How to Install FreeCAD on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04 and 22.04

Choosing the wrong FreeCAD package source on Ubuntu can still send you into a dead APT path: Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04 currently have no default freecad candidate, while Ubuntu 22.04 ships an older 0.19.x build. To install FreeCAD on Ubuntu cleanly, match your release to Snap, Flatpak, the official AppImage, Ubuntu’s repository package, or a Launchpad PPA before running commands.

FreeCAD handles parametric 3D CAD work for mechanical parts, BIM models, product design, and 3D printing, so version differences matter more than they do for a simple utility. Newer builds can change workbench behavior and file compatibility, while Ubuntu repository packages favor distro stability over current upstream features.

Install FreeCAD on Ubuntu

Before installing, check how FreeCAD is currently packaged on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 22.04 LTS.

FreeCAD Availability by Ubuntu Release

Ubuntu Release	Default Ubuntu Repository	Stable PPA	Daily PPA	Recommended Path
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS	No freecad candidate in default repositories	Not published for resolute	Not published for resolute	Use Snap, Flatpak, or the official AppImage
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS	No freecad candidate in default repositories	FreeCAD 0.21.x available	FreeCAD 1.1 pre-release available	Use Snap, Flatpak, or AppImage first; use PPAs only for APT-native workflows
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS	FreeCAD 0.19.x available in Universe	FreeCAD 0.21.x available	FreeCAD 1.1 pre-release available	Use Snap, Flatpak, or AppImage for current builds; keep APT for distro-pinned installs

Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04 are the key release differences: the default APT install path currently fails on both because no freecad candidate exists. Use Snap or Flatpak for a managed install across all supported Ubuntu releases, or use the official AppImage when you specifically want the upstream portable build.

Choose Your FreeCAD Installation Method for Ubuntu

Use this comparison to pick the method that matches your Ubuntu release, update preference, and stability requirements.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
Snap	Snapcraft	Stable channel plus candidate and edge tracks	Automatic through Snap	Most users who want a managed package with minimal setup
Flatpak	Flathub	Stable Flathub app stream	Through Flatpak updates	Desktop users already using Flathub or wanting app isolation
Official AppImage	FreeCAD Downloads	Current upstream release	Manual download replacement	Users who want the official portable Linux build without adding a package source
Ubuntu Repository (APT)	Ubuntu Packages	Distribution default where available	Automatic with APT upgrades	Ubuntu 22.04 users who prefer distro-managed packages
FreeCAD Stable PPA	Launchpad Stable PPA	Legacy stable branch package line	Maintainer cadence, currently behind upstream stable	Ubuntu 24.04 or 22.04 users who need an APT-native fallback
FreeCAD Daily PPA	Launchpad Daily PPA	Development pre-release package line	Maintainer cadence, not guaranteed to match upstream weekly builds	Advanced testing workflows that still require APT packaging

For most users, Snap or Flatpak is the best starting point: both avoid release-specific APT gaps on Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04. Use the official AppImage for the newest upstream portable build, Ubuntu repositories for a conservative 22.04 package, and PPAs only when you specifically need APT-native packaging.

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 22.04 LTS are in scope. As of April 29, 2026, FreeCAD’s official downloads page publishes Linux x86_64 and aarch64 AppImages for FreeCAD 1.1.1, Flathub lists org.freecad.FreeCAD at 1.1.1, Snapcraft’s stable channel shows a 1.1 build, and the FreeCAD PPAs still publish only for noble and jammy, not resolute.

If you searched for a FreeCAD Ubuntu .deb download, note the package-source difference: the official Linux download is an AppImage, not a native Ubuntu DEB installer. The APT options in this article come from Ubuntu’s repositories or Launchpad PPAs.

Install FreeCAD via Snap on Ubuntu

Snap is the simplest managed FreeCAD install on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04, and 22.04 because it does not depend on a release-specific APT package.

Standard Ubuntu desktop installations include Snap. If snap is missing on a minimal or customized system, install snapd first, then open a new terminal session before installing FreeCAD.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install snapd -y

sudo snap install freecad

Verify the installed Snap package:

snap list freecad

Name     Version        Rev   Tracking       Publisher                     Notes
freecad  1.1-g34a97166  2266  latest/stable  freecad-project-association   -

Launch the Snap build from a terminal:

snap run freecad

Install FreeCAD via Flatpak on Ubuntu

Flatpak is another managed cross-release path for FreeCAD, especially if you already use Flathub for desktop applications.

Flatpak is not pre-installed on Ubuntu. Install the package first and follow the full setup steps in our Flatpak installation guide for Ubuntu if Flathub is not already configured.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install flatpak -y

Add Flathub at system scope, then confirm the remote exists before installing FreeCAD:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
sudo flatpak remotes

Name     Options
flathub  system

Install the current FreeCAD Flatpak app ID from Flathub:

sudo flatpak install flathub org.freecad.FreeCAD -y

Verify the Flatpak install:

flatpak info org.freecad.FreeCAD

ID: org.freecad.FreeCAD
Ref: app/org.freecad.FreeCAD/x86_64/stable
Branch: stable
Runtime: org.kde.Platform/x86_64/6.10

Launch the Flatpak build:

flatpak run org.freecad.FreeCAD

If an older system still has org.freecadweb.FreeCAD, migrate to the current app ID. Check for the old system-scope ID first, remove it if it appears, then install org.freecad.FreeCAD.

if sudo flatpak list --app --columns=application | grep -Fxq org.freecadweb.FreeCAD; then
  sudo flatpak remove org.freecadweb.FreeCAD -y
fi
sudo flatpak install flathub org.freecad.FreeCAD -y

Download the Official FreeCAD AppImage on Ubuntu

Use the official AppImage when you want the upstream portable Linux build without adding a package source. The commands in this section use the current x86_64 FreeCAD 1.1.1 AppImage; on ARM systems, download the aarch64 AppImage from the FreeCAD downloads page instead.

Install the FUSE compatibility package first. Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04 use libfuse2t64, while Ubuntu 22.04 uses libfuse2. These packages come from Ubuntu’s Universe component, so enable Universe on Ubuntu first if APT cannot locate them on a customized system.

sudo apt update
. /etc/os-release

case "$VERSION_ID" in
  "22.04")
    sudo apt install libfuse2 -y
    ;;
  *)
    sudo apt install libfuse2t64 -y
    ;;
esac

Create a dedicated directory for the AppImage:

mkdir -p "$HOME/Applications/freecad"
cd "$HOME/Applications/freecad"

Download the AppImage and its checksum file:

curl -fLO https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/releases/download/1.1.1/FreeCAD_1.1.1-Linux-x86_64-py311.AppImage
curl -fLO https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/releases/download/1.1.1/FreeCAD_1.1.1-Linux-x86_64-py311.AppImage-SHA256.txt

Verify the downloaded file before launching it:

sha256sum -c FreeCAD_1.1.1-Linux-x86_64-py311.AppImage-SHA256.txt

Mark the verified AppImage as executable:

chmod +x FreeCAD_1.1.1-Linux-x86_64-py311.AppImage

Launch the AppImage from the same directory:

./FreeCAD_1.1.1-Linux-x86_64-py311.AppImage

Install FreeCAD from Ubuntu Repositories on Ubuntu 22.04

This method uses the Ubuntu repository package and currently applies only to Ubuntu 22.04 within this article’s supported LTS scope. Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04 return no default freecad candidate.

The Ubuntu 22.04 package is in the Universe component. If a customized system has Universe disabled, enable it first or follow our Universe and Multiverse guide for Ubuntu.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install freecad -y

If Ubuntu reports E: Package 'freecad' has no installation candidate, use Snap or Flatpak first. On Ubuntu 24.04, the stable PPA section provides an optional APT fallback. On Ubuntu 26.04, the FreeCAD PPAs are not currently published for resolute.

Verify the installed APT package and command-line version:

apt-cache policy freecad | sed -n '1,12p'
freecadcmd --version

freecad:
  Installed: 0.19.2+dfsg1-3ubuntu1
  Candidate: 0.19.2+dfsg1-3ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 0.19.2+dfsg1-3ubuntu1 500
        500 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy/universe amd64 Packages
FreeCAD 0.19.x

Install FreeCAD from the Stable PPA on Ubuntu

Use the stable PPA only when you explicitly need an APT-managed FreeCAD package on Ubuntu 24.04 or 22.04 and accept that it currently lags upstream stable releases.

As of April 29, 2026, Launchpad publishes FreeCAD stable PPA packages at 0.21.2 for noble and jammy, while upstream stable FreeCAD is 1.1.1. The stable PPA is not published for Ubuntu 26.04 resolute.

Install the repository management dependency, then add the stable PPA:

sudo apt install software-properties-common -y
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:freecad-maintainers/freecad-stable -y

Update package lists and install FreeCAD:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install freecad -y

Confirm APT is selecting the PPA package, then verify the installed version:

apt-cache policy freecad | sed -n '1,12p'
freecadcmd --version

freecad:
  Installed: 2:0.21.2+dfsg1~202407140123~ubuntu24.04.1
  Candidate: 2:0.21.2+dfsg1~202407140123~ubuntu24.04.1
  Version table:
 *** 2:0.21.2+dfsg1~202407140123~ubuntu24.04.1 500
        500 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/freecad-maintainers/freecad-stable/ubuntu noble/main amd64 Packages
FreeCAD 0.21.x

Install FreeCAD Daily Builds from the FreeCAD Daily PPA on Ubuntu

The daily PPA tracks development packaging and may include regressions or temporary packaging issues. It currently applies to Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04, not Ubuntu 26.04.

As of April 29, 2026, the daily PPA publishes 1.1~pre1~202508270404 for noble and jammy. Use this only for testing APT-packaged development builds; it is not the best path for a routine current stable FreeCAD install.

Install the dependency used to add PPAs, then add the daily PPA and install the package:

sudo apt install software-properties-common -y
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:freecad-maintainers/freecad-daily -y
sudo apt update
sudo apt install freecad-daily -y

Confirm the daily PPA package and verify the daily command-line build:

apt-cache policy freecad-daily | sed -n '1,12p'
/usr/lib/freecad-daily/bin/freecadcmd-python3 --version

freecad-daily:
  Installed: 1.1~pre1~202508270404~ubuntu24.04.1
  Candidate: 1.1~pre1~202508270404~ubuntu24.04.1
  Version table:
 *** 1.1~pre1~202508270404~ubuntu24.04.1 500
        500 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/freecad-maintainers/freecad-daily/ubuntu noble/main amd64 Packages
FreeCAD 1.1.0 Revision: 43087 (Git)

The daily package uses freecad-daily as its launcher, so it can coexist with a stable freecad package on the same system. Keep separate test copies of project files when using development builds.

Launch FreeCAD on Ubuntu

Use the launcher that matches your installation method:

# APT or stable PPA
freecad

# Daily PPA
freecad-daily

# Snap
snap run freecad

# Flatpak
flatpak run org.freecad.FreeCAD

# Official AppImage
"$HOME/Applications/freecad/FreeCAD_1.1.1-Linux-x86_64-py311.AppImage"

You can also open FreeCAD from your desktop application menu by searching for FreeCAD.

For terminal-side version or package checks, use the command that belongs to the installed package source. AppImage installs are identified by the verified filename and checksum from the download step.

# APT or stable PPA installs
freecadcmd --version

# Daily PPA installs
/usr/lib/freecad-daily/bin/freecadcmd-python3 --version

# Snap installs
snap run freecad.cmd --version

# Flatpak installs
flatpak info org.freecad.FreeCAD | sed -n '1,8p'

Extra workbenches, macros, and add-ons are handled from inside FreeCAD through the Addon Manager. The Ubuntu package commands install FreeCAD itself; they do not install every optional workbench as a separate APT, Snap, or Flatpak package.

Update FreeCAD on Ubuntu

Update APT or Stable PPA FreeCAD on Ubuntu

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade freecad

Update Daily PPA FreeCAD on Ubuntu

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade freecad-daily

Update Snap FreeCAD on Ubuntu

sudo snap refresh freecad

Update Flatpak FreeCAD on Ubuntu

sudo flatpak update org.freecad.FreeCAD -y

Update AppImage FreeCAD on Ubuntu

For AppImage installs, download the newer AppImage and matching -SHA256.txt file from the FreeCAD downloads page, verify the checksum, mark the new file executable, then remove the older AppImage when you no longer need it.

Troubleshooting FreeCAD on Ubuntu

APT Shows “Package ‘freecad’ Has No Installation Candidate” on Ubuntu

E: Package 'freecad' has no installation candidate

This currently happens with the default Ubuntu repositories on Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04. Use Snap or Flatpak first, use the official AppImage for a portable upstream build, or use the stable PPA only on Ubuntu 24.04 if you need APT-native package management.

sudo snap install freecad

Or install the Flatpak package after Flathub is configured:

sudo flatpak install flathub org.freecad.FreeCAD -y

FreeCAD PPA Returns “Does Not Have a Release File” on Ubuntu 26.04

E: The repository 'https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/freecad-maintainers/freecad-stable/ubuntu resolute Release' does not have a Release file.

This indicates the PPA is not currently published for resolute. On Ubuntu 26.04, use Snap, Flatpak, or the official AppImage instead of pointing APT at an older Ubuntu suite.

If you already added one or both FreeCAD PPAs on Ubuntu 26.04, remove them first so the package-list refresh succeeds again:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:freecad-maintainers/freecad-stable -y
sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:freecad-maintainers/freecad-daily -y
sudo apt update

Flatpak Install Uses the Old FreeCAD App ID

Flathub moved FreeCAD from org.freecadweb.FreeCAD to org.freecad.FreeCAD. If your old install still uses the previous ID, remove it and install the current one.

if sudo flatpak list --app --columns=application | grep -Fxq org.freecadweb.FreeCAD; then
  sudo flatpak remove org.freecadweb.FreeCAD -y
fi
sudo flatpak install flathub org.freecad.FreeCAD -y

FreeCAD AppImage Reports a FUSE Error on Ubuntu

If the AppImage reports a missing libfuse.so.2 library or another FUSE compatibility error, install the package that matches your Ubuntu release, then rerun the AppImage. If APT cannot locate the package, enable Ubuntu’s Universe component first.

sudo apt update
. /etc/os-release

case "$VERSION_ID" in
  "22.04")
    sudo apt install libfuse2 -y
    ;;
  *)
    sudo apt install libfuse2t64 -y
    ;;
esac

Remove FreeCAD from Ubuntu

Use the removal commands that match your installation method, then clean up unused dependencies and repository entries.

Remove APT or Stable PPA FreeCAD from Ubuntu

sudo apt remove freecad -y
sudo apt autoremove -y

If you added the stable PPA, remove it after uninstalling FreeCAD. For deeper repository cleanup patterns, see our guide on removing PPAs from Ubuntu.

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:freecad-maintainers/freecad-stable -y
sudo apt update
apt-cache policy freecad | sed -n '1,10p'

Remove Daily PPA FreeCAD from Ubuntu

sudo apt remove freecad-daily -y
sudo apt autoremove -y
sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:freecad-maintainers/freecad-daily -y
sudo apt update

Remove Snap FreeCAD from Ubuntu

Close FreeCAD first, then remove the Snap package. The --purge flag skips Snap’s automatic recovery snapshot for this app.

sudo snap remove --purge freecad

Remove Flatpak FreeCAD from Ubuntu

sudo flatpak remove org.freecad.FreeCAD -y
if sudo flatpak list --app --columns=application | grep -Fxq org.freecadweb.FreeCAD; then
  sudo flatpak remove org.freecadweb.FreeCAD -y
fi
sudo flatpak uninstall --unused -y

The next command deletes FreeCAD’s Flatpak sandbox data from your home directory. Export or back up any files you need before removing it.

rm -rf ~/.var/app/org.freecad.FreeCAD ~/.var/app/org.freecadweb.FreeCAD

Remove AppImage FreeCAD from Ubuntu

The next command deletes the AppImage directory used in this article. Move any extra files you stored there before running it.

rm -rf "$HOME/Applications/freecad"

Final Thoughts on Installing FreeCAD on Ubuntu

FreeCAD on Ubuntu is mostly a packaging decision now: Snap and Flatpak cover every supported LTS release, the official AppImage gives you the portable upstream build, and APT-based choices are release-limited. For adjacent design work, pair it with LibreCAD on Ubuntu for 2D drafting or KiCad on Ubuntu for PCB projects.