ActCAD Professional Review

PROS: ACTCAD is a topnotch CAD platform with competitive pricing and a large pack of features: (1) has adequate plugin choices; (2) allows 2D and 3D PDF import-export; (3) image converter; (4) 3D Render with Artisan; (5) supports all DWG and DXF format versions; (6) allows you to work anywhere and without too much computer capacity requirements; and allows DIY license transfer. On the software, there's nothing a professional engineer can ask for. The platform takes it to another level with a highly reliable customer care service who values our feedback and speedily resolves our concerns or questions on the platform.

CONS: We have suggested the incorporation of a block option and we hope ACTCAD's planning team will work on it.

PROS: It is the best alternative to AutoCAD with its multi-threading capabilities and rich resources such as tables. It is also much cheaper.

CONS: There are various commands that work very slow, more so when dealing with large files.

PROS: I was pleased that the platform did not require a long time to be able to get comfortable with it, thus did not require so many adjustments when moving from a different CAD. Basic features such as 2D and 3D modeling and PDF drawings worked great. This offering of convenience at an incredibly affordable rate makes ACTCAD difficult to turn down.

CONS: While ACTCAD is for the most part intuitive, there remain struggles when it comes to getting used to feature names and finding them on the menu. I also encountered difficulties with the self-transfer of licensing. What's worse is customer care never got back to me on this but the licensing key on another device would have been great.

PROS: ACTCAD is extremely easy to use, especially for demonstrating modeling techniques in class.

CONS: There is nothing to dislike about ACTCAD.

PROS: ACTCAD's interface is very much similar to most CAD platforms out there. As a result, getting on-board the platform doesn't take long. In addition, its attractive price point does not mean sacrificing important features. This makes it the best CAD solution for small-scale engineering firms.

CONS: Hatching, among other features, still needs some fixing. In addition, the auto-update seems fraught with a few problems as we had to reinstall the license key after opting for an auto-update. And then it also asked for reactivation.

PROS: ACTCAD can deal with a myriad of drawings on one template and still have no lags. Moreover, it's a highly-user-friendly platform that makes drawing easier.

CONS: Importing large files usually slows down the system.

PROS: Creating and loading my LISP routine is like a walk in the park with ACTCAD

CONS: The interface is great but when it comes to personalization tools, the process turns complex.

PROS: ACTCAD's interface does not require you to go through a steep learning curve. In my case, specifically, I only needed to familiarize myself with a few tabs. The price is of course what got me hooked and the features and continuous upgrades are what got me subscribing to the pro version. Customer support was also always easy to interact with.

CONS: A minor issue I have is on laying out of fonts. But the bigger problem is the bugs as they make it challenging to work around with heavier files.

PROS: ACTCAD is the best CAD solution in the market for its affordable price and wide array of features, such as a speedy hatch command, DWG conversion, timeout rendering for 3D works, and high customization for JPG files. To add, the software allows easy opening, reviewing, and editing of PDF files. Not to mention that the license is valid for a lifetime. Doing the transfer of the license from one device to another was also achieved with ease. And while they have a comprehensive offline guide on how to use the platform, I still had some inquiries which were answered very promptly by its customer service.

CONS: For one, the interface is not intuitive with many keys not like in regular CAD platforms. Some field categories are non-functional and there are table errors as well.

PROS: The ACTCAD interface closely resembles those of most CAD platforms today so there was a little requirement in learning it. Its lifetime licensing is a great bonus, add to that the DIY license transfer. On top of all these, I'm also impressed that ACTCAD regularly provides version updates with each having substantial improvements every time.

CONS: The inputting of large files is fraught with a lot of lags that can make the system hang and close. And getting a response from customer support usually takes a while.

PROS: ACTCAD is an impressive platform that works well even in older and slower laptops. Its whole array of resources, tools, and libraries reduced the need for external plug-ins. Upgrades come for free so subscribing to it is only a one-time purchase that is worth any engineer's or designer's dime.

CONS: There is still a large trove of unused add-on commands. I hope technical support could help me identify which ones would be helpful in completing my tasks.

PROS: Truly similar to most CAD platforms today so no steep learning curve required to master navigation within the system. Plus, there are zero lags to the system even when handling complex tasks.

CONS: There can be more room for improvement in importing PGP files.

PROS: ACTCAD is definitely a buy that gives you value for your money. Cost starts at about $200 and you enjoy a full range of features that AutoCAD provides. It is also a few bucks cheaper than AutoCAD.

CONS: I found nothing to drop the software.

PROS: Low Price, Modern Intellicad 9.2B engine, Support for many dwg / dgn / dxf design file formats, many additional tools

CONS: Interface locations