BricsCAD is Belgium-based with limited US presence. ZWCAD is a China-based product with no direct US sales channel — US buyers typically must order internationally with no local support. progeCAD is sold and supported directly in the United States, with a US-based team, US pricing in USD, and US phone & email support. See the full progeCAD vs BricsCAD comparison →progeCAD vs ZWCAD →
Common questions
progeCAD vs AutoCAD — FAQ.
Answers to the questions we hear most from people switching from AutoCAD.
progeCAD is a full AutoCAD alternative that opens, edits, and saves all DWG file formats. It uses the same commands, the same interface, and the same file structure — over 1,000 AutoCAD command aliases, plus AutoLISP, VBA, the SDS/IRX API, dynamic blocks, XREFs, Sheet Set Manager, and CTB/STB plot styles. The difference is cost — progeCAD is a one-time $540 perpetual license; AutoCAD charges $2,095 per year with no option to own. For most 2D drafting and standard 3D workflows, progeCAD is functionally identical to AutoCAD.
As of October 2026, Autodesk lists AutoCAD at $2,095 per year (or $260 month to month) and AutoCAD LT, the 2D-only version, at $540 per year (or $70 month to month). Both are sold as subscriptions only, so you keep paying for as long as you use them — about $6,285 over three years for AutoCAD. A cheaper option that still works the way AutoCAD does is progeCAD Professional: $540 one time for a perpetual license with native DWG, AutoCAD-style commands, 2D drafting and 3D solid modeling. Optional iCARE maintenance adds upgrades, but you never have to pay again to keep working. Other paid alternatives include DraftSight (Dassault Systèmes, from $299 per year), BricsCAD and ZWCAD — see our side-by-side comparisons, or the full AutoCAD cost breakdown.
Yes. progeCAD opens and saves DWG natively with no conversion or import step, and it supports a wide version range — DWG v2.5 through the current format. Layers, blocks, linetypes, dimensions, XREFs, and AutoCAD SHX fonts are preserved. CTB and STB plot styles come across as well, so your drawings plot the way they always have.
In most cases they transfer without modification. progeCAD supports AutoLISP, VBA, and SDS/IRX (the equivalent of ADS/ARX), and it reads existing MNU, SCR, and LSP files directly. Standard LISP automation, batch scripts, and productivity routines written to AutoCAD conventions generally run as-is. Routines that call AutoCAD-specific .NET or ObjectARX extensions would need adapting — if you depend on a particular add-in, contact us and we will tell you honestly whether it will work.
Two things are worth knowing before you switch. First, Autodesk sells industry-specific toolsets such as Architecture, Civil 3D, Mechanical, and Plant 3D, and progeCAD's base package does not replicate those specialized libraries — on our side that capability comes from separate add-ons, progeEARTH for civil and survey work and progeBILLD for MEP. Second, progeCAD Professional is Windows-only, so Mac users need iCADMac instead. If full parametric BIM authoring is central to your workflow, progeCAD is not the closest fit either, and we would rather tell you that up front.
progeCAD Professional is a Windows application. For macOS we sell iCADMac, a separate AutoCAD-compatible CAD application built natively for the Mac, including Apple Silicon. It opens, edits, and saves DWG files natively and is also a one-time perpetual license, at $925.
Yes, and there are three ways to do it. A Single+ license installs on every PC you use — office, home, client site — and activates on one at a time with a quick online transfer. A Flex license adds more flexibility for moving between machines. An NLM network license is a floating license: install progeCAD on as many machines as you need, and the number of licenses you hold sets how many people can work at once. Licenses are transferable, so replacing a computer does not mean buying again.
No. progeCAD runs fully offline once activated, and no drawings or features are tied to a cloud service — your files stay on your own machine or network in standard DWG format. Because the license is perpetual, the software also keeps working indefinitely without further payment. There is no subscription to lapse and no scenario where you lose access to your own drawings.
