Fusion 360vs
Blender
Blender: Free, open-source 3D modeling and CAD software with no licensing costs.
Fusion 360
Cloud-based 3D CAD, CAM, and CAE platform
As of 30 August 2026, Fusion 360 has a free plan and paid plans start at $70/month. Autodesk Fusion 360 is a cloud-based 3D modeling, CAD, CAM, CAE, and PCB software platform for product design and manufacturing. Softwr lists it under Manufacturing. Fusion 360 is made by Autodesk Inc, launched in 1982, available on Web, Windows, macOS.
Overview
What Fusion 360 does
Autodesk Fusion 360 is a cloud-based 3D modeling, CAD, CAM, CAE, and PCB software platform for product design and manufacturing. It combines industrial and mechanical design, simulation, collaboration, and machining in a single platform, making it ideal for product development teams.
What people use it for
- Product design
- Prototyping
- Manufacturing
- 3D printing
- Simulation
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Fusion 360.
- Requires paid subscription for professional use
- Cloud-based, requires internet connection
- Free tier limited to students and educators
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of Fusion 360
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- Fusion 360vsSolidWorks
SolidWorks: Professional CAD software with advanced modeling and simulation capabilities.
- Fusion 360vsFreeCAD
FreeCAD: Open-source CAD software with parametric modeling and no licensing requirements.
- Fusion 360vsSketchUp
SketchUp: Web-based and desktop 3D modeling tool with free and professional tiers.
Pricing
What Fusion 360 costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Personal Use
Free
- Non-commercial use
- Basic CAD tools
- Cloud storage
- Community support
Commercial
$70 /mo
- Full CAD/CAM/CAE
- Simulation
- Rendering
- Data management
- Premium support
Capabilities
Features
3D CAD modeling
Simulation
CAM programming
PCB design
Cloud collaboration
Autodesk ecosystem
Integration with Autodesk ecosystem
Manufacturing partners
Integration with Manufacturing partners
PLM systems
Integration with PLM systems
ERP systems
Integration with ERP systems
Cloud security
Cloud security security feature
Data encryption
Data encryption security feature
Access controls
Access controls security feature
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is Fusion 360 free?
Fusion 360 is free for students, educators, and academic institutions with full features. It offers a 30-day free trial for all users, and a limited personal-use license for hobbyists and makers.
SourceHow much does Fusion 360 cost for professionals?
Fusion 360 professional subscriptions start at $85/month, $680/year, or $2,040 for a 3-year commitment. Startups that qualify can get a discount starting at $150.
SourceDoes Fusion 360 support 3D modeling, CAD, and CAM?
Yes. Fusion 360 is a cloud-based platform that integrates 3D modeling, CAD, CAM, CAE (simulation), and PCB design in one software.
SourceBehind it
Who makes Fusion 360
- Company
- Autodesk Inc
- Based in
- San Rafael, CA
Keep looking
Where to go from Fusion 360
- Fusion 360 alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Fusion 360 pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Fusion 360 badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Manufacturing softwareThe full category
- Best Manufacturing softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Manufacturing software for
Compare Fusion 360 with
- SolidWorks
- OpenBOM
- MachineMetrics
- Dyndrite
- Fulcrum
- Tulip
- 3YOURMIND
- Duro PLM
- GrabCAD Print
- Markforged Eiger
- Protolabs
- Rockwell FactoryTalk
- IBM Maximo Application Suite
- LabVIEW
- SKF Enlight Centre
- ABB 800xA
- AVEVA System Platform
- Hippo CMMS
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Pricing on request13 researched notes
Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Fusion 360, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on Fusion 360
Fusion 360 alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
Fusion 360 pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare Fusion 360
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Best Manufacturing software alternatives
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Per year by AppPoint pool
Machine health monitoring sold as a per-machine annual service including sensors, installation and analyst diagnostics
quote
Iconics SCADA and visualisation under Mitsubishi Electric, now sold with unlimited tag licensing
quoteSupervisory HMI and SCADA platform, formerly sold as Wonderware System Platform
quoteDistributed control system and process automation platform for continuous and hybrid process plants
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