Nanocad Portable -
| Software | Portability | Best For | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Community-made | 2D DWG editing, similar UI to AutoCAD | | LibreCAD Portable | Native portable | Open-source, pure 2D, very lightweight | | QCAD Portable | Official portable | 2D architectural/technical drawing | | FreeCAD Portable | Community-made | Parametric 3D modeling (slow on USB 2.0) | | BricsCAD Shape (not portable) | No | 3D conceptual design |
University computer labs often have their hard drives "frozen" by Deep Freeze software. Any installed programs vanish after a reboot. Since a portable app leaves no footprint, students can run nanoCAD Portable from their personal drives without fighting the lab’s security software. nanocad portable