GstarCAD alternative: BricsCAD and GstarCAD compared
We set BricsCAD and GstarCAD side by side against the criteria that decide a CAD choice: editions, 3D, mechanical and BIM, operating systems, licensing and add-ons. GstarCAD and AutoCAD details come from the vendors’ public pages, with sources and dates. In short: BricsCAD is strong in 2D too; it uses DWG as its own file format, opens large drawings fast with its multi-threaded engine and offers 2D productivity tools such as Quad and Blockify. It offers the mechanical design and BIM that GstarCAD splits into separate products on one DWG platform with a perpetual licence, runs on macOS as well as Windows and Linux, and keeps the LISP routines and applications you wrote for AutoCAD.
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The right question when looking for a GstarCAD alternative
This page is for teams evaluating or already using GstarCAD. Both programs open and save drawings directly as DWG, both have a command structure that feels familiar to anyone used to DWG-based software, and both offer a perpetual licence. So the real question is not “which one opens DWG” but what your team draws today and what it will draw in three years: 2D only, or 3D models, mechanical design or BIM; in one program or in separate products; Windows only, or macOS and Linux too?
For those asking “GstarCAD vs AutoCAD”, we have added AutoCAD to the table. For GstarCAD’s editions and history in detail, see the What is GstarCAD? guide; for every DWG-based program summarised in one table, see DWG-compatible CAD software.
BricsCAD, GstarCAD and AutoCAD compared
The table summarises what each vendor states on its own pages. Edition names and licence options change often, so confirm the current details with the vendor or an authorised reseller before buying.
| Criterion | GstarCAD | AutoCAD | BricsCAD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Gstarsoft (Beijing, China; 2001) | Autodesk (USA) | Bricsys (Ghent, Belgium; part of Octave) |
| Editions | Standard (2D), Professional (2D and 3D), Premium (parametric constraints, IFC); also GstarCAD 365 | AutoCAD (2D and 3D), AutoCAD LT (2D) | Lite (2D), Pro (2D and 3D), Mechanical, BIM, Ultimate |
| Core and DWG | Started on IntelliCAD and ODA libraries; presented as its own core since GstarCAD 8 (2013) | Autodesk’s own core; the vendor that develops the DWG format | Own core since V10 (2010); DWG is its own file format; Bricsys is a founding member of the Open Design Alliance |
| 3D, mechanical and BIM | ACIS-based 3D solid modelling in Professional; separate products for mechanical and architectural drawing (GstarCAD Mechanical, Architecture) and a separate BIM product, GstarBIM. | 3D modelling in AutoCAD; industry functions in Autodesk’s separate vertical products. | 3D modelling in Pro, mechanical design in Mechanical, building information modelling in BIM; all on the same DWG platform. |
| Operating system | Windows; a Linux edition since 2024. No macOS desktop edition (DWG FastView for viewing). | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Licence model | Perpetual licence, one-year subscription, version upgrade; academic edition | Subscription only (perpetual licence sales ended in January 2016) | Perpetual licence and annual subscription; network licence |
| Programming and add-ons | LISP, VBA, .NET, GRX | AutoLISP, Visual LISP, VBA, .NET, JavaScript, ObjectARX | LISP (AutoLISP/Visual LISP), BRX |
| Free trial | 30 days | Ask the vendor | 30 days (Ultimate) |
| In Turkey | Turkish product site; sold through an authorised distributor and resellers | Through authorised resellers | MechSoft (Octave BricsCAD Premium Partner): installation, training, migration and support in Turkish |
| Best-fit company profile | Teams on Windows or Linux that accept covering industry needs with separate products | Teams tied to Autodesk’s vertical products and to add-ons written only for ObjectARX | Teams that want speed and DWG compatibility in 2D, will move into 3D, mechanical design or BIM on the same platform as needs grow, use mixed operating systems and want to keep the perpetual licence option |
Sources: BricsCAD (Octave), GstarCAD home page, Gstarsoft, “About”, GstarCAD online store, GstarCAD UK, “GstarCAD Professional”, Wikipedia, “GstarCAD”, Wikipedia, “AutoCAD”; accessed 29–30 October 2026. The table shows no prices; pricing varies by region, edition, licence type and number of users.
BricsCAD in 2D too: speed, DWG compatibility and productivity
BricsCAD is a strong choice not only for 3D and BIM but for the 2D drafting teams spend most of their day on. Details come from Octave’s BricsCAD pages and release coverage: BricsCAD 2D, BricsCAD V25, Digital Engineering 247, BricsCAD V26 (accessed 4 November 2026).
Native DWG
BricsCAD uses DWG as its own file format: drawings are not converted on open or translated on save. Bricsys is a founding member of the Open Design Alliance, which works on DWG compatibility, and BricsCAD has been developed on its own core since V10 in 2010.
Performance on large drawings
V25 opens large drawings faster, loads external references in the background and applies multi-threading to more operations. V26 speeds up opening hundreds of DWG files together, running LISP routines and working with xref-heavy files.
2D productivity tools
The Quad cursor menu learns from your work and suggests the next command. Blockify finds repeated geometry and turns it into blocks, cutting file size by up to 90% according to the vendor. Parametric blocks, COPYGUIDED and MOVEGUIDED, and clean-up tools such as OPTIMIZE and SIMPLIFY shorten repetitive drafting.
Measure with your own drawings
No independent performance or DWG-fidelity test comparing these programs has been published, and vendor-written comparisons favour their own product. Your own files are the most reliable benchmark: MechSoft opens your largest and most complex drawings with you in the 30-day BricsCAD trial, and we measure open and save times and file exchange with your partners together.
Where do BricsCAD and GstarCAD really differ?
Growth path: one platform or separate products?
This is the most decisive difference. In GstarCAD, 3D solid modelling is in the Professional edition and parametric constraints and IFC tools are in Premium; mechanical drawing (GstarCAD Mechanical), architectural drawing (GstarCAD Architecture) and BIM (GstarBIM) are separate products. In BricsCAD, Lite, Pro, Mechanical, BIM and Ultimate are editions of one platform: the team stays in the same interface with the same DWG files and simply moves up an edition as needs grow. For teams drawing only in 2D today but moving soon to 3D models, sheet metal and assemblies or BIM projects, that means not learning a second program. For the concept of BIM, see our What is BIM? article.
Operating system
On the desktop GstarCAD runs on Windows, and since 2024 the vendor also offers a Linux edition; for organisations on Linux that is a real plus for GstarCAD. There is no macOS desktop edition; on a Mac, drawings can only be viewed and lightly edited with DWG FastView. BricsCAD runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with the same product. If the team includes architects or designers on Macs, the choice is largely made here; if only Linux matters, try both programs’ Linux editions on your own distribution with your own drawings.
Licence model
Here the two programs are close: both offer a perpetual licence and an annual subscription. AutoCAD, by contrast, has been sold only by subscription since 2016. With a perpetual licence, moving to new versions usually comes with a separate upgrade or maintenance fee, so it is sounder to compare on a three-year total cost that includes licences, upgrades, training and migration services.
LISP routines and add-ons
LISP routines largely run in both programs; this is the part of a migration that takes the least effort. C++ add-ons, however, are compiled per program: GRX in GstarCAD, BRX in BricsCAD. GRX aims to let ARX applications run with few changes, but in practice what decides is whether the maker of your add-on offers a version compiled for the target program.
GstarCAD’s history: IntelliCAD roots and the consortium settlement
Early GstarCAD versions were built on the IntelliCAD core and the Open Design Alliance’s DWG libraries. Gstarsoft presented GstarCAD 8, released in April 2013, as “core technology independence”.
Lawsuit and settlement with the IntelliCAD consortium
The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium took a licence dispute with Gstarsoft to the US District Court for Oregon, which ordered Gstarsoft to submit to a licence audit and pay the consortium more than 250,000 dollars. In December 2019 the consortium filed a new suit alleging copyright infringement and trade-secret misappropriation. In April 2021 the parties reached a global settlement that also covered Gstarsoft’s countersuit in China; Gstarsoft denied the claims and stated that it develops its products independently.
Why it matters for a company purchase
When you choose a CAD platform for many years, who owns the core and any legal disputes matter for the continuity of licences and updates. BricsCAD has been developed on its own core, with no IntelliCAD code, since V10 in 2010; Bricsys founder Erik de Keyser announced this when that version shipped.
Sources: GstarCAD 8 announcement (11 April 2013), Digital Engineering 247 (December 2019), US District Court for Oregon order, 3:19-cv-1963-SI (21 December 2020), ITC announcement (27 April 2021), Digital Engineering 247, “BricsCAD V10 no longer based on IntelliCAD platform” (February 2010); accessed 4 November 2026.
Your AutoCAD applications run on BricsCAD
The LISP routines, menus and applications you have built up for AutoCAD or GstarCAD over the years are no obstacle to moving to BricsCAD. The points below come from Bricsys’s (Octave) Build on BricsCAD and CAD alternative pages (accessed 3 November 2026).
LISP and DCL
Most existing AutoLISP programs run in BricsCAD without modification; DCL dialog boxes can also be used unchanged in most cases.
Menus, scripts and templates
BricsCAD is compatible with AutoCAD’s command, script, macro and menu structure; your menus, command scripts, templates, CTB/STB plot styles and layer states keep working in BricsCAD.
C++ applications (ObjectARX → BRX)
BRX is code-compatible with AutoCAD’s ObjectARX. C++ applications whose source code you hold are moved to BricsCAD by building them with BRX; if a software vendor holds the source, ask them for the BricsCAD version. Add-ins written with GRX are built for BRX the same way.
COM, VBA and .NET
BricsCAD’s COM interfaces are similar to AutoCAD’s COM model and let the same client code run on both platforms. Most VBA macros created in AutoCAD run with minimal modification. For .NET applications BricsCAD has a .NET API.
Plan the move with MechSoft
Before the move we list the routines and applications you use together and try each one with your own drawings in the 30-day BricsCAD trial, so it is clear from the start which run as they are and which need building with BRX.
Which one stands out, and when?
BricsCAD for 2D drafting too
With native DWG, fast opening of large drawings, background loading of xrefs, productivity tools such as Quad and Blockify and a perpetual licence, BricsCAD Lite is a strong choice for 2D drafting. GstarCAD Standard also offers perpetual-licence 2D drafting; BricsCAD Lite differs in upgrading to Pro, Mechanical or BIM on the same platform, while GstarCAD sells mechanical drafting, architectural drafting and BIM as separate products. In Turkey, installation, training and support are provided in Turkish by MechSoft.
If the organisation uses Linux
GstarCAD has offered a Linux version since 2024; BricsCAD runs on Linux too. BricsCAD’s difference is that the same product also runs on Windows and macOS with the same drawing behaviour: organisations mixing Linux, Windows and Mac stay with one CAD program. Confirm the supported distributions in your own environment with the trial.
Mechanical design and BIM on one platform
In GstarCAD, mechanical drawing, architectural drawing and BIM are separate products (Mechanical, Architecture, GstarBIM). BricsCAD Pro, Mechanical, BIM and Ultimate offer one path on the same DWG platform, from 2D to 3D parts and assemblies and building information modelling.
Teams on macOS
BricsCAD runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with the same licence and the same drawing behaviour. GstarCAD has no macOS desktop edition; on a Mac only viewing and light editing with DWG FastView are possible.
If you have applications written for AutoCAD
That alone is no reason to stay on AutoCAD. Most LISP routines run in BricsCAD without modification; because BRX is code-compatible with ObjectARX, C++ applications whose source code you hold are moved to BricsCAD by building them with BRX. BricsCAD is also sold with a perpetual licence, while AutoCAD has been subscription-only since 2016. Even if some users keep one of Autodesk’s vertical products, the rest of the team can work with BricsCAD on the same DWG files. For details see our BricsCAD vs AutoCAD post.
How should you evaluate a move from GstarCAD to BricsCAD?
1. Open your real drawings
Open and save the large, complex DWGs you made in GstarCAD, projects with external references, dynamic blocks, tables and text styles in BricsCAD’s 30-day trial; then reopen the saved file in your partner’s program. Note open, regeneration and save times.
2. Run your LISP and templates
Test your LISP routines, menu customisations, templates and drawing standards. List any add-ons written in GRX that would need a BRX version.
3. Choose the edition by need
GstarCAD Standard users compare Lite, Professional and Premium users compare Pro; if you use GstarCAD Mechanical, look at BricsCAD Mechanical, and if you use GstarBIM or Architecture, look at BricsCAD BIM or Ultimate.
4. Calculate the three-year total cost
Add up licence type, upgrades and maintenance, network licences, add-on products, training and migration services for both programs in the same table.
Frequently asked questions about BricsCAD and GstarCAD
GstarCAD or BricsCAD?
BricsCAD, for teams that want speed, native DWG and productivity tools in 2D; that want mechanical design and BIM on one platform rather than separate products; that also use macOS; or that want to keep applications written for AutoCAD: all on one DWG platform with a perpetual licence. Decide by opening your largest drawings in both trials; MechSoft runs this trial with you.
What is the difference between GstarCAD and AutoCAD?
Both work with DWG and have similar command structures. GstarCAD is sold with a perpetual licence or an annual subscription and runs on Windows and, since 2024, Linux; AutoCAD has been sold only by subscription since 2016, has Windows and macOS editions and comes with Autodesk’s vertical products and the ObjectARX add-on ecosystem.
What is GstarCAD’s DWG FastView for?
DWG FastView is GstarCAD’s free viewer for desktop, mobile and browser; it is used to view drawings on site and is not a full CAD program. For drafting and modelling on the desktop, BricsCAD runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with the same licence. We recommend deciding with your own drawings in both programs’ trials.
Do GstarCAD files open in BricsCAD?
Yes. Both programs open and save DWG directly, so drawings made in GstarCAD open in BricsCAD without conversion. Custom objects and add-on data may behave differently, so test with your own archive before switching.
Do GstarCAD LISP routines run in BricsCAD?
Yes, largely. C++ add-ins written with GRX are built for BricsCAD’s BRX interface; because BRX is code-compatible with AutoCAD’s ObjectARX, AutoCAD applications are moved to BricsCAD the same way.
Is GstarCAD based on IntelliCAD?
Its early versions were built on the IntelliCAD core; Gstarsoft announced its own core with GstarCAD 8 in 2013. The licence dispute with the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium ended in a settlement in April 2021; Gstarsoft denied the claims. BricsCAD has been developed on its own core with no IntelliCAD code since 2010.
Does MechSoft sell GstarCAD?
No. MechSoft is an Octave BricsCAD Premium Partner and handles BricsCAD sales, training and support in Turkey. GstarCAD is sold in Turkey through its authorised distributor and resellers. If you are evaluating GstarCAD, we can help you compare BricsCAD against the same criteria, on your own drawings.
Continue with CAD selection
Let’s compare GstarCAD and BricsCAD on your own drawings
Let’s talk through your drawing types, DWG archive and LISP routines, and show BricsCAD on your own files.