What are the main alternatives to SolidWorks?

3 other software tools are listed in this directory, led by Inventor, Fusion 360, AutoCAD. They are ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry, not by any Softwr ranking.

What is the best free alternative to SolidWorks?

1 of the alternatives listed here can be used without paying: Fusion 360.

Is there a cheaper alternative to SolidWorks?

Yes. 3 of the alternatives below start under SolidWorks's $3300/year: Inventor at $29/month, Fusion 360 at Free, then $70/month, AutoCAD at $2095/year.

Why do people look for an alternative to SolidWorks?

On the figures on record, 2 things stand out: it costs more than the category median; there is no free tier. Each is set out with the numbers behind it above.

What would I give up by switching from SolidWorks?

SolidWorks is most often brought in for product design, engineering analysis, manufacturing documentation, prototyping, quality control. Anything you replace it with has to cover the ones you actually rely on, the side-by-side comparisons linked from each alternative below put the two feature records against each other.

Is there an open-source alternative to SolidWorks?

None of the software tools listed here are recorded as open source. That is what the licence field on each entry says, and the field is not always filled in, so it is worth checking directly for any tool you are serious about.

How were these SolidWorks alternatives chosen?

They are the tools filed in the same category, Software, ordered by the aggregated rating on each entry. There is no editorial shortlist, and nothing on this page is paid: no sponsored slot runs on alternatives pages and the order cannot be bought. Softwr has not used these products.

Where can I compare SolidWorks against one of these directly?

Every alternative below has a side-by-side page against SolidWorks covering price, platforms, features and what each one is used for. Those pages read the full record for both products rather than the summary shown here.

Does this list cover every software tool?

No. It covers what this directory holds in the Software category, 3 tools beside SolidWorks. The category page lists the rest of the catalogue as it grows.

Software · alternatives

Alternatives to SolidWorks

3 software tools sit alongside SolidWorks in this directory. Below is what separates each from SolidWorks on the figures we hold, price, model, tier count and rating, and a direct comparison for every one.

Alternatives listed: 3
With a free tier: 1
Cheaper to start: 3
SolidWorks starts at: $3300/year

Why people look past SolidWorks

Only what the record supports. Each point below is a figure on the SolidWorks entry measured against the tools listed beside it.

It costs more than the category median

SolidWorks starts at $3300/year. Across the 3 software tools listed beside it that publish a price, the median entry point is $70/month.

There is no free tier

The record for SolidWorks carries no free tier, so evaluating it means paying first. 1 of the 3 alternatives below can be used without paying.

What each alternative does differently

Ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry. Differences are drawn from price, pricing model, tier count and rating, the fields the category listing carries. For a feature-level difference, follow the head-to-head link on each card: those pages read both full records.

Inventor

$29/month

Professional-grade 3D mechanical design

Starts $3271 a month cheaper, at $29/month.
2 tiers to SolidWorks's 3.

SolidWorks vs Inventor Inventor review

Fusion 360

Free, then $70/month

Cloud-based 3D CAD, CAM, and CAE platform

Can be used without paying; SolidWorks cannot.
Starts $3230 a month cheaper, at $70/month.
2 tiers to SolidWorks's 3.

SolidWorks vs Fusion 360 Fusion 360 review

AutoCAD

$2095/year

Computer-aided design and drafting software

Starts $1205 a year cheaper, at $2095/year.

SolidWorks vs AutoCAD AutoCAD review

Every SolidWorks alternative at a glance

A dash means the catalogue entry carries no figure, not that the answer is nothing.

Software alternatives to SolidWorks
Tool	Entry price	Model	Tiers	Head to head
SolidWorks (this page)	$3300/year	-	3
InventorAutodesk's parametric CAD software competing on simulation, surfacing, and sheet metal design for mechanical engineering.	$29/month	Subscription	2	vs SolidWorks
Fusion 360Cloud-based CAD platform from Autodesk offering parametric modeling, simulation, and lower pricing than SolidWorks with subscription model.	Free, then $70/month	Freemium	2	vs SolidWorks
AutoCADAutodesk's foundational CAD platform widely used for 2D drafting and 3D design across mechanical and other engineering disciplines.	$2095/year	-	-	vs SolidWorks

Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry; Softwr hosts no reviews of these products. How each figure is used is set out on the SolidWorks badges page.

Cheaper ways to solve the same problem

Free to start (1)

These publish a tier that costs nothing, so they can be evaluated before any money changes hands.

Fusion 360 , Free, then $70/month

Cheaper than SolidWorks (3)

Entry price under SolidWorks's $3300/year. The record does not say what unit that price is charged in, so confirm per-seat versus flat rate before comparing budgets.

Inventor , $29/month
Fusion 360 , Free, then $70/month
AutoCAD , $2095/year

What you would be giving up

SolidWorks is most often brought in for product design, engineering analysis, manufacturing documentation, prototyping, quality control. Anything replacing it has to cover the ones you actually depend on, and a cheaper tool that misses one of them is not cheaper.

Two things this page cannot settle. It compares on price, model, tier count and rating, because those are the fields the category listing carries, feature-level differences need both full records, which is what the head-to-head pages load. And the ratings are third-party aggregates imported with each entry rather than reviews written here, so a 0.2 difference between two tools is noise rather than a finding.

If SolidWorks is broadly right and the question is cost, the SolidWorks pricing breakdown covers every tier and what each one adds. If you want the whole field rather than a shortlist, the full directory lists everything.

SolidWorks runs on windows. Platform coverage is not carried on the category listing for the alternatives, so it is one more thing to check on each head-to-head page rather than here.

Questions about SolidWorks alternatives

What are the main alternatives to SolidWorks?: 3 other software tools are listed in this directory, led by Inventor, Fusion 360, AutoCAD. They are ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry, not by any Softwr ranking.
What is the best free alternative to SolidWorks?: 1 of the alternatives listed here can be used without paying: Fusion 360.
Is there a cheaper alternative to SolidWorks?: Yes. 3 of the alternatives below start under SolidWorks's $3300/year: Inventor at $29/month, Fusion 360 at Free, then $70/month, AutoCAD at $2095/year.
Why do people look for an alternative to SolidWorks?: On the figures on record, 2 things stand out: it costs more than the category median; there is no free tier. Each is set out with the numbers behind it above.
What would I give up by switching from SolidWorks?: SolidWorks is most often brought in for product design, engineering analysis, manufacturing documentation, prototyping, quality control. Anything you replace it with has to cover the ones you actually rely on, the side-by-side comparisons linked from each alternative below put the two feature records against each other.
Is there an open-source alternative to SolidWorks?: None of the software tools listed here are recorded as open source. That is what the licence field on each entry says, and the field is not always filled in, so it is worth checking directly for any tool you are serious about.
How were these SolidWorks alternatives chosen?: They are the tools filed in the same category, Software, ordered by the aggregated rating on each entry. There is no editorial shortlist, and nothing on this page is paid: no sponsored slot runs on alternatives pages and the order cannot be bought. Softwr has not used these products.
Where can I compare SolidWorks against one of these directly?: Every alternative below has a side-by-side page against SolidWorks covering price, platforms, features and what each one is used for. Those pages read the full record for both products rather than the summary shown here.
Does this list cover every software tool?: No. It covers what this directory holds in the Software category, 3 tools beside SolidWorks. The category page lists the rest of the catalogue as it grows.