Whether you’re a student, hobbyist, or educator, Autodesk has a free CAM software option for your CNC machining and 3D printing needs.
Hobbyist users working on home-based, non-commercial projects can get Autodesk Fusion for personal use, a cloud-based, free CAM software and CAD 3D modeling tool. Fusion for personal use includes limited 2D drawings and documentation, 3D modeling, CAM, and PCB design functionality. It’s free for qualifying users for a three-year subscription term.
Autodesk offers students and educators access to the same design software used by the world’s leading professionals to help build the skills and knowledge for successful careers. Autodesk Education gives students and educators Fusion’s complete CAM tools for CNC machining and 3D printing, including 2- & 3-axis machining, multi-axis positional machining, turning, mill-turn, and more. Along with the software, Autodesk provides learning resources and content, such as certifications and curricula for current industry skills in CAM and CNC machining workflows, as well as generative design, CAD modeling, PCB design, cloud-based collaboration tools, and more.
For all other CAM needs and professional use cases, anyone can try any of Autodesk’s professional CAM software free for 30 days. These are not free products; however, these free CAM software 30-day trials allow the broad spectrum of CAM users to find the right solution for their specific needs before paying.
Autodesk’s CAM software free trial options include Fusion with PowerMill, which excels in expert CNC programming such as 5-axis CNC manufacturing with automated collision avoidance, hybrid (additive/subtractive) manufacturing, and more. The FeatureCAM free trial acquaints users with the workflow-optimizing power of this CNC programming automation software, which speeds up the production time from design to outputting NC code for consistent results on a variety of CNC machine types.
Whether you choose a subscription or free CAM software option, Autodesk builds into its CAM tools a multitude of benefits that make design and manufacturing a smoother, more integrated experience.
Autodesk CAM tools, like Fusion, save users time by seamlessly integrating CAD and CAM features. It takes mere seconds to transfer files from design to manufacturing within a single platform. Integrated CAD/CAM also creates an easy bidirectional workflow where designers and engineers can make revisions and edit parameters to design files and manufacturing programs.
With both Autodesk’s subscription and free CAM software for CNC machining, users can create complex toolpaths for 2.5- to 5-axis milling, turning, and mill-turn operations—all with precision and efficiency. Autodesk CAM software also offers world-class capabilities for driving 3D printers, laser cutters, and other manufacturing machines.
Any Autodesk subscription or free CAM software designed for students and educators includes robust collaboration tools that make it easy to work on and share projects across teams. Files and data are stored in the cloud and updated in real time. Whether it’s students working on a group project or teams of designers and engineers working with clients in another part of the world, they can access and share their CAM and CAD projects remotely on any mobile device or computer.
Autodesk is committed to helping educate tomorrow’s leaders. Get free access to our entire portfolio of products with the Autodesk Education plan.
Unlock additional capabilities for 3 to 5-axis CNC machining, sheet-based nesting and fabrication, and metals-based additive manufacturing.
Brush up on the basics of computer-aided manufacturing, which includes CAM software, many types of industrial CNC machinery, and post-processing that converts CAM toolpaths into G-code that machines can read.
Dive deeper into the world of CAM software, where product designers and manufacturers program toolpaths for CNC machines to create physical parts out of CAD models.
Find out more about the benefits of software like Autodesk Fusion that integrates both CAD and CAM into a single package, including faster file transfers, more streamlined workflows, shorter learning curves, and more.
Your choice of CAM software depends on the software capabilities you need, the type of parts you plan to make, the type of data you’ll work with, and other factors you can learn about here.
Learn more about the capabilities and benefits of integrated CAD/CAM software, such as Autodesk Fusion, which allows CNC machinists to create higher-quality parts faster.
Get up to speed on the basics, from core principles and machine types to key considerations like materials, tooling, and software.
Advanced technology skills are key to staying competitive in today’s manufacturing industry, but it doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money to gain relevant skills for integrated CAD/CAM software and practical CNC machining.
Start with this guide to CNC machining, which explains how CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining works; the common types of CNC machines, materials, and applications; and how to use Autodesk Fusion integrated CAD/CAM software to simulate machining before using it on physical fabrication.
To take these learnings to the next level, check out this free, 13-hour Fusion course on CAD, CAM, and practical CNC milling that teaches the foundational knowledge of CAD modeling, CAM programming, and the practical uses of CNC milling machines.
Autodesk offers both Fusion for personal use and Fusion for education as free CAM software to qualified home-based users and educational institutions. Both are for non-commercial purposes.
Fusion for personal use has some limitations to its 2D and 3D design, CAM, PCB, electronics, and collaboration functionality. However, Fusion for education is fully functional. Both offerings include access to many learning resources, including Fusion training for educators and curricula and certifications for students.
For Autodesk’s Fusion for personal use free CAM software license, qualified people are home-based users working on non-commercial design, manufacturing, and fabrication projects.
Fusion for education is available for qualified educational institutions and university students so educators and students can learn current industry practices on Fusion’s fully functional, integrated CAD/CAM platform.
No, according to their license agreements, you cannot use Autodesk’s free CAM software for commercial purposes.
Hobbyists on Fusion for personal use generating more than $1,000 USD in annual revenue can apply to Autodesk Fusion for startups or transition to the full version of Fusion for $85/month or for a discounted yearly rate.
The features available in Autodesk’s free CAM software, Fusion for education, are the same as the full, commercial version of Autodesk Fusion, including comprehensive CAM functionality, simulation, and generative design. The only difference is that Fusion for education is for non-commercial use by qualified students and educators.
The features available in Fusion for personal use, Autodesk’s other CAM software free download, are limited in some areas. However, most of the CAD 3D modeling and CAM features are available, except for some multi-axis machining abilities and some high-level tool libraries.
Yes, there are some limitations to the free CAM software from Autodesk. For starters, they are for non-commercial use only. Besides that, the Fusion for education free CAM software has no limitations for qualified students and educators, who will need to renew their licenses annually.
The free CAM software Fusion for personal use does have some limitations. It does not have the same advanced simulation and generative design abilities as the full, commercial version of Fusion. It also has other limitations in the areas of electronics and PCB design and 2D documentation and drawings.
Autodesk Fusion for personal use is free online CAD and CAM software for qualifying non-commercial users as a 3-year subscription.
The Individual and Classroom plans of Fusion for education are renewable annually for as long as the student or educational institution is eligible.
The main difference between Autodesk’s free and paid CAM software is that the free CAM software solutions, Fusion for education and Fusion for personal use, are licensed for non-commercial use only. Other than that, Fusion for education has the same feature set as the paid version of Fusion.
On the other hand, Fusion for personal use does have a limited feature set compared to the paid version of Fusion. Most limitations are in highly advanced functionality such as simulation, PCB design, and some advanced CAM functionality for multi-axis CNC machine toolpaths.
Free Autodesk software and/or cloud-based services are subject to acceptance of and compliance with the terms and conditions of the terms of use and/or other terms that accompany such software or cloud-based services. Software and cloud-based services subject to an Educational license or subscription may be used by eligible users solely for Educational Purposes and shall not be used for commercial, professional or any other for-profit purposes.
