# AutoCAD vs DXF Simple Viewer

The clearest difference is price: AutoCAD at Free against DXF Simple Viewer's $2.99. AutoCAD also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.4) and review sentiment (51% vs 14%). DXF Simple Viewer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

AutoCAD is free to download; DXF Simple Viewer costs $2.99 up front. AutoCAD sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. DXF Simple Viewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

AutoCAD holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AutoCAD has 6.3K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of AutoCAD's written reviews are positive against 14% of DXF Simple Viewer's.

AutoCAD ships an update every 2 months, DXF Simple Viewer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AutoCAD | DXF Simple Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.4 (6.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autocad/id393149734/reviews)** | [2.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dxf-simple-viewer/id1486282990/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.3K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **51.0% of reviews** | 13.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Size | 502 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Autodesk Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/295089690) | [Victor Bovio](https://appshunter.io/developer/327627515) |

## What reviewers say

### AutoCAD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autocad/id393149734)

Access and edit CAD drawings on the go with this official application. It provides essential drafting and design tools for creating, updating, and sharing 2D drawings from any device. Collaborate with teams and simplify workflows by accessing files from various cloud storage services.

**Highlights:** 2D file viewing, Create, edit, and share 2D drawings, Offline work and sync, Insert blocks, Manage layers, Drafting and geometry editing, Measure tools

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AutoCAD Web monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| AutoCAD Web annual | $99.99 | per year |
| AutoCAD Web annual (Ultimate) | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to learn
- 📱 Convenient mobile solution
- 👍 Great for site visits and field work
- 🔍 Useful for viewing and marking up drawings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔒 Difficult login and account management
- 🔍 Limited functionality compared to desktop version
- 📱 Lacks basic CAD features like hatching and dimensioning
- 💰 Expensive subscription model

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to open DXF files
- Numeric keypad not appearing for editing dimensions
- Syncing and saving issues causing data loss
- Compatibility problems with newer iPad models

**Requested features**

- Add support for Arabic text
- Improve Apple Pencil integration
- Allow creating and saving custom blocks
- Implement PDF export functionality
- Restore removed features like GPS positioning


### DXF Simple Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dxf-simple-viewer/id1486282990)

Quickly view and manipulate 2D or 3D DXF and DWG files. Supports various file types, export options, and graphic operations like panning, zooming, and rotating. Easily manage layers and adjust entity appearance.

**Highlights:** Open DXF and DWG files, Export to PDF, SVG, IGES, PNG, JPEG, Load 2D and 3D entities, Load files from ZIP/RAR, Toggle layers and change colors, Panning, zooming, and rotating, Orthogonal or Perspective view

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AutoCAD free?

AutoCAD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is DXF Simple Viewer free?

DXF Simple Viewer costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AutoCAD or DXF Simple Viewer?

AutoCAD is rated higher. AutoCAD averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6.3K ratings, while DXF Simple Viewer averages 2.4 from 5 ratings.

### Do AutoCAD or DXF Simple Viewer have ads?

Neither AutoCAD nor DXF Simple Viewer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AutoCAD or DXF Simple Viewer?

AutoCAD ships an update every 2 months, and DXF Simple Viewer every 3 months. Most recently, AutoCAD was updated on September 24, 2026 and DXF Simple Viewer on September 15, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*