AutoCAD for Windows
by Autodesk
Paid Windows CAD application from Autodesk. Full AutoCAD 2026 is a subscription, separate from AutoCAD Web and the specialized toolsets.
AutoCAD is Autodesk’s desktop CAD program for precise drawings on Windows. The 2026 release is a commercial subscription installed with Autodesk access tools, and AutoCAD Web and the specialized toolsets are different products.
Editorial description
Full AutoCAD for Windows is the desktop CAD application for drafting, annotating, and revising precise drawings. It is a commercial subscription installed with Autodesk access tools. It is not free. AutoCAD Web is a separate product that runs in the browser.
Autodesk also sells specialized toolsets — Architecture, Mechanical, Electrical, Map 3D, MEP, Plant 3D, and Raster Design — as separate products. Those toolsets need more disk space and more RAM than full AutoCAD. A toolset’s requirements do not describe this application.
AutoCAD 2026 on Windows is 64-bit only. Autodesk’s requirements article of August 7, 2026 starts from a basic processor around 2.5 GHz, 8 GB of memory, 10 GB of disk, and a 2 GB GPU with DirectX 11, with higher figures recommended. Install it on a 64-bit Windows version that Microsoft still supports.
Features
Desktop drawing and annotation
Draft, measure, and annotate precise drawings in the full Windows application.
Autodesk subscription
Full AutoCAD is a paid subscription installed with Autodesk access tools.
Separate from AutoCAD Web
AutoCAD Web runs in the browser. It is a different product from this desktop application.
Separate from specialized toolsets
Architecture, Mechanical, Electrical, Map 3D, MEP, Plant 3D, and Raster Design need more disk and RAM.
