--- title: "FreeCAD vs SolidWorks: Which is more popular in New Zealand?" description: "Is FreeCAD or SolidWorks more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the CAD and 3D design software set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/freecad-vs-solidworks" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # FreeCAD vs SolidWorks: Which is more popular in New Zealand? Is FreeCAD or SolidWorks more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the CAD and 3D design software set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: FreeCAD and SolidWorks - **Competitive set**: CAD and 3D design software - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Oct 2026 - **FreeCAD Share of Search**: 2.5% - **SolidWorks Share of Search**: 1.7% ## Is FreeCAD or SolidWorks more popular in search? - In October 2026, FreeCAD had more branded searches than SolidWorks among CAD and 3D design software in New Zealand. FreeCAD had about 1,300 branded searches, while SolidWorks had 880. FreeCAD made up 2.5% of all CAD and 3D design software searches we track, and SolidWorks accounted for 1.7%. - FreeCAD was ahead of SolidWorks in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, FreeCAD’s share of searches among CAD and 3D design software in New Zealand moved from 2.1% to 2.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.3K. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, SolidWorks’ share of searches among CAD and 3D design software in New Zealand moved from 1.6% to 1.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1K to 880. ## Top CAD and 3D design software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, SolidWorks appeared in all five answers. FreeCAD was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. SolidWorks was listed before FreeCAD in four out of five answers. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Fusion 360 | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | SketchUp | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | SolidWorks | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | AutoCAD | 4th | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Revit | 5th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | FreeCAD | 6th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | Blender | 7th | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Onshape | 8th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Tinkercad | 9th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Cadpro | 10th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about CAD and 3D design software - Asked ChatGPT "Which CAD or 3D design tool should I use in New Zealand?": 1. Fusion 360, 2. FreeCAD, 3. AutoCAD, 4. SketchUp, 5. Onshape, 6. SolidWorks, 7. Blender - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best CAD and 3D design tools in New Zealand?": 1. Fusion 360, 2. SolidWorks, 3. Revit, 4. SketchUp, 5. Blender, 6. FreeCAD, 7. AutoCAD, 8. Cadpro, 9. Onshape - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best CAD or 3D design tool in New Zealand for design work?": 1. Fusion 360, 2. SolidWorks, 3. SketchUp, 4. Blender, 5. AutoCAD, 6. Cadpro, 7. Revit - Searched Google, AI Overview "cad software nz": 1. AutoCAD, 2. Revit, 3. SolidWorks, 4. Fusion 360, 5. Onshape, 6. FreeCAD, 7. SketchUp, 8. Cadpro - Searched Google, AI Overview "3d design software": 1. Tinkercad, 2. SketchUp, 3. Fusion 360, 4. Onshape, 5. Blender, 6. SolidWorks Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 19, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand CAD and 3D design software in October 2026? - In October 2026, FreeCAD gained share of searches among CAD and 3D design software in New Zealand, from 1.9% to 2.5%. - Estimated monthly branded searches for SolidWorks in New Zealand fell 12% over 12 measured months, from 1K to 880 in October 2026. ## How has branded search for FreeCAD and SolidWorks changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months? | Month | FreeCAD estimated searches | FreeCAD Share of Search | FreeCAD rank | SolidWorks estimated searches | SolidWorks Share of Search | SolidWorks rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Nov 2025 | 1.3K | 2.1% | 7 | 1K | 1.6% | 8 | | Dec 2025 | 1.3K | 4.6% | 7 | 880 | 3.1% | 8 | | Jan 2026 | 1.6K | 6.4% | 6 | 880 | 3.5% | 8 | | Feb 2026 | 1.3K | 2.3% | 7 | 1K | 1.8% | 8 | | Mar 2026 | 1.6K | 2% | 7 | 1.3K | 1.6% | 8 | | Apr 2026 | 1.6K | 3.1% | 7 | 1.3K | 2.5% | 8 | | May 2026 | 1.6K | 2.2% | 7 | 1K | 1.4% | 9 | | Jun 2026 | 1.3K | 1.6% | 7 | 1K | 1.3% | 8 | | Jul 2026 | 1.3K | 2.6% | 7 | 1.3K | 2.6% | 8 | | Aug 2026 | 1.6K | 2.2% | 7 | 1.3K | 1.8% | 8 | | Sep 2026 | 1.3K | 1.9% | 7 | 1K | 1.5% | 8 | | Oct 2026 | 1.3K | 2.5% | 7 | 880 | 1.7% | 8 | ## How are FreeCAD’s and SolidWorks’ branded searches counted? Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using FreeCAD’s and SolidWorks’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **FreeCAD**: Measured on the search term “freecad”. - **SolidWorks**: Measured on the search term “solidworks”. - [FreeCAD profile](/demand/nz/brands/freecad) - [SolidWorks profile](/demand/nz/brands/solidworks) - [All CAD and 3D design software in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-cad-and-3d-design-software): The set both shares are measured inside, 10 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is FreeCAD or SolidWorks more popular in search? In October 2026, FreeCAD had more branded searches than SolidWorks among CAD and 3D design software in New Zealand. FreeCAD had about 1,300 branded searches, while SolidWorks had 880. FreeCAD made up 2.5% of all CAD and 3D design software searches we track, and SolidWorks accounted for 1.7%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "FreeCAD vs SolidWorks: Which is more popular in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/freecad-vs-solidworks This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/freecad-vs-solidworks. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.