How To Get the AutoCAD Free Trial

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Unleash Your Design Skills With AutoCAD Free Trial

AutoCAD is a program for commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting. It was created in 1982 by Autodesk, a software corporation specialized in products and services for architecture, construction, engineering, manufacturing, education, media, and entertainment industries.

Having become a staple tool for architects and engineers around the world, AutoCAD comes in several variants:

  • AutoCAD LT—a lower-cost version of AutoCAD, with reduced capabilities
  • AutoCAD 360—an account-based mobile and web application that allows registered users to view, edit, and share AutoCAD files
  • Student version—almost identical to the commercial version except for the DWG files having an internal bit-flag set

Is There an AutoCAD Trial Version?

AutoCAD is far from cheap, but luckily, Autodesk allows you to try the main program, apps, and a bunch of toolsets meant to enhance your work process for free. All free trial AutoCAD items are available for 30 days, and you will have to download each of them separately. The list of downloadable trials include:

  • AutoCAD
  • Architecture toolset
  • Electrical toolset
  • Map 3D toolset
  • Mechanical toolset
  • MEP toolset
  • Plant 3D toolset
  • Raster Design toolset
  • AutoCAD mobile app
  • AutoCAD web app

While AutoCAD runs on both Windows and macOS, toolset trials can be used only on Windows-operated computers. The free trial program doesn’t differ from the paid version.

What To Check Before You Start the AutoCAD Trial Version Download

AutoCAD is a big program, so you should make sure that the download and installation process of the free trial version goes as smoothly as possible. Here’s what you can do for the best experience:

  1. Use an Internet connection with a speed of at least 10 Mbps
  2. Turn off all active programs during the process (even those in the background, like antivirus software)
  3. Check the free space on your hard drive since AutoCAD installation files are hefty
  4. Go over the system requirements to make sure your device will run the program
  5. Reboot your computer after the installation

System Requirements for AutoCAD Free Trial Version

If you want to try out the latest AutoCAD version, including all toolsets, your computer will have to meet these minimum requirements:

macOS

Windows

  • Operating system: macOS High Sierra, Mojave, or Catalina
  • CPU: 64-bit Intel CPU
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Display resolution: 1280 x 800 display
  • Disk space: 3GB
  • Operating system: 64-bit OS
  • CPU: 2.5–2.9 GHz processor
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Display resolution: 1920 x 1080 with True Color
  • Display card: 1 GB GPU with 29 GB/s Bandwidth and DirectX 11 compliant
  • Disk space: 7GB
  • .NET Framework: version 4.8 or later

Additional and recommended requirements for large datasets, point clouds, 3D modeling, and specialized toolsets can be found on AutoCAD’s Free Trial page.

How To Start the AutoCAD Free Trial

Once you make sure your computer can support this program, follow these steps to start your AutoCAD free trial:

  1. Open the AutoCAD Free Trial page in a web browser
  2. Click on Download Free Trial
  3. Select which product you want to try and hit Next
  4. Click on Next when you review the system requirements and other useful tips
  5. Select a business user and preferred language on the next page
  6. Create an Autodesk account or sign in, if you already have one
  7. Enter the details about your company
  8. Hit Begin download

When the installation file downloads, open it and follow the instructions to finish the process. For more detailed instructions on how to install AutoCAD on your computer, you can check their Download & Install page.

AutoCAD Free Trial for Students

If you are a student or a teacher, you can access the student version of AutoCAD for free:

  1. Open the Autodesk Education Community page
  2. Choose AutoCAD from the list of available software
  3. Create and set up an Autodesk account or sign in to the existing one
  4. Click on Download Now
  5. Select the program version you want
  6. Click on Browser Download

The serial number and product key will be sent to your email address, and you will have to enter them during the installation process to unlock the program. Upon starting AutoCAD for the first time, you will need to activate the license.

Students and teachers get one-year educational access to Autodesk products that can be renewed as long as they stay eligible.

Will I Be Charged After the AutoCAD Free Trial Expires?

Since you don’t need to present any payment details to start using the free trial version of AutoCAD, you don’t risk any unwanted charges when the trial ends. Once the 30-day free period expires, you will be locked out of the program, unless you purchase a subscription.

How Much Does the AutoCAD Subscription Cost?

Converting your free trial to a paid renewable subscription is possible when you click on the Subscribe Now button in the program. The pricing depends on the subscription length:

Subscription Billing

Price
Monthly

$210

Yearly

$1,690
Every three years

$4,565

AutoCAD offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, but according to their Terms of Use, that time frame does not apply to monthly-billed subscriptions. If you purchase a monthly subscription, the return period is 15 days.

AutoCAD LT Free Trial

Those who find AutoCAD prices unaffordable can opt for AutoCAD LT. You can get the 30-day free trial of this AutoCAD variant by downloading the program on this page.

With AutoCAD LT, you won’t have access to 3D solids modeling (including wireframe views, shadows, and reflections), network licensing, or built-in programming capabilities (like AutoLISP), but the monthly subscription costs $55.

DoNotPay Improves Your Free Trial Experience

Payment details are not necessary for the AutoCAD free trial, but many other companies, like Netflix or Spotify, ask for credit card details at the signup. If you’re reluctant to use the free period because you’re afraid of forgetting to cancel on time, we have a solution for you.

Try DoNotPay’s Free Trial Card and never again worry about unwanted charges after free trials. Our app generates random credit card information that will get you through the signup process, but if you forget to cancel, you won’t be charged. The virtual credit card created by DoNotPay is not connected to your bank account, so when a company tries to charge it at the first billing cycle, they won’t succeed.

The Free Trial Card comes with a temporary email address that you can use when trying out new products and services and avoid cluttering your primary inbox. This feature can help you avoid annoying marketing offers and newsletters that often come with a free trial.

You can generate your free trial card when you set up a DoNotPay account in a web browser.

With DoNotPay, You Always Get More

Signing up for free trials risk-free sounds great, but our virtual credit cards can also protect you from robocalls and scams hidden within spam emails and text messages.

We want to make sure your consumer rights come first so DoNotPay steps in when you need to lower your Internet bills or send demand letters to big companies like Verizon in small claims court.

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