Choose Blender if you want
Free 3D modeling, animation and rendering.
The most complete free 3D suite here, covering modeling, sculpting, animation and rendering under the GPL. Its learning curve is steep, and it is less suited to engineering dimensions than FreeCAD.
Choose FreeCAD if you want
Free parametric engineering parts.
Free parametric CAD for mechanical parts, licensed under LGPL-2.1 and available on Linux, macOS and Windows. Its workbenches take time to learn, and surface modeling is less refined than Rhino's.
Side by side
 Blender |  FreeCAD | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 94.5 | 82.0 |
| Rank in list | #1 of 6 | #5 of 6 |
| Price | Free and open sourceFree to use, including for commercial work; open source under the GPL | Free and open sourceFree and open source under the LGPL-2.1 license |
| Free to use | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | WindowsmacOSLinuxWindows, macOS, Linux | LinuxmacOSWindowsLinux, macOS, Windows |
| Made by | Blender Foundation | FreeCAD community |
| Best for | Free 3D modeling, animation and rendering | Free parametric engineering parts |
| Strengths |
|
|
| Limits |
|
|
| Links | Visit site | Visit site |
Questions about Blender vs FreeCAD
- Is Blender better than FreeCAD?
- Blender ranks higher in our list of 3D modeling software (#1 against #5, score 94.5 against 82.0). Blender is best for: free 3D modeling, animation and rendering. FreeCAD is best for: free parametric engineering parts.
- Which is cheaper, Blender or FreeCAD?
- Blender: Free to use, including for commercial work; open source under the GPL. FreeCAD: Free and open source under the LGPL-2.1 license.
- Do Blender and FreeCAD run on the same platforms?
- Blender supports Windows, macOS, Linux. FreeCAD supports Linux, macOS, Windows.