# AutoCAD vs IGES & STEP Viewer

The clearest difference is price: AutoCAD at Free against IGES & STEP Viewer's $6.99. AutoCAD also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.8) and review sentiment (52% vs 14%). IGES & STEP Viewer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

AutoCAD is free to download; IGES & STEP Viewer costs $6.99 up front. AutoCAD sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. IGES & STEP Viewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

AutoCAD holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AutoCAD has 6.3K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of AutoCAD's written reviews are positive against 14% of IGES & STEP Viewer's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AutoCAD | IGES & STEP Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $6.99 |
| Rating | **[4.4 (6.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autocad/id393149734/reviews)** | [2.8 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iges-and-step-viewer/id1489625660/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.3K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **51.8% of reviews** | 14.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Size | 502 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| 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


### IGES & STEP Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iges-and-step-viewer/id1489625660)

Easily view and export 3D CAD files in IGES and STEP formats. Supports various export options and offers advanced rendering controls for detailed analysis of your models.

**Highlights:** Open IGES and STEP files, Export to multiple CAD formats (STL, DXF, OBJ, etc.), Load files from ZIP/RAR archives, Render model curves, Control rendering options (shading, transparency), Clipping plane for interior views, View model information (bounding box, area, volume)

**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 IGES & STEP Viewer free?

IGES & STEP Viewer costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AutoCAD or IGES & STEP Viewer?

AutoCAD is rated higher. AutoCAD averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6.3K ratings, while IGES & STEP Viewer averages 2.8 from 9 ratings.

### Do AutoCAD or IGES & STEP Viewer have ads?

Neither AutoCAD nor IGES & STEP Viewer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AutoCAD or IGES & STEP Viewer?

AutoCAD ships an update every 2 months, and IGES & STEP Viewer every 2 months. Most recently, AutoCAD was updated on November 1, 2026 and IGES & STEP Viewer on October 29, 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.*