For most professionals who don't need Autodesk's cloud ecosystem, SmartCAD delivers identical day-to-day performance at roughly 1/6th the 3-year cost. The perpetual license is the decisive advantage.
AutoCAD has been the industry standard for decades. But since Autodesk ended perpetual licenses in 2016 — and has raised prices every year since — many professionals are asking a serious question: is AutoCAD still worth paying $2,310 a year for?
SmartCAD is built on IntelliCAD, uses the same command names as AutoCAD, reads and writes native .dwg files, and costs $395 one time. This page breaks down exactly what you get with each, where the differences actually matter, and who should switch.
| Feature | SmartCAD | AutoCAD |
|---|---|---|
| License model | Perpetual — own forever ✓ Better | Subscription only |
| Year 1 cost | $395 (Standard) ✓ Better | $2,310 |
| Year 3 total | $395 ✓ Better | $6,930 |
| Year 5 total | $395 ✓ Better | $11,550 |
| If you stop paying | Keep using forever ✓ Better | Locked out immediately |
| Native DWG | Yes (AutoCAD 2.5–2026) | Yes |
| AutoCAD commands | Full command compatibility | Full |
| 2D drafting | Complete | Complete |
| 3D modeling | Pro version ($495) | Included Better |
| Works offline | Yes — fully offline ✓ Better | Limited (requires login) |
| Mac / Linux | Windows only | Windows + macOS Better |
| Cloud storage | No | 25GB Autodesk Docs Better |
| AI features | No | Autodesk AI (2026) Better |
| Free trial | 30 days, no credit card ✓ Better | 15 days |
| Min. RAM | 2GB ✓ Better | 8GB |