| Option | Cost | What You Get | |--------|------|--------------| | | $0 | Full‑featured AutoCAD 2026 for a month—perfect for short projects or evaluation. | | AutoCAD for Education | $0 (student/teacher) | Same as commercial version, renewable each year as long as you remain eligible. | | AutoCAD LT | Low‑cost subscription (approx. $30/mo) | 2‑D drafting only, but fully supported and legal. | | FreeCAD | $0 (open‑source) | Powerful parametric 3‑D modeling, active community, cross‑platform. | | Onshape (free plan) | $0 | Cloud‑based CAD, collaborative, runs in a browser—no installation needed. | | Borrow from a library or university | $0–$10 | Many public libraries and university labs have licensed workstations you can use. |

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