# PadCAD Lite > Simple mobile CAD application for home additions, remodeling, and site surveys. (iPhone/iPad app by Plugworks Inc..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/padcad-lite/id488645046 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Plugworks Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/868826693) - Category: Productivity, Utilities - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.04/5 from 1,095 App Store ratings · 118 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 6.0 · 24 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2011-12-15 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/padcad-lite/id488645046/reviews.md ## What is PadCAD Lite? PadCAD Lite is an easy to use free CAD application designed for small to medium sized projects such as home additions, remodeling projects, cabinetry work, and site surveys. With PadCAD Lite anyone can produce clean, clear CAD drawings. If you want to save or export your drawings to a professional CAD application like AutoCAD, you can upgrade PadCAD Lite and export your drawings in several popular formats, including PDF or DXF files. PadCAD Lite is designed with ease of use, speed and mobility in mind and is NOT a full blown CAD application. It's the prefect starting point for your drafting projects. PadCAD Lite is ideal for general contractors, carpenters, architectural firms, appraisers and real-estate professionals. PadCAD Lite has a very shallow learning curve, and no previous CAD experience is necessary. A comprehensive set of instructions are provided with the app. Please Note: PadCAD Lite is free for evaluation purposes and can’t save your drawings. You may lose your drawings if you exit the app. To save your drawings, you must upgrade the app. The cost for an upgrade is $14.99 (usd). Once upgraded, PadCAD Lite will allow you to export your drawings as image files, PDF files or DXF files. Main Features : 1) Intuitive finger-based drawing and editing: Draw walls with your finger, then adjust them by dragging or stretching them. 2) Fine-tune controls: For greater precision, every element can be fine-tuned with numeric values. 3) Unlimited Undo and Redo: You can Undo all the way back to the beginning of your session or Redo to your current state. 4) Take Pictures: From within the app you can use your iPad's built in camera to take a photos and associate them with your CAD drawing. You can also use your iPad's built in microphone to create and include audio annotations in your drawings. 5) Intuitive Zoom & Pan: Use two fingers to zoom in and out of your drawing, just like you would with any other picture on the iPad. You may also pan the drawing simply by dragging your finger. The drawing area is larger than the iPad screen which allows you to export projects as large as 170' x 128'. Note: PadCAD Lite is a free version of the PadCAD app. It is functionally identical to PadCAD, except for the fact that you can't export or save your drawings. Once upgraded, PadCAD Lite and PadCAD are identical. If you're ready to dive right in, go ahead and get PadCAD. If you want to try before you buy, get PadCAD Lite. You can always upgrade later. Feel free to contact us with any questions: support@plugworks.com ## Key features - Intuitive finger-based drawing and editing - Fine-tune controls with numeric values - Unlimited Undo and Redo - Take pictures and add audio annotations - Intuitive Zoom & Pan for large drawings ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Upgrade | $14.99 | one-time | ## What do users think of PadCAD Lite? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Quick and easy to use - 👍 Simple and intuitive interface - 💡 Useful for basic floor plans and sketches - 🚀 Fairly fast and responsive - 👍 Good for DIY and home projects **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues - 🔒 Limited functionality without paid upgrade - 🔒 Inability to save or export files in free version - 🔍 Lack of precision and accuracy in measurements - 🔍 Difficulty aligning and snapping objects - 🔍 Clunky controls and navigation **Commonly reported bugs** - Inconsistent behavior when resizing and moving objects - Disappearing toolbar and interface elements - Corrupted or lost files after upgrading - Scaling and zooming issues on different devices **Most requested features** - More drawing tools and object options - Ability to rotate and resize objects precisely - Improved snap-to-grid and alignment features - Support for more file formats and export options - Better dimensioning and measurement tools ## Recent user reviews (10 of 118) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/padcad-lite/id488645046/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Quick Room Drawings *2024-07-08* If you’re trying to layout drawings for basic walls, windows, and doors with measurements it’s great. If you need actual architectural software with a library of textures for commercial documentation this is not the program. I can quickly draw up areas that I markup in photos. It’s awesome for quickly drawing your house in a 2d drawing for projects that you can then publish as a pdf. ### 3/5 — Free version doesn’t save *2023-11-20* The app looks great, but note that the free version does not allow you to save anything, so don’t put too much effort into it. ### 2/5 — Bonne application *2023-06-27* Bonne application mes une mise a jour serait la bienvenue avec plus de fonctionnalités ### 4/5 — Simple house cad *2023-05-25* If you want a very easy to learn & fast scale drawing this is a great start. By no means can you produce construction drawings but for making reasonably accurate prototyping this software can’t be beat. It definitely is a learn as you go, but the commands are so simple that within a very short time you will learn it easily. The $15 upgrade to save & print your drawing is an essential upgrade. Considering the price it’s a steal. It works well on my iPad, not sure about other platforms & IOS? ### 1/5 — Cad for iPad *2022-11-11, version 1.9.11* It’s only ok at best. Cannot see the instructions cause it’s at an un secure website, So it’s a one star at best. Wish I had not paid for it. I do not recommend. If they made the instructions available I might give one or two more stars. ZTB ### 1/5 — Instructions *2022-11-01* Cannot access the website for instructions ### 4/5 — Works for me *2022-10-30, version 1.9.11* this app didExactly what I needed it to do it gave me the options that I wanted at first it was a little confusing until you get used to what all the symbols mean at this time I have nothing negative to say about this app ### 3/5 — Needs Help!! *2022-10-23, version 1.9.11* NO CUSTOMER/TECH SUPPORT Controls are very small. Does not alphabetize saved work. Must select a tool for each & every task, the program does not remember the last task or tool used. Sporadically saves files with missing data. Cannot export files to email, THE FREE VERSION ALLOWS YOU TO DO THIS!!!! Have lost several projects which took hours to draft. NO CUSTOMER /TECH SUPPORT Did I say NO TECH SUPPORT?? ### 1/5 — Buggy as crap *2022-09-09, version 1.9.11* Works great for a few hours and then locks up and you can do nothing. Can’t save anything unless you “upgrade" ### 1/5 — Rubbish *2022-08-12* Cannot export drawings and no support. Complete con ## Frequently asked questions about PadCAD Lite ### What is PadCAD Lite? PadCAD Lite is a free CAD application designed for small to medium-sized projects such as home additions, remodeling, cabinetry, and site surveys. It allows users to create clean, clear CAD drawings with an intuitive interface and a shallow learning curve, making it suitable for those with no prior CAD experience. ### What are the main features of PadCAD Lite? Key features include intuitive finger-based drawing and editing, fine-tune controls for precision using numeric values, unlimited undo and redo functionality, the ability to take pictures and add audio annotations to drawings, and intuitive zoom and pan controls for navigating large drawing areas. ### How much does PadCAD Lite cost? PadCAD Lite is free for evaluation purposes. However, to save or export your drawings, you need to upgrade the app. The upgrade cost is $14.99 USD. Once upgraded, you can export drawings in formats like PDF or DXF. ### What are the use cases for PadCAD Lite? This app is ideal for general contractors, carpenters, architectural firms, appraisers, and real-estate professionals. It's perfect for planning home additions, remodeling projects, creating cabinetry designs, and conducting site surveys where a simple yet clear CAD drawing is needed. ### Can I save my drawings in the free version? No, the free version of PadCAD Lite cannot save your drawings. You may lose your work if you exit the app. To save and export your drawings, you must purchase the upgrade for $14.99 USD. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.9.11 — 2017-02-28 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. 1 Big Bad Bug Fix ### 1.9.10 — 2017-02-25 Bug Fixes & Improved Performance. ### 1.9.4 — 2013-11-24 DXF exporting has been fixed and tested with AutoCAD 2014 ### 1.9.3 — 2013-11-13 Improved export performance and greater stability. Improved editing of elements. User Interface refresh to support smaller screens. Lots of bug fixes. Added Freeshape tool. We now have iPhone support but we HIGHLY recommend you use a stylus with the app. ### 1.9 — 2013-05-16 Bug Fixes: You no longer need to be connected to the internet every time you launch the app. File saving bugs have been solved. All drawings are now saved locally to your iPad instead of our servers. You are no longer required to have an internet connection to save or load your files. This makes working in the filed without access to the internet a possibility. Due to security & privacy issues, we have disabled the saving of your files to our remote servers. For those who are upgrading, you will still have read and delete access to your remote files until December 31, 2013. ## Apps similar to PadCAD Lite | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Autodesk FormIt](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autodesk-formit/id575282599) | 3.5 (43) | Free | Productivity | | [Archisketch](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/archisketch/id725328455) | 4.3 (266) | Free | Productivity | | [HomeCAD — Design your home](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/homecad-design-your-home/id1104645340) | 3.0 (24) | Free | Productivity | | [iPocket Draw Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipocket-draw-lite/id315887414) | 3.6 (16) | Free | Productivity | | [Shapr 3D CAD modeling](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shapr-3d-cad-modeling/id1091675654) | 4.7 (33,385) | Free | Productivity | | [Updraw - create 2D CAD drawings with dimensions](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/updraw-create-2d-cad-drawings-with-dimensions/id1111676719) | 3.7 (356) | Free | Productivity | ## More apps by Plugworks Inc. - [PadCAD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/padcad/id479935212) All apps by Plugworks Inc.: https://appshunter.io/developer/868826693 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*