LibreCAD is a computer-aided design (CAD) application for 2D design. It is free and open-source, and available for Unix/Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows operating systems.
Most of the interface and handle concepts are analogous to AutoCAD, making it easier to use for users with experience in this type of commercial CAD application.
Around 2010, the QCAD Community Edition 2.0.5 was forked to start the development of what is now known as LibreCAD. Originally, the GUI was based on Qt3 libraries.
CADuntu — was the initial QCAD CE fork project name. It was used for a short time and, after discussion with users, has been replaced by LibreCAD, as to not be associated with Ubuntu and Canonical Ltd.
The main feature of LibreCAD 1 was porting of its graphical user interface (GUI) code to Qt4, so it can run identically on several platforms.
What is LibreCAD?
LibreCAD by LibreCAD Team is open-source Windows software in the drawing & design category. It ranks 3rd by popularity among drawing & design in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2011. It is written in C++. Besides Windows, it is available for GNU/Linux, BSD, macOS and Haiku. Its interface is available in 3 languages.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.2.1.6, released on October 17, 2026. The version history goes back to March 30, 2021: 11 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 2 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 45,096 times. The source code on GitHub (LibreCAD/LibreCAD) has 6,498 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 19 of our languages. Similar programs include draw.io, Inkscape and Graphviz.
Project description on GitHub: “LibreCAD is a cross-platform 2D CAD program. It can read DXF/DWG, and write DXF/DWG/PDF/SVG files. It supports point/line/circle/ellipse/parabola/hyperbola/spline primitives. The GUI is highly customizable, and has dozens of translations.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Updated in the last two months
- Also runs on GNU/Linux, BSD and macOS
- Large user base
- Mature project (since 2011)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: LibreCAD is an open-source drawing & design tool for 64-bit and 32-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is LibreCAD safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
0CD876D0E3FBFCDCDB85E5019080ACA243908F4AD5C3B3C93A55EE9BA154F95B· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 11 versions ›11 versions over 6 years · about 2 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2.1.6Latest | October 17, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.2.1.5 | May 2, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.2.1.4 | March 3, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.2.1.3 | January 11, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.2.1.2 | July 14, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.2.1.1 | February 19, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.2.1 | January 4, 2025 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.2.0.2 | July 29, 2023 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id LibreCAD.LibreCAD -echoco install librecad -yscoop install extras/librecadLibreCAD-v2.2.1.6-win64-msvc.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub org.librecad.librecadInformation
- Publisher
- LibreCAD Team
- Category
- Drawing & design
- Licence
- GPLv2
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/LibreCAD/LibreCAD
- Written in
- C++
- Interface languages
- English, Russian, and Romanian
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- GNU/Linux, BSD, macOS, Haiku
- Version
- 2.2.1.6
- Released
- October 17, 2026
- First release
- 2011
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 11
- Updates / year
- 2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 45,096
- GitHub stars
- 6,498
- GitHub forks
- 1,399
- Website
- librecad.org
- winget ID
- LibreCAD.LibreCAD
- Chocolatey package
- librecad
- Scoop package
- extras/librecad
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is LibreCAD free?
Yes. LibreCAD is open-source software under the GPLv2 licence.
Is LibreCAD safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install LibreCAD with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can LibreCAD be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does LibreCAD run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit and 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of LibreCAD?
The versions page lists all 11 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 30, 2021.
What are alternatives to LibreCAD?
draw.io, Inkscape, Graphviz, KritaShellExtension and MyPaint. The alternatives page compares them.
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