The CAD field guide / Independent comparison
SolidCraft vs FreeCAD: Workflows, Features & File Migration
Two open tools. Different ways to work.
Compare the sketch-to-solid workflow with FreeCAD's workbenches, Python tools and engineering documentation. Choose around the part you need to deliver.
01 / Try SolidCraft
SolidCraft or FreeCAD: which fits your CAD workflow?
Start with your deliverable, then choose the tools. These are task-based recommendations, not a ranking.
Try SolidCraft
Try SolidCraft for simple parts and 3D printing
For a spacer, mounting plate or 3D-printable enclosure, try sketch constraints, solid features and a dimension change. Verify the exported geometry in your slicer or receiving CAD.
Build a sample partKeep your established tools
Keep FreeCAD for TechDraw, workbenches and Python macros
Keep FreeCAD for TechDraw sheets, specialized workbenches or existing Python macros. List every add-on and external dependency before assessing a replacement.
Check official product conditionsUse both deliberately
Exchange STEP geometry while keeping the .FCStd source
Use a STEP copy for a bounded modeling task. Keep the .FCStd original for editable design history, drawing links and workbench-specific data.
Follow the migration path02 / FreeCAD
SolidCraft vs FreeCAD: modeling, workbenches & automation
Capabilities need context: product, platform, dependencies and the installed version all matter.
Scroll the table sideways on small screens.
| Your requirement | SolidCraft | FreeCAD |
|---|---|---|
| License & cost[1][2][5] | Open-source project under MIT / Apache-2.0. Hosted services, third-party clients and support have separate conditions. | FreeCAD is LGPL-licensed open-source software; its FAQ permits commercial work. Add-ons and external tools can have separate licenses. |
| Platforms & storage[1][2][6] | Desktop builds for Windows, macOS and Linux, plus a browser app. Keep downloadable native backups; hosted storage follows this site's plans. | Desktop CAD for Windows, macOS and Linux. Local .FCStd documents support offline work; arrange your own backups and synchronization. |
| Parametric modeling[1][3] | Sketch constraints and a feature timeline. Evaluate dimension changes and dependent rebuilds in the pinned build. | Sketcher and Part Design support constrained sketches and feature-based parts. Check dependencies and recomputes in your actual model. |
| Workbenches & extensions[1][3] | An integrated modeling interface; do not assume a matching replacement for each specialized FreeCAD workbench. | Task-specific built-in workbenches plus community extensions. Record add-on versions and external applications used by the project. |
| Assemblies & drawings[1][7][8] | Assembly capabilities need testing against your joints and part count. Retain the source drawing workflow until sheets, dimensions and updates meet your requirements. | Built-in Assembly is documented from 1.0; TechDraw provides drawing tools. Other assembly add-ons have their own models and requirements. |
| Automation[9][10] | Local CLI and MCP use a separately installed desktop toolchain. A browser session is not itself a local MCP server. | Python console, macros and scripts can create and modify models; automation is not exclusive to SolidCraft. |
| File exchange[4][6] | Use STEP for the initial assessment. Upstream documents desktop-only .FCStd solid import through cadmpeg, as base geometry, not recovered parametric history. | Export selected solids as STEP and retain the .FCStd native file. Confirm which objects and placements the export contains. |
SolidCraft v0.18.2 is the site's pinned browser build. FreeCAD capabilities refer to official workbench documentation, including the built-in Assembly workbench introduced in 1.0. Check your FreeCAD version and add-ons; live SolidCraft documentation may be ahead of this site's build.
03 / STEP
How to migrate a FreeCAD model to SolidCraft with STEP
Use STEP as the common geometry path. Keep the .FCStd document, linked files, workbench versions and a drawing reference together before exporting. [4][6]
.FCStd.step / .stp.solidcraftWork on a copy. A successful import is the beginning of the evaluation, not its acceptance test.
Archive the editable source
Save a copy of the .FCStd file and its dependencies. Record the FreeCAD version, required workbenches, units, body count and three critical dimensions.
Export the intended solids
Select the final bodies or assembly objects in FreeCAD and use File → Export with STEP. Check the export options and inspect the resulting file; avoid accidentally exporting intermediate construction objects.
Import and inspect
Open the STEP copy in SolidCraft. Compare units, dimensions, solids and placements against the saved reference. Stop and investigate any missing or invalid geometry.
Make a meaningful edit
Add a new feature to the imported base, or rebuild the sketch and dimension you need to control. Change it once and inspect all downstream features. Imported shape editing does not restore the original FreeCAD dependencies.
Save, reopen and exchange back
Save a .solidcraft copy, close and reopen it, then export STEP into the receiving tool. Complete the checklist before moving another design.
04 / .FCStd
Does STEP preserve FreeCAD geometry, history & drawings?
Which solids and assembly placements can STEP preserve?
STEP can transfer solid geometry and, where supported, names, colors and assembly structure. Measure the result rather than assuming every attribute survives.
Must FreeCAD sketches, expressions and parameters be rebuilt?
Plan to recreate the original sketches, expressions, feature dependencies and assembly constraints needed for future edits. A new timeline starts with the imported base.
How should you retain TechDraw, BOM, CAM and FEM data?
Keep TechDraw sheets, BOM sources, CAM jobs, FEM setups and add-on data in their original tools unless separately recreated and accepted. A STEP model is not a production-document archive.
05 / Try SolidCraft
FreeCAD to SolidCraft migration checklist
Choose a plate, spacer or enclosure with known dimensions. Set your tolerances before you begin and record expected and actual results. This is a blank test plan, not a report of a completed migration.
Download the blank checklistUTF-8 text · editable · no registrationTry the sample partUnits & dimensions
Confirm units and at least three critical dimensions against the original, within your stated tolerances.
Solid bodies
Match the expected solid-body count; investigate missing bodies, open surfaces and import errors.
Component placement
Check origins, orientations and repeated instances. Test required motion separately from static placement.
One dimension change
Change a native parameter, or add and edit a new feature on the import. Record any original feature that must be rebuilt.
Downstream rebuild
Check dependent holes, fillets and features after the change; resolve every rebuild error.
Geometry export
Export STEP and reopen it in the receiving tool. Check dimensions, units, body count and placement again.
Save & reopen
Save a .solidcraft file, close it and reopen it; confirm the geometry and new edits remain correct.
Required delivery
Verify drawings, BOM, tolerances and manufacturing records in their required tools. Record any dependency you must retain.
Proceed only when every required check passes your project criteria. A visual match alone is insufficient. Keep the source workflow for any unresolved deliverable.
06 / FAQ
FreeCAD compatibility, commercial use & automation FAQ
Is FreeCAD free for commercial use?
The official FAQ allows FreeCAD to be used for commercial work. The application's LGPL license is distinct from the terms of any add-on, external library, purchased asset or hosted service. Review those dependencies separately. [5][2]
Does FreeCAD have assemblies and engineering drawings?
Yes. Official documentation covers the built-in Assembly workbench from FreeCAD 1.0 and TechDraw for drawings. Identify whether your project uses the built-in assembly tools or a separate add-on before comparing behavior. [7][8]
Will STEP preserve FreeCAD's feature tree?
Do not expect it to. SolidCraft imports STEP geometry as a base feature. Keep the .FCStd original for the FreeCAD construction history, and rebuild design intent explicitly when it is required for later edits. [4][6]
Which tool should I use for automated modeling?
Start from your existing scripts. FreeCAD offers Python and macros; SolidCraft documents a local CLI and MCP interface. Check required commands, local installation, client access and the resulting model in each tool. This comparison makes no speed ranking. [10][9]
07 / SolidCraft Guide
Comparison scope, review date & official sources
SolidCraft Guide prepared this independent comparison from the linked official project, product and format documentation. Recommendations are editorial judgments about workflow fit. Source titles remain identifiable even when the official page is in another language.
The site currently pins SolidCraft v0.18.2. Upstream guides and vendor pages are living documents and can describe newer capabilities. No hands-on FreeCAD or SOLIDWORKS migration, speed, success rate or complete replacement is claimed here. Desktop CLI/MCP requires a separate local installation; desktop-only import is not advertised as a browser feature. Software licenses and this site's hosted services are separate; see Pricing for service conditions. No temporary prices are used. Pricing
Official source index
- SolidCraft v0.18.2 · project & license
- FreeCAD · project, platforms & license
- FreeCAD · workbench documentation
- SolidCraft v0.18.2 · file formats & desktop import
- FreeCAD · usage & licensing FAQ
- FreeCAD · import & export formats
- FreeCAD · built-in Assembly (1.0+)
- FreeCAD · TechDraw
- SolidCraft · local CLI & MCP
- FreeCAD · Python & macros