SolveSpace

What hackers pick instead

• FreeCADA free, open-source parametric CAD modeler that has improved rapidly and can replace Fusion 360 for many hobby users, though its UI remains complex and hard to learn.199recommend
• OpenSCADA free CAD tool where you describe models in code, loved for precise, parametric, version-controllable designs and LLM-friendliness; critics note missing fillets/chamfers and math-heavy modeling.173recommend
• OnshapeBrowser-based parametric CAD that is easy to learn, runs on any machine and has multi-user editing; the free tier makes designs public.65recommend
• Autodesk Fusion 360Recommended for fast, capable parametric 3D modeling, with a free hobbyist license and an easy learning curve. The most common caveat is that the free license could be changed or withdrawn, and Autodesk pushes paid upgrades.60recommend
• SolidWorksWidely used parametric CAD praised for its easy interface and power; critics say it is costly, proprietary, and crashes or slows on complex assemblies.36recommend

Every quote

The 40 most detailed of 80 comments. Each links to the original.

1. I love solvespace, it is hard to describe but despite it's limitations and problems (and there are many) it feels joyous to use

   Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Open source CAD in the browser (Solvespace)”

2. It was SolveSpace that made it click, it's simple enough that you can see what any other package is trying to do.

   Recommends · Jan 2026 · in “3D printing my laptop ergonomic setup”

3. development has really slowed, and it seems fundamentally incapable of some pretty rudimentary features

   Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “Open source CAD in the browser (Solvespace)”

4. kernel is already there, and it's decent enough. What's lacking is a good user interface to it.

   Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “Open source CAD in the browser (Solvespace)”

5. it is the least fun UI I have ever encountered, I'm afraid (kind of obtuse on a trackpad too)

   Mixed · Jun 2026 · in “Akse3D – open-source 3D modelling anyone can master”

6. SolveSpace has remained an excellent lightweight option for designing parts for laser cutting

   Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Open source CAD in the browser (Solvespace)”

7. pretty stable and reliable. Fast, compact, great sketching interface, good discoverable UI.

   Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “Show HN: SolidCraft – Open-Source Parametric CAD in Rust (With MCP Support)”

8. Unfortunately aside from the better sketching the engine is not as capable as OpenCascade.

   Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “Open source CAD in the browser (Solvespace)”

9. But let me know when it’s ready to tackle more than a "hello world" level design problem.

   Mixed · Jul 2026 · in “LibreCAD in the Browser”

10. it's also missing a lot so I can't in good faith recommend it for any arbitrary CAD work

    Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “Simple Screw Counter”

11. With SolveSpace I've been productive in like 2 hours after launching it the first time.

    Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Open source CAD in the browser (Solvespace)”

12. SolveSpace is a pretty simple program, so you don't need to dig deep through the UI

    Recommends · Jan 2026 · in “Parametric CAD in Rust”

13. I especially love SolveSpace, it is beautiful software, well thought out, fast

    Recommends · May 2026 · in “Show HN: AI CAD Harness”

14. an 80/20 sort of tool -- nowhere near as powerful, but vastly easier to use

    Recommends · Jan 2026 · in “Parametric CAD in Rust”

15. Big fan of OpenSCAD[1] and solvespace[2] for making functional 3D prints.

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Ask HN: What are your top open source apps/software?”

16. Solvespace is by far my favorite cad, it ls hard to explain exactly why

    Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “GNU Unifont”

17. working in SolveSpace is extremely fast if you use keyboard shortcuts

    Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Open source CAD in the browser (Solvespace)”

18. It is very barebones, but was much easier to use than FreeCad for me.

    Recommends · Nov 2025 · in “Blender 5.0”

19. It's far and away my favorite MCAD program and always my first go-to

    Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “GNU Unifont”

20. Even adults have used the word "fun" to describe using solvespace.

    Recommends · Jun 2026 · in “Akse3D – open-source 3D modelling anyone can master”

21. But then it clicked, and I really enjoyed the different approach.

    Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Dune3d: A parametric 3D CAD application”

22. Solvespace does great with a scroll-wheel mouse. Scroll = zoom.

    Recommends · Jun 2026 · in “Akse3D – open-source 3D modelling anyone can master”

23. bugs in the boolean code are IMHO the biggest blocker for kids

    Mixed · Jun 2026 · in “Akse3D – open-source 3D modelling anyone can master”

24. Its good progress but still too easy to have a failed boolean.

    Mixed · Oct 2026 · in “Show HN: SolidCraft – Open-Source Parametric CAD in Rust (With MCP Support)”

25. It takes 10× as long to sketch in it compared to SolveSpace.

    Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “Open source CAD in the browser (Solvespace)”

26. a great, lightweight tool to design parts for laser cutting

    Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Open source CAD in the browser (Solvespace)”

27. SolveSpace is a PITA in that regard. You also need to re-learn most terms that are common in other CAD software.

    Criticizes · Mar 2026 · in “Dune3d: A parametric 3D CAD application”

28. The Solvespace UI is a long, long way from being the sort of UI a contemporary kid has any kind of comfort with

    Criticizes · Jun 2026 · in “Akse3D – open-source 3D modelling anyone can master”

29. falls short by not importing STEP and the geometry kernel not supporting chamfers and fillets

    Criticizes · Mar 2026 · in “Dune3d: A parametric 3D CAD application”

30. Oh, I actually hate trying to use solvespace with anything other than a 3-button mouse.

    Criticizes · Jun 2026 · in “Akse3D – open-source 3D modelling anyone can master”

31. using it quickly turns into randomly nudging points in hope to avoid kernel failures

    Criticizes · Mar 2026 · in “Simple Screw Counter”

32. I actually hate trying to use solvespace with anything other than a 3-button mouse

    Criticizes · Jun 2026 · in “Akse3D – open-source 3D modelling anyone can master”

33. SolveSpace is still fairly limited on what it can do in terms of features

    Criticizes · Oct 2026 · in “Show HN: Nasscad – local-first 3D CAD for browser and Windows”

34. all significantly worse than commercial kernels like Parasolid or ACIS

    Criticizes · May 2026 · in “GenCAD”

35. It is sad that FreeCAD gets all the attention. If Solvespace had some of it, and the development time following from it, it could get improvements and some of the cool stuff in their pipeline.

    Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Simple Screw Counter”

36. SolveSpace officially is supported on Windows (Vista-11), Linux and macOS, and compiles with Emscripten and runs in a browser.

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Open source CAD in the browser (Solvespace)”

37. Since SolveSpace has a helix tool that can "extrude" any sketch along a helix it should be doable.

    Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Build123d: A Python CAD programming library”

38. most of the fixes were accepted after a lot of review by multiple experts on the code

    Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “Show HN: SolidCraft – Open-Source Parametric CAD in Rust (With MCP Support)”

39. it seems like solvespace would do a good job at cranking out the designs

    Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Simple Screw Counter”

40. why does the rendered in-window text use a really awful pixelated font?

    Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “Open source CAD in the browser (Solvespace)”