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Creo vs Inventor

Creo logo

Creo

Software

Award-winning 3D CAD software

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Inventor logo

Inventor

Software

Professional-grade 3D mechanical design

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Creo every Creo user must buy a licence of the Creo Design Essentials package as a minimum before anything else can be added; Inventor autodesk publishes no licence price through UK G-Cloud: every listing found there is reseller delivered training at 750 to 1,500 pounds per day rather than software licensing, and neither AWS Marketplace nor GSA carries the product
  • They diverge on capability: Creo covers Direct modeling, Inventor covers Assembly design.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Creo and Inventor actually diverge.

Attributes where Creo and Inventor differ
AttributeCreoInventor
Founded19851982

Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Windows), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Creo

  • Direct modeling
  • Generative design
  • Additive manufacturing
  • AR integration
  • Model-based definition
  • Windchill PLM
  • ThingWorx IoT
  • Vuforia AR

Only in Inventor

  • Assembly design
  • Sheet metal
  • Rendering
  • Technical documentation
  • Frame generator
  • AutoCAD
  • Vault
  • Fusion 360

Both cover

  • Parametric modeling
  • Simulation
  • License management
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Creo

  • Parametric 3D mechanical CAD for product and machinery designnot Inventor
  • Mold design and mold machining workflowsnot Inventor

Inventor

  • Mechanical designnot Creo
  • Product developmentnot Creo
  • Manufacturing documentationnot Creo

Where each one falls short

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

Creo

  • Every Creo user must buy a licence of the Creo Design Essentials package as a minimum before anything else can be added
  • Capabilities such as the Generative Design Extension, Creo Simulation Live, Advanced Assembly Extension and GD&T Advisor are sold as separate paid extensions
  • Published prices in the PTC Store cover only Creo Design Essentials, the Creo Suites and select extensions; the other design packages require talking to sales
  • Buying an individual extension requires contacting a sales representative rather than self service

Inventor

  • Autodesk publishes no licence price through UK G-Cloud: every listing found there is reseller delivered training at 750 to 1,500 pounds per day rather than software licensing, and neither AWS Marketplace nor GSA carries the product

Pricing, plan by plan

Creo

$29/month
  • Creo Elements/Direct$2310/month
    • Direct modeling
  • Creo Parametric$2310/month
    • Parametric modeling
    • Simulation
  • Creo+$2930/month
    • SaaS delivery
    • Real-time collaboration

Inventor

$29/month
  • Inventor$2085/month
    • Full mechanical design
    • Simulation
    • Documentation
  • Product Design & Manufacturing Collection$2475/month
    • Inventor + AutoCAD + more

Which should you pick?

Choose Creo if

  • You need direct modeling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want generative design.
Creo review

Choose Inventor if

  • You need assembly design.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want sheet metal.
Inventor review

Questions people ask

Is Creo or Inventor better?
Neither clearly leads. Creo starts at $29/month and Inventor at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Creo or Inventor?
Creo starts at $29/month and Inventor at $29/month.
Does Creo or Inventor run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Creo best used for?
Creo is most often used for parametric 3d mechanical cad for product and machinery design, mold design and mold machining workflows. Of those, parametric 3d mechanical cad for product and machinery design and mold design and mold machining workflows are not what Inventor is typically brought in for.
What can Creo do that Inventor cannot?
Creo covers Direct modeling, Generative design, Additive manufacturing, AR integration. Inventor covers Assembly design, Sheet metal, Rendering, Technical documentation. Both handle Parametric modeling, Simulation, License management, Windows support.
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