Do you want to create a vector drawing for your latest study project, but have a limited budget? Don't worry. We provide tips for free and affordable drawing programs. The choice is huge, and much software offers special student deals. Read more here about Adobe Illustrator, Solidworks, and Autodesk Fusion (formerly Fusion360) and discover which laser cutting drawing program suits you best.
Adobe Creative Cloud student license with Illustrator: trusted drawing program for laser cutting
Price: first year €19.66/month, then €40.66/month or €137 for 1 year via Surfspot
Adobe Illustrator is considered the standard vector drawing program. If you get a Creative Cloud student license, you not only gain access to Illustrator but also to many other software titles, such as Photoshop and InDesign. As a student, you even pay a few euros less per month for this than for just an Illustrator subscription. The software is very popular for typography, logos, icons, and detailed illustrations. It might be slightly less precise than CAD software, but for creative laser cutting projects, it works very well. View our tutorial for laser cutting with Illustrator here. The full Adobe Creative Cloud package also includes many fonts, tutorials, and 100 GB of storage.
View the Adobe Creative Cloud Pro memberships for students and teachers here.
| Pros | Cons |
| Illustrator is the industry standard and very suitable for creative projects. | Crashes more easily on laptops with less memory. |
| Access to all Adobe software for a lower monthly price. | Less precise than CAD software. |
How to create an Adobe Illustrator file for laser cutting? Watch our own tutorial video.
Solidworks student: powerful and affordable drawing program for 3D CAD design
Price: €51.20 per year
Solidworks is known worldwide for its extensive possibilities and functions. It is used for 3D CAD design and technical drawing, especially in product design and engineering. The drawing program is highly suitable for high precision, and you have the option to create both 2D sketches and complex 3D models and convert them into files for laser cutting. The Solidworks Design Premium student license, at €51.20 per year, is significantly cheaper than the professional license, while still granting access to the same features. A major advantage is that Solidworks offers detailed tutorials and learning modules to help students understand the software. Furthermore, a Solidworks student license might be available for free through your design study, making it a good option for a free technical drawing program. View our tutorial for laser cutting with Solidworks here.
Here you go to the Solidworks page for students.
| Pros | Cons |
| Relatively inexpensive for a student license with full functionality. | Requires a powerful computer to run smoothly. |
| Access to detailed tutorials and learning modules. | Complex software with a steep learning curve for beginners. |
Want to design a vase for laser cutting yourself in Solidworks? Watch this tutorial from CADQuest.
Autodesk Fusion student: completely free CAD drawing program during your studies
Price: free for students. After that: €714/year
Autodesk Fusion, formerly Fusion 360, is a professional cloud-based CAD/CAM platform. The drawing program includes all standard CAD functions and has useful extras, such as flattening a multi-part design. The drawing program combines modeling, simulation, and manufacturing in one environment and offers good collaboration possibilities. The free version of Autodesk Fusion does lack a few advanced features, such as the flattening function, but it is still a suitable option for a free 3D drawing program. Good news: you can sign up for a completely free educational license as long as you are studying at an accredited institution. This also applies if your school does not have an Autodesk Fusion license itself.
Here you go to the page about educational licenses for Autodesk Fusion.
Is this the same program as Fusion 360?
Yes. The well-known program Fusion 360 was rebranded to Autodesk Fusion in 2024. The subscription structure for students and educational institutions did not change then.
| Pros | Cons |
| Completely free educational license possible if you are studying at an accredited institution. | The free version lacks some advanced features. |
| Modeling, simulation, and production combined in one environment. | Due to the cloud-based software system, a stable internet connection is always required. |
Learn how to design finger joints in Autodesk Fusion 360 in this tutorial
Tutorial How to Design for Laser Cutting in AutoDesk Fusion 360 by Brogan M. Pratt
Adobe Creative Cloud vs Solidworks vs Fusion360: what are the main differences?
Usage
- Illustrator from Adobe Creative Cloud is ideal for creative projects such as logos, typography, and detailed illustrations.
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Solidworks and Autodesk Fusion are CAD programs focused on technical drawing and 3D design, suitable for highly precise vector files.
Price
- Adobe Creative Cloud for students costs €19.66/month for the first year, then €40.66/month (or €137/year via Surfspot).
- Solidworks is €51.20/year or sometimes free through a design study.
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Autodesk Fusion offers a completely free educational license for students.
Functionality
- Illustrator is less precise than CAD software but very suitable for creative work.
- Solidworks is very powerful and offers extensive 2D and 3D capabilities.
- Autodesk Fusion also offers 2D and 3D capabilities and combines modeling, simulation, and manufacturing in one environment, but the free version lacks advanced features.
Accessibility
- Illustrator and Solidworks run locally and can be demanding on your computer.
- Autodesk Fusion works cloud-based, which makes collaboration easy, but requires a stable internet connection.
- Solidworks and Autodesk Fusion are quite complex for beginners, but good tutorials can be found for both drawing programs.
With the right drawing program, you can develop your study assignments for laser cutting, even within a student budget. We often cut models, presentations, and prototypes for students. What will you create?
Are you looking for a drawing program that is completely free, even after your studies? Then continue to our blog about the four best free drawing programs for laser cutting in 2026. Here we discuss the differences between Affinity, FreeCAD, Onshape, and Inkscape. You will also find useful tutorials there.
