AutoCAD Pricing 2026: AutoCAD vs AutoCAD LT, Plans and Free Options

Autodesk sells five ways to get AutoCAD on a single-user subscription. The table lists every published term for each.

Autodesk advertises the annual plans as a monthly figure: $175 a month for AutoCAD, $45 for AutoCAD LT, $9 for AutoCAD Web and $307 for the AEC Collection. Those figures are the annual price divided by twelve, rounded. You still pay the whole year up front. The AutoCAD Web purchase page mentions 1-year and 3-year terms but does not show a 3-year price (checked October 2026).

AutoCAD LT costs $540 a year; full AutoCAD costs $2,095. LT is 74% cheaper. The $1,555 gap pays for 3D, rendering, automation APIs and the seven industry toolsets. Autodesk's AutoCAD vs AutoCAD LT comparison lists the differences feature by feature.

What AutoCAD LT does

Autodesk describes AutoCAD LT as "cost-effective 2D CAD software for drafting, drawing, and documentation". It opens and writes the same DWG files as AutoCAD. It now runs AutoLISP, so many office macros and CAD-standards scripts work in LT too. For a practice that draws plans, sections, elevations and details in 2D, LT does the job.

What full AutoCAD adds

Full AutoCAD adds 3D solid, surface and mesh modeling, in-app rendering, point cloud support, and the full programming stack (ObjectARX, .NET, ActiveX and VBA) that many third-party add-ons need. It also includes seven specialized toolsets at no extra cost: Architecture, Mechanical, MEP, Electrical, Plant 3D, Map 3D and Raster Design. For architects, the Architecture toolset alone (walls, doors, windows, schedules) can be reason enough to pay for the full version. Autodesk also says Forma Data Management Essentials, its cloud collaboration layer, is now included with every standalone AutoCAD subscription (AutoCAD overview, checked October 2026).

Before you pay for full AutoCAD, check that your machine can run its 3D side. AutoCAD system requirements lists the CPU, RAM, GPU and macOS minimums for AutoCAD 2027 and AutoCAD LT.

Annual is the cheapest per year. The 3-year term costs the same per year as annual. Monthly costs about half as much again.

Monthly — $260/mo

Twelve months of AutoCAD at $260 is $3,120, which is $1,025 (49%) more than the annual plan. For AutoCAD LT, twelve months at $70 is $840, $300 more than annual. Monthly makes sense for a short project, a temporary hire, or a seat you expect to cancel.

Annual — $2,095/yr

$2,095 for AutoCAD and $540 for AutoCAD LT, paid once a year. Autodesk says the annual and 3-year terms save 33% over the monthly price. This is the plan most firms buy.

Three years — $6,285

$6,285 for AutoCAD and $1,620 for AutoCAD LT. Autodesk's comparison page bills both as three annual payments, and each is exactly three times the annual price. There is no multi-year discount. What you get is price protection: Autodesk says choosing a 3-year term protects you from price increases for three years. The AEC Collection 3-year term is $11,030, which is $5 more than three annual terms.

AutoCAD Web is AutoCAD in a browser and on mobile. It costs $10 a month or $100 a year on its own (AutoCAD Web purchase page, checked October 2026). Autodesk describes it as access to "core AutoCAD commands": open, edit, create and mark up 2D and 3D DWG files stored on Autodesk Drive, Autodesk Docs, OneDrive, Box, Dropbox or Google Drive.

If you already pay for AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT, you do not need it. Autodesk states that access to AutoCAD on the web is included with both subscriptions. AutoCAD Web on its own suits site staff, reviewers and clients who need to open and annotate drawings rather than produce them.

Only need to look at a model, not edit it? Convert it to GLB, OBJ or STL and the free 3D model viewer opens it in the browser.

Yes, for full AutoCAD. Autodesk Flex sells prepaid tokens: the minimum is $99 for 33 tokens, about $3 per token (Autodesk Flex, checked October 2026). The AutoCAD purchase page states that AutoCAD uses 7 tokens per day with one toolset, and additional toolsets need extra tokens. That works out to about $21 for each day you open AutoCAD.

• Break-even: $2,095 ÷ $21 ≈ 100 days. Below roughly 100 days of use a year, Flex costs less than an annual plan.
• Expiry: tokens expire one year after purchase.

The AutoCAD LT purchase page does not offer Flex. LT is only sold as a monthly, annual or 3-year subscription.

The AutoCAD Revit LT Suite bundles AutoCAD LT and Revit LT for $85 a month, $680 a year, or $2,045 for three years (Autodesk store, checked October 2026). Bought separately, AutoCAD LT ($540) and Revit LT ($560) cost $1,100 a year, so the suite saves $420.

It is the cheapest way into Autodesk BIM for a small practice that still draws details in 2D. Both halves are LT versions: no worksharing in Revit LT, no 3D modeling in AutoCAD LT. Revit pricing explains what Revit LT leaves out compared with full Revit at $3,005 a year.

As soon as you need AutoCAD and Revit, the Architecture, Engineering & Construction Collection is cheaper than buying them separately. It costs $460 a month, $3,675 a year, or $11,030 for three years.

The Collection is $1,425 a year less than AutoCAD and Revit bought separately. It also includes Forma Building Design, Forma Site Design, Navisworks Manage, 3ds Max, ReCap Pro, Insight and Autodesk Rendering (cloud rendering), according to Autodesk's included software list (checked October 2026). On its AEC Collection page, Autodesk compares the Collection with Forma for Buildings ($1,000), Revit ($3,005) and AutoCAD ($2,095) at $6,100 bought separately.

If you only use AutoCAD, the Collection costs $1,580 a year more than AutoCAD alone. It only pays off once you use Revit as well.

No free version of AutoCAD is licensed for commercial work. There are two legitimate ways to use it without paying.

Free trials

AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT each have a 15-day free trial, and AutoCAD Web has a 30-day one (AutoCAD free trial page, checked October 2026). Autodesk says you can subscribe from the trial without interrupting your work.

Free education access

Students, educators and school IT administrators get free educational access to AutoCAD, AutoCAD for Mac, AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD Web. Once eligibility is confirmed, access lasts one year and renews while you remain eligible (Autodesk education, checked October 2026). Educational licences are for educational purposes only and may not be used for commercial, professional or other for-profit work.

Any site offering a "free full version" outside those two routes is offering an unlicensed copy.

Four things the price does not buy:

• A licence you keep. Every plan is a subscription. When it ends, the desktop software stops working.
• A shared seat. Prices are per user. Two people alternating on one seat need Flex tokens or a second subscription.
• 3D or rendering in LT. AutoCAD LT is a 2D drafting product. If a project needs 3D models or renders, budget for full AutoCAD or another tool.
• Photorealistic presentation images. Full AutoCAD can render, but getting a convincing image takes materials, lights and repeated passes. Many practices use a separate visualization tool instead.

You have three options, from most to least AutoCAD-native: render inside full AutoCAD, send a 3D model to 3ds Max or Autodesk Rendering (both included in the AEC Collection), or export the view as an image and render it with an AI tool.

Render a House is that last option. It works from the flat drawing you already have, so it suits AutoCAD LT users with no 3D model at all:

1. In AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT, set up the plan, elevation, section or 3D view you want to show.
2. Type PNGOUT or JPGOUT to save the view as a PNG or JPG. Render a House does not open DWG or PDF files, so export an image first.
3. Upload the image to AutoCAD rendering with Render a House and describe the materials, light and setting in plain words.
4. Get a photorealistic render back in about 30 to 60 seconds, then edit it with plain-language changes.

The free plan gives you 3 credits a day at 1K resolution with a watermark, and needs no card. Pro is $39/mo or $312/yr. Use the render cost calculator to estimate how many renders a project needs. For a step-by-step guide, see the AutoCAD to AI rendering workflow.

Limitation: Render a House is a visualization tool, not CAD. It does not produce construction documents, does not edit DWG files, and an AI render is a design image, not a dimensionally exact output. Keep AutoCAD for the drawings; use the render to sell the design.

• You view and mark up drawings others make: AutoCAD Web, $100/yr.
• You draw in 2D every day: AutoCAD LT, $540/yr.
• You need 3D, toolsets or add-ons that need ObjectARX or .NET: AutoCAD, $2,095/yr.
• You use full AutoCAD fewer than about 100 days a year: Flex tokens, about $21 a day.
• You need Revit LT too: AutoCAD Revit LT Suite, $680/yr.
• You need full Revit too: AEC Collection, $3,675/yr.
• You need client images from your drawings: keep whichever plan above fits, and add Render a House instead of a heavier render setup.

If the price is the problem, not the plan, AutoCAD alternatives compares cheaper and free CAD programs that read and write DWG.

How much does AutoCAD cost?

Full AutoCAD costs $260 per month, $2,095 per year, or $6,285 for a three-year term in the United States, before tax (Autodesk store, checked October 2026). The annual plan is shown as $175 a month, paid annually. Every plan is a single-user subscription.

How much does AutoCAD LT cost?

AutoCAD LT costs $70 per month, $540 per year, or $1,620 for three years. It covers 2D drafting and documentation; 3D modeling, in-app rendering and the specialized toolsets need full AutoCAD.

Can you buy AutoCAD as a one-time purchase?

No. Autodesk sells AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD Web only as subscriptions (monthly, annual or three-year), plus prepaid Flex tokens for full AutoCAD. There is no perpetual licence on the store.

Is there a free version of AutoCAD?

Not for commercial work. AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT have a 15-day free trial and AutoCAD Web a 30-day trial. Eligible students and educators get free one-year educational access, renewable while eligible, for educational purposes only.

Is AutoCAD Web included with AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT?

Yes. Autodesk states that access to AutoCAD on the web is included with AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT subscriptions. Bought on its own, AutoCAD Web is $10 per month or $100 per year.

What is the cheapest way to get AutoCAD?

For browser-based edits to DWG files, AutoCAD Web at $100 a year. For desktop 2D drafting, AutoCAD LT at $540 a year. For full AutoCAD used on fewer than about 100 days a year, Flex tokens at roughly $21 per day of use can cost less than the $2,095 annual plan.

Can AutoCAD render photorealistic images?

Full AutoCAD has in-app rendering; AutoCAD LT does not. Many architects instead export the view as PNG or JPG and render it elsewhere. Render a House turns an exported AutoCAD view into a photorealistic image in the browser in about 30 to 60 seconds; it does not open DWG files directly.

Can you get a refund on an AutoCAD subscription?

Autodesk lists a 30-day return policy on annual and multi-year subscriptions and a 15-day return policy on monthly subscriptions.

Every Autodesk price on this page was read from autodesk.com for the United States, before tax, and checked October 2026. Prices differ by country and change; check the store for your region before buying.

• Buy AutoCAD — monthly, annual, 3-year and Flex rate
• Buy AutoCAD LT — monthly, annual and 3-year; AutoCAD Revit LT Suite tab
• Buy AutoCAD Web and AutoCAD Web overview — price, trial, inclusion with AutoCAD and LT
• AutoCAD vs AutoCAD LT — side-by-side prices and features
• AutoCAD LT overview — AutoLISP in LT, 15-day trial
• AEC Collection included software — Collection price and products
• Autodesk Flex — token packs and expiry
• AutoCAD free trial and Autodesk education access

• AutoCAD system requirements — the machine you need for AutoCAD 2027 and AutoCAD LT.
• AutoCAD rendering — turn an exported AutoCAD view into a photorealistic render.
• AutoCAD alternatives — cheaper and free CAD programs compared.
• Revit pricing — Revit, Revit LT, Flex and the AEC Collection priced the same way.
• SketchUp pricing — Go, Pro and Studio, for 3D modeling on a smaller budget.
• AutoCAD to AI rendering workflow — how to prepare the view before you export it.
• Best architecture software — where AutoCAD fits next to Revit, SketchUp and render tools.