DWG Viewer vs Editor: Which Seat Do You Need?
DWG viewer vs editor for contractors: TrueView and free viewers for measure/print, when you need an author seat, and browser CAD (e.g. BravoCAD) for light edits on locked PCs.
A DWG viewer opens a consultant drawing so you can read it. A DWG editor lets you change geometry and save the file back. Mixing those jobs is how firms buy AutoCAD seats for people who only print PDF, or download TrueView expecting to move a trench line.
One-line test
Ask: Must this person save a changed DWG that the consultant can open again?
- No → viewer (or PDF).
- Yes → editor (desktop LT/peer, or browser CAD for light edits).
What a viewer is for
Typical viewer jobs:
- Open the file you were sent
- Pan, zoom, turn layers on and off
- Measure lengths and areas
- Print or export PDF
- Sometimes convert DWG year (TrueView’s convert tools)
Autodesk DWG TrueView is the usual free Windows pick for fidelity, measure, plot, and convert. It is not an editor. You cannot create or rewrite geometry and hand back a revised DWG. Web viewers (for example Autodesk Viewer) follow the same rule for most free tiers: review and markup, not full authoring.
Concrete tool list: free DWG viewers.
What an editor is for
Typical editor jobs:
- Move text, leaders, or a trench centerline
- Mark as-built and save DWG
- Maintain layers and paper space the client expects
- Daily production drafting with templates and plot styles
Editors cost money or training time because they write the format consultants live in. Paths:
| Editor class | When it fits |
|---|---|
| AutoCAD LT / AutoCAD | Office already Autodesk-first; heavy desktop habits |
| Desktop peers (BricsCAD, DraftSight, ZWCAD, progeCAD, …) | Authors want classic installs; trial DWG fidelity first |
| Browser CAD such as BravoCAD | Light to medium plan edits without installing CAD on every locked or site PC |
See AutoCAD LT alternatives for the peer table, and open DWG without AutoCAD for the job split.
Locked PCs and “no admin rights”
Site laptops and locked office machines often block heavy installs. That is a viewer-or-browser problem, not an LT problem.
- View only: Browser-based viewer or a portable/approved viewer if IT allows it.
- Need to edit: Browser CAD such as BravoCAD is the practical class when you cannot roll desktop CAD to the machine. You still need internet when you fetch and share files.
Do not buy a named-user LT seat just because someone cannot install TrueView. First decide view vs edit.
Common mistakes
- Downloading TrueView to “replace AutoCAD.” It replaces the view seat, not the author seat.
- Giving every PM an LT seat for measure-and-print. Use a viewer.
- Using FreeCAD as a free editor for consultant DWG without a converter trial. FreeCAD is not DWG-first; see FreeCAD for construction drawings.
- PDF markups when the client asked for DWG back. Markup is not the same as a saved DWG edit.
Seat math (short)
Example crew:
- 8 people only measure and print → viewers
- 3 people light-edit as-builts on site/office PCs → browser CAD such as BravoCAD (or a small set of lean seats)
- 1 to 2 full-time drafters → desktop LT or a peer
That mix is cheaper than 12 Autodesk author seats. Price structure: AutoCAD pricing. If you are cutting renewals, pair this with cancel or stop AutoCAD subscription renewal.
Bottom line
Viewers (TrueView and peers) answer “open, measure, print.” Editors answer “change and save DWG.” Pick the class from the save test, not from the brand name on the download page. For light edits on machines that cannot take a heavy install, browser CAD such as BravoCAD is the choice in that category.