SolidCraft and FreeCAD are both free, open-source, parametric 3D CAD programs for Windows, macOS and Linux. The big difference is age: FreeCAD has decades of features and a large community, while SolidCraft shipped its first release (as SolveCraft) on 9 October 2026 and is moving fast.
Side by side
| SolidCraft | FreeCAD | |
|---|---|---|
| First release | October 2026 | Early 2000s |
| License | MIT or Apache-2.0 | LGPL |
| Written in | Rust | C++ and Python |
| Geometry kernel | truck (Rust B-rep kernel, with SolidCraft's own fillets, shells and face edits) | OpenCASCADE |
| Interface | One toolbar, one timeline (Fusion-style) | Workbenches (Part Design, Sketcher, Assembly, TechDraw…) |
| Runs in a browser | Yes, official web build | No official web build |
| AI agents | Built-in MCP server and in-app agent chat | Community MCP add-ons |
| Scripting | solidcraft-cli with JSON command scripts |
Python console and macros |
| 2D drawings | Not yet (planned), DXF view export only | Yes (TechDraw) |
| Simulation / CAM | Out of scope | FEM and CAM workbenches |
| Sheet metal | Built in | Via add-on |
| STEP / IGES | Read and write | Read and write |
Where SolidCraft is ahead
- No install needed. The browser build is the same app, which helps on locked-down work computers.
- One consistent workflow. Sketch, feature, timeline: no switching workbenches. People on Hacker News compared its interface to Fusion 360, Inventor and Solid Edge.
- Built for AI agents. The MCP server and command scripts make it easy for Claude Code or other agents to build, measure and export parts. See SolidCraft MCP setup.
- Fast releases. Bugs reported one day are often fixed the next.
Where FreeCAD is ahead
- Maturity. SolidCraft says itself that it is "early but usable for simple parts". FreeCAD handles large, complex models and has years of fixes behind it.
- Drawings. FreeCAD's TechDraw makes dimensioned 2D drawings. SolidCraft has no drawing workspace yet.
- Breadth. FEM, CAM, architecture (BIM) and a large add-on ecosystem.
- Known limits in SolidCraft: some advanced fillets only work on simple edges, shell and offset need simple surface types, STEP assemblies are flattened on import, and threads are faceted.
Which should you use?
- Pick SolidCraft for brackets, enclosures, jigs and 3D-printable parts, if you like Fusion-style tools, want to work in a browser, or want an AI agent to do the modelling. Start with the SolidCraft tutorial.
- Pick FreeCAD if you need production drawings, simulation, CAM, or you are working on large, complex assemblies today.
- Use both: the SolidCraft desktop app imports FreeCAD .FCStd files, and both read and write STEP.