided design (CAD) software designed for Mac. There are plenty of CAD software options for Windows—you’ll see many of them in our list of the top AutoCAD alternatives—but only a handful offer support for Mac.

And, if you think you’ll bypass the issue by using a cloud-based CAD tool, you’ll quickly find that CAD vendors haven’t embraced the cloud as much as other types of software vendors have, so the offerings are still largely on-premise. According to Gartner’s Hype Cycle for IT Evolution (full content available to Gartner clients), cloud-native CAD applications still have five to 10 years before they reach mainstream adoption.

But fear not, Mac users. We’ve done some digging and have put together this list of the top-rated CAD software for Mac. Read more about our methodology at the bottom of this article.

5 Best CAD Software for Mac (presented alphabetically)

Jump to:


  • CorelCAD

  • FreeCAD

  • Fusion 360

  • LibreCAD

  • Onshape

1. CorelCAD

CorelCAD offers 2D drafting and 3D design capabilities, such as the drawing constraints feature for creating different geometric shapes faster and the push and pull feature for 3D direct modeling.

3D modeling in CorelCAD (Source)

Common user feedback trends

Based on analyses of user reviews on Capterra, here’s an overview of the areas of CorelCAD they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.

What users like:

  • The short learning curve: Users mention that the tool is easy to use and beginners don’t have to spend a lot of time learning it.
  • Compatibility with multiple file types: Users like the fact that the tool is compatible with DWG, PDF, ACIS, DXF, STL, CDR, and other file formats.

What users think could be improved:

  • Software reliability issues: Some users mention that the software tends to crash at times.
  • Better dimension functionality: Some users would like a better dimensioning feature for more accurate drawings of angles and proportions.

Who can use CorelCAD

CorelCAD can be used by construction businesses for collaborative editing on multiple devices. It offers native iOS applications, which makes it easy for field crews to add annotations in graphics and share files using their iPhones and iPads. Additionally, the tool allows team members to leave recorded messages and instructions for colleagues embedded in the graphics using a voice note tool.

2. FreeCAD

FreeCAD is an open source CAD tool that works on Mac as well as Windows and Linux. It reads many common file formats such as STEP, IGES, STL, SVG, DXF, OBJ, IFC, and DAE.

It offers different modules, including a drawing sheets module that converts 3D models into 2D views, a rendering module that can export 3D objects, and an architecture module for a BIM-like workflow.

3D model of a building in FreeCAD (Source)

Common user feedback trends

Based on analysis of user reviews on Capterra, here’s an overview of the areas of FreeCAD they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.

What users like:

  • Feature-richness for a free tool: Users mention that, although it’s free, the tool comes with a full set of features.
  • Reliability: Users mention that the tool does not demand a lot of CPU power and works well on devices with low RAM.

What users think could be improved:

  • Steep learning curve: Users mention that the tool is not the most user-friendly solution and can be difficult for beginners to learn.
  • Dependent on community for updates: Users mention that modules ignored by the community tend to become outdated quickly.

Who can use FreeCAD

FreeCAD appears to be best for hobbyists and home users. It’s also good for users who don’t have a high budget for software but still want to tinker with CAD modeling.

FreeCAD could also be a good choice for businesses on a budget looking for a free and open-source option.

3. Fusion 360

Fusion 360 is a CAD tool from Autodesk with design functionalities such as sketching and 3D modeling. It also supports project management with features such as task management, document management, and collaborative image editing.

Document management in Fusion 360 (Source)

Common user feedback trends

Based on analysis of user reviews on Capterra, here’s an overview of the areas of Fusion 360 they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.

What users like:

  • Comprehensive design features: User mention that the tool offers all the functionalities necessary for 2D and 3D designing.
  • Availability of training resources: Users like the fact that the tool comes with ample documentation and tutorials.

What users think could be improved:

  • System crashes: Users mention that the tool tends to crash, especially when designing and rendering large files.
  • Steep learning curve: Users mention that it can take a lot of time to learn the advanced functionalities of the tool.

Who can use Fusion 360

Fusion 360 is part of the Autodesk ecosystem designed for the AEC industry. This makes the tool suitable for construction businesses that are already using, or intend to use, other Autodesk solutions. Using a software vendor that offers multiple solutions will especially benefit larger businesses that invariably need software that can scale with their growing requirements.

4. LibreCAD

LibreCAD is an open source CAD tool that supports Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems. The tool comes with 2D drawing features such as a snap tool, dimensioning, and annotations. It also supports multiple file imports and exports.

2D drawing in LibreCAD (Source)

Common user feedback trends

Based on analysis of user reviews on Capterra, here’s an overview of the areas of LibreCAD they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.

Design

What users like:

  • Ease of use: Users mention that the tool offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
  • Lots of tutorials: Users like the fact that there are ample video tutorials that help them get started with the tool.

What users think could be improved:

  • Software speed: Users mention that the software tends to lag, especially when trying to print designs.
  • Add support for 3D design: Users would like to see functionalities for creating 3D designs.

Who can use LibreCAD

LibreCAD is an exclusively 2D CAD tool for drawing and designing blueprints of buildings, layouts of parks, and the like. As a free tool, the solution can be used by small and midsize businesses across different industries, including manufacturing, engineering, architecture, and construction.

5. Onshape

Onshape is a cloud-only CAD solution that comes with features such as document management with version control, collaborative design creation/editing capabilities, and reporting dashboards to understand project status.

Importing documents in Onshape (Source)

Common user feedback trends

Based on analysis of user reviews on Capterra, here’s an overview of the areas of Onshape they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.

What users like:

  • Document version control: Users like the document management features of the tool, such as version history.
  • Intuitive interface: Users mention that the tool comes with an intuitive interface for easy image editing.

What users think could be improved:

  • Performance issues: Some users mention that the tool does not function well on non-Chrome browsers and has file loading issues.
  • Lack of features: Users mention that the tool should improve certain features such as 2D drawing and 3D surfacing.

Who can use Onshape

As a fully-cloud based tool, Onshape is ideal for businesses that need to manage design documents collaboratively with multiple stakeholders. The tool’s collaboration functionalities include document sharing, document editing, comments, and file downloads in multiple CAD formats, such as Parasolid, ACIS, STEP, and IGES.

Next steps

Software

This report offers a mix of Mac CAD solutions—from free tools that can help you with basic 2D drawing to advanced solutions offering extensive 3D modeling functionalities.

Design Software For Mac

If these tools don’t meet your needs, expand your search and check out more options. To help you, we’ve created a CAD software comparison page where you can explore products using different filters, such as features offered and pricing options.

If you’re looking to understand the CAD software market better, we also recommend that you read the articles listed below:

Methodology

To be shortlisted, products had to fulfill the following criteria:

  • Products had to be compatible with Mac and offer core CAD software capabilities, such as:
    • 2D drawing or 3D modeling features
    • Collaborative editing of drawings
  • Products needed a minimum of 20 user reviews on Capterra (published in the last two years).
  • Products had to have a high overall rating (an average of at least 4 out of 5 on Capterra).

Best Design Software For Mac

Note: The content in this piece that provides opinions and points of view expressed by users. It does not represent the views of Capterra.

Free Product Design Software For Mac Windows 10

Looking for Construction Management software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Construction Management software solutions.