Autodesk Releases AutoCAD LT on Mac App Store

After a more than 15-year absence from the Mac, Autodesk released AutoCAD for Mac last year. Today, Autodesk released AutoCAD LT 2012, the "lite" version of AutoCAD, on the Mac App Store for $899.99. The company also announced a new version of its flagship AutoCAD for Mac software, and AutoCAD WS mobile product.

autocadlt
Autodesk is the first third-party developer to launch a high-end product on the Mac App Store, and hand over 30 percent of its software revenue to Apple -- a controversial move to some, but Autodesk isn't concerned. Amar Hanspal, Autodesk's senior vice president for platform solutions and emerging business, told the Wall Street Journal that Apple is "acting as an agent for us" and is "commercially rewarded for doing that."

Autodesk's full-featured flagship AutoCAD for Mac product, which retails for $3,995, will not be sold through the Mac App Store. Hanspal noted "there is a price level you cannot exceed" at the online store -- Apple's maximum price for any App Store application is $999.99.

“Since the release of AutoCAD for Mac last year, customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, further validating the need for professional design and engineering software on the Mac platform,” said Amar Hanspal, senior vice president, Autodesk Platform Solutions and Emerging Business. “Bringing AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD WS to the Mac shows our continued commitment to making design more accessible for an ever-greater number of people to shape the world around them.”

AutoCAD for Mac 2012 software includes familiar AutoCAD capabilities, such as 2D and 3D design tools, and includes 3D free-form modeling capabilities; 3D visualization and rendering; network licensing; advanced customization of the menus; support for LISP and ObjectARX and ObjectDBX applications; and more. AutoCAD LT for Mac follows common native Mac application user interface guidelines, with a familiar Apple menu bar together with a number of workflow-based palettes. AutoCAD LT for Mac also supports native Mac OS X behavior, including Cover Flow navigation and Multi-Touch gestures.

AutoCAD LT for Mac is perfectly suited for designers, architects and engineers who prefer to work in a native Mac environment and need to create, edit or review designs, technical drawings and documentation.

AutoCAD LT 2012 is available for $899.99 on the Mac App Store. AutoCAD for Mac 2012 is $3,995 and purchasing options are available through Autodesk.

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...

Top Rated Comments

MattJessop Avatar
188 months ago
What are they constructing there in that screenshot? The death star???
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Small White Car Avatar
188 months ago
This is probably not the correct forum to address this irritation of mine, but what's with the line "available on the mac app store"? "On" does not make any sense to me and not sure why Apple uses the same line. Just plan dumb. It should be "in the mac app store. "In" Who decided "On" and thought it was good idea? Hello? anybody home?
Thank you for posting your comment in MacRumors.

Many people enjoy posting things in the Internet, and you're one of them. Whenever I write in my blog or post in Facebook, I like to think of all the other people out there putting their deepest thoughts in the web.

So...that all sounds correct to you??
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
notabadname Avatar
188 months ago
Apple is "acting as an agent for us" and is "commercially rewarded for doing that"
Amen, somebody actually gets it.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Crzyrio Avatar
188 months ago


Apple is "acting as an agent for us" and is "commercially rewarded for doing that."

It is funny how a company selling a 900$ product is completely Cool about this but people selling 0.99$ and 10$ books/apps make such a big deal about that fact.


On Topic : Its awesome that these High Profile Programs are finally making its way to Mac, soon I wont need bootcamp :)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
notjustjay Avatar
188 months ago
You can discuss weather it is in/on over here --> http://www.englishforums.com/

You can also discuss the difference between "weather" and "whether" ;)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
psxguru Avatar
188 months ago
What are they constructing there in that screenshot? The death star???

Many bothans died to get us that screenshot.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)