this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2026
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Part of the problem is the Big Software crushing any hobbyist software. I used to be big into 3D design. 20 years ago there were dozens and dozens of different programs of different quality available to people wanting to do 3D design, along with top tier programs like 3DSMax and Maya, and even they had “learning editions” with stripped down features for free non-professional use.
Now? Most all 3D design software is proprietary, subscription-based, and stupid expensive. Very, very few programs are available to anyone wanting to do hobby work or learn, and plenty of them are “freemium” with better features paywalled.
Point being, choice has been restricted or eliminated. 20 years ago there was a lot more to choose from both skill and price-wise. Now it’s $200/month/seat, or a couple paywalled freemium programs.
Unless you open source which can be iffy on quality if not consistently maintained. FreeCAD proves that.
Yeah, didn’t want to get too deep in the weeds about it, but FreeCAD is definitely an example. I feel like I’m using a perpetually unfinished decade-old program. While it certainly qualifies as one of those older free packages it never really took off.