The software is completely stand alone (does not require ArcGIS, ArcMap, ArcView) The software lets the you tailor the conversion to suit your needs. CAD2Shape is a perfect DXF to shapefile converter software.
Features
Features include:
Stand-alone CAD to Shapefile conversion.
Translates all AutoCAD DXF and DWG versions up to and including AutoCAD 2017.
Optional translation to 2D or 3D shapefiles, or a 2D shapefile with the Z value attached as Elevation data.