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LinceCAD vs AutoCAD LT: what it covers, what it doesn’t and what it costs

November 5, 2026 · Guides

If you draw with AutoCAD LT and are thinking about switching, the useful question is not which program has more features, but whether the other one works for your work. This article goes case by case: what kind of work LinceCAD covers today, what it does not cover yet, and what each option costs over several years. The feature list and the overall table are on the AutoCAD LT alternative page; here we stick to practice.

The two options in a few lines

• AutoCAD LT is the 2D version of AutoCAD. It is sold by subscription and runs on Windows and macOS. Since version 2024 it includes AutoLISP.
• LinceCAD is a 2D and 3D CAD program that opens and saves DWG directly, without conversion. It has a perpetual license, runs on Windows and Linux, and is in beta (version 0.9.8-rc3).

If you do this, it works for you

2D drawings for architecture, building services or interiors

Plans, elevations, sections and details with layers, blocks, associative hatches, polylines and splines. Dimensions are associative and annotative, and there are multileaders, fields and tables with formulas. Layouts use viewports and CTB and STB plot styles, and plot to vector PDF with layers or to PDF/A-2b. If you deliver in DWG, LinceCAD saves to R14, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2018; the 2018 format is the one AutoCAD 2018 to 2027 still use.

Reviewing and touching up drawings sent by others

You open the DWG as it arrives, measure, change what is needed and plot. External references, PDF underlays and raster images load as in the original. What LinceCAD cannot edit is kept when saving, so the file goes back to its author without losing information. More on this in open and edit DWG files.

You have AutoLISP routines

LinceCAD has its own interpreter with about 200 functions: defun C:, ssget with filters, entget, entmod, entmake and command, among others. Routines load with APPLOAD or from acaddoc.lsp, and scripts with SCRIPT. The sensible thing is to test your routines during the trial before you commit to the switch.

You work on Linux, or want to leave Windows

AutoCAD LT has no Linux version. LinceCAD is the same native program on both platforms, with a .deb and a .tar.gz package. Installation steps are in how to open and edit DWG files on Linux.

Now and then you need some 3D

LT is 2D only. LinceCAD adds solids with extrude, revolve and Boolean operations, meshes, a 3D viewer with visual styles, rendering and export to STEP, STL and OBJ. It does not replace a mechanical modeler, but it covers massing, simple parts and views for a report.

Surveying, mapping and cadastre

It includes WMS, WMTS and WFS services, the Spanish cadastre and PNOA orthophoto, digital terrain models, contour lines and LAS/LAZ point clouds. There is a step-by-step guide to the Spanish cadastral map and the PNOA orthophoto in a DWG.

You receive drawings as PDFs or scans

PDFIMPORT turns a vector PDF into lines, text and layers, and VECTORIZAR with OCRIMAGE turns a scan into editable geometry and labels. See how to convert a PDF to DWG.

You want to automate tasks or use an AI assistant

Besides AutoLISP, LinceCAD has a local API for Python and an MCP server to connect AI assistants. See what MCP is and how to use it with LinceCAD.

If you do this, not yet

• You work on macOS. There is no Mac version of LinceCAD.
• You need to work from a browser or a phone. LinceCAD is desktop only.
• You use DWF or DGN files. LinceCAD does not read them.
• Your LISP routines open DCL dialog boxes. The interpreter does not show them yet; routines that prompt at the command line do work.
• You design complex dynamic blocks. Existing dynamic blocks are used with their parameters, but when you create one only the visibility parameter is available.
• Your team works in a language other than English or Spanish. The interface and help are in those two languages.
• You have a critical deadline and no time to test. It is a beta: work on copies of important drawings and switch once you have checked your workflow.

What it costs over one, three and five years

Prices per user, excluding taxes. The LinceCAD license is perpetual: you pay once, and updates within the series are included during the beta. Purchasing is not open yet; it will open inside the program with the launch version. Details are on pricing and in CAD with a perpetual license.

Sources and dates of the AutoCAD LT data. Price: AutoCAD LT annual subscription on Autodesk’s website for Spain, reference from November 2026. It is an approximate figure: we could not confirm it in the official store, and it varies with country, taxes and promotions. Platforms and AutoLISP: Autodesk product information and what’s new in AutoCAD LT 2024 (2023). AutoCAD LT is mentioned only as a comparative reference.

How to check it with your drawings in an afternoon

The trial lasts 30 days with every feature and no watermarks. If you do not buy at the end, the program switches to read-only mode: you can still open, measure, export to PDF and plot. A short list to decide:

1. Open the five DWG files you use most, including one with external references and dynamic blocks.
2. Plot a sheet to PDF with your CTB style and compare it with the one you get today.
3. Load your LISP routines with APPLOAD and run the ones you use every week.
4. Save in the DWG version your clients ask for and have them open it.
5. Check the text: SHX and TrueType fonts, sizes and dimension styles.

If something fails, write it down: that is exactly what you need to know before switching. For other options on the market, read the comparison of AutoCAD alternatives.

Frequently asked questions

Will my clients notice that I am not using AutoCAD LT? They get a normal DWG, in the version they ask for. It is advisable to do step 4 with a real client before switching.

Can I have both programs at the same time? Yes. LinceCAD does not modify the AutoCAD LT installation; you can use them side by side while you test.

Try LinceCAD for 30 days with your own drawings. Download · See pricing · AutoCAD LT alternative · All features.