opendwgfileonline.com is a free online DWG viewer and a library of plain-English guides about CAD drawings.
We built it for a simple reason. Every day, people receive DWG files from architects, engineers, suppliers and contractors, and they can’t open them. They don’t have AutoCAD. They don’t want to install a large program or create an account just to look at one floor plan. They just want to see the drawing.
What we offer
A free DWG viewer in your browser. Drop a DWG or DXF file onto our homepage and it opens in seconds. You can zoom, pan, switch layers and layouts, and measure distances. It works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebooks, iPhones and Android phones.
Your drawings stay with you. The viewer reads your file inside your own browser. It isn’t uploaded to our server, and we never see it. That matters when the drawing belongs to a client or is covered by an NDA. Our Privacy Policy explains this in detail.
Guides that skip the jargon. Our blog covers the questions people actually ask. How to open a DWG on a Mac. Why a drawing opens blank. How to convert DWG to PDF. What a layer or a block is. We write for people who use drawings, not just people who make them.
Who it’s for
- Homeowners checking plans from their architect
- Builders, installers and site managers reading drawings on site
- Suppliers and manufacturers checking part drawings
- Estimators and project managers who need a quick measurement
- Students and anyone curious about CAD files
- Designers who want to send clients an easy way to view their work
What we believe
Viewing a drawing should be free and easy. Nobody should need a costly CAD license to look at a plan.
Your files are yours. We designed the viewer so your drawings never leave your device.
Honest advice beats hype. When another tool is better for a job, like a desktop viewer for printing to scale, our guides say so.
What the viewer can and can’t do
The viewer is built for viewing 2D drawings quickly and privately. It isn’t a CAD editor, so you can’t change and save drawings with it. Some unusual objects and very large files may not display perfectly. When that happens, our guide to DWG files that won’t open explains what to try next.
The viewer is powered by open source CAD technology, which we’re grateful for.
Get in touch
Found a drawing that won’t open? Have an idea for a guide? Spotted a mistake? We’d like to hear from you. Visit our Contact page or email hello@opendwgfileonline.com.