CADSoft Tools
CADSoftTools (Soft Gold Ltd, founded 2000, Tula, Russia) develops a proprietary, AutoCAD-independent CAD kernel and ships end-user applications (ABViewer, CST CAD Navigator), developer SDKs, and free web tools for viewing, editing, and converting DWG, DXF, HPGL, SVG, and CGM files for industrial and developer customers in 120+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersTula, Russia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What CADSoft Tools does
CADSoftTools, a trademark of Soft Gold Ltd founded in 2000 and headquartered in Tula, Russian Federation, develops a portfolio of CAD software products built on a proprietary, AutoCAD-independent kernel for reading, saving, and editing DWG, DXF, DWF, HPGL, SVG, and CGM formats. The portfolio spans three layers: end-user applications (ABViewer for viewing/editing/conversion, CST CAD Navigator as a cross-platform Windows/macOS/Linux successor, plus Inventory, Evacuation Plan, and a DWG/DXF-to-G-code CNC tool), a developer SDK line (CAD VCL Multiplatform for Delphi/C++Builder, CAD DLL for Windows, CAD .NET, Web CAD SDK for ASP.NET/SharePoint/Office 365, libcad.so for Linux, plus CADEditorX and CADViewX ActiveX components), and free web services (ShareCAD.org for browser-based CAD viewing, and an online PDF-to-DWG converter).
The business model is built primarily on perpetual software licenses priced from $154 (ABViewer Enterprise) to $590+ (SDK products), supplemented by professional-services revenue from custom CAD development work, optional subscription and major-version upgrade fees, and a global authorized reseller network providing regional sales and support. Go-to-market combines product-led growth (30–45 day trials, free online tools, multilingual website in 14 languages) with channel partners and direct enterprise phone/email sales. CADSoftTools reports customers in more than 120 countries, with ABViewer alone used by over 22,000 companies and a total claimed base of 100,000+ customers; named enterprise references include Samsung, Boeing, Hitachi Power Europe, LG HealthCare, Siemens, Shell, Swisscom, Emerson, and P&G. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no acquisitions in the source data, and continues to release new product versions on a roughly quarterly cadence.
CADSoft Tools firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CADSoft Tools
- Legal name
- Soft Gold Ltd
- Website
- https://cadsofttools.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CADSoftTools (Soft Gold Ltd, founded 2000, Tula, Russia) develops a proprietary, AutoCAD-independent CAD kernel and ships end-user applications (ABViewer, CST CAD Navigator), developer SDKs, and free web tools for viewing, editing, and converting DWG, DXF, HPGL, SVG, and CGM files for industrial and developer customers in 120+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CADSoft Tools industry classification
Industry- Product category
- CAD Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- 3D Design & CAD for Additive Manufacturing (IMAAACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Developer Tooling & SDK Platforms (BPAMAOAD)
Keywords
Where CADSoft Tools is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tula
- HQ country
- Russia
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
CADSoft Tools business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Licenses - Applications: Perpetual licenses for end-user applications like ABViewer, CST CAD Navigator, Inventory, and Evacuation Plan. Users pay once and own the license indefinitely with free updates within the major version.
- SDK Developer Licenses: Royalty-free developer licenses for SDK libraries (CAD DLL, CAD VCL, CAD .NET, Web CAD SDK, libcad.so, CADEditorX, CADViewX). Options include single developer, company developer (unlimited developers within one company), server, and cloud licenses.
- Plugin Licenses: Licenses for plugins including CAD Image DLL, CS_DWG.DLL, CS_DXF.DLL, CS_HPGL.DLL, CS_SVG.DLL, CS_CGM.DLL, and CAD View Plugin for Total Commander. Also includes free CS_Manager utility.
- Custom Development Services: Custom CAD software development services for creating tailored solutions, API extensions, web applications, and additional tools. Pricing and timelines provided after project discussion.
- Upgrade and Update Fees: Free minor updates within major version. Major upgrades available for additional fee. Support extends for duration of license contract or exclusive right period.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | SDK products starting price |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | ABViewer Enterprise perpetual license |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | CST CAD Navigator license |
| Freemium | Monthly | Trial versions with limitations |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
CADSoft Tools product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CADSoftTools develops and sells a comprehensive line of CAD software products centered on its proprietary kernel for reading, saving, and editing DWG, DXF, DWF, HPGL (PLT/SPL), SVG, and CGM formats without requiring AutoCAD. The portfolio includes desktop applications (ABViewer, CST CAD Navigator, Inventory, Evacuation Plan, DWG/DXF to G-code), free web applications (ShareCAD, PDF to DWG Converter), developer SDKs (CAD VCL, CAD DLL, CAD .NET, Web CAD SDK, libcad.so), ActiveX components (CADEditorX, CADViewX), and plugins for third-party programs. Products enable viewing, editing, converting, measuring, and printing CAD files across Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile, and HTML5 platforms.
Product overview
CADSoftTools develops a comprehensive portfolio of CAD software products centered around their proprietary kernel for reading, saving, and editing AutoCAD DWG, DXF, DWF, HPGL/PLT, SVG, and CGM formats. The portfolio comprises three main categories: (1) End-user applications including ABViewer (feature-rich CAD viewer, editor, and converter), CST CAD Navigator (cross-platform 2D/3D CAD software for Windows, macOS, Linux), Inventory (inventory management), Evacuation Plan (DIN ISO 23601 evacuation planning), and DWG/DXF to G-code (CNC conversion tool); (2) Developer tools/SDKs including CAD VCL Multiplatform (Delphi/C++Builder library), CAD DLL (Windows DLL library), CAD .NET (.NET library), Web CAD SDK (ASP.NET web control), libcad.so (Linux library), DXF Export Java (deprecated), CADEditorX (ActiveX component), and CADViewX (ActiveX graphics component); and (3) Web applications including ShareCAD (free online CAD viewer) and PDF to DWG Converter (free online conversion service). The company also offers plugins for third-party programs including IrfanView, XNView, and Total Commander. Established in 2000/2001, the company serves thousands of customers in over 120 countries worldwide with flexible licensing options including perpetual licenses and subscription models.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ABViewer: Feature-rich CAD software for viewing, editing, and converting CAD files including DWG, DXF, IGES, STEP, STL, SLDPRT, SVG, CGM formats with perpetual licenses.
- CST CAD Navigator
- ShareCAD
- CAD VCL Multiplatform
- CAD DLL
- CAD .NET
- Web CAD SDK
- CADEditorX
- CADViewX
- libcad.so
Products and services
- ABViewer Feature-rich CAD software with perpetual licenses supporting DWG, DXF, IGES, STEP, STL, SLDPRT, SVG, and CGM formats. Enables viewing, getting dimensions, creating and editing 2D files, converting PDF to editable DWG/DXF, generating G-code for CNC machines, and exporting to other formats. Used by industrial and construction companies, documentation firms, and individual users.
- CST CAD Navigator Cross-platform 2D/3D CAD software compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. Supports DWG (up to AutoCAD 2026), DXF, DWF, PDF, SVG, CGM, PLT, HPGL, STEP, IGES, STL and other formats. Offers rapid import/export, measuring tools, section views, PDF to DWG/DXF conversion, and G-code generation for CNC machines.
- Inventory Inventory management application for tracking and managing inventory assets.
- Evacuation Plan Software for creating evacuation plans according to DIN ISO 23601 2010 standards.
- DWG/DXF to G-code Conversion tool for generating G-code for CNC machines from DWG and DXF files.
- ShareCAD Free online service for viewing CAD files and 3D models in a web browser on any platform including Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. Also supports saving drawings directly to Google Drive as PDF.
- PDF to DWG Converter Free online service for converting PDF files to DWG format. Supports files up to 3MB with 2 conversions per day limit. Converts to AutoCAD DWG 2004 format.
- CAD VCL Multiplatform High-quality multi-functional source code library for Delphi and C++Builder applications. Supports DWG, DXF, HPGL PLT, HGL, STEP, IGES, STL, ACIS SAT, BREP, CGM, SVG formats without requiring AutoCAD installation.
- CAD DLL Library for adding CAD functionality to applications in different languages that support DLL technology. Supports DWG (up to 2026), DXF, DWF, HPGL, PLT, SVG, CGM, STEP, IGES, STL and other formats. Available in Import and Enterprise editions.
- CAD .NET Library for developing solutions in .NET environment supporting AutoCAD DWG, DXF, PLT and other CAD formats. Compatible with Visual Studio 2005 and later, supports x86 and x64 platforms, and enables ASP.NET server applications.
- Web CAD SDK ASP.NET control for viewing DWG and CAD drawings on Internet, Intranet, SharePoint, Office 365 and other HTML5-enabled technologies. Supports 2D and 3D formats without requiring AutoCAD installation.
- libcad.so Library for Linux platforms enabling CAD functionality for applications in different programming languages. Supports SVG, CGM formats with export capabilities to DWG, DXF, PDF, SVG, CGM, HPGL and raster formats.
- CADEditorX ActiveX component for adding CAD functionality to web pages or applications under development. Supports viewing, editing, converting, measuring and printing DWG, DXF, SVG, HPGL, STEP, IGES, STL and other CAD files.
- CADViewX Component for working with vector and raster graphics in development environments supporting ActiveX technology. Enables viewing, importing, exporting and printing files with support for DWG, DXF, HPGL, SVG, CGM formats.
- CAD Image DLL Plugin (for IrfanView and XNView) Plugin for IrfanView and XNView supporting AutoCAD DWG, DXF, Hewlett-Packard HPGL, SVG, and CGM formats.
- CAD View Plugin for Total Commander Plugin for Total Commander enabling viewing of DWG, DXF, DWF, HPGL/HPGL2, SVG and CGM files in TC Lister with export to JPEG and TIFF formats.
- ShareCAD Iframe Plugin Iframe plugin for embedding ShareCAD viewing functionality into web pages.
- Custom CAD Software Development Custom CAD software development services for creating tailored solutions, API extensions, web applications, and additional tools for enterprise customers requiring bespoke CAD functionality. Pricing and timelines provided after project discussion.
Quantifiable outcome
- Supports viewing and conversion of DWG files up to Autodesk AutoCAD 2026
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CADSoft Tools
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CADSoft Tools technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature5 records
CADSoft Tools partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered standard and core.
- Aufiero InformaticastandardAuthorized reseller covering Argentina in Latin America. Provides local sales, support, and customer engagement for CADSoftTools products in the region.
- BTSoftware BVstandardAuthorized reseller covering Belgium, Luxembourg, and Netherlands regions. Offers CADSoftTools products including ABViewer with local sales and support.
- COGITO SOFTWARE CO.,LTD.coreMajor authorized reseller with offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. Covers major Asian markets including China, providing sales and support for CADSoftTools products.
- SIADNetcoreAuthorized reseller covering Argentina, Latin America, and Spain. Provides technical support and video tutorials in Spanish, serving Spanish-speaking markets.
- Bechtle ComsoftstandardAuthorized reseller in France, part of the Bechtle Group. Provides CADSoftTools product sales and support in the French market.
- SoftwareONE Deutschland GmbHstandardAuthorized reseller in Germany. Part of global software distribution network, providing CADSoftTools products to German enterprise customers.
- KREIS I&C Co., Ltd.standardAuthorized reseller in South Korea covering the Korean market with local sales and technical support.
- Qast System Solution, Inc.standardAuthorized reseller with offices in China (Shanghai), Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Part of regional distribution network covering Asian markets.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CADSoft Tools competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ZWSOFT: Vendor of ZWCAD, a cost-effective DWG-native CAD alternative sold through a global reseller network similar to CADSoftTools'. Comparable product breadth (CAD, viewers, SDKs) and go-to-market model focused outside North America.
- Bricsys (Hexagon): Developer of BricsCAD, a DWG-native CAD platform competing directly with CADSoftTools' viewing/editing and DWG-conversion capabilities. Closely comparable target market (engineers needing affordable DWG tools) and product/market overlap.
- ActCAD: Affordable DWG-native 2D/3D CAD product sold via perpetual and subscription licenses. Direct competitor in the price-sensitive mid-market segment CADSoftTools targets with ABViewer and CST CAD Navigator.
- GStarCAD: Independent DWG-native CAD platform widely used in Asia and other emerging markets through reseller distribution. Directly comparable to ABViewer/CST CAD Navigator in perpetual-license DWG tooling and reseller-led go-to-market.
- Graebert: Developer of ARES Commander and ARES CAD/drawing tools across Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile. Direct overlap with CADSoftTools' cross-platform CAD editing/viewing thesis and DWG compatibility focus.
- IMSI/Design (TurboCAD): Publisher of TurboCAD and a range of CAD/viewer products sold primarily as perpetual licenses. Comparable perpetual-license positioning and DWG compatibility targeting individual and SMB users.
Broad incumbents
- Dassault Systèmes: Owner of SOLIDWORKS, CATIA, and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform serving manufacturing and engineering customers that overlap CADSoftTools' enterprise accounts. Comparable in customer base and 3D format focus (STEP, IGES, STL) but at vastly larger scale.
- Autodesk: Maker of AutoCAD and DWG, the dominant native CAD platform whose file format CADSoftTools targets. Highly comparable as a CAD viewing/editing/conversion vendor with a much larger portfolio, subscription-first monetization, and cloud collaboration products (Autodesk Docs).
- Siemens Digital Industries Software (Solid Edge / NX): Vendor of Solid Edge, NX, and Teamcenter for engineering and manufacturing customers. Overlaps with CADSoftTools' industrial customer base (e.g., Siemens itself appears as a customer) and STEP/IGES format support focus.
Others
- Open Design Alliance: Industry consortium providing DWG-compatible libraries and file-format specifications used by many CAD vendors. Comparable as a developer-tooling/SDK peer that competes with CADSoftTools' CAD DLL / CAD VCL / CAD .NET family at the developer layer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CADSoft Tools social profiles
Digital presenceCADSoft Tools financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CADSoft Tools leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CADSoft Tools funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CADSoft Tools M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CADSoft Tools
What does CADSoft Tools do?
CADSoftTools develops and sells a comprehensive line of CAD software products centered on its proprietary kernel for reading, saving, and editing DWG, DXF, DWF, HPGL (PLT/SPL), SVG, and CGM formats without requiring AutoCAD. The portfolio includes desktop applications (ABViewer, CST CAD Navigator, Inventory, Evacuation Plan, DWG/DXF to G-code), free web applications (ShareCAD, PDF to DWG Converter), developer SDKs (CAD VCL, CAD DLL, CAD .NET, Web CAD SDK, libcad.so), ActiveX components (CADEditorX, CADViewX), and plugins for third-party programs. Products enable viewing, editing, converting, measuring, and printing CAD files across Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile, and HTML5 platforms.
Is CADSoft Tools a public or private company?
CADSoft Tools is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CADSoft Tools founded?
CADSoft Tools was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CADSoft Tools based?
CADSoft Tools is headquartered in Tula, Russia, in the Europe region.
How does CADSoft Tools make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Software Licenses - Applications are the primary driver. The others are SDK Developer Licenses, plugin Licenses, custom Development Services and upgrade and Update Fees.
Who are CADSoft Tools's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ZWSOFT, Bricsys (Hexagon), ActCAD, GStarCAD, Graebert and IMSI/Design (TurboCAD). Broad incumbents are Dassault Systèmes, Autodesk and Siemens Digital Industries Software (Solid Edge / NX). Open Design Alliance is listed as an others.
Does CADSoft Tools have an API?
Yes. CADSoftTools offers SDK libraries that provide APIs for developers to add CAD functionality to their applications. Supported languages include C#, VB.NET, J#, VC++, VB, Delphi/C++Builder, and Java. The libraries support viewing, export to DWG/DXF, creation of drawings, access to drawing data, editing, conversion to G-code, file comparison, measuring, and deployment in web applications. Demo examples with source code are provided for C#, Delphi, C++Builder, Visual Basic, Visual C++, ASP.NET, Java and VB.NET. Developer documentation is at cadsofttools.com/products/how-to-choose-dwg-sdk.
What industry is CADSoft Tools in?
CADSoft Tools's product category is CAD Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAAACAA, 3D Design & CAD for Additive Manufacturing, with a secondary code of BPAMAOAD, Developer Tooling & SDK Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.