17 years helping New Zealand businesses
choose better software

MacDraft Professional Reviews

About MacDraft Professional

The 2D CAD App that makes floor plan design, architectural drawing and illustration simple and affordable on the Mac

Learn more about MacDraft Professional

Pros:

I have become skilled at both floor plan and elevation work and the layers allow for easy duplication, then modification.

Cons:

This version has a few bugs that are annoying but can be worked around.

MacDraft Professional ratings

Average score

Ease of Use
4.3
Customer Service
4.5
Features
4.2
Value for Money
4.5

Likelihood to recommend

8.5/10

MacDraft Professional has an overall rating of 4.4 out 5 stars based on 196 user reviews on Capterra.

Have you used MacDraft Professional before?

Share your experiences with other software buyers.

Filter reviews (196)

David
David
Stage Director in US
Entertainment
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Excellent 2D Drawing

5.0 8 years ago

Comments: I've been using MacDraft for years, in its various iterations, primarily to produce blocking diagrams for theatrical performances. The latest version is even more powerful than the earlier ones. Sure, there's a bit of a learning curve, and I know I'm not using even half the power of the app, but it's versatility has won me over. There are plenty of other drawing applications available, but for the combination of features I want, plus a relatively low price, MacDraft takes the cake!

Pros:

Ease of use combined with power.

Cons:

I can't find any way to set up various preset groups (e.g., line weight x, line color y, line style z), so I have to select each one individually

Doug
Architect in Bahamas
Architecture & Planning, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

REVIEW

4.0 4 years ago

Comments: Slightly frustrated - I am looking for a simple easy to use 2D draughting programme with the functionality of Vectorworks. This doesnt quite make it but it is better than other low-cost software for Mac.

Pros:

Reasonable price.. it works OK once you get used to it. Works on Mac.

Cons:

1. Problems setting up dwg/dxf imported drawings - setting size and scale. 2. Tools do not stay for repeat use. Need to be reselected each time. 3. Trimming is cumbersome - line by line. Ref 2 above. 4. Some of the tools are a bit cumbersome.

Thomas
President in US
Fishery, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

President

3.0 4 years ago

Comments: I use it for design work for our shellfish plant, flow charts for food processing, diagrams for publications, grants. I am a very visual person and have talent in expressing difficult concepts in flow and logic charts.
We even have our oyster farm inventory on a Macdraft file that we update daily with changes. I'm the guy who deleted MS Office from all our business computers and went to Google Docs and Sheets because it has all the function I need for 99.9% of what we do without the intolable complexity of Word and Excel. Please keep MacDraft simple for us customers who are to simple minded for Word, Excel, and CAD.

Pros:

Frankly, I have been using MacDraft for 30 years because it was easy, not overcomplicated, and I don't like to learn new overly complicated programs. I likely had on of the earliest versions of MacDraft from the earliest days 1990s...

Cons:

The biggest problem I have with the software is that it creates progressing errors in measurements when you do some of the more advanced moves. It always has. Example - I will set the grid to 2" and do a layout, then suddenly it is doing 1" then 11/64" and so one after doing a rotation or inserting one of you templates. I wish you would fix that. It has been aggrevating for 30 plus years. I would expect that the new ownership would have resolved that. Also, you have made the dimensioning tool almost unuseable in recent versions. What's that about?

Jerome
Retired in Ireland
Construction, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Review of MacDraft Professional 7

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: Using the application to design furniture and built-ins

Pros:

I like the ease of use and the fact that it is not cluttered with features not required for 2D drafting.

Cons:

1. I would like to be able to close or hide the Libraries tile. It blocks the Parameters tile and I have to scroll down to get to the 'Parameters"of Length and angle, etc. 2. I would like to be able to snap to a predefined distance from an end or a corner of an object. For example, to be able to snap to a location 25%, or 1/3 from an end of a line or corner of a rectangle.

Microspot Response

5 years ago

Hi Jerome, Thank you for the review! You can hide the library tile by dragging it down to the bottom of the right panel, it be there as a small pop up button. As for snapping to a location 25% or 1/3 from the end of a line, it would be great to get more information on this if you could contact us via [email protected] :) Microspot Team

clare
President in US
Architecture & Planning, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Great intuitive 2D drafting software

5.0 2 years ago

Pros:

I was able to quickly learn the program and start using it for my projects.

Cons:

I would like the print function to be more flexible; often I want to print just a portion of a page on my at-home 8 1/2 x 11" printer, but there doesn't seem to be a way to hone in on a specific part of the layout for this.

Walter
retired in US
Arts & Crafts, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Thank goodness for MacDraft Professional 7

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: I am a woodworker, and I make engineering drawings of my projects prior to building them.

Pros:

This program has all the easy use features of the original MacDraft of which I was a Beta Test professional in the mid-1980's.

Cons:

I did not like the fact that I purchased MacDraft and within a year had to purchase it again due a change in the Mac operating system.

Michael
Owner in US
Architecture & Planning, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

My Go-To Design Software (and I have a lot of choices)

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: MacDraft is based on an illustration app, into which has been integrated a set of very sound drafting tools. This is unusual; I know of nothing like it. I'm pretty enthusiastic about it, as you should be able to tell. For me, it means that once I became proficient, I could make what I'm thinking about straightaway without having to 'figure it out', I can just keep going. If I make a mistake I can usually just keep on and fix it later. This is rare in design software.The Pro version is not a toy or a 'hobby' app. It's professional 2D design software I make a living with. As an example, we are working on a site now, for which drone topo was being planned. We took Google Earth elevation profiles and an aerial into MacDraft Pro and laid out the terrain diagram we still refer to, even though the drone topo is now at hand.If you need isometrics, it's a snap (literally), and easier than in AutoCAD. And its easy to use photos and drawings directly as reference. I'll use AutoCAD sometimes to create an isometric view of an existing plan, then port it to MacDraft and make a '3D isometric'.We also use it as a straightforward graphic design tool, or just to make notes, especially with the new upgrades for making columns.

Pros:

I usually start projects in MacDraft and increasingly just stay with it through the project. I do use AutoCAD a lot, but it is 'indirect' and difficult to be spontaneous with it or to try things out quickly. In MacDraft I work directly and 'experimentally' with no downside; it encourages spontaneity and is fast and direct. The drawings look great, and often other designers or drafters ask what software they were made it. In planning meetings MacDraft docs are usually the conversation starters. It's easy to combine photos or even loose pencil sketches with MacDraft in the same document, and it looks great. I do believe it shortens the approval cycle. Also, it's just fun to use. I usually go to MacDraft first before SketchUp or AutoCAD. The tools are *actually* intuitive, and the interface is appealing and easy on the eyes (and brain).

Cons:

MacDraft is a bit challenging to use with the deadly accuracy of, say, AutoCAD, as it only resolves to two decimal places. Also oftentimes I need to zoom in to make sure I hit the point I was aiming at— even when Smart Snap is in use. Also— you cannot snap to intersections. I know MD *recognizes* intersections, because you can trim accurately to them.End marks (arrows) look perfect in-app, but when you make a PDF or plot them, they come out larger than in-app and overrun the object they are meant to point to. This is relatively easy to compensate for or edit, but it is annoying.Also it would be good to be able to customize key assignment. The existing ones make solid sense, so this not a big 'issue'. Just needs more of them— real time-savers, the shortcuts.

Robert
President & CEO in US
Marketing & Advertising, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Deceptively Powerful, Easy to Use CAD

4.0 5 years ago

Pros:

I'm biased because I have been using MacDraft continuously for thirty years, but I believe it is very usable and full-featured for its modest price. The latest version has made substantial improvements to the interface, incorporating clever ways to make commands accessible while still leaving plenty of real estate on the screen for designing. With a little practice, an amateur like me can create very precise drawings and designs, and do so rapidly. Printouts are clean and accurate.

Cons:

The latest release (7.0) is a little buggy . I expect that the issues, which are minor annoyances rather than major flaws, will be resolved in the next version; but it is a shame they were not addressed before launch. The interface is not very customizable, so there is no way to hide or move features that I seldom use. But you can't have everything.

Microspot Response

5 years ago

Hi Robert, Thank you for the review :) Its great to hear that you are continuing to enjoy MacDraft! You are right, there were a few bugs in the release version which were brought to our attention from users such as yourself. You'll be glad to know that the upcoming 7.0.1 (free) update address those. Thanks again and keep enjoying MacDraft 7 Microspot Team,

Mike
Architect in US
Architecture & Planning, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

MacDraft Professional 7

4.0 5 years ago

Comments: If one were coming at version 7 for the first time, it probably is easier to get used to, than if one has been a MacDraft user for a number of years. I have not enjoyed using version 7 and continue to use my older versions for most of my work.

Pros:

I have been a MacDraft user for over 15 years and found it is an easy and comprehensive drafting program to use for my architectural practice. It was easy to learn, inexpensive to maintain, and had excellent graphic quality.

Cons:

The version 7 has been difficult to get used to. The revised desktop is drastically different from previous versions and had to be totally relearned. While one used to be able to view all the tool menu bars at the same time on the screen, now one must continually switch between 4 different drop down menus to access alignment tools, layers, and colors and patterns. It is not nearly so convenient. There is little about the new version I find improved, other than the template set-up options for sheet layout.

Microspot Response

5 years ago

Hi Mike, Thank you for the review, I will be getting in touch to see if I can help you out on the latest version. Its a shame you are finding the new layout difficult to use so we would like to help. Microspot Team

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Facilities Services, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Mac draft for 34 years

4.0 5 years ago

Comments: I use the program to draw house plans mostly. Also I like to use it to design interior finishes like tile and trims in unique patterns.

Pros:

I had many versions of Mac draft. I started recently with version 5 and 6. The latest one version 7 is quite a bit different than the previous versions. I have been able to fine what I need but takes some practice to get work done fast again.

Cons:

When converting to Autocad format the program has limitations. So I wish this feature worked better and others with auto Cad could review my work.

Microspot Response

5 years ago

Thank you for the great review! You havent left a name but if you can contact us with any questions regarding DWG we would be happy to answer them. MacDraft Pro 7 uses the latest DWG file format so there shouldnt be any issues :) Thanks!

Arthur
Owner / Operator in US
Marketing & Advertising, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Elegant improvements

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: As a professional, I have been using MacDraft from its earliest stages – I’m 70 years old, and I think I started using it when I was in my 30s. It was most helpful then - now, it’s core to my own envisioning of work before us. In any case, the elegance of this latest version fits so intuitively within my “builders mind”. The tool pallets are now organized as a surround to each drawing itself. And they have so much breath and depth of function! The overall result is effortless manipulation of the development of the project itself. MacDraft 7 Professional has been honed to a razor sharp edge, making it so very clean & precise in the visualizing of an emerging design! Part and parcel to all of this is the availability of the team that has developed MacDraft Professional 7 to its current excellence, for and continues to interact so willingly with those of us who use it. Congratulations on a great outcome!

Pros:

Each drawing carries ALL drawing tools-And these tools represent the full array needed to fully imagine something under design.

Cons:

Because of its radical reworking, the learning curve to become fluent in MacDraft Professional 7 required a substantial investment of energy - energy that was completely restored & rewarded by the new plateau this program has achieved.

Microspot Response

5 years ago

Hi Arthur, Thank you so much for the fantastic review. We try and take all of our customers ideas and improvements on board and build them into future versions and its nice to hear that you appreciate the efforts. If you ever need anything, please dont hesitate to get in touch with us. Microspot Team

Tara
Researcher's in India
Education Management, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Nice architectural design software

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: It is a powerful vector drawing and illustration application for macOS. It is used for various technical drawings, illustrations, and designs. It allows professionals to create detailed technical drawings, vector illustrations, and designs, with precision, in a range of vector formats. The main benefits of using MacDraft Professional are increased accuracy and efficiency when creating designs with speed and clarity.

Pros:

The most impactful features include its powerful vector-based drawing engine, layered design structure, context-sensitive editing tools, and comprehensive selection of editing and drawing features. It is relatively easy to use MacDraft Professional, though users will benefit from some familiarity with basic CAD principles. Navigation, drawing, and other features are intuitive. Integration with existing business processes will depend on the type and scale of your project. Export/import settings, data formatting, and targeted compatibility/scaling are all essential considerations.

Cons:

Features that could be improved in MacDraft Professional include the ability to import logos and line art, an improved alignment and snapping tool, the ability to customize print sizes, and the ability to use specific measures for elements such as text boxes, objects, pictures, and tables. Aspects of the product that are difficult to use are the limitations of symbols and the lack of style options. Integration with existing business processes can be complex with MacDraft Professional due to the lack of features that make it easier to export and share the diagrams with other installations.

nicholas
designer in UK
Architecture & Planning, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Mac's best weapon

5.0 8 years ago

Comments: I have used Macdraft for quite some years now and have found it easy to use at a base level if you are just starting and as a perfect tool to show in detail all your projects as you get more confident. I use it for architectural work and have chatted to the company about software and my ideas and they have always been able to help. I doubt if I will change now. As it is a review you will note that it is lacking five stars in the features and functionality bit. That is because when you save under a PDF as many of us have to in order to communicate some of our drawings that way. The renditions as it is made compatable are sometimes not as good as they could be. But it is a small thing but it would make a big improvement.

Pros:

ease of use

Cons:

PDF quallity

Microspot Response

8 years ago

Thank you for the review Nicholas, we love the title 'Macs Best Weapon' :) A quick note on PDF, File > Export PDF will create a PDF based on the content in the document not the page size. If you want a Print Quality PDF we recommend going File > Print > Save As PDF, hopefully this will help you out in future work. Microspot Team

Bruce
Retired oceanographer/engineer in US
Farming, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Planning family homes

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: I’ve used MacDraft Pro since the days when it came on a handful of 3.5” floppy disks.
It still works Intuitively. Things like duplicate with smart repeated placement and spacing along a line just WOWs PC world ers.

Pros:

My family bought 18 acres of wooded land. We use this sw to draw to scale the whole region and the plans for three houses for us and our two sons’ families.

Cons:

Cost. It’s buyable, but takes a lot of thought. Compared to the price of 18 acres and 3 houses, it’s cheap. Specially if it stops us from making even one mistake. I am giving my older son the PC version as a present so he doesn’t come borrow my Mac all the time.

John
President in US
Machinery, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Macdraft review

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: Spending less time designing

Pros:

Not that hard to use Easy to install Has a decent selection of tools to choose from. While drawing

Cons:

Needs dynamic zoom in and out Adjust position of object clicked on and have to put it back in place Has issue with selecting object at times Also likes to crash while drawing

Pat
VP in Canada
Education Management, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Pat's review

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: I am an archaeologist working in Ontario Canada. I use your product to map clusters of artifacts across fields and in 1 by 1 m grid across archaeological sites. The maps show artifact distribution across the site both vertically and horizontally, plan view of features and their profiles, use it with Google to show methodology and potential on air photographs and developers maps.

Pros:

It is very intuitive. If I can figure it out anyone can.

Cons:

I would really like if it was easier to piece plot single artifacts using a single datum and a distance measurement and angle. And it would be great if the north was at the top of the drawing.

Willem
Consultant in US
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

MacDraft as a tool for designers

4.0 4 years ago

Comments: I have designed specialty electric-mechanical cable, the kind used in well logging or oceanographical applications that need strength as well as power delivery and telemetry in a small package. Lay-out and cross section are very important and MacDraft has been instrumental in producing these items quickly and accurately.

Pros:

The product has certainly changed since I first started using it some 30 years ago. It is more accurate than the earlier versions and has many more options. Since all of my designs are basically 2-dimensional, this is a very good product to use.

Cons:

With all the options and features that are available, use of the program on a 15" portable computer is a bit difficult. You really need a fair amount of screen real estate to be able to work quickly and efficiently.

Microspot Response

4 years ago

Thanks for the great review Willem! - Microspot Team

Gordon
Retired in US
Building Materials, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Full featured and easy to master the basics

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: As easy to use as MacDraw and earlier versions of MacDraft but many, many more features.

Pros:

I am retired. Before I retired I frequently used MacDraw and a much earlier version of MacDraft to make simple dimensioned sketches for product inspection instructions. I was looking for a similar basic application to use for home projects, such as providing information for prospective home improvement contractors to bid on. I found that MacDraft Professional 7, although it was more expensive than what I had in mind, was so full-featured that it was worth the money. I haven't used all the features but what I have are familiar and easy to use.

Cons:

The user manual MDFT7-050319PB has quite a few errors and typos. I haven't checked recently to see if it has been updated.

Microspot Response

4 years ago

Hi Gordon, Thank you for the excellent review. I hope you continue using MacDraft throughout what sounds like a well earned retirement! We are aware of the errors in the user guide and are working on a new version. Microspot Team

Jon
Cabinetry in US
Construction, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Great product for the price

4.0 5 years ago

Comments: Mostly positive. Many great improvements in the new version making it much less tedious to create accurate drawings.

Pros:

Mostly intuitive and simple to use. Clean new design is so much nicer and more user friendly. I especially like the snapping feature in the latest version. It makes it so much easier to align objects. The cost is is low. I have used Mac Draft for years and feel it has been a great asset to use in my custom cabinetry business.

Cons:

Two things I like least: 1. I’ve always wished they would improve the zoom functionality. A scroll wheel zoom would be so much faster. MD’s latest version still only uses zoom presets. The whole zoom thing just needs to be a lot more fluid to glance around quickly. I would love to see that changed. 2. The measure tool. Please make it one function for any direction. Choosing between horizontal/ vertical/ diagonal is really clunky.

Microspot Response

5 years ago

Hi Jon, Thank you for the nice review! Great to hear you enjoy the new snapping and alignment features. We have improved zoom in the upcoming 7.0.1 release however you cant scroll to do so as you suggest, although the zoom level has increased. We will definitely look at the dimension tools and see if that is a possibility for a future version. Thank you for the feedback, we really do appreciate it! Microspot Team,

Marc
Owner in US
Arts & Crafts, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Great for a the occasional woodworder

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: I'm a woodworker but I also use it for drawing my house projects. I also coach Eagle candidates for the Boy Scouts and it come in handy for showing them dimensions etc.
I've using MacDraft since ....?1988? When did the first MacIntosh come out?

Pros:

The new features in the side panels make it easy to get to some of the features I use alot. One of the these is resize. I use it all the time and this makes it easy. The whole look and feel has been upgraded.

Cons:

I want to have more shortcut keys. command-d for duplicate for instance. I also don't like that you don't offset the dupe like you used to.

Microspot Response

5 years ago

Hi Marc, Thank you for the review! Its great to know you feel the program is easier to use :) As for the keyboard shortcuts, CMD-D does duplicate with offset (there was a bug which has since been fixed in version 7.0.1) and CMD-Shift-D duplicates without offset. What other keyboard shortcuts would you like to see in MacDraft? Microspot Team

Dan
Sound Engineer in US
Motion Pictures & Film, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Fantastic!

5.0 7 years ago

Comments: Easy of use

Pros:

Macdraft is so much easier to learn and use than AutoCad. In my work I do mostly wiring diagrams, but the occasional plan and elevation view drawings to scale. Macdraft is always my go-to tool!

Cons:

The only thing I've had difficulty with is that unlike other CAD software such as AutoCad where you are drawing to full size in virtual space and the software is always scaling to fit the paper size you select, Macdraft requires you to make that choice when you start the drawing. This is really only an issue when I need to send my drawings back and forth with an architect that is using AutoCad. Also, depending on the scale you choose, then smallest unit of measurement selectable seems to change. In software that draws full size in virtual space, this does not happen.

Microspot Response

7 years ago

Hi Dan, thank you for the review!

Ron
Owner in US
Architecture & Planning, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Macdraft long time user

3.0 8 years ago

Comments: It crashes a few more times than the previous version and it is lacking a spellchecker which is very important
Still no way to read very old versions
Not able to read auto cad files

Pros:

Ease of use

Cons:

No spell checker

Microspot Response

8 years ago

Thanks for the review Ron! We wanted to make sure you were aware that MacDraft Pro 6.2 can read .mdd files which is MacDrafts old file format, it can also read DWG files which are AutoCad's native format. Simply go File > Open and change the pop up to 'DWG' and you can now open AutoCad files. I hope this helps you in the future! Microspot Team

Ellie
Lighting Designer in US
Consumer Electronics, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Great Mac solution for CAD

4.0 8 years ago

Comments: I have been using MacDraft for the past 5 years or so and it offers everything I need from a CAD program. The only criticism I have is that sometimes the files will crash and corrupt themselves. So if you didn't save it or don't have a backup, you are SOL. This has happened a handful of times to me and is excruciatingly frustrating when it does.

Pros:

It offers everything I need from CAD. But I don't use too many complicated features

Cons:

It will sometimes corrupt a file and I can no longer open or use the file.

Cecil
Professor Emeritus in US
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Casual User

4.0 5 years ago

Comments: Generally positive

Pros:

Simplicity. Also, the user interface is good, but I would like to have some control over the arrangement. For, example I don’t find the libraries helpful and would like to remove that portion of the menu.

Cons:

Would like more sophisticated snaps, e.g., snap to middle of line, intersections, etc. Also, I can’t seem to edit fill patterns, gradients, and colors as indicated by the users’ guide.

Microspot Response

5 years ago

Hi Cecil, Thank you for the review! Let me answer a few of your cons: 1) You can snap to the middle of a line or object using the 'mid point line' under the special lines tool. 2) You can edit patterns, gradients and colors by double clicking it in the swatches panel or by selecting it and going to the settings in the bottom right and selecting 'Edit' I hope this helps! Microspot Team

Ted
Plant Manager in Canada
Pharmaceuticals, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

MacDraft works!

4.0 8 years ago

Comments: We use MacDraft for mechanical and electrical drawings. It is very intuitive for both early users and old hands. DXF export is successful for transferring files to a shop that does laser-cut stainless panels, and to several others who do fabricated tanks for us. It works as expected.

Pros:

It's the best Mac drafting solution we've found. We'd be lost without it.

Cons:

It's not a 3D program, but that also means it's easier to use