[1] It was first released in December 1982 for the CP/M and IBM PC platforms as a desktop app running on microcomputers with internal graphics controllers.

[2] Initially a DOS application, subsequent versions were later released for other platforms including Classic Mac OS (1992), Microsoft Windows (1993) and macOS (2010), iOS (2010), and Android (2011).

[13][14] Many software applications such as Autodesk Civil 3D and ESRI ArcMap 10 permits export as AutoCAD drawing files.

Third-party file converters exist for specific formats such as Bentley MX GENIO Extension, PISTE Extension (France), ISYBAU (Germany), OKSTRA and Microdrainage (UK);[15] also, conversion of .pdf files is feasible, however, the accuracy of the results may be unpredictable or distorted.

AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT are available for English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Czech, Polish and Hungarian (also through additional language packs).

.dwg and, to a lesser extent, .dxf, have become de facto, if proprietary, standards for CAD data interoperability, particularly for 2D drawing exchange.

Autodesk developed AutoCAD LT to have an entry-level CAD package to compete in the lower price level.

The program, which is an evolution and combination of previous products, uses a freemium business model with a free plan and two paid levels, including various amounts of storage, tools, and online access to drawings.

360 includes new features such as a "Smart Pen" mode and linking to third-party cloud-based storage such as Dropbox.

In its initial iOS version, AutoCAD WS supported drawing of lines, circles, and other shapes; creation of text and comment boxes; and management of color, layer, and measurements — in both landscape and portrait modes.

Version 1.3, released August 17, 2011, added support for unit typing, layer visibility, area measurement and file management.

[40] Both Android and iOS versions allow the user to save files on-line — or off-line in the absence of an Internet connection.

[40] In 2011, Autodesk announced plans to migrate the majority of its software to "the cloud", starting with the AutoCAD WS mobile application.