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ERP · head to head

Sage X3 vs SolidWorks

Sage X3 logo

Sage X3

ERP

Mid-market ERP sold and implemented almost entirely through Sage partners

From
$1500/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: Sage X3 sage sells X3 through partners rather than direct, so implementation quality varies more than the software does, and a weak partner produces a failed project on a product that works fine elsewhere.; 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: Sage X3 covers Multi-company and multi-legislation finance, SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Sage X3 and SolidWorks actually diverge.

Attributes where Sage X3 and SolidWorks differ
AttributeSage X3SolidWorks
Starting price$1500/month$2820/year
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per year
PlatformsCloud, Windows, WebWindows
CategoryERPManufacturing
Founded19811993

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 Sage X3

  • Multi-company and multi-legislation finance
  • Manufacturing
  • Inventory and warehouse
  • Purchasing
  • Sales and pricing
  • Project accounting
  • Quality control
  • Development framework

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.

Sage X3

  • A group with subsidiaries in several countries consolidating from separate accounting systems into one ledgernot SolidWorks
  • A food or chemical manufacturer needing lot traceability and formulation alongside standard financialsnot SolidWorks
  • A distributor with multiple warehouses and complex customer specific pricing that spreadsheets no longer containnot SolidWorks
  • A business that has outgrown a small business accounting package but cannot justify a tier one ERP programmenot SolidWorks

SolidWorks

  • Product designnot Sage X3
  • Engineering analysisnot Sage X3
  • Manufacturing documentationnot Sage X3
  • Prototypingnot Sage X3
  • Quality controlnot Sage X3

Where each one falls short

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

Sage X3

  • Sage sells X3 through partners rather than direct, so implementation quality varies more than the software does, and a weak partner produces a failed project on a product that works fine elsewhere.
  • Payroll is not part of X3 in most markets and is bought as a separate product or a third party service, so an organisation assuming a complete back office in one licence finds an extra vendor, an extra integration and an extra bill.
  • The product uses its own development language and toolset rather than a mainstream stack, so the pool of people who can maintain a customised installation is small, expensive and largely employed by partners.
  • Heavy customisation is possible and consequently common, and customised installations are harder to upgrade, which surfaces years later as a business running an old version because taking the current one means retesting and reworking every modification.
  • The North American partner ecosystem and third party add-on market are thinner than for the products X3 competes with, so niche requirements are more often met by custom development than by buying something already built.

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

Sage X3

$1500/month
  • Standard$1500/month
    • Core ERP functionality
    • Financial management
    • Inventory management
  • Enterprise$3000/month
    • Multi-company support
    • Advanced manufacturing
    • Business intelligence

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 Sage X3 if

  • You need multi-company and multi-legislation finance.
  • You work on Cloud, Windows, Web.
  • You also want manufacturing.
Sage X3 review

Choose SolidWorks if

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

Questions people ask

Is Sage X3 or SolidWorks better?
Neither clearly leads. Sage X3 starts at $1500/month and SolidWorks at $2820/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sage X3 or SolidWorks?
Sage X3 starts at $1500/month and SolidWorks at $2820/year.
Does Sage X3 or SolidWorks run on more platforms?
Sage X3 runs on Cloud, Windows, Web. SolidWorks runs on Windows.
What is Sage X3 best used for?
Sage X3 is most often used for a group with subsidiaries in several countries consolidating from separate accounting systems into one ledger, a food or chemical manufacturer needing lot traceability and formulation alongside standard financials, a distributor with multiple warehouses and complex customer specific pricing that spreadsheets no longer contain, a business that has outgrown a small business accounting package but cannot justify a tier one erp programme. Of those, a group with subsidiaries in several countries consolidating from separate accounting systems into one ledger and a food or chemical manufacturer needing lot traceability and formulation alongside standard financials are not what SolidWorks is typically brought in for.
What can Sage X3 do that SolidWorks cannot?
Sage X3 covers Multi-company and multi-legislation finance, Manufacturing, Inventory and warehouse, Purchasing. SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling, Assembly design, Technical drawings, Simulation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sage X3: Is Sage X3 a cloud product?

It is offered as a hosted subscription, commonly on AWS, but it is not a multi-tenant SaaS product in the way Plex or NetSuite are. You still have your own instance and you still own the upgrade decision, which is both more control and more work.

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.

Sage X3: How do I choose a partner?

Ask for two references at your revenue, in your industry, on the version you are buying, and speak to them without the partner present. Ask who specifically will be on your project, how long they have worked on X3, and what happens if they leave mid engagement.

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.

Sage X3: Does the licence cost tell me what the project costs?

No. For mid-market ERP the services bill commonly matches or exceeds the first year of software, and the subscription clock usually starts before go live, so the first year of licence buys considerably less usable time than it appears to.

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.

Sage X3: Who should not buy X3?

A single entity operating in one country, because the multi-company and multi-legislation depth is the main reason to pay for this rather than something simpler, and a business paying for it without using it has overbought.

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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