Softwr

Field Service · head to head

FaciliWorks vs SolidWorks

FaciliWorks logo

FaciliWorks

Field Service

CMMS from CyberMetrics that still sells a perpetual on-premise licence alongside subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
SolidWorks logo

SolidWorks

Manufacturing

Parametric desktop 3D CAD from Dassault Systemes, now sold as named-user subscription on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform

From
$2820/year
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FaciliWorks the interface is dated by cloud CMMS standards, which matters most for occasional users such as production supervisors raising a request, who will need training that a modern mobile-first tool would not require.; SolidWorks the desktop application is Windows only, so Mac and Linux users need a virtual machine, a Windows workstation or the separate cloud xDesign product at 2,580 USD a year.
  • They diverge on capability: FaciliWorks covers Perpetual or subscription licensing, SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FaciliWorks and SolidWorks actually diverge.

Attributes where FaciliWorks and SolidWorks differ
AttributeFaciliWorksSolidWorks
Starting priceOn request$2820/year
Pricing modelquotePer user per year
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, Android, On-premiseWindows
CategoryField ServiceManufacturing
FoundedUnknown1993

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

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 FaciliWorks

  • Perpetual or subscription licensing
  • Concurrent seat option
  • Preventive maintenance scheduling
  • Calibration alignment
  • Parts and purchasing
  • Mobile work orders

Only in SolidWorks

  • 3D solid modeling
  • Assembly design
  • Technical drawings
  • Simulation
  • Rendering
  • PDM systems
  • ERP systems
  • CAM software

What people use each for

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

FaciliWorks

  • A regulated manufacturer that must evidence both equipment maintenance and gauge calibration in one audit and wants both from one vendornot SolidWorks
  • A defence or utility site on an isolated network where a cloud-only CMMS is not permitted by policynot SolidWorks
  • A maintenance department that wants a capital purchase rather than a recurring subscription that grows with headcountnot SolidWorks
  • A plant with many occasional users where concurrent licensing costs far less than a named seat for every techniciannot SolidWorks

SolidWorks

  • Product designnot FaciliWorks
  • Engineering analysisnot FaciliWorks
  • Manufacturing documentationnot FaciliWorks
  • Prototypingnot FaciliWorks
  • Quality controlnot FaciliWorks

Where each one falls short

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

FaciliWorks

  • The interface is dated by cloud CMMS standards, which matters most for occasional users such as production supervisors raising a request, who will need training that a modern mobile-first tool would not require.
  • A perpetual licence still carries an annual maintenance and support fee, so the one-off purchase framing does not hold; without that fee you lose updates and support while keeping the right to run old code.
  • Integration options are thin, with a limited API and few prebuilt connectors, so linking FaciliWorks to an ERP or a condition monitoring platform usually means custom database-level work.
  • No pricing is published for any edition despite this being a mid-market product, so buyers cannot compare it against published per-user rivals without entering a sales process.
  • CyberMetrics is a small independent vendor, which means responsive support but also a thin partner ecosystem and no realistic second-source implementation help if the relationship goes wrong.

SolidWorks

  • The desktop application is Windows only, so Mac and Linux users need a virtual machine, a Windows workstation or the separate cloud xDesign product at 2,580 USD a year.
  • Perpetual licences are no longer sold through the vendor online store and come only through resellers, and a perpetual licence still needs a paid annual service contract to get upgrades and support, so buying once and paying nothing again is not really on offer.
  • Named-user subscription is per person rather than floating, so an organisation where several engineers each use CAD occasionally pays full seats for part-time use unless it negotiates otherwise.
  • History-based parametric modelling breaks noisily: a change high in the feature tree can cascade rebuild errors through an assembly, which is a real productivity cost compared with direct modelling tools.
  • Large assemblies stress single-threaded desktop performance, and teams routinely resort to configurations, simplified representations and expensive workstations rather than the software scaling on its own.
  • The Maker licence watermarks its files so they can only be opened on other Maker licences, which means hobby work cannot be carried into a commercial seat later without exporting to neutral formats and losing the feature history.

Pricing, plan by plan

FaciliWorks

On request
  • FaciliWorks Essentials$undefined/year
    • Core CMMS: assets, work orders, preventive maintenance
    • Perpetual or subscription licensing
    • Concurrent or node-locked seats
  • FaciliWorks Pro$undefined/year
    • Adds advanced reporting and analytics
    • Parts inventory and purchasing
    • Mobile access
  • FaciliWorks Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Multi-site and multi-currency
    • All Pro capability
    • Extended integration and administration options

SolidWorks

$2820/year
  • 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Standard$2820/year
    • 235 USD per month billed annually, or 846 USD per quarter
    • Per named user, excluding local tax
    • Part and assembly modelling and 2D drawings
  • 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Professional$3456/year
    • 288 USD per month billed annually, or 1,038 USD per quarter
    • Everything in Standard
    • Intelligent CAD libraries of standard fasteners
  • 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Premium$4716/year
    • 393 USD per month billed annually, or 1,416 USD per quarter
    • Everything in Professional
    • Linear static analysis for parts and assemblies
  • SOLIDWORKS xDesign$2580/year
    • 810 USD per quarter
    • Browser-based cloud modelling, no local install
    • Runs on Mac, Chromebook and tablets as well as Windows

Which should you pick?

Choose FaciliWorks if

  • You need perpetual or subscription licensing.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android, On-premise.
  • You also want concurrent seat option.

Choose SolidWorks if

  • You need 3d solid modeling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want assembly design.

Questions people ask

Is FaciliWorks or SolidWorks better?
Neither clearly leads. FaciliWorks starts at On request and SolidWorks at $2820/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FaciliWorks or SolidWorks?
FaciliWorks starts at On request and SolidWorks at $2820/year.
Does FaciliWorks or SolidWorks run on more platforms?
FaciliWorks runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android, On-premise. SolidWorks runs on Windows.
What is FaciliWorks best used for?
FaciliWorks is most often used for a regulated manufacturer that must evidence both equipment maintenance and gauge calibration in one audit and wants both from one vendor, a defence or utility site on an isolated network where a cloud-only cmms is not permitted by policy, a maintenance department that wants a capital purchase rather than a recurring subscription that grows with headcount, a plant with many occasional users where concurrent licensing costs far less than a named seat for every technician. Of those, a regulated manufacturer that must evidence both equipment maintenance and gauge calibration in one audit and wants both from one vendor and a defence or utility site on an isolated network where a cloud-only cmms is not permitted by policy are not what SolidWorks is typically brought in for.
What can FaciliWorks do that SolidWorks cannot?
FaciliWorks covers Perpetual or subscription licensing, Concurrent seat option, Preventive maintenance scheduling, Calibration alignment. SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling, Assembly design, Technical drawings, Simulation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FaciliWorks: Can I still buy FaciliWorks outright?

Yes. Perpetual on-premise licensing is still offered alongside subscription, which is unusual in CMMS today.

SolidWorks: Can you still buy a SOLIDWORKS perpetual licence?

Not from the vendor online store, which sells only term subscriptions. Perpetual licences remain available through resellers, but they still require a paid annual subscription service contract for upgrades and support.

FaciliWorks: Does a perpetual licence mean no recurring cost?

No. Annual maintenance and support is a separate ongoing fee, and dropping it costs you updates and support.

SolidWorks: How much does SOLIDWORKS cost per year?

The 3DS store lists Standard at 2,820 USD, Professional at 3,456 USD and Premium at 4,716 USD per named user per year, excluding local tax. Quarterly terms are 846, 1,038 and 1,416 USD.

FaciliWorks: Is there concurrent licensing?

Yes. Concurrent seats let a large pool of occasional users share fewer licences, which is often cheaper than named seats.

SolidWorks: What is the difference between desktop SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE cloud tiers?

The desktop application still does the modelling and installs locally on Windows. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform adds cloud storage, versioning, mark-up and shared review around it. SOLIDWORKS xDesign is the separate browser-native modeller at 2,580 USD a year, and it runs on Mac and Chromebook.

FaciliWorks: Is pricing published?

No. All editions are quoted, so you must engage sales to get a comparable number.

SolidWorks: Is there a cheap version for hobbyists?

Yes. 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers is 48 USD a year or 15 USD a month, limited to personal use with project sales under 2,000 USD a year, and its files are watermarked for Maker licences only.

SolidWorks: Does SOLIDWORKS run on a Mac?

Not natively. Use the browser-based xDesign, or run the desktop application in a Windows virtual machine.

Share

Related pages

Other head to heads