AutoCAD is one of the best computer-aided design software used by engineers. It is a free libre and open source 2D and 3D CAD (computer-aided design) program that runs on Windows, Linux and Mac OS. The software is written in C language and licensed under GNU GPL 3+ license. The stable version 2.3 release date of this software is December 24, 2016.
K-3D is a powerful and flexible open-source 3D modeling and animation software. This free CAD software is great for beginners, including an advanced undo/redo system, ensuring you to go back. It is an artist-oriented program, with a parametric workflow quite easy to understand. Works on any browser, no saving or versioning to deal with, easy to learn, and collaborative. Of course there are more powerful, complex CAD programs but for free onshape is a great bet! Fusion 360 is free and works on Mac so you could try it out. Raise3D’s unique slicer software, ideaMaker is a seamless, free 3D printing tool that helps develop G-Code and can support file-formats including STL, 3MF, OLTP, and OBJ. Mac users can also join in on the fun. It has a user-friendly interface for beginners and highly customization features for professionals.
Most programs on Windows have an alternative available on the Mac with the notable exception of CAD/CAM programs; there are relatively few popular CAD/CAM programs that run on OSX.
The list below is a good starting point for Mac-friendly 3D CAD programs:
OnShape
OnShape (Free - $80/Month)- OnShape is a new cloud-based CAD program from the same team that created Solidworks. It runs completely in the browser so it runs on PC, OS/X or even an iPad. There’s a range of pricing options and for many users, it’s totally free.
solidThinking
http://www.solidthinking.com/(Call them for pricing) solidThinking offers a number of CAD programs that seem to be very powerful. They seem to have a business model where you contact them for demos and pricing so they may only be an option if you’re really comitted to learning more about their products.
Free 3d Cad For Mac
Via Cad
What Is The Best Free Cad Software For Mac
http://www.punchcad.com/($99) Via CAD is a very capable 2D/3D CAD program that uses a “real” CAD kernel and it capable of creating good parts for relatively little money.
Sketchup
http://sketchup.com/($500 for Pro or Free for Standard) Sketchup is a very easy-to-use CAD program that scales well from tiny parts up to complete buildings. If you don’t have a lot of CAD experience, then you may find this to be a gentle introduction to the whole process.
One thing to note- only the Pro version is able to export an STL file for use in CNC applications. There are plugins available for free that add this function to the free version. Googling “Sketchup STL Plugin” should give you a list of the options that are currently available.
FreeCAD
https://www.freecadweb.org/(Free) FreeCAD is a totally free and open-source parametric CAD package. Many of the open-source CAD/CAM options are a little rough because they are not incredibly popular so they don’t get as much development attention as more popular open-source programs.
3d Cad Programs For Mac
That being said, FreeCAD is worth a look if you want a parametric CAD program that doesn’t have huge maintenence fees (like many do) or risk having the price terms changed in the future (like Inventor Fusion).