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Fusion 360 logo

Fusion 360

Cloud-based 3D CAD, CAM, and CAE platform

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

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 360 logo
    Fusion 360
    vs
    Blender logo
    Blender

    Blender: Free, open-source 3D modeling and CAD software with no licensing costs.

  • Fusion 360 logo
    Fusion 360
    vs
    SolidWorks logo
    SolidWorks

    SolidWorks: Professional CAD software with advanced modeling and simulation capabilities.

  • Fusion 360 logo
    Fusion 360
    vs
    FreeCAD logo
    FreeCAD

    FreeCAD: Open-source CAD software with parametric modeling and no licensing requirements.

  • Fusion 360 logo
    Fusion 360
    vs
    SketchUp logo
    SketchUp

    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

    3D CAD modeling capability

  • Simulation

    Simulation capability

  • CAM programming

    CAM programming capability

  • PCB design

    PCB design capability

  • Cloud collaboration

    Cloud collaboration capability

  • 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.

Source
How 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.

Source
Does 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.

Source

Behind it

Who makes Fusion 360

Company
Autodesk Inc
Based in
San Rafael, CA

Keep looking

Where to go from Fusion 360

Other Manufacturing software

  • 3D CAD design software for engineers and designers

  • Field operations management for installing, inspecting and maintaining physical work

  • Collect, monitor, analyze and drive action with machine data

  • Frontline operations platform for manufacturing

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.

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