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Manufacturing · head to head

SolidWorks vs Waites Sensor Technologies

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
Waites Sensor Technologies logo

Waites Sensor Technologies

Manufacturing

Wireless multi-point vibration and temperature monitoring sold as a monitored service, not software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Waites Sensor Technologies the radio protocol, gateways, sensors and analytics are a single proprietary stack, so the hardware investment cannot later be redirected at a different analytics vendor.
  • They diverge on capability: SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling, Waites Sensor Technologies covers Multi-point nodes.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SolidWorks and Waites Sensor Technologies actually diverge.

Attributes where SolidWorks and Waites Sensor Technologies differ
AttributeSolidWorksWaites Sensor Technologies
Starting price$2820/yearOn request
Pricing modelPer user per yearquote
PlatformsWindowsWeb, iOS, Android
Founded1993Unknown

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 SolidWorks

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

Only in Waites Sensor Technologies

  • Multi-point nodes
  • Full-spectrum vibration
  • Long-range radio
  • Long battery life
  • High-temperature variant
  • Machine learning analysis
  • Analyst review
  • Stainless steel housing

What people use each for

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

SolidWorks

  • Product designnot Waites Sensor Technologies
  • Engineering analysisnot Waites Sensor Technologies
  • Manufacturing documentationnot Waites Sensor Technologies
  • Prototypingnot Waites Sensor Technologies
  • Quality controlnot Waites Sensor Technologies

Waites Sensor Technologies

  • A plant instrumenting hundreds of motor and pump trains where six-point nodes cut the battery and radio maintenance burdennot SolidWorks
  • A food processing site needing washdown-rated wireless sensors that survive daily sanitationnot SolidWorks
  • Monitoring high-temperature equipment where conventional wireless sensors fail before the bearing doesnot SolidWorks
  • A reliability team with no in-house vibration analyst that needs findings, not spectra, delivered as a servicenot 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.

Waites Sensor Technologies

  • The radio protocol, gateways, sensors and analytics are a single proprietary stack, so the hardware investment cannot later be redirected at a different analytics vendor.
  • No pricing is published while the marketing claims a fraction of competitors cost, so the central claim cannot be verified without entering a sales process.
  • A multi-point node is a single point of failure for six measurement points; when the node or its battery fails, six machines go dark rather than one.
  • Wired accelerometer runs back to the node reintroduce cable routing and mechanical protection work that single-sensor wireless products were meant to eliminate.
  • The company is small and its presence is concentrated in North America, so installation support, spares and analyst coverage outside that region depend on partners rather than direct service.

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

Waites Sensor Technologies

On request
  • Waites condition monitoring$undefined/year
    • Priced per monitored machine or measurement point on an annual programme
    • Hardware, gateways, platform access and analyst review bundled in the programme fee
    • Installation and sensor mounting quoted as a services engagement

Which should you pick?

Choose SolidWorks if

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

Choose Waites Sensor Technologies if

  • You need multi-point nodes.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want full-spectrum vibration.
Waites Sensor Technologies review

Questions people ask

Is SolidWorks or Waites Sensor Technologies better?
Neither clearly leads. SolidWorks starts at $2820/year and Waites Sensor Technologies at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SolidWorks or Waites Sensor Technologies?
SolidWorks starts at $2820/year and Waites Sensor Technologies at On request.
Does SolidWorks or Waites Sensor Technologies run on more platforms?
SolidWorks runs on Windows. Waites Sensor Technologies runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Waites Sensor Technologies is typically brought in for.
What can SolidWorks do that Waites Sensor Technologies cannot?
SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling, Assembly design, Technical drawings, Simulation. Waites Sensor Technologies covers Multi-point nodes, Full-spectrum vibration, Long-range radio, Long battery life.

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.

Waites Sensor Technologies: How many points does one node monitor?

Up to six, using wired accelerometers back to a single wireless node.

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.

Waites Sensor Technologies: Is analyst review included?

Waites includes analyst review in its programme model rather than selling it as separate consultancy, which is the main structural difference from sensor-only vendors.

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.

Waites Sensor Technologies: What is the wireless range?

Around 3,000 feet line of sight, which usually means fewer gateways per plant than short-range mesh alternatives.

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.

Waites Sensor Technologies: Can I export the raw data?

There is an API, but the sensors and radio are proprietary, so the data path runs through the Waites platform.

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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