Download BricsCAD for Mac

In the edit

It handles 2D drawings and 3D models, and it is built to work with AutoCAD custom menus, toolbars, scripts, and object snaps — so if you are switching from that environment, the transition feels natural rather than a rewrite of everything you know.

What BricsCAD brings to your workflow

• Full 2D drafting and 3D modelling in one application
• AutoCAD-compatible menus, toolbars, scripts, and snaps
• Available in Russian and English
• Runs on Intel Macs under macOS 10.15 or later

Keeps your existing blocks, scripts, and tool palettes

BricsCAD sits well next to the other design and productivity apps a working Mac user already has. Because it respects AutoCAD conventions, you can keep your existing library of blocks, scripts, and tool palettes without rebuilding them. The installer includes all editions — Shape, Lite, Pro, Mechanical, BIM, and Ultimate — so you get the right feature set for your kind of work without juggling separate downloads. It is a straightforward, no-nonsense CAD tool for the Mac desktop.

Familiar layout with ribbon, command line, and tool palettes

You open BricsCAD and the first thing you notice is how familiar the layout feels if you have used AutoCAD before. The ribbon, the command line, the tool palettes — they are all there, arranged in a way that does not make you hunt for basic functions. For a morning session, I usually start by loading a set of DWG files from a project folder. BricsCAD handles the file format natively, so there is no conversion step or lost data.

From there, I work through a typical drafting sequence. I set up my layers, assign lineweights and colours, and start drawing. The object snaps work exactly as you would expect — endpoint, midpoint, intersection, all the usual ones — and the command aliases are the same ones I memorised years ago. When I need to modify geometry, I use the familiar tools: trim, extend, offset, fillet. It all responds quickly, and the interface does not get in the way.

Later in the session, I might switch to a 3D view to check how the 2D elevations relate to the massing model. BricsCAD lets me toggle between 2D drafting and 3D modelling without closing the file or switching applications. That is the main reason I keep coming back to it — I do not have to choose between a drafting tool and a modelling tool.

Before saving and closing, I run a script that cleans up the drawing: purges unused blocks, audits the file, and saves a compressed copy. The script was written for AutoCAD, and it runs here without any edits. That kind of compatibility saves me time on every single project.

Best for architects and interior designers needing 2D and 3D

BricsCAD is a good fit for several groups of Mac users, but it is not for everyone. Here is who tends to benefit most:

• Architects and interior designers who need both 2D drafting for construction documents and 3D modelling for visualisation. BricsCAD gives them one environment instead of switching between a drafting app and a modelling app.
• Engineers working on mechanical or civil projects who rely on precise geometry, parametric constraints, and standardised drawing formats. The Pro and Mechanical editions cover those needs well.
• CAD managers and freelancers who receive DWG files from clients using AutoCAD and need to open, edit, and return them without format issues. BricsCAD reads and writes the format cleanly.
• Users on a mixed-platform team where some colleagues are on Windows or Linux. BricsCAD runs on all three, so file exchange is straightforward.
• Mac users who prefer to stay on macOS rather than dual-booting or running a VM for CAD work. BricsCAD is a native Mac application, albeit Intel-native, so it integrates with the macOS file system and window management.

Users who rely heavily on very specialised AutoCAD plugins or LISP routines that are tied to Windows-only features might need to test compatibility first. But for standard drafting and modelling workflows, BricsCAD covers the ground well.

Maria switched from a Windows laptop to her MacBook Pro for project files

Maria runs a small architectural practice from her home office in London. She uses a MacBook Pro and receives project files from a structural engineer who works on AutoCAD for Windows. Before switching to BricsCAD, she kept a Windows laptop just for opening those DWG files. Now she opens them directly on her Mac.

Her typical project is a house extension. She starts with the engineer's structural grid, adds her own architectural layers for walls, doors, and windows, and then builds a simple 3D massing model to check roof lines and overshadowing. She sends the 2D drawings back to the engineer as DWG files, and the engineer opens them without any complaints about missing fonts or corrupted geometry. Maria also uses the BIM edition to attach basic IFC data to walls and slabs, which helps when she coordinates with the quantity surveyor.

The switch saved her the cost of a second machine and removed the friction of converting files between formats. She says the main adjustment was getting used to a few different menu locations, but the command line works the same way, so muscle memory kicked in quickly.

Interface looks different? Here are straightforward fixes

No software is completely frictionless, and BricsCAD has a few quirks that new users run into. Here are the ones I hear about most often, along with straightforward fixes.

• The interface looks different from what you expected. BricsCAD includes several workspace profiles (Drafting, Modelling, BIM, etc.). If the tool palette you need is not visible, switch workspaces from the dropdown in the top-left corner of the ribbon. That usually brings the right panels forward.
• A custom AutoCAD menu or toolbar does not load. Most menus and toolbars transfer without issue, but if one does not appear, check that the CUI file path is correct in the Customise User Interface dialogue. BricsCAD reads the same CUI structure, so a small path adjustment is often all it takes.
• Text or dimension styles look different. If the drawing uses fonts that are not installed on your Mac, BricsCAD substitutes a default font. Installing the missing fonts, or mapping them in the Style Manager, resolves the display issue. This is the same process you would follow in AutoCAD.
• The 3D orbit or viewport controls feel sluggish. BricsCAD on Intel Macs under Rosetta 2 can feel a bit heavier in 3D views compared to native Windows performance. Turning off hardware acceleration in the graphics settings, or reducing the visual style to 2D wireframe while orbiting, makes the viewport more responsive.
• Scripts or LISP routines do not load. Most standard scripts work without changes. If one fails, check that it does not call a Windows-only command or a third-party library. BricsCAD includes a LISP-compatible interpreter, but very specialised routines may need a small syntax edit.
• The installer contains multiple editions but you only need one. That is normal. The installer includes all editions in one package, and you choose which one to activate. You do not need to install them all — just activate the edition that matches your work.

For most of these snags, a quick search in the BricsCAD help system or the user forum turns up a solution. The community is active, and the documentation is thorough. The key is knowing that these issues are common and usually have a simple workaround.

Mac it needs

• macOS 10.15 or later
• Intel processor