Allplan
Germany
EU
Allplan is BIM software for architecture, structural engineering and construction, developed by Allplan in Munich, Germany. The first version of the CAD system appeared in 1984, and the company goes back to...
European Alternatives to Autodesk
Archicad
Hungary
EU
Archicad is building information modelling (BIM) software for architects, developed by Graphisoft in Budapest, Hungary. Graphisoft was founded in 1982, Archicad has been in development since 1984 and is considered the first...
Blender
Netherlands
EU
Open Source
Blender is a free and open source 3D creation suite developed under the Blender Foundation, an independent public benefit organisation (Stichting) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The foundation was established in 2002, and...
BricsCAD
Belgium
EU
BricsCAD is a CAD application from Bricsys, a company headquartered in Ghent, Belgium. Bricsys was founded in 2002 by Erik De Keyser and has been wholly owned by the Swedish technology group...
CATIA
France
EU
CATIA is the high-end product design system of Dassault Systèmes, headquartered in Vélizy-Villacoublay, France. The software originates from the aerospace industry: Dassault Systèmes was founded in 1981 to develop CAD for aircraft...
Cinema 4D
Germany
EU
Cinema 4D is a 3D modelling, animation and rendering program from Maxon, a company headquartered in Friedrichsdorf near Frankfurt, Germany. Maxon was founded in 1985 and has been part of the German...
FreeCAD
Belgium
EU
Open Source
FreeCAD is an open source parametric 3D modeller for designing real-life objects of any size. The project is supported by the FreeCAD Project Association, an international non-profit association (AISBL) registered and based...
SolidWorks
France
EU
SolidWorks is a parametric 3D CAD program for mechanical design and one of the best-known products of Dassault Systèmes, a French software group headquartered in Vélizy-Villacoublay near Paris. Dassault Systèmes was founded...
Did we miss one? Feel free to submit a suggestion!
Submit SuggestionAutodesk is an American software company founded in 1982 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. It is best known for AutoCAD, which went on sale in December 1982, and for Revit, a parametric building modelling application acquired in 2002. Its portfolio also includes Inventor for mechanical design as well as Fusion, Maya and 3ds Max. Autodesk programs are sold as subscriptions and are standards in architecture, engineering and media production.
European alternatives by task
For 2D drafting and general CAD in the DWG format that AutoCAD made common, BricsCAD from Belgium works natively with DWG files, and FreeCAD is a free open source option. For mechanical design in the area of Inventor and Fusion, SolidWorks and CATIA from France are the established commercial European systems. Building information modelling in the area of Revit is covered by Archicad from Hungary and Allplan from Germany. For 3D animation and modelling in the area of Maya and 3ds Max, Blender from the Netherlands is free, and Cinema 4D from Germany is a commercial tool popular in motion design.
What to consider when switching
The biggest hurdle is usually not the software but the project files and the people who use them. Check which file formats the partners need, such as DWG, STEP or IFC, and test a real project before changing a whole office. Plug-ins and add-ons built for Autodesk programs often have no equivalent, and training takes time.
All listed products are shown in the category 3D and CAD software.