Software · head to head
Inventor vs Creo
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; Creo every Creo user must buy a licence of the Creo Design Essentials package as a minimum before anything else can be added
- They diverge on capability: Inventor covers Assembly design, Creo covers Direct modeling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Inventor and Creo actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Windows), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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
- Assembly design
- Sheet metal
- Rendering
- Technical documentation
- Frame generator
- AutoCAD
- Vault
- Fusion 360
Only in Creo
- Direct modeling
- Generative design
- Additive manufacturing
- AR integration
- Model-based definition
- Windchill PLM
- ThingWorx IoT
- Vuforia AR
Both cover
- Parametric modeling
- Simulation
- License management
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Inventor
- Mechanical designnot Creo
- Product developmentnot Creo
- Manufacturing documentationnot Creo
Creo
- Parametric 3D mechanical CAD for product and machinery designnot Inventor
- Mold design and mold machining workflowsnot 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
Creo
- Every Creo user must buy a licence of the Creo Design Essentials package as a minimum before anything else can be added
- Capabilities such as the Generative Design Extension, Creo Simulation Live, Advanced Assembly Extension and GD&T Advisor are sold as separate paid extensions
- Published prices in the PTC Store cover only Creo Design Essentials, the Creo Suites and select extensions; the other design packages require talking to sales
- Buying an individual extension requires contacting a sales representative rather than self service
Pricing, plan by plan
Inventor
$29/month- Inventor$2085/month
- Full mechanical design
- Simulation
- Documentation
- Product Design & Manufacturing Collection$2475/month
- Inventor + AutoCAD + more
Creo
$29/month- Creo Elements/Direct$2310/month
- Direct modeling
- Creo Parametric$2310/month
- Parametric modeling
- Simulation
- Creo+$2930/month
- SaaS delivery
- Real-time collaboration
Which should you pick?
Choose Inventor if
- You need assembly design.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want sheet metal.
Choose Creo if
- You need direct modeling.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want generative design.
Questions people ask
- Is Inventor or Creo better?
- Neither clearly leads. Inventor starts at $29/month and Creo at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Inventor or Creo?
- Inventor starts at $29/month and Creo at $29/month.
- Does Inventor or Creo run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- 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 Creo is typically brought in for.
- What can Inventor do that Creo cannot?
- Inventor covers Assembly design, Sheet metal, Rendering, Technical documentation. Creo covers Direct modeling, Generative design, Additive manufacturing, AR integration. Both handle Parametric modeling, Simulation, License management, Windows support.