FreeCAD 1.1 is a massive update to the highly capable, free, and open-source 3D CAD/CAM/FEA modeler. It introduces major quality-of-life improvements including transparent previews, interactive draggers, new CAM tools, and enhanced assembly features.
I only got into FreeCAD recently, and what surprised me most is how powerful it already feels for a tool that is, quite literally, free.
FreeCAD 1.1 is a HUGE release. There is a lot of real workflow polish here: transparent Part Design previews, interactive draggers for tools like Fillet and Chamfer, three-point lighting, Clarify Selection, Assembly and FEM improvements, and a completely new CAM tool library system.
I am also used to the SolidWorks style of interaction, so it was great to see FreeCAD support that navigation style directly.
For a free and open-source tool spanning CAD, CAM, and FEM, this honestly no longer feels meaningfully behind expensive commercial software in the ways that matter most day to day.
Hello zac, this app is super cool! I did not major in engineering or science or related fields. I majored in sports medicine so it's super new to me. However it's awesome to see how this works. Furthermore it is Free! It will be better if it add the 'AI chatbot' in this FreeCAD it will be more awesome for super beginners like me! I want to use this and make cool stuffs but it seems to hard for beginners to start but if I have time I will look at the documentation of FreeCAD in Wekipedia! Awesome work!
Free and powerful in CAD is basically a myth. Congrats on 1.1. What’s the biggest improvement from 1.0?
congrats on the 1.1 release! the combination of transparent previews, interactive draggers, and the new CAM tool library in one update is a big deal. open source CAD closing the gap with SolidWorks genuinely matters for hardware startups who can't afford the $$$ licenses :)
Saw this update last week, hadn't checked it out yet! Congrats on bumping that number haha.
About FreeCAD 1.1 on Product Hunt
“Extremely powerful, completely free 3D CAD modeling”
FreeCAD 1.1 launched on Product Hunt on March 30th, 2026 and earned 244 upvotes and 7 comments, placing #5 on the daily leaderboard. FreeCAD 1.1 is a massive update to the highly capable, free, and open-source 3D CAD/CAM/FEA modeler. It introduces major quality-of-life improvements including transparent previews, interactive draggers, new CAM tools, and enhanced assembly features.
FreeCAD 1.1 was featured in Design Tools (259.5k followers), Open Source (68.3k followers) and 3D Modeling (1.9k followers) on Product Hunt. Together, these topics include over 47.2k products, making this a competitive space to launch in.
Who hunted FreeCAD 1.1?
FreeCAD 1.1 was hunted by Zac Zuo. A “hunter” on Product Hunt is the community member who submits a product to the platform — uploading the images, the link, and tagging the makers behind it. Hunters typically write the first comment explaining why a product is worth attention, and their followers are notified the moment they post. Around 79% of featured launches on Product Hunt are self-hunted by their makers, but a well-known hunter still acts as a signal of quality to the rest of the community. See the full all-time top hunters leaderboard to discover who is shaping the Product Hunt ecosystem.
Want to see how FreeCAD 1.1 stacked up against nearby launches in real time? Check out the live launch dashboard for upvote speed charts, proximity comparisons, and more analytics.
Zac Zuo
Hi everyone!
I only got into FreeCAD recently, and what surprised me most is how powerful it already feels for a tool that is, quite literally, free.
FreeCAD 1.1 is a HUGE release. There is a lot of real workflow polish here: transparent Part Design previews, interactive draggers for tools like Fillet and Chamfer, three-point lighting, Clarify Selection, Assembly and FEM improvements, and a completely new CAM tool library system.
I am also used to the SolidWorks style of interaction, so it was great to see FreeCAD support that navigation style directly.
For a free and open-source tool spanning CAD, CAM, and FEM, this honestly no longer feels meaningfully behind expensive commercial software in the ways that matter most day to day.