AstoCAD launches as new FreeCAD paid membership to make open-source AutoCAD alternative easier to use
It's no secret that many open-source apps and programs have a bit of a UI design issue. FreeCAD, which has recently taken a massive step forward when it comes to features and capabilities, has always suffered from this trope, but a new fork of FreeCAD promises to bring an updated, user-focussed UI redesign to FreeCAD.
Our mission is to improve FreeCAD to make it the best CAD software ever. But to do so we must be able to make a living. That’s where AstoCAD comes into play.
In the introductory video, Pierre-Louis Boyer, the lead developer behind AstoCAD, who is also responsible for many of the recent UI changes in FreeCAD itself, introduces the new program as a way to fund the development and UI improvements in FreeCAD. As a soft fork, AstoCAD will always be built on top of the latest available FreeCAD build, so the latest technical features and capabilities will be available with the improved UI.
The current UI changes launching in AstoCAD make the 3D design software look a lot more like Autodesk Fusion360, which is a hugely popular CAD suite for makers and other hobbyists.
While AstoCAD is a paid membership program, with both premium and standard membership options available, the source code of AstoCAD remains open-source. The UI improvements and features in AstoCAD also won't be limited to AstoCAD forever. According to the FAQ page, the AstoCAD team will push new UI features into FreeCAD "after some time," which Boyer clarifies will likely be a few months after the release in AstoCAD.
As mentioned before, AstoCAD is available as both premium and standard membership options. The Standard membership costs €48 or $48 per year and grants members access to the AstoCAD builds. A Premium membership costs €144 or $144 per month, and enables priority issue reporting. This means that users on the Premium membership will have their issues resolved faster than issues reported by Standard users.
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