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Manufacturing · head to head

Oden Technologies vs SolidWorks

Oden Technologies logo

Oden Technologies

Manufacturing

Process analytics for continuous production, strongest in plastics extrusion and moulding

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: Oden Technologies the depth is in plastics and continuous processing, so a discrete job shop with short runs and frequent changeovers does not generate the repetition the analysis needs and will get little from it.; 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: Oden Technologies covers High frequency data collection, SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oden Technologies and SolidWorks actually diverge.

Attributes where Oden Technologies and SolidWorks differ
AttributeOden TechnologiesSolidWorks
Starting priceOn request$2820/year
Pricing modelquotePer user per year
PlatformsWeb, APIWindows
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 Oden Technologies

  • High frequency data collection
  • Reference run analysis
  • Scrap and yield analytics
  • Line and plant dashboards
  • PLC and historian connectivity
  • Alerting on process drift

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.

Oden Technologies

  • A plastics extrusion plant losing material to scrap when settings drift between shifts and operatorsnot SolidWorks
  • A moulder that wants to know which parameter combination produced its best historical run of a given partnot SolidWorks
  • A continuous processor whose historian holds years of data that nobody has turned into operating guidancenot SolidWorks
  • A multi site group wanting comparable line performance figures across plants that currently report differentlynot SolidWorks

SolidWorks

  • Product designnot Oden Technologies
  • Engineering analysisnot Oden Technologies
  • Manufacturing documentationnot Oden Technologies
  • Prototypingnot Oden Technologies
  • Quality controlnot Oden Technologies

Where each one falls short

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

Oden Technologies

  • The depth is in plastics and continuous processing, so a discrete job shop with short runs and frequent changeovers does not generate the repetition the analysis needs and will get little from it.
  • It depends on fast process data from PLCs or a historian, so a plant with older machines that have no controller data must pay for instrumentation before the software does anything, which is the opposite of a low friction rollout.
  • Realising the benefit requires process engineers who can act on the findings, and a plant without that capability ends up with analysis nobody converts into standard operating conditions.
  • Pricing is per line and not published, so a plant with many small lines pays in proportion to line count rather than to output value, and the economics favour fewer high value lines.
  • It overlaps with historian and SCADA investments a plant may already have, and buyers frequently have to justify why an existing AVEVA or Ignition estate cannot be made to do a version of the same job.

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

Oden Technologies

On request
  • Oden$undefined/year
    • Per line data collection and analytics
    • Reference run and yield analysis
    • Connectivity to PLCs and historians

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 Oden Technologies if

  • You need high frequency data collection.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want reference run analysis.
Oden Technologies review

Choose SolidWorks if

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

Questions people ask

Is Oden Technologies or SolidWorks better?
Neither clearly leads. Oden Technologies 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, Oden Technologies or SolidWorks?
Oden Technologies starts at On request and SolidWorks at $2820/year.
Does Oden Technologies or SolidWorks run on more platforms?
Oden Technologies runs on Web, API. SolidWorks runs on Windows.
What is Oden Technologies best used for?
Oden Technologies is most often used for a plastics extrusion plant losing material to scrap when settings drift between shifts and operators, a moulder that wants to know which parameter combination produced its best historical run of a given part, a continuous processor whose historian holds years of data that nobody has turned into operating guidance, a multi site group wanting comparable line performance figures across plants that currently report differently. Of those, a plastics extrusion plant losing material to scrap when settings drift between shifts and operators and a moulder that wants to know which parameter combination produced its best historical run of a given part are not what SolidWorks is typically brought in for.
What can Oden Technologies do that SolidWorks cannot?
Oden Technologies covers High frequency data collection, Reference run analysis, Scrap and yield analytics, Line and plant dashboards. SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling, Assembly design, Technical drawings, Simulation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Oden Technologies: Is it suitable for a machine shop?

Not really. It is built for continuous and repetitive high volume processes, not short run discrete machining.

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.

Oden Technologies: Does it need a historian?

No, it can collect directly from PLCs, but it will read from an existing historian where one is present.

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.

Oden Technologies: What is the main measurable outcome?

Scrap reduction and throughput improvement on repeated products, rather than labour savings.

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.

Oden Technologies: Will it work on machines without PLC data?

No. Those machines need instrumenting first, and that cost belongs in the business case.

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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