Softwr

Manufacturing · head to head

Fulcrum vs Fusion 360

Fulcrum logo

Fulcrum

Manufacturing

Field operations management for installing, inspecting and maintaining physical work

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fusion 360 logo

Fusion 360

Manufacturing

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Fusion 360 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Fulcrum monthly pricing only available for first 12 months; after that, annual commitment required; Fusion 360 requires paid subscription for professional use
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fulcrum and Fusion 360 actually diverge.

Attributes where Fulcrum and Fusion 360 differ
AttributeFulcrumFusion 360
Starting price$39/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows, macOS
FoundedUnknown1982

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Manufacturing).

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 Fulcrum

Nothing recorded that Fusion 360 does not also cover.

Only in Fusion 360

  • 3D CAD modeling
  • Simulation
  • CAM programming
  • PCB design
  • Cloud collaboration
  • Autodesk ecosystem
  • Manufacturing partners
  • PLM systems

What people use each for

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

Fulcrum

  • Capturing inspection photos and data completely offlinenot Fusion 360
  • Collecting field data in areas without cell coveragenot Fusion 360
  • Tagging asset locations with geospatial coordinatesnot Fusion 360
  • Automating asset maintenance work order workflowsnot Fusion 360

Fusion 360

  • Product designnot Fulcrum
  • Prototypingnot Fulcrum
  • Manufacturingnot Fulcrum
  • 3D printingnot Fulcrum
  • Simulationnot Fulcrum

Where each one falls short

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

Fulcrum

  • Monthly pricing only available for first 12 months; after that, annual commitment required
  • Additional storage costs $2.20 USD per month per 20 GB block
  • Enterprise plan requires minimum of 5 users

Fusion 360

  • Requires paid subscription for professional use
  • Cloud-based, requires internet connection
  • Free tier limited to students and educators

Pricing, plan by plan

Fulcrum

$39/month
  • Professional$43/month
    • 100 GB storage
    • 10 data shares
    • Standard email and in-app support
  • Elite$39/month
    • 500 GB storage
    • 50 data shares
    • Priority email, in-app, and phone support
  • Enterprise$null/mo
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users minimum 5
    • Unlimited storage

Fusion 360

Free
  • Personal UseFree
    • Non-commercial use
    • Basic CAD tools
    • Cloud storage
  • Commercial$70/month
    • Full CAD/CAM/CAE
    • Simulation
    • Rendering

Which should you pick?

Choose Fulcrum if

Nothing in the data separates Fulcrum from Fusion 360 on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Fulcrum review

Choose Fusion 360 if

  • You need 3d cad modeling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want simulation.
Fusion 360 review

Questions people ask

Is Fulcrum or Fusion 360 better?
Neither clearly leads. Fulcrum starts at $39/month and Fusion 360 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fulcrum or Fusion 360?
Fusion 360 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $39/month for Fulcrum and Free for Fusion 360.
Does Fulcrum or Fusion 360 run on more platforms?
Fulcrum runs on Web. Fusion 360 runs on Web, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Fusion 360 for free?
Yes. Fusion 360 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fulcrum starts at $39/month.
What is Fulcrum best used for?
Fulcrum is most often used for capturing inspection photos and data completely offline, collecting field data in areas without cell coverage, tagging asset locations with geospatial coordinates, automating asset maintenance work order workflows. Of those, capturing inspection photos and data completely offline and collecting field data in areas without cell coverage are not what Fusion 360 is typically brought in for.
What can Fulcrum do that Fusion 360 cannot?
Fusion 360 covers 3D CAD modeling, Simulation, CAM programming, PCB design.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fulcrum: How much does Fulcrum cost per user?

Professional and Elite plans cost $43 per month for monthly billing or $55 per user per month when billed annually. Enterprise pricing is custom and requires contacting Fulcrum.

Source
Fusion 360: Is Fusion 360 free?

Fusion 360 is free for students, educators, and academic institutions with full features. It offers a 30-day free trial for all users, and a limited personal-use license for hobbyists and makers.

Source
Fulcrum: What is Fulcrum's storage limit?

Professional includes 100 GB storage, Elite includes 500 GB storage, and Enterprise includes unlimited storage. Additional storage blocks of 20 GB cost $2.20 USD per month.

Source
Fusion 360: How much does Fusion 360 cost for professionals?

Fusion 360 professional subscriptions start at $85/month, $680/year, or $2,040 for a 3-year commitment. Startups that qualify can get a discount starting at $150.

Source
Fulcrum: Are there restrictions on monthly billing for Fulcrum?

Monthly pricing is only available during the first 12 months as a Fulcrum customer. After 12 months, the company learns your usage pattern and offers pricing with an annual commitment required.

Source
Fusion 360: Does Fusion 360 support 3D modeling, CAD, and CAM?

Yes. Fusion 360 is a cloud-based platform that integrates 3D modeling, CAD, CAM, CAE (simulation), and PCB design in one software.

Source
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