Ranking updated
CAD drawing apps for your phone
A phone will not replace a desktop CAD station, but it is enough to open a drawing on site, take a measurement or fix a line. AutoCAD gives you the core drafting commands for DWG files and works offline. DWG FastView opens, edits, measures and exports drawings to PDF or images. Onshape is full parametric CAD in the cloud, Autodesk Fusion views and comments on 3D models, and Morpholio Trace sketches floor plans, sections and site plans to scale.
How we chose: apps that create, edit or view CAD drawings on a phone or tablet, free to download and sold by the maker itself, with features taken from each app’s store description. We leave out subscription prices, because they change and the store shows them before you pay.
AutoCAD: the familiar commands on a phone
AutoCAD is Autodesk’s official app. It gives you the core AutoCAD drafting commands in a simplified interface to create and update DWG files, so you can do light editing and basic designs away from the desk. You can work offline and sync later, open drawings from Autodesk Drive, Autodesk Docs, OneDrive, Box and Dropbox, and work with your team in real time. It runs on a subscription with a free trial, after which the free mode is read-only. If you already pay for AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT on desktop, you sign in with that account.
DWG FastView: open, measure, export
DWG FastView creates, views and edits DWG and DXF drawings and says it is fully compatible with AutoCAD. It measures, adds dimensions and finds text in a drawing, has no limit on file size and exports drawings to PDF, BMP, JPG or PNG with your own paper size and orientation. It also opens 3D models from tools like Revit, SolidWorks, Inventor and CATIA, with sections, exploded views and 3D measurement, and syncs drawings to the cloud across devices.
Onshape and Autodesk Fusion: 3D models
Onshape is a full mechanical CAD platform in the cloud. You design parts with parametric tools in Part Studios, build assemblies that capture motion, and edit together with others in real time, with every change saved automatically. It needs an internet connection and a free sign-up. Autodesk Fusion is a free companion app for Fusion accounts: it opens many formats, including DWG, STEP, STL and SolidWorks parts, lets you hide and isolate components, search for parts and share screenshots with markup.
Morpholio Trace: sketching to scale
Morpholio Trace is a drawing app for architects, interior and landscape designers. You sketch buildings and renovations in layers, draw floor plans, sections, elevations and site plans to scale, and draw over photos, PDFs, maps and 3D models. The free version covers a few projects with basic pens, layers, a scale ruler and PDF export, and subscriptions add more tools. iPhone and iPad only.
Which one to use
To edit a DWG file from the office, start with AutoCAD. To simply open a drawing, measure and send a PDF, DWG FastView. For mechanical parts in 3D, Onshape, and to review a Fusion model, Autodesk Fusion. To sketch a plan by hand to scale on an iPad, Morpholio Trace. For room layouts and furniture, see interior design apps, and for gardens, landscape design apps.
| App | Best for | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| AutoCADApp StoreGoogle Play | editing DWG on the go | core AutoCAD drafting commands, offline work with later sync, opens DWG from cloud drives, real-time collaboration |
| DWG FastViewApp StoreGoogle Play | viewing and measuring | create, view and edit DWG and DXF, measure and dimension, find text, export to PDF and images, 3D model viewing |
| OnshapeApp StoreGoogle Play | parametric 3D CAD | Part Studios, assemblies, real-time collaboration, automatic saving, free sign-up |
| Autodesk FusionApp StoreGoogle Play | reviewing 3D models | opens many CAD formats, hide and isolate parts, comments and screenshots with markup |
| Morpholio TraceApp Store | sketching plans to scale | floor plans, sections and elevations to scale, layers, drawing over photos and PDFs, scale ruler |
Frequently asked questions
Can I edit an AutoCAD drawing on my phone?
Yes. The AutoCAD app has the core drafting commands for creating and updating DWG files, and DWG FastView also creates and edits DWG and DXF drawings.
Is there a free CAD app for the phone?
All five are free to download. Onshape needs a free sign-up, Autodesk Fusion is a free companion app for Fusion accounts, Morpholio Trace has a free version with a few projects, and AutoCAD keeps a read-only mode after its free trial.
Can I work on drawings without internet?
AutoCAD says you can work offline and sync later. Onshape needs an internet connection.