AutoCAD is the world renowned CAD software; it’s adopted by top design and engineering firms worldwide. AutoCAD is a general purpose CAD software, which means that it can be used in 2d drafting (e.g. home planes, PEM drawings, etc.) and 3D drafting (e.g. 3D mechanical parts, 3D houses, etc.).

There are many specific AutoCAD versions like AutoCAD Electrical which has libraries for electrical drafting, AutoCAD Mechanical (Mechanical Desktop) which has many libraries for mechanical drafting, AutoCAD P&ID which has specific libraries for drafting piping and instrumentation diagrams, this post will only concentrate on the general purpose AutoCAD.

Learning AutoCAD can help you in many ways; if you’re a Draftsman, Engineer or an Engineering student then learning AutoCAD is a must for you to be able to join a reputable company as it’s a must have in your CV. If you’re not an Engineering and you want to learn AutoCAD that can help you have a good part/full time job a s a Draftsman, websites like Odesk.com and freelancer.com has hundreds of jobs available for anyone who knows AutoCAD.

This post is a road map for those who’re willing to start learning AutoCAD online for free. The post will present and compare between the top free online sources where beginners can start learning AutoCAD for free, it’s worth noting that the sources stated in this post is for full structured courses so you won’t find a link to s single video or a group of unrelated tutorials.

If you just want the bottom line (the road map to learn AutoCAD) and you don’t wish to read the entire article then go to the “Bottom Line” section at the end of the article.

Start Learning AutoCAD Online for Free from Scratch

CAD Video Tutorials

CAD Video Tutorials is the first free online outlet where beginners can start learning AutoCAD through video tutorials; you don’t need to register in order to have access to the video course, just go the website and you’re ready to go.

Structure: The course is divided into 15 sections; each section is divided into lessons; each lesson covers certain topics in AutoCAD. The course is well-structured and organized for beginners.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and the video will start right away.

 

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The course is well-structured and organized for beginners.

Cons

1. The course covers an old version of AutoCAD (AutoCAD 2012).

Verdict: This’s the first place to start from for any AutoCAD beginner.

Floqq

Floqq is the second free online outlet where beginners can start learning AutoCAD through video tutorials; you need to register in order to have access to the video course. There are many AutoCAD courses on Floqq the one suitable for beginners is “Full course of AutoCAD for Beginners”.

Structure: The course is divided into 17 lessons; each lesson covers certain topics in AutoCAD. The course is well-structured and organized for beginners.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and the video will start right away.

 Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The course is well-structured and organized for beginners.

Cons

1. The course covers an old version of AutoCAD (AutoCAD 2010).

Verdict: The course covers a very old version of AutoCAD, but still the outlet is a very good source to start from.

Auto-CAD-Tutorial (Updated)

Auto-CAD-Tutorial is the third free online outlet where beginners can start learning AutoCAD; you don’t need to register in order to have access to the course, just go the website and you’re ready to go.

Structure: The course is divided into 10 lessons; each lesson covers certain topics in AutoCAD. The course is available as both video and text-based tutorials. The course is well-structured and organized for beginners.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to a new window where the course resides.

 Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The course is well-structured and organized for beginners.
3. The course is both video and text-based.

Cons

1. The course covers an old version of AutoCAD (AutoCAD 2010).

Verdict: The course is suitable for those who prefer both video and text-based tutorials.

My CAD Site

My CAD Site is the fourth free online outlet where beginners can start learning AutoCAD; you don’t need to register in order to have access to the course, just go the website and you’re ready to go.

Structure: The course is divided into 4 levels, each level is divided into a group of lessons; each lesson covers certain topics in AutoCAD. The course is available as text-based tutorials. The course is well-structured and organized for beginners.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to a new window where the course resides.

 Now, to the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The course is well-structured and organized for beginners.

Cons

1. The course covers an old version of AutoCAD (AutoCAD 2010).
2. The course is text based only which might be a problem for some

Verdict: The course is suitable for those who prefer text-based tutorials.

Bottom Line

The recipe for learning AutoCAD for free from scratch:

1. CAD Video Tutorials is the best place to start learning AutoCAD for free.
2. If you prefer books then the free online book published by Carnegie Mellon University is the one for you.

Remember that the first step is always the toughest step, and the aim of this post is to provide you with resources that will help you take your first step in AutoCAD.