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3D & CAD · head to head

Inventor vs DraftSight

Inventor logo

Inventor

3D & CAD

Professional-grade 3D mechanical design

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DraftSight logo

DraftSight

3D & CAD

Professional 2D CAD drafting

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Inventor autodesk publishes no licence price through UK G-Cloud: every listing found there is reseller delivered training at 750 to 1,500 pounds per day rather than software licensing, and neither AWS Marketplace nor GSA carries the product; DraftSight there is no free version any more, only a 30 day trial; DraftSight was previously free for personal use
  • They diverge on capability: Inventor covers Parametric modeling, DraftSight covers DWG/DXF support.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Inventor and DraftSight actually diverge.

Attributes where Inventor and DraftSight differ
AttributeInventorDraftSight
PlatformsWindowsWindows, MacOS, Linux
Founded19821981

Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (3D & CAD).

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 Inventor

  • Parametric modeling
  • Assembly design
  • Sheet metal
  • Simulation
  • Rendering
  • Technical documentation
  • Frame generator
  • AutoCAD

Only in DraftSight

  • DWG/DXF support
  • 2D drafting
  • 3D modeling
  • Batch printing
  • PDF import
  • Layer management
  • SolidWorks
  • CATIA

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Inventor

  • Mechanical designnot DraftSight
  • Product developmentnot DraftSight
  • Manufacturing documentationnot DraftSight

DraftSight

  • 2D drafting and annotation on DWG filesnot Inventor
  • Opening and editing DWG drawings without AutoCADnot Inventor
  • Architectural and engineering drawing productionnot Inventor
  • Working alongside SOLIDWORKS in a Dassault toolchainnot Inventor

Where each one falls short

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

Inventor

  • Autodesk publishes no licence price through UK G-Cloud: every listing found there is reseller delivered training at 750 to 1,500 pounds per day rather than software licensing, and neither AWS Marketplace nor GSA carries the product

DraftSight

  • There is no free version any more, only a 30 day trial; DraftSight was previously free for personal use
  • Split into Professional, Premium and Enterprise tiers, with prices not shown on the product page
  • Primarily a 2D CAD application, with 3D limited to DWG file handling rather than full modelling

Pricing, plan by plan

Inventor

$29/month
  • Inventor$2085/month
    • Full mechanical design
    • Simulation
    • Documentation
  • Product Design & Manufacturing Collection$2475/month
    • Inventor + AutoCAD + more

DraftSight

$29/month
  • Standard$99/month
    • 2D drafting
  • Professional$199/month
    • 2D + 3D
  • Premium$499/month
    • Advanced features

Which should you pick?

Choose Inventor if

  • You need parametric modeling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want assembly design.
Inventor review

Choose DraftSight if

  • You need dwg/dxf support.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want 2d drafting.
DraftSight review

Questions people ask

Is Inventor or DraftSight better?
Neither clearly leads. Inventor starts at $29/month and DraftSight at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Inventor or DraftSight?
Inventor starts at $29/month and DraftSight at $29/month.
Does Inventor or DraftSight run on more platforms?
Inventor runs on Windows. DraftSight runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
What is Inventor best used for?
Inventor is most often used for mechanical design, product development, manufacturing documentation. Of those, mechanical design and product development are not what DraftSight is typically brought in for.
What can Inventor do that DraftSight cannot?
Inventor covers Parametric modeling, Assembly design, Sheet metal, Simulation. DraftSight covers DWG/DXF support, 2D drafting, 3D modeling, Batch printing. Both handle Windows support.
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