Real Parametric CAD, Free in Your Browser
BasicCAD is a full feature-based 3D CAD program — sketches, constraints, a feature tree, assemblies and drawings — that runs in a browser tab. Nothing to install, and designing is free for as long as you like.
Start Designing Free
What "Free Online CAD" Means Here
Most free online 3D tools are either block-stacking modelers or a stripped-down trial of a desktop product. BasicCAD is neither. It runs OpenCascade — the same industrial B-rep geometry kernel used by FreeCAD — compiled to WebAssembly, so the parts you build are exact solids, not triangle meshes. Change a dimension and the whole model rebuilds.
- Every modeling feature is free. Sketch, extrude, revolve, sweep, loft, fillet, chamfer, shell, patterns, threads, assemblies and 2D drawings — no feature is locked.
- No install, no admin rights. Open the page and start. It installs as an offline app if you want one.
- Your files stay yours. Geometry is computed on your own computer; designs are saved as
.cadjsonfiles you own, not stored in someone else's cloud.
A subscription only unlocks exporting finished parts as STL, STEP and 3MF for printing and manufacturing — $5 a month, $45 a year, or $193.13 once for a lifetime license, with a 30-day free trial and no card required.
What You Can Build
Parametric sketches
Lines, arcs, splines, slots, polygons and editable text, held by constraints and smart dimensions. Variables and equations drive any value.
Solid features
Extrude, cut, revolve, sweep, loft, fillet, chamfer, shell, draft, mirror and linear or circular patterns — all editable later in the feature tree.
Made for 3D printing
Printable ANSI and metric threads with clearance, a hole wizard, print-ready holes, support fins, and multi-color 3MF export for Bambu, Orca and Prusa slicers.
Assemblies
Insert parts, add concentric, planar and distance mates, explode the assembly, run gear trains and generate a bill of materials.
Import & convert
Open STEP, STL, 3MF and OpenSCAD files. Many STL and STEP parts are rebuilt as editable features you can re-dimension.
Drawings & collaboration
2D engineering drawings with views and dimensions, share links, and Live Sessions to edit one design together in real time.
Free Online CAD Options Compared
Every tool below is good at something. Here is how they differ on the things people usually ask about.
| Question | BasicCAD | Tinkercad | Onshape Free | Fusion (personal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs in a browser, no install | Yes | Yes | Yes | Desktop install |
| History-based parametric modeling | Yes | No — shape stacking | Yes | Yes |
| Designs stay private by default | Yes — computed and saved locally | Cloud account | Free documents are public | Cloud account |
| Works on a Chromebook | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Licensing matters too: Onshape's free plan and Fusion for personal use are for non-commercial work, while BasicCAD lets you sell what you make. Detailed comparisons: BasicCAD vs Tinkercad, vs Onshape, vs Fusion 360, vs FreeCAD and vs SOLIDWORKS.
Who Uses It
- 3D printing hobbyists who need exact dimensions and fits instead of eyeballing shapes — see designing for 3D printing.
- Students and teachers on school Chromebooks, where desktop CAD can't be installed — see CAD for schools.
- Engineers and makers who learned SOLIDWORKS or Inventor and want the same ribbon-and-feature-tree workflow at home.
- Anyone with an STL to fix — resize a hole, add a mount, merge two parts — see the online STL editor.
How It Runs in a Browser
The geometry kernel (OpenCascade), the 2D constraint solver (PlaneGCS, from FreeCAD) and the mesh boolean engine (Manifold) are all compiled to WebAssembly and run on your own CPU. The first visit downloads the kernel once; after that the app opens in seconds and keeps working offline. Chrome and Edge run the multithreaded kernel for the fastest rebuilds.
Have more questions? Read the BasicCAD FAQ.
Open BasicCAD and Start Modeling
Free to design, no account needed to start. Export plans from $5 a month when you're ready to print.
Launch BasicCAD