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Manufacturing · head to head

SolidWorks vs Xometry

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
Xometry logo

Xometry

Manufacturing

Custom parts marketplace whose quoting software is free because the money is in the order

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Xometry 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.; Xometry xometry is the counterparty rather than the shop, and the margin between what you pay and what the maker receives is never disclosed, so buyers cannot benchmark the part price.
  • They diverge on capability: SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling, Xometry covers Instant Quoting Engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SolidWorks and Xometry actually diverge.

Attributes where SolidWorks and Xometry differ
AttributeSolidWorksXometry
Starting price$2820/yearFree
Pricing modelPer user per yearPer order, priced on the part
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWeb, API
Founded1993Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Xometry

  • Instant Quoting Engine
  • Multi-process coverage
  • Teamspace
  • Thomasnet
  • Supplier network
  • Certifications

What people use each for

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

SolidWorks

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

Xometry

  • An engineering team needing machined prototypes in a week without qualifying a shopnot SolidWorks
  • A procurement group consolidating dozens of low-value part suppliers onto one purchase ordernot SolidWorks
  • A startup with no supply chain buying a first low-volume production runnot SolidWorks
  • A design team price-checking a geometry change before committing to itnot 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.

Xometry

  • Xometry is the counterparty rather than the shop, and the margin between what you pay and what the maker receives is never disclosed, so buyers cannot benchmark the part price.
  • You usually do not choose or even know which supplier makes the part, so repeat orders can come from different shops with visibly different finish and process consistency.
  • For parts bought repeatedly over years the marketplace margin compounds, and qualifying a shop directly becomes materially cheaper.
  • Instant quotes are geometry-driven and degrade on unusual features, tight tolerances or complex assemblies, where a manual review changes the price after you have planned around the automated figure.
  • Because the software is free and the revenue is in orders, there is no software contract to hold the vendor to; support and continuity are governed by your value as a parts customer, not by a licence.

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

Xometry

Free
  • Buyer accountFree
    • Instant Quoting Engine at no charge
    • Teamspace collaboration
    • Thomasnet sourcing access
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Negotiated part pricing and terms
    • Dedicated account and programme management
    • Procurement system integration

Which should you pick?

Choose SolidWorks if

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

Choose Xometry if

  • You need instant quoting engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want multi-process coverage.
Xometry review

Questions people ask

Is SolidWorks or Xometry better?
Neither clearly leads. SolidWorks starts at $2820/year and Xometry at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SolidWorks or Xometry?
Xometry has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2820/year for SolidWorks and Free for Xometry.
Does SolidWorks or Xometry run on more platforms?
SolidWorks runs on Windows. Xometry runs on Web, API.
Can I use Xometry for free?
Yes. Xometry 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 Xometry is typically brought in for.
What can SolidWorks do that Xometry cannot?
SolidWorks covers 3D solid modeling, Assembly design, Technical drawings, Simulation. Xometry covers Instant Quoting Engine, Multi-process coverage, Teamspace, Thomasnet.

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.

Xometry: Does the Xometry software cost anything?

No. Quoting and Teamspace are free. Xometry earns on the parts you order, with the margin built into the part price.

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.

Xometry: Do I get to choose the shop?

Normally no. Xometry routes the job within its supplier network and remains your contracting party.

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.

Xometry: Is it cheaper than going direct to a machine shop?

For one-off and low-volume work usually yes, once you count sourcing time. For repeat production the marketplace margin makes a direct qualified supplier cheaper.

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.

Xometry: Can it handle ITAR or aerospace work?

It offers ITAR-registered and AS9100 routing on qualifying orders, but you must specify those requirements at quote time.

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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