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Manufacturing · head to head

SolidWorks vs Tryton

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
Tryton logo

Tryton

ERP

Modular open source ERP in Python with a five year support window on major releases only

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Tryton has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Tryton ordinary series are supported for only one year, so any deployment not pinned to a long term support major version needs a funded upgrade project every twelve months, which is the largest hidden cost of running Tryton.
  • They diverge on capability: SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling, Tryton covers Modular installation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SolidWorks and Tryton actually diverge.

Attributes where SolidWorks and Tryton differ
AttributeSolidWorksTryton
Starting price$2820/yearFree
Pricing modelPer user per yearOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWeb, Linux, Windows, macOS, Self-hosted
CategoryManufacturingERP
Founded1993Unknown

Identical on both: 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 SolidWorks

  • 3D solid modeling
  • Assembly design
  • Technical drawings
  • Simulation
  • Rendering
  • PDM systems
  • ERP systems
  • CAM software

Only in Tryton

  • Modular installation
  • Double entry accounting
  • Manufacturing
  • Inventory and supply chain
  • Sales and purchasing
  • Desktop and web clients
  • Multi-company
  • Project management

What people use each for

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

SolidWorks

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

Tryton

  • A small European manufacturer that wants bills of materials and routings without a per user ERP subscriptionnot SolidWorks
  • A company with in-house Python developers that intends to extend the data model rather than configure a closed productnot SolidWorks
  • An organisation that will not adopt an open core product because it expects features to migrate to a paid edition over timenot SolidWorks
  • A distributor needing multi-company books in one database with analytic accounting on topnot SolidWorks

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Tryton

  • Ordinary series are supported for only one year, so any deployment not pinned to a long term support major version needs a funded upgrade project every twelve months, which is the largest hidden cost of running Tryton.
  • There is no vendor to buy support from, only a list of independent service providers, so procurement teams that require a single accountable supplier with an SLA have to construct one themselves.
  • The module ecosystem is far smaller than Odoo or ERPNext, so region-specific tax rules, payroll and industry add-ons frequently have to be written rather than installed.
  • Out of the box reporting is thin and there is no built-in business intelligence layer, so most deployments end up exporting to an external tool to get management reporting.
  • Documentation and community discussion are functional but sparse compared with commercial ERPs, which lengthens implementation for teams that have not worked with Tryton before and makes hiring experienced consultants harder.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Tryton

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • GPL-3.0-or-later licence with no per user cost
    • All official modules included
    • Series released every six months

Which should you pick?

Choose SolidWorks if

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

Choose Tryton if

  • You need modular installation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS, Self-hosted.
  • You also want double entry accounting.
Tryton review

Questions people ask

Is SolidWorks or Tryton better?
Neither clearly leads. SolidWorks starts at $2820/year and Tryton at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SolidWorks or Tryton?
Tryton has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2820/year for SolidWorks and Free for Tryton.
Does SolidWorks or Tryton run on more platforms?
SolidWorks runs on Windows. Tryton runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS, Self-hosted.
Can I use Tryton for free?
Yes. Tryton has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SolidWorks starts at $2820/year.
What is SolidWorks best used for?
SolidWorks is most often used for product design, engineering analysis, manufacturing documentation, prototyping. Of those, product design and engineering analysis are not what Tryton is typically brought in for.
What can SolidWorks do that Tryton cannot?
SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling, Assembly design, Technical drawings, Simulation. Tryton covers Modular installation, Double entry accounting, Manufacturing, Inventory and supply chain.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Tryton: What licence is Tryton under?

The platform and official modules are GPL-3.0-or-later. There is no paid enterprise edition.

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.

Tryton: How long is a release supported?

Series are released every six months and supported for one year. Major versions get five years of long term support, so pin to an LTS release unless you can fund annual upgrades.

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.

Tryton: Is there a hosted version from the project?

No. The foundation lists independent service providers who offer hosting and support commercially.

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.

Tryton: How does it differ from Odoo?

Tryton has no open core split, so there is no paid edition holding back features, but the module ecosystem and partner network are much smaller.

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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