Softwr

CAD · head to head

nTop vs SolidWorks

nTop logo

nTop

CAD

Implicit computational design for lattices, heat exchangers and topology-driven parts

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: nTop nTop is a specialist tool that sits alongside mainstream CAD rather than replacing it, so you pay for an extra seat and accept a handoff between two geometry systems.; 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: nTop covers Implicit modelling, SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which nTop and SolidWorks actually diverge.

Attributes where nTop and SolidWorks differ
AttributenTopSolidWorks
Starting priceOn request$2820/year
Pricing modelquotePer user per year
PlatformsWindows, CloudWindows
CategoryCADManufacturing
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 nTop

  • Implicit modelling
  • Lattice and cellular structures
  • Field-driven design
  • Integrated simulation
  • Reusable workflows
  • Topology optimisation
  • CAD and AM interoperability

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.

nTop

  • Designing a variable-density lattice bracket where mass must drop without losing stiffness in the loaded regionsnot SolidWorks
  • Generating a heat exchanger with thousands of internal channels that a conventional CAD kernel cannot representnot SolidWorks
  • Producing patient-specific implant geometry with porous surfaces at scale rather than one at a timenot SolidWorks
  • Automating a family of parts as a reusable design workflow that reruns when the load case changesnot SolidWorks

SolidWorks

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

Where each one falls short

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

nTop

  • nTop is a specialist tool that sits alongside mainstream CAD rather than replacing it, so you pay for an extra seat and accept a handoff between two geometry systems.
  • Implicit modelling requires a different way of thinking from feature-based CAD, and the retraining period is long enough that unused licences are a common and expensive outcome.
  • No pricing is published and there is no free or hobbyist tier, so evaluation runs through a sales process and small teams cannot try it seriously without engaging.
  • Subscription only, with no perpetual licence, means the geometry logic you built stops being editable the day you stop paying, which is a real risk for long-lifecycle aerospace and medical programmes.
  • The output is most valuable when you have additive manufacturing capacity to make it; organisations without machines that can print the geometry end up designing parts nobody can produce.

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

nTop

On request
  • nTop$undefined/year
    • Annual named or floating seat subscription
    • No perpetual licence offered
    • Capability tiers quoted by use case

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 nTop if

  • You need implicit modelling.
  • You work on Windows, Cloud.
  • You also want lattice and cellular structures.
nTop review

Choose SolidWorks if

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

Questions people ask

Is nTop or SolidWorks better?
Neither clearly leads. nTop 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, nTop or SolidWorks?
nTop starts at On request and SolidWorks at $2820/year.
Does nTop or SolidWorks run on more platforms?
nTop runs on Windows, Cloud. SolidWorks runs on Windows.
What is nTop best used for?
nTop is most often used for designing a variable-density lattice bracket where mass must drop without losing stiffness in the loaded regions, generating a heat exchanger with thousands of internal channels that a conventional cad kernel cannot represent, producing patient-specific implant geometry with porous surfaces at scale rather than one at a time, automating a family of parts as a reusable design workflow that reruns when the load case changes. Of those, designing a variable-density lattice bracket where mass must drop without losing stiffness in the loaded regions and generating a heat exchanger with thousands of internal channels that a conventional cad kernel cannot represent are not what SolidWorks is typically brought in for.
What can nTop do that SolidWorks cannot?
nTop covers Implicit modelling, Lattice and cellular structures, Field-driven design, Integrated simulation. SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling, Assembly design, Technical drawings, Simulation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

nTop: Is nTop the same company as nTopology?

Yes. nTopology rebranded to nTop. The product is the same lineage.

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.

nTop: Does it replace SolidWorks or NX?

No. It is used alongside them. Mainstream CAD handles the conventional geometry and assembly; nTop handles the lattice, field-driven and complex internal structure work.

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.

nTop: Is there a free version?

No free commercial tier is published. Access runs through a demo and sales process, with academic programmes handled separately.

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.

nTop: Can I buy a perpetual licence?

No. It is sold as an annual subscription, so budget it as recurring cost across the life of the programme.

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

More on nTop

More on SolidWorks

Keep looking

Other head to heads