# AutoCAD vs Draft Paper

The clearest difference is update cadence: Draft Paper at every 2 weeks against AutoCAD's every 2 months. Draft Paper also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AutoCAD sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Draft Paper sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for AutoCAD against 4.4 for Draft Paper. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6.3K and 16K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 51% and 51% positive.

AutoCAD ships an update every 2 months, Draft Paper every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AutoCAD | Draft Paper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (6.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autocad/id393149734/reviews) | [4.4 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/draft-paper/id911636555/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6.3K | **16K** |
| Positive reviews | **51.0% of reviews** | 50.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 502 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Autodesk Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/295089690) | [Giles Goddard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1752790508) |

## 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


### Draft Paper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/draft-paper/id911636555)

Create floor plans, layouts, and blueprints with ease using intuitive drawing tools. Support for multiple layers, iCloud, and Dropbox integration allows for seamless workflow. Export your designs to various formats for printing or further editing.

**Highlights:** Draw lines, rectangles, text, and more, Support for multiple layers, Export to PDF, JPEG, and DXF, iCloud and Dropbox integration, Mirror, translate, rotate, and scale operations, Apple Pencil support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Features | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive to use
- 💡 Useful for quick sketches and floor plans
- 🚀 Efficient for basic drafting needs
- 😊 Great value for the price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and loss of work
- 🔧 Limited functionality compared to professional CAD tools
- 🔧 Difficulty with precise measurements and line placement
- 🔧 Lack of advanced features like text editing and color fill

**Reported bugs**

- Saved files disappearing or becoming corrupted
- Inconsistent behavior when zooming and panning
- Inability to import/export files as expected

**Requested features**

- Add copy/paste functionality
- Improve text editing capabilities
- Provide more precise measurement tools
- Implement ability to save multiple versions of a project


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AutoCAD free?

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

### Is Draft Paper free?

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

### Which has better reviews, AutoCAD or Draft Paper?

AutoCAD and Draft Paper are both rated 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6.3K and 16K ratings respectively.

### Do AutoCAD or Draft Paper have ads?

Neither AutoCAD nor Draft Paper shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AutoCAD or Draft Paper?

AutoCAD ships an update every 2 months, and Draft Paper every 2 weeks. Most recently, AutoCAD was updated on September 24, 2026 and Draft Paper on September 23, 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.*