How to open .dxf files on a Mac

By Tiago Almeida · Updated 29 October 2026

DXF is AutoCAD's exchange format: a drawing written out, usually as plain text, so that other programs can read it. Autodesk publishes the format, so nearly every CAD, laser, CNC, plasma and sign-making program can import or export it, and a .dxf is the file you're most likely to be sent when someone wants a part cut or a plan checked.

macOS doesn't read DXF files on its own: Preview can't open them, and on a new Mac nothing else can either. DWG Viewer is our app, so weigh that in. Every option below works; they suit different jobs.

Can a Mac open .dxf files?

Not on its own, but plenty of free and paid apps can. To look at a drawing, check a measurement or turn it into a PDF, use a viewer such as DWG Viewer or eDrawings. To change it, use a 2D CAD app such as LibreCAD or QCAD. If the DXF is headed for a laser or a CNC machine, the machine's software probably imports it already.

The options compared

Option	Opens .dxf files	Edits drawings	What you need
DWG Viewer	Yes, plus DWG, DWF and DWFx	No	$19 once; macOS 14 or later
LibreCAD	Yes, as its own format	Yes, in 2D	Free and open source
QCAD	Yes	Yes, in 2D	Free Community Edition; DWG needs QCAD Professional
Inkscape	Imports DXF from AutoCAD R13 on	Yes, as a vector drawing	Free and open source
eDrawings	Yes	No	Free, from the Mac App Store
Autodesk Viewer in the browser	Yes	No, but you can mark up	Free Autodesk account; the file is uploaded to Autodesk

1. Open it in DWG Viewer

DWG Viewer is a native Mac app that reads .dxf files directly, along with AutoCAD's .dwg files and the .dwf and .dwfx files published from AutoCAD, Revit and Inventor. Once it's installed, Finder shows a thumbnail of each drawing and the space bar previews it, which helps when you're looking for one part in a folder of fifty. Open a file and you get sharp vectors with text, hatches, dimensions and blocks, every layer in a list you can switch on and off, and shift-drag to measure in the drawing's own units. Drawings with 3D solids or meshes open shaded.

You can export a drawing to PDF or SVG at 1:1, with hidden layers left out. DWG Viewer can't edit a drawing, and it shows model space only. It costs $19 once and runs onmacOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel.

2. Edit it in LibreCAD

LibreCAD is a free, open-source 2D CAD app, with separate downloads for Apple silicon and Intel Macs. DXF is its own file format, so it opens, edits and saves .dxf files without converting anything. It can import some DWG files too, though its developers call DWG support experimental. The Mac app isn't notarized by Apple, so the first time you open it, macOS blocks it until you allow it in System Settings → Privacy & Security.

3. Use QCAD

QCAD is another 2D CAD app for the Mac, with native Apple silicon builds. The free Community Edition opens, edits and saves DXF files and exports PDF. QCAD Professional, a one-off licence with a year of updates, adds DWG files, SVG export and command-line converters for whole folders. Like LibreCAD, it's a drafting app: good for fixing or drawing 2D parts, with no 3D.

4. Import it into Inkscape

Inkscape, the free vector drawing app, imports DXF files from AutoCAD R13 onwards and saves them as SVG, which is often what vinyl cutters, laser software and websites want. It isn't a CAD app, so a few things need care:

When it asks how to scale the drawing, use the file's own units or a manual scale in millimetres, not "fit to A4", so the part keeps its real size.
Use File → Open rather than Import to keep the drawing's layers.
Blocks are only partly supported, so explode them in the original drawing first if you can.
Solid fills come across, but hatch patterns don't.

There's more on this in How to convert DXF and DWG files to SVG on a Mac.

5. Use eDrawings or Autodesk Viewer

eDrawings, Dassault Systèmes' free viewer, is on the Mac App Store and opens DWG and DXF files. Autodesk Viewer runs in the browser: sign in with a free Autodesk account, upload the file, and you can view, measure and mark it up. Uploads are kept for 30 days unless you extend them, and the drawing goes to Autodesk's servers, which may not suit confidential work.

6. Bring it into your laser or CNC software

If the DXF is a part to be cut, you may not need another app at all. LightBurn, which runs on the Mac, imports DXF files directly, though not DWG. Autodesk Fusion can insert a DXF into a sketch, including with its free personal-use licence. Vectric's VCarve and Aspire import DXF too, but only run on Windows; for their own .crv files, see How to open VCarve .crv files on a Mac.

DXF or DWG?

DWG is AutoCAD's own file format: compact, binary, and revised every few AutoCAD releases. DXF holds the same drawing in a form other programs can read, which is why laser, CNC and vector apps ask for DXF and rarely accept DWG. If you've been sent a .dwg and your software wants a .dxf, convert it:

In DWG Viewer, open the DWG and choose File → Export as DXF.
ODA File Converter, from the Open Design Alliance, converts whole folders between DWG and DXF versions. It's free for non-commercial use.
QCAD Professional opens a DWG and saves it as DXF.
Or ask the sender to save a DXF from AutoCAD, choosing an older version such as R12 or 2000 if your software is fussy.

Which should I use?

Looking through drawings, checking a measurement or a layer, or turning DXFs into PDFs, right in Finder: DWG Viewer.
Fixing or drawing 2D parts for free: LibreCAD or QCAD.
Turning a DXF into an SVG for a cutter or a website: Inkscape, or DWG Viewer.
Cutting it: import it straight into LightBurn or Fusion.

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DWG Viewer is not made by or affiliated with Autodesk, Inc. Autodesk, AutoCAD, DWG, DXF, DWF, Revit and Inventor are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc.