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CAD · head to head

Inventor vs SolidWorks

Inventor logo

Inventor

CAD

Professional-grade 3D mechanical design

From
$29/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: Inventor pricing shown as template variables on the page, suggesting dynamic or region-specific pricing; 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: Inventor covers Parametric modeling, SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Inventor and SolidWorks actually diverge.

Attributes where Inventor and SolidWorks differ
AttributeInventorSolidWorks
Starting price$29/month$2820/year
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per year
CategoryCADManufacturing
Founded19821993

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Windows), 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 Inventor

  • Parametric modeling
  • Sheet metal
  • Technical documentation
  • Frame generator
  • AutoCAD
  • Vault
  • Fusion 360
  • Nastran

Only in SolidWorks

  • 3D solid modeling
  • Technical drawings
  • PDM systems
  • ERP systems
  • CAM software
  • PLM platforms
  • Enterprise security
  • Data vault

Both cover

  • Assembly design
  • Simulation
  • Rendering
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Inventor

  • Mechanical designnot SolidWorks
  • Product developmentnot SolidWorks
  • Manufacturing documentation

SolidWorks

  • Product designnot Inventor
  • Engineering analysisnot Inventor
  • Manufacturing documentation
  • Prototypingnot Inventor
  • Quality controlnot Inventor

Both are used for manufacturing documentation, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

Inventor

  • Pricing shown as template variables on the page, suggesting dynamic or region-specific pricing
  • No clear pricing information readily available on the overview page

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

Inventor

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

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 Inventor if

  • You need parametric modeling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want sheet metal.
Inventor review

Choose SolidWorks if

  • You need 3d solid modeling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want technical drawings.
SolidWorks review

Questions people ask

Is Inventor or SolidWorks better?
Neither clearly leads. Inventor starts at $29/month and SolidWorks at $2820/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Inventor or SolidWorks?
Inventor starts at $29/month and SolidWorks at $2820/year.
Does Inventor or SolidWorks run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Inventor best used for?
Inventor is most often used for mechanical design, product development, manufacturing documentation. Of those, mechanical design and product development are not what SolidWorks is typically brought in for.
What can Inventor do that SolidWorks cannot?
Inventor covers Parametric modeling, Sheet metal, Technical documentation, Frame generator. SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling, Technical drawings, PDM systems, ERP systems. Both handle Assembly design, Simulation, Rendering, Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Inventor: How much does Autodesk Inventor cost?

Autodesk Inventor pricing is not displayed on the overview page. Monthly and annual subscription options are available, including single-year and multi-year terms. Customers can access pricing through their Autodesk Account or contact sales.

Source
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.

Inventor: Is there a free trial for Autodesk Inventor?

Yes, Autodesk offers a 30-day free trial of Inventor. You can start your project and try the software for free during this period.

Source
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.

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.

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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