To allow data interoperability between AutoCAD and other programs, Autodesk, the biggest name in the world of CAD, developed AutoCAD DXF (Drawing Exchange Format). If your work involves viewing and manipulating DXF files, a good DXF viewer is essential.
To view DXF files, you don't have to buy AutoCAD which costs $2095 a year (or $260 a month). There are a number of great DXF viewers available, and most of them are totally free to use.
Enolsoft DXF Viewer is a lightning-fast Autodesk DXF viewer, allowing users to view DXF and DWG files on Mac. It is simple to use and offers users with an excellent reading experience, you just need to drag and drop single or multiple files into the program for viewing.
To read DXF or DWG file as per your needs, you can rotate, zoom, shift the visual angle, change the background color and so on. What's more, to share and collaborate on DXF or DWG files more easily, you can export the files as PDF, so the file recipients won't need to install extra DXF viewers on their computers. Like many other file readers do, Enolsoft DXF Viewer for mac allows printing.
Official Website: https://www.enolsoft.com/dxf-viewer.html
You can download it from Apple App Store.
Compared to full CAD software, this DXF viewer is relatively lightweight, and much faster to install and launch. The user interface is quite simple, so even non-technical users can operate it easily. In addition, even when opening large files, there will be no delays or other issues. If you just need to see drawings, take measurements and notes, and print, it removes the complexity of full CAD suites.
It is primarily a DXF and DWG viewer and has limited editing capabilities. If you are an advanced user and need to go beyond basic features, other dedicated CAD software would be better.
LibreCAD is a free and open source DXF viewer, available on Mac, Windows and Linux. It can read, modify and annotate 2D DXF and DWG drawings extensively, and then export them as SVG, PDF and image formats.
The user interface is a bit complicated for new users. There are a great many options and settings displayed around the interface. You need to hover your mouse over the icons or expand the list to find the tool you want. But one of the greatest things is that users can customize toolbars and menus, which helps increase flexibility and efficiency.
Official Website: https://librecad.org/
You can download the corresponding package from GitHub.
This viewer is completely free and open source. It is good at reading and writing common versions of DXF and DWG files. Besides, it is a capable 2D CAD editor for simple editing technical drawings, which can be a more basic alternative if you think AutoCAD is too expensive.
It only works on 2D drawings and requires a steeper learning curve unlike simple viewers. The interface is less intuitive and the performance can lag with complex drawings. Sometimes, it suddenly crashed or closed when dealing with AutoCAD files or heavy editing.
Developed by SolidWorks, eDrawings Viewer can work as a decent DXF viewer for Mac. Thanks to its lightweight and intuitive interface, this free DXF reader is quick and easy to install and use. It can be a good choice for both beginners and experts.
With support for DXF, DWG, EASM and a few other CAD file formats, it allows users to easily open, view and markup 2D and 3D CAD files. You can zoom, pan and rotate your DXF drawings, take measure and add comments. It also allows you to save DXF files as PNG, JPEG, etc.
There is still a pro version which comes with more features. In addition to Mac, this DXF viewer work on Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android devices, too.
Official Website: https://www.edrawingsviewer.com/
You can download it from Apple App Store for Mac users.
This viewer has a small install size and a simple interface. It stands out from generic DXF viewers because of its excellent 3D viewing capability. Besides, users can load and send files via email to collaborate with anyone involved in SolidWorks.
eDrawings Viewer is designed for sharing designs with non-CAD users or quick reviews by recipients. It focuses on viewing instead of editing files. The worst is that it's extremely laggy and keeps crashing. When I used the Markup tool to add text, the software shut down automatically. When using the Measure tool, it malfunctioned. The measurement results either do not display at all or the previously added measurement data suddenly disappear when a new measurement is added.
For Windows users who don’t have AutoCAD installed, DWG TrueView can be a great choice. From Autodesk itself, this free DXF file viewer is compatible with DXF and DWG. Just like other DXF viewers, it offers basic functions such as measuring and conversion.
However, don’t expect it to be your average lightweight CAD file viewer. The program will take about 4 GB of disk space for installation. Also, the interface may seem a little overwhelming at the first glance for beginners. It’s actually very easy to use. If you are looking for a free DXF file viewer for Windows for the sole purpose of viewing DXF files, it can be your best choice.
Here’s another Windows only DXF viewer. It is compatible with Windows 10 and above for both 32 and 64 bit and only takes 52MB of hard disk space. In addition to DXF, it also supports DWG, IGES and native JETCAM JGF component files. You can add DXF files to view from your local folder or network drives. You can easily navigate between DXF file structure and thumbnails using your keyboard.
Just like the aforementioned DXF viewers, this one also offers measurement tools. Apart from this, the functionality is limited in the basic version. You can only select entities in the drawings and export it as PDF. There aren’t other things you can do.
This viewer is available on Windows and Android devices, which can be found on Microsoft Store and Google Play. It is an extremely lightweight software, taking up less than 1MB of space. Besides viewing DXF and DWG, this software also supports DGN, SCH and various image formats.
However, simpler than other viewers, SchemataCAD doesn’t have any additional features. You can only zoom in and zoom out, and then export it as PNG and EMF or print it to PDF.
As its name suggests, this DXF file viewer is from Autodesk. It’s web-based, so there is no need to download and install any software. It has full support for 2D and 3D models including DXF, DWG, STEP, SolidWorks, etc. and offers sets of viewing tools (Model and Layer), measuring tools (Distance, Angle, Area, etc.) and markup tools (Pencil, Arrow, Text, Color, etc.). You can share the final DXF design via URL. Just click the Share icon and a link will be generated.
This is a DXF viewer browser plugin for Chrome which has millions of users. It enables users to easily view DXF and some other CAD files in browser. The supported formats including DXF, DWG, DWT, DGN, DWF and DXB. You can upload DXF files from your computer or from Google Drive.
If there is an AdBlock plugin installed on your browser, you need to turn it off to properly view DXF files.
ShareCAD.org is an online website that allows users to view 2D and 3D CAD files. Actually, it supports a wide range of file formats, including CAD formats (DXF, DWG, etc.), vector formats (PDF, SVG, etc.), 3D formats (STEP, STP, etc.), raster formats (PNG, BMP, JPG, etc.) and archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.).
You can hit the 3-dot icon to adjust settings about view modes, layers, style and layout, and expand More menu to produce a link to the drawing for sharing. Just a tip: If you have been looking at this page for a long time without any action, it will display an error on the page. Then you have to refresh the page and re-upload the file.
DWG FastView can be your best DXF viewer for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. It is fully compatible with DXF and DWG, and offers various CAD features. You can easily install and use it to view, edit, measure and comment your CAD drawings.
Great for both office work and fieldwork, it allows you to view DXF files from local hard drive or cloud services, navigate layers, zoom, pan and rotate your drawings. Another great advantage of this DXF viewer is the share feature, allowing you to conveniently and securely work with your clients or colleagues.
| DXF Viewer | Platform | Key Features | Pros | Limitations |
| Enolsoft DXF Viewer | Mac | View DXF/DWG; Rotate/zoom; Layer management; Measure; Markup; Export PDF/image | Lightning-fast; Simple UI; Handles large files; Lightweight; Excellent reading experience | Limited editing capabilities |
| LibreCAD | Mac/Win/Linux | Edit/annotate 2D; Export SVG/PDF; Layer control; Snapping tools | Free/open-source; 2D CAD editor | Steep learning curve; 2D only; Crashes with complex files |
| eDrawings Viewer | Mac/Win/iOS/Android | View 2D/3D; Markup; Image export | Free; Lightweight; Good 3D support | Frequent crashes; Buggy measurement tools; Focused on viewing only |
| DWG TrueView | Windows | View DXF/DWG; Measure; Print; DWG version conversion | Free (Autodesk official); Reliable for basic viewing | Bulky (4GB install); Windows-only; Overwhelming UI for beginners |
| JETCAM CAD Viewer | Windows | View DXF/DWG/IGES/JGF; Measure; PDF export | Ultra-lightweight (52MB); Simple UI | Minimal features; Windows-only |
| SchemataCAD Viewer | Win/Android | View DXF/DWG/DGN/SCH; PNG/EMF export | Tiny install (<1MB); Supports multiple formats | Only zoom function; No other tools |
| Autodesk Viewer | Online | View 2D/3D; Measure; Markup; Share via URL; Multi-format support | No install; Measure; Markup | Slow uploads; Requires sign-up; No editing |
| CAD, DXF, DWG Viewer for Drive | Online (Google Chrome) | View DXF/DWG in browser; Google Drive integration | Handy for Chrome users; Quick access | 10MB file limit; Ads; Viewing only |
| ShareCAD.org | Online | View 25+ formats; Adjust views/layers; Share links | Wide format support; Drag-and-drop UI | 50MB file limit; Timeout issues occur frequently; No extra tools |
| DWG FastView | iOS/Android | View/edit DXF/DWG; Measure; Cloud sync; Share; Layer control | Mobile-optimized; 2D/3D support; Field-friendly | Full features require payment |
A good DXF viewer can be helpful for industrial engineers, designers and other people whose work involving lots of DXF files. Regardless of the device you use, there are always good choices with viewing functionality and other useful features such as measurement.
The above has mentioned 10 DXF viewers including both online and offline. You can choose an online DXF viewer for convenience and quick access when basic viewing suffices. Or, you’d better choose an offline DXF viewer for faster file uploading, smoother performance, richer features and guaranteed security.
Which of the introduced DXF viewers do you prefer? What features are you looking for in a good DXF file reader? Feel free to share your ideas in the comments section.
With over 10 years of expertise in file management and system utilities, Lily has shared countless tested workflows, technical deep-dives and productivity hacks, to Enolsoft users and others.
