NASSCAD 4.7.0 Offers Free Browser and Windows CAD With STEP and IFC Support
NASSCAD has released version 4.7.0 of its CAD software, which it describes as free and open source, for use in the browser and on Windows. The release page for the version is dated 28 October 2026.
The browser edition offers 3D modelling with STEP and IFC support, according to the 4.7.0 release page. STEP is the neutral exchange format for solid and surface geometry in mechanical design. IFC is the open data schema used for building information modelling (BIM), so the two formats serve different industries. Supporting both in one free tool is the stated feature set, and users will want to test that claim against their own exchange files.
The Windows build targets x64 systems and comes in two forms, a Setup installer and a Portable package, as listed on the Windows download page. The Windows version includes MEDUSA, and the same page says it supports offline modelling with local file dialogs and does not require an account. For engineers on restricted networks, or on machines where software sign-in is unwelcome, that combination is the practical point. Files stay on local storage, and the application does not depend on a hosted session to open or save them.
For automation, NASSCAD publishes a NassScript API reference for version 4.7.0 MEDUSA. The document covers the global objects reachable from the embedded JavaScript console.
The broader context here is the familiar trade-off between browser and desktop CAD. Browser-based tools lower the barrier to a first session, since there is nothing to install and the file opens from wherever it lives. Desktop builds usually offer more predictable performance on large assemblies and fewer dependencies on the network. NASSCAD ships both paths under one version number, so a team could in principle prototype in the browser and move to the Windows build for offline work without changing tools.
In my view, the most useful question for an engineering or AEC team is not the headline price but the import and export fidelity. A free tool that reads STEP and IFC without a licence step is worth an afternoon of testing with a representative assembly, a model with known tolerances, and an IFC file exported from a current BIM authoring package. Teams that evaluate the scripting console should also check whether the 4.7.0 API covers the operations their existing workflows depend on.
Free, offline-capable CAD with standard interchange formats gives students, small design shops and hobbyists a way to work with the same file types their larger partners use. That is the outcome to watch, and it depends on how the software performs in real use rather than on the release notes.
