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Construction · head to head

AutoCAD vs Sitemark

AutoCAD logo

AutoCAD

Construction

Computer-aided design and drafting software

From
$2095/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sitemark logo

Sitemark

Construction

Drone-based progress tracking, quality control and commissioning built specifically for solar farms

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AutoCAD expensive subscription model with annual price increases of 5-8% and multi-year commitment premiums of 8-18%; Sitemark it only does solar, so a mixed renewables portfolio still needs a second platform for wind, storage and substations, and the consolidation argument for buying it collapses.
  • They diverge on capability: AutoCAD covers 2D and 3D CAD, Sitemark covers Construction progress tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AutoCAD and Sitemark actually diverge.

Attributes where AutoCAD and Sitemark differ
AttributeAutoCADSitemark
Starting price$2095/yearOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWindows, macOS, WebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded1982Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Construction).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AutoCAD

  • 2D and 3D CAD
  • Technical drawing
  • Precision modeling
  • Documentation tools
  • Autodesk ecosystem
  • Microsoft Office
  • Revit
  • 3ds Max

Only in Sitemark

  • Construction progress tracking
  • As-built versus design comparison
  • Thermographic inspection
  • Defect localisation
  • Commissioning workflows
  • Ticketing and work management
  • Portfolio dashboards
  • Drone and robotics ingestion

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AutoCAD

  • Architectural drawingsnot Sitemark
  • Engineering designnot Sitemark
  • Technical documentationnot Sitemark
  • Construction plansnot Sitemark

Sitemark

  • An EPC contractor on a multi-hundred-megawatt ground-mount plant that must report weekly installed counts to a lender and cannot do it by walking the rowsnot AutoCAD
  • An asset owner accepting a plant at provisional acceptance who needs documented evidence that what was built matches the issued design before signingnot AutoCAD
  • An operations team running annual thermographic inspection across a portfolio, wanting defects mapped to module positions so a technician goes straight to the faultnot AutoCAD
  • A developer comparing defect and underperformance rates across contractors and module suppliers to inform the next procurement roundnot AutoCAD

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AutoCAD

  • Expensive subscription model with annual price increases of 5-8% and multi-year commitment premiums of 8-18%
  • Desktop-centric design, limited cloud-native collaboration features
  • No perpetual license option, subscription required for continued use

Sitemark

  • It only does solar, so a mixed renewables portfolio still needs a second platform for wind, storage and substations, and the consolidation argument for buying it collapses.
  • Pricing is quoted on site count and unpublished variables, which penalises owners of many small distributed assets relative to one operator of a single large plant with the same total capacity.
  • You still need someone to fly the site, and Sitemark does not remove the drone operator cost, permits or airspace constraints; it monetises the data after the flight.
  • Automated progress counting depends on a clean, current design layout, and on projects where the layout changes weekly the comparison generates false deviations that erode trust in the numbers.
  • Thermographic defect detection needs the plant producing at sufficient irradiance, so inspection windows in northern latitudes are narrow and a missed window pushes findings into the next season.

Pricing, plan by plan

AutoCAD

$2095/year

No published plan breakdown. See the AutoCAD review.

Sitemark

On request
  • Sitemark Construction$undefined/year
    • Priced on number of sites and other variables
    • Progress tracking across construction activities
    • As-built versus design quality control
  • Sitemark Operations$undefined/year
    • Thermographic inspection and defect detection
    • Ticketing and work management
    • Portfolio dashboards

Which should you pick?

Choose AutoCAD if

  • You need 2d and 3d cad.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Web.
  • You also want technical drawing.
AutoCAD review

Choose Sitemark if

  • You need construction progress tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want as-built versus design comparison.
Sitemark review

Questions people ask

Is AutoCAD or Sitemark better?
Neither clearly leads. AutoCAD starts at $2095/year and Sitemark at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AutoCAD or Sitemark?
AutoCAD starts at $2095/year and Sitemark at On request.
Does AutoCAD or Sitemark run on more platforms?
AutoCAD runs on Windows, macOS, Web. Sitemark runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is AutoCAD best used for?
AutoCAD is most often used for architectural drawings, engineering design, technical documentation, construction plans. Of those, architectural drawings and engineering design are not what Sitemark is typically brought in for.
What can AutoCAD do that Sitemark cannot?
AutoCAD covers 2D and 3D CAD, Technical drawing, Precision modeling, Documentation tools. Sitemark covers Construction progress tracking, As-built versus design comparison, Thermographic inspection, Defect localisation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AutoCAD: What is AutoCAD's subscription pricing?

AutoCAD 2027 costs $2,095 annually for a single Named User subscription, $235 monthly, or $1,865 yearly. AutoCAD LT costs $500 annually. Prices have been increasing 5-8% annually.

Source
Sitemark: Is Sitemark priced per megawatt?

No. Sitemark states pricing is based on number of sites and other variables. Ask explicitly how a portfolio of small sites is treated, because per-site pricing is unkind to distributed assets.

AutoCAD: Is AutoCAD available for free?

AutoCAD is only available through subscription. However, eligible students can get AutoCAD free for one year with a .edu email address through the Autodesk Education License program.

Sitemark: Do we have to use Sitemark drone pilots?

No. It accepts data from third-party drone operators, which lets you keep an existing flight contractor.

Sitemark: Does it cover anything other than solar?

No. It is built specifically around solar plant structures and defect types.

Sitemark: Can we export our data?

Yes, orthomosaics, defect lists and reports export. Confirm the format and whether historical inspections remain accessible after a subscription lapses.

Sitemark: Where is the company based?

Leuven, Belgium, with customers across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas.

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