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Manufacturing · head to head

MOVUS vs SolidWorks

MOVUS logo

MOVUS

Manufacturing

Australian condition monitoring combining a magnetic sensor with a monitored alerting service

From
On request
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: MOVUS mOVUS is a small independent company, so standardising a large estate on its sensors carries supplier continuity risk that a purchase from a major instrumentation vendor does not.; 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: MOVUS covers FitMachine sensor, SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MOVUS and SolidWorks actually diverge.

Attributes where MOVUS and SolidWorks differ
AttributeMOVUSSolidWorks
Starting priceOn request$2820/year
Pricing modelquotePer user per year
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, iOS, AndroidWindows
FoundedUnknown1993

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 MOVUS

  • FitMachine sensor
  • FitMachine 3XT EX
  • Assessed alerts
  • Condition scoring
  • Rapid installation
  • Partner delivery

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.

MOVUS

  • A mining operation instrumenting pumps and fans in a classified hazardous zone where cabled monitoring would require an outage and an electrical projectnot SolidWorks
  • A water utility with a small maintenance team that wants assessed alerts rather than a dashboard nobody has time to interpretnot SolidWorks
  • A food processing site adding condition monitoring to existing assets without production downtime, using magnetic mountingnot SolidWorks
  • An Australian operator that wants local support and local calibration data rather than a Northern Hemisphere vendor with a resellernot SolidWorks

SolidWorks

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

Where each one falls short

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

MOVUS

  • MOVUS is a small independent company, so standardising a large estate on its sensors carries supplier continuity risk that a purchase from a major instrumentation vendor does not.
  • Support and service outside Australia and New Zealand depend on partners, which means response times, commercial terms and technical depth vary by country in ways the vendor cannot fully control.
  • Per-asset subscription plus per-asset hardware means the cost of full coverage rises linearly, so most sites end up monitoring a subset and leaving the long tail of small motors unmonitored.
  • The single condition score is designed for planners rather than analysts, which suits teams without vibration expertise but frustrates reliability engineers who want the underlying spectra to diagnose a specific defect.
  • Nothing is published on sensor cost, gateway requirements, subscription rate or contract term, so a realistic total cost for a site rollout cannot be estimated without a sales conversation.

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

MOVUS

On request
  • FitMachine$undefined/year
    • Subscription priced per monitored asset
    • FitMachine sensor hardware required per asset
    • Gateway hardware required per area

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 MOVUS if

  • You need fitmachine sensor.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
  • You also want fitmachine 3xt ex.
MOVUS review

Choose SolidWorks if

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

Questions people ask

Is MOVUS or SolidWorks better?
Neither clearly leads. MOVUS 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, MOVUS or SolidWorks?
MOVUS starts at On request and SolidWorks at $2820/year.
Does MOVUS or SolidWorks run on more platforms?
MOVUS runs on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android. SolidWorks runs on Windows.
What is MOVUS best used for?
MOVUS is most often used for a mining operation instrumenting pumps and fans in a classified hazardous zone where cabled monitoring would require an outage and an electrical project, a water utility with a small maintenance team that wants assessed alerts rather than a dashboard nobody has time to interpret, a food processing site adding condition monitoring to existing assets without production downtime, using magnetic mounting, an australian operator that wants local support and local calibration data rather than a northern hemisphere vendor with a reseller. Of those, a mining operation instrumenting pumps and fans in a classified hazardous zone where cabled monitoring would require an outage and an electrical project and a water utility with a small maintenance team that wants assessed alerts rather than a dashboard nobody has time to interpret are not what SolidWorks is typically brought in for.
What can MOVUS do that SolidWorks cannot?
MOVUS covers FitMachine sensor, FitMachine 3XT EX, Assessed alerts, Condition scoring. SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling, Assembly design, Technical drawings, Simulation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MOVUS: Is there a hazardous area version?

Yes. The FitMachine 3XT EX is certified for hazardous zones, with availability from February 2026.

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.

MOVUS: Do I get raw vibration data?

The product is built around an assessed condition score and reviewed alerts. Reliability engineers wanting full spectra should confirm what data access their contract includes.

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.

MOVUS: Does installation need an electrician?

No for the sensor, which mounts magnetically and runs on battery. Gateways typically need power and network, which is where the site work sits.

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.

MOVUS: Is MOVUS available outside Australia?

Yes, largely through partners including industrial services and insurance-linked risk programmes, with support quality varying by region.

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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