GstarCAD

A great alternative to AutoCAD!

For more than 20 years, people in China have been working hard on GstarCAD. This CAD program is now so good that more and more companies are switching to it for their professional technical drafting. It’s virtually identical to the slightly older versions of AutoCAD, and the one-time purchase price is even lower than the annual subscription fee for AutoCAD LT.

Start the free trial immediately via the download button below. Permanently activate the software by purchasing one of the three available licenses.

Download the GstarCAD software here.

GstarCAD 2026 Standard

For all conceivable 2D and 3D drafting tasks, with additional tools and maximum programmability. Dynamic blocks can be used but cannot be customized. No solid modeling.

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GstarCAD 2026 Professional

Everything GstarCAD Standard offers, plus 3D solid modeling and the ability to configure dynamic blocks.

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GstarCAD 2026 Plus

Everything GstarCAD Professional has to offer, plus Constraints and a large collection of useful tools.

GstarCAD 2026 Plus

DWG FastView

DWG FastView is a free, universal, lightweight software that lets you quickly open, measure, and edit 2D and 3D CAD drawings on Windows, mobile devices, and the web. The software is fully compatible with DWG and DXF files.

DWG FastView was developed by Gstarsoft, the creators of GStarCAD. While GStarCAD is the powerful desktop software for complex drafting, DWG FastView serves as the perfect mobile and web extension for use on the go and on the construction site.

Click here to use the free DWG FastView.
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Why Choose GstarCAD

  • GstarCAD costs just €650, including one year of help desk support
  • AutoCAD just won’t get any cheaper, despite the weak dollar
  • The Chinese are talented and won’t sit idly by
  • In many situations, not even 50% of the functionality is needed
  • It took 20 years before text in AutoCAD would finally follow the scale (this has only worked since AutoCAD 2008!)
  • There is also a network version of GstarCAD (but not of AutoCAD LT)
  • IDEOMA’s database products can integrate with GstarCAD
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AutoCAD, a true premium brand

In late 2006, Autodesk shook up the market by imposing new regulations on the dealer channel. This inevitably led to higher prices for you, the end user. For various parties, including IDEOMA, this was the reason to look for alternatives. GstarCAD emerged as the best option.
Our specialists rate GstarCAD as more than adequate: it offers about 80% of the functionality of the latest version of AutoCAD. It lacks features such as tool palettes, dynamic blocks, tables, and fields, and its 3D functionality is less advanced. So it offers less, but for most users, it’s more than enough.

Veel gestelde vragen over GstarCAD (FAQ)

Wij helpen u graag met al uw vragen. Staat uw vraag hier niet tussen? Geef ons gerust een belletje, of stuur ons een e-mail.

Algemeen

Ja. GstarCAD is een van de meest gebruikte AutoCAD-alternatieven in Nederland. Het is juridisch 100% legaal, werkt op exact dezelfde .dwg-basis en kost een fractie van een Autodesk-licentie.

Ja. GstarCAD gebruikt standaard .dwg en .dxf formaten. Je kunt bestanden naadloos openen en opslaan zonder conversie.

Ja, mits je de Professional-versie hebt. De NLCS-applicaties (veel gebruikt in de Nederlandse GWW-sector en infra) draaien probleemloos op GstarCAD via specifieke add-ons die door lokale IT-partners worden ondersteund.

Ja. Je kunt bestaande dynamische blokken probleemloos gebruiken. Let op: alleen in GstarCAD Professional kun je deze dynamische blokken ook zelf maken of de parameters ervan aanpassen.

Licenties en Installatie

Klik op GstarCAD 2025 Network License Manager Guide voor de netwerkinstallatiehandleiding in PDF.

GstarCAD biedt permanente licenties (koop) en jaarabonnementen. Dit kan via een standalone licentie of een netwerklicentie.

De Professional-versie bevat alle functies van Standard, plus volledige 3D-modellering (solids) en de mogelijkheid om dynamische blokken te bewerken.

Interface en Functionaliteit

Ja. Vrijwel alle bekende commando’s (zoals LINE, TRIM, HATCH) en sneltoetsen (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V) zijn exact hetzelfde.

Klik rechtsonder in het scherm op het tandwiel-icoon (Workspace Switching) en kies ‘GstarCAD Classic’ of ‘2D Drafting’.

Druk op de sneltoets Ctrl + 9 om de commandoregel direct weer in beeld te brengen.

Typ het commando PLOT. Kies bij printer ‘DWG to PDF.pc3’, selecteer je papierformaat en het venster, en klik op OK.

Plaats de ontbrekende Nederlandse font-bestanden (.shx) in de map C:\Program Files\Gstarsoft\GstarCAD [versie]\Fonts. Start het programma opnieuw op om de tekst weer correct leesbaar te maken.

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