Drawing file format compatibility in AutoCAD products

Autodesk Support

Aug 1, 2024

Products and versions covered

This article describes the compatibility between AutoCAD product drawing file formats and AutoCAD product versions.

Each AutoCAD-based product uses the DWG format by default which was current at the time of its release (see table below) when saving to a file. This is important to know when sharing drawing files.
- This behavior can be changed in the AutoCAD Options, Open and Save tab.
AutoCAD product versions can save, open and edit any older DWG file formats, but older versions cannot open DWG files of newer DWG format. For example:
- AutoCAD 2025 can save, open and edit DWG formats back to 1998 version ( = AutoCAD R14).
- AutoCAD 2017 cannot open a drawing of AutoCAD 2018 DWG file format.
- AutoCAD 2018 can open a drawing saved in AutoCAD 2025 because AutoCAD 2025 also saves the drawing in AutoCAD 2018 DWG file format.

Note: All AutoCAD products use the same drawing file format - except AutoCAD Mechanical, which uses its own Mechanical DWG format.

AutoCAD for Mac; AutoCAD LT for Mac; AutoCAD Products;

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