An alternative to outsourcing CAD conversion
The simple conversions you were paying a service to do, done in minutes.
There is a whole industry built on manual image-to-CAD conversion: freelancer marketplaces and outsourcing firms that charge per drawing and turn work around in days. It exists because the automated tools have historically produced output that needed so much rework you may as well have had a person do it.
For complex, dimensioned, tolerance-critical drawings that is still true, and a service is the right call, but a large share of what gets outsourced is not that. It is a straightforward profile that needs digitising, and paying per drawing and waiting two days for it is an expensive way to get an outline.
When CAD conversion services is the better choice
Use a conversion service for anything where interpretation matters: dimensioned engineering drawings with tolerances, drawings needing correct layer structure and blocks, 3D models or assemblies, ambiguous or damaged originals that need a human decision, and large archive projects you want handled end to end.
When Bevell is the better choice
Use Bevell for the straightforward majority: a profile you need as a DXF, a photographed part you want an outline from, a sketch you want in CAD, a scanned drawing you need geometry from. Converting is free, so you can find out in a minute whether it handles your drawing, and if it doesn't, you have lost nothing and can still send it out.
Side by side
CAD conversion services details verified on 15 September 2026 from their own site. Pricing changes, check theirs before deciding.
| Feature | Bevell | CAD conversion services |
|---|---|---|
| Turnaround | Under a minute | Hours to days |
| Cost per drawing | £1.99 | Typically tens of pounds and up, per drawing |
| Iterating on the result | Free and unlimited. Retune until it is right | Revision rounds, often chargeable |
| Complex dimensioned drawings | Traces geometry; does not read dimension text or tolerances | A person reads and interprets the whole drawing. CAD conversion services is better here |
| Layers, blocks and drawing structure | Single-layer geometry | Properly structured, layered CAD. CAD conversion services is better here |
| 3D models and assemblies | No, 2D profiles only | Yes. CAD conversion services is better here |
| Judgement calls on ambiguous drawings | None. It traces what is there | A person resolves ambiguity and asks questions. CAD conversion services is better here |
| Sending your drawings to a third party | Processed on our servers; files deleted on a stated schedule | Shared with a firm or freelancer |
| Volume | One at a time, self-serve | Whole archives, handed over as a project. CAD conversion services is better here |
Rows in green are ones where CAD conversion services is genuinely better.
Common questions
- Will this replace my CAD conversion vendor?
- For some of what you send them, probably. For dimensioned drawings needing interpretation, correct layering, tolerances or 3D work, no. Those need a person, and it is worth being clear about that rather than having you discover it on a job that mattered.
- Can it handle a whole archive?
- Not in bulk. There is no batch mode, so it is one image at a time. A large archive digitisation project is exactly what conversion services are good at.
- How do I know whether my drawing will convert well?
- Run it. Converting is free and unlimited with no account, so the preview will tell you in under a minute whether the output is usable. That is a cheaper test than a quote.
- What happens to my drawings?
- They are processed on our servers. The uploaded image and preview are deleted within 24 hours. Converted files you downloaded are kept while your account is active so you can fetch them again for free, and deleted within 24 hours if you never sign in.
Read next
Converting is free and unlimited, try it before you decide.
Convert an image