Softwr

ERP · head to head

Global Shop Solutions vs SolidWorks

Global Shop Solutions logo

Global Shop Solutions

ERP

Cloud and on-premise ERP for small manufacturers

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
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
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Global Shop Solutions no price or price range is published; the pricing page collects business details and returns a quote instead; 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: Global Shop Solutions covers Financial management, SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Global Shop Solutions and SolidWorks actually diverge.

Attributes where Global Shop Solutions and SolidWorks differ
AttributeGlobal Shop SolutionsSolidWorks
Starting price$500/month$2820/year
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per year
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, WebWindows
CategoryERPManufacturing
Founded19851993

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 Global Shop Solutions

  • Financial management
  • Manufacturing
  • Inventory management
  • Order management
  • Reporting
  • REST APIs
  • EDI
  • QuickBooks

Only in SolidWorks

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

Both cover

  • Access controls

What people use each for

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

Global Shop Solutions

  • ERP for discrete manufacturers running job shops and make to order productionnot SolidWorks
  • Shop floor data collection and schedulingnot SolidWorks
  • Running manufacturing ERP on premise, in the cloud or as SaaSnot SolidWorks

SolidWorks

  • Product designnot Global Shop Solutions
  • Engineering analysisnot Global Shop Solutions
  • Manufacturing documentationnot Global Shop Solutions
  • Prototypingnot Global Shop Solutions
  • Quality controlnot Global Shop Solutions

Where each one falls short

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

Global Shop Solutions

  • No price or price range is published; the pricing page collects business details and returns a quote instead
  • Licensing is by concurrent user, meaning the number of employees in the system at once, rather than by named seat
  • Cost is split into an upfront charge plus an ongoing quarterly charge rather than a single subscription
  • Graphical shop floor interfaces carry their own upfront and ongoing quarterly cost on top of the base licence
  • No minimum user count, implementation fee or contract term is published

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

Global Shop Solutions

$500/month
  • Starter$500/month
    • Basic ERP
    • Inventory management
    • Financial module
  • Premium$1500/month
    • Advanced modules
    • Manufacturing
    • Priority support

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 Global Shop Solutions if

  • You need financial management.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
  • You also want manufacturing.
Global Shop Solutions review

Choose SolidWorks if

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

Questions people ask

Is Global Shop Solutions or SolidWorks better?
Neither clearly leads. Global Shop Solutions starts at $500/month and SolidWorks at $2820/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Global Shop Solutions or SolidWorks?
Global Shop Solutions starts at $500/month and SolidWorks at $2820/year.
Does Global Shop Solutions or SolidWorks run on more platforms?
Global Shop Solutions runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web. SolidWorks runs on Windows.
What is Global Shop Solutions best used for?
Global Shop Solutions is most often used for erp for discrete manufacturers running job shops and make to order production, shop floor data collection and scheduling, running manufacturing erp on premise, in the cloud or as saas. Of those, erp for discrete manufacturers running job shops and make to order production and shop floor data collection and scheduling are not what SolidWorks is typically brought in for.
What can Global Shop Solutions do that SolidWorks cannot?
Global Shop Solutions covers Financial management, Manufacturing, Inventory management, Order management. SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling, Assembly design, Technical drawings, Simulation. Both handle Access controls.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Global Shop Solutions: How much does Global Shop Solutions cost?

Global Shop Solutions does not publish pricing online. The company uses a concurrent user model with upfront and ongoing quarterly costs. Exact pricing varies by business requirements and must be obtained through a custom quote.

Source
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.

Global Shop Solutions: What is Global Shop Solutions pricing model?

Global Shop Solutions uses a concurrent user model based on the number of employees in the system at once. Pricing includes upfront costs and ongoing quarterly payments. Software updates and support are included in the ongoing cost.

Source
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.

Global Shop Solutions: Does Global Shop Solutions offer deployment flexibility?

Yes, Global Shop Solutions supports on-premise, cloud, or SaaS deployments with custom pricing for each option.

Source
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.

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.

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