Solidworks vs fusion 360 compared: which one is better?

FAQ’s About Solidworks vs Fusion 360

How much Solidworks costs?

Since it’s release date in 1995, Solidworks hasn’t changed much when it comes to price. If you want to buy the license, you will be charged around $3500 whereas if you purchase the annual license, you will be charged around $1500 depending on the plan you choose.

Is Fusion 360 free?

You can use Fusion 360 as free software, but you can also subscribe for a monthly or annual subscription which costs $310.

How can I get Solidworks for free?

You can indeed get Solidworks for free, but that’s not that easy. Some schools and universities which have more than 45 seats are qualified for the Students Engineering Kit, so you can ask the university if you can borrow a license or you can register for a free one here https://www.solidworks.com/sw/education/SDL_form.html

Additional Thoughts

The Verdict for 3D Design Newbies

If you are trying to get your feet wet in the 3D modeling and product design world, I would strongly recommend Fusion 360. Once you get a few projects under your belt using this program, you will have a strong foundation that will enable you to easily branch into Solidworks (or Inventor, which is Autodesk’s analog of Solidworks).

At the very least, Fusion 360 will be like a great set of training wheels as you learn to “ride the bike,” so to speak. At most, Fusion 360 might be what you need for ALL your modeling purposes, which is excellent in the long run because it is a much less expensive option. In this respect, Fusion 360 is perfect for you either way, as either a fancy set of training wheels or as a full solution.

When you are ready for a heavy-hitting application like Solidworks, you won’t be wasting as much time with the learning curve, because you’ll have a good grasp of some complicated stuff. Then Solidworks won’t be a head-spinning, overwhelming, stress-inducing nightmare.

The Verdict for Serious Professionals

If you are a professional looking for the best of the best available to you and have the funds for the license and the training necessary to get up to speed and produce the kinds of models you need, go with Solidworks. The limitations on Fusion 360 may, frankly, get in your way.

You may need to run hundreds of simulations for your product, so it is impractical to pay $20 each time you need to run a simulation. The cost and the learning curve would be the only, and I mean ONLY, drawbacks to Solidworks compared to Fusion 360.

My Personal Choice

All things considered, I would spend some time working with Fusion 360 before upgrading to something more powerful like Solidworks (or Inventor). I am impressed by what Fusion 360 can do, yet at first glance it seems so simple as to be too simple. I can honestly say that I underestimated what this app can do.

2020

Продление бесплатного доступа до 30 июня

Компания Autodesk 13 мая 2020 года сообщила о принятии решения о продлении временной «Программы Расширенного Доступа». Программа будет действовать до 30 июня 2020 года. В рамках программы клиенты компании могут получить бесплатный доступ в том числе к Autodesk Fusion 360. Подробнее .

Бесплатный доступ до 31 мая для поддержки клиентов в условиях пандемии COVID-19

1 апреля 2020 года стало известно, что для более эффективной поддержки клиентов в условиях пандемии коронавируса, компания Autodesk объявила о временной Программе Расширенного Доступа нескольких флагманских продуктов для совместной работы в облачной среде. Подробнее .

Main Differences Between the Solidworks vs Fusion 360

The main differences between Solidworks vs Fusion 360 are:

• Solidworks has a cloud storage option, whereas Fusion 360 works exclusively on the cloud.
• Solidworks is mainly a Windows application, whereas Fusion 360 works on both Windows and Mac.
• Solidworks is an assembly-driven software, whereas Fusion 360 uses a multi-component part system.
• Solidworks is better for manufactured goods and design engineering, whereas Fusion 360 is more suited to hobbyists and some advanced designers.
• Solidworks allows you to customize your keyboard shortcuts, whereas Fusion 360 does not.

Why Go With Fusion 360? | Autodesk

Lightweight, affordable and cloud-based. Fusion 360 is more user friendly for freeform 3D modeling.

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2019: Совместимость с Ansys Mechanical

Компании Ansys и Autodesk 21 ноября 2019 года объявили о следующем этапе партнерства, призванного обеспечить устойчивую совместимость программных продуктов компаний и предоставить клиентам динамичные процессы проектирования. Сотрудничество соединяет комплексный инструмент для проектирования Autodesk Fusion 360 и решения Ansys Mechanical для численного моделирования, чтобы ускорить выпуск продукции на рынок.

Когда инженеры используют Fusion 360, результаты автоматически становятся доступны в Ansys Mechanical для дальнейшей доработки и проверки. Эта схема работы значительно оптимизирует существующие процессы, выполняемые вручную. Она может быть скомбинирована для того, чтобы улучшить новые автоматизированные процессы, такие как генеративный дизайн, ускорить вывод продукта на рынок и предоставить возможность нескольким инженерным командам свободно работать вместе.

Это заявление основано на ранее анонсированных взаимоотношениях между Autodesk и Ansys, направленных на создание единого рабочего процесса для автопроизводителей. Он объединяет ПО Autodesk VRED для автомобильной 3D-визуализации и виртуального прототипирования с решениями Ansys для моделирования освещения на основе физических процессов. Это позволит автопроизводителям повысить качество ультрареалистичной визуализации интерьера и экстерьера транспортных средств с помощью высокоточного моделирования освещения.

Сотрудничество с Ansys объединяет комплиментарные технологии и навыки обеих наших компаний для того, чтобы усилить наше общее конкурентное предложение, обеспечить развитие через большее количество производственных связей и открыть нашим клиентам огромный потенциал, – заявил Грег Феллон (Greg Fallon), вице-президент по направлению бизнес-стратегии и маркетинга Autodesk.

Идея и качество продукта – это командный вид спорта, которому могут мешать инженерные барьеры, – говорит Шейн Эмсвиллер (Shane Emswiller), старший вице-президент и управляющий Ansys. – Сотрудничество с Autodesk значительно улучшит рабочие процессы между нашими инструментами, что принесет пользу нашим общим клиентам. Мы надеемся помочь проектировщикам и расчетчикам существенно повысить производительность продукта, увеличить эффективность и надежность.

Fusion 360 vs Solidworks Comparison

Operating System

Are you a Mac or a PC? Today, it’s not unreasonable to expect a designer to be fluent in both Mac and Windows environments. That said, most still have their favorite operating system. If you don’t have the luxury of owning computers with both OS, then this is a big deal: Solidworks can only be run in a Windows environment. Of course you can install Windows on a Mac by way of virtual machine such as Bootcamp or Parallels, but I’ve found the results to be sub-optimal.

Fusion 360 will run natively on both Mac OS and Windows and the experience is identical from what I have seen.

One way Dassault Systems is trying to compete with cross-platform CAD-ing is by taking Solidworks to the internet browser. I tested Solidworks browser-based environment and it seemed to lack the functionality of the desktop version. It appears that Fusion 360 also has a browser-based environment, though it too lacks the full feature set offered in the desktop version.

Cloud Integration

Spoiler alert: Fusion 360 is gonna win this one. But I feel it necessary to acknowledge as it’s a large differentiator between Solidworks and Fusion 360. Basically, other than Solidworks being able to run in a browser, it doesn’t offer any value from a cloud-based solution. Fusion 360, on the other hand was developed with on a cloud platform. Let’s take a look at what this means for each CAD package.

Solidworks

Being older, Solidworks was around before any sort of cloud integration existed as it does in many apps today. This means it runs on a local machine or server. In most enterprise environments, 3D CAD data is stored on a PDM (Product Data Management) software. Users will ‘check out’ a part or design like you would a book from a library. Wow, even that analogy is going to be lost on some Millennials.

Anyway, when you have the part or design checked out, it’s accessed by your local machine for editing. After you make changes, you can return the part or assembly so the rest of your coworkers can use it.

For the small design shop, freelancer or hobbyist, a PDM and server are probably not an option. For those, a workstation and laptop combination are much likely. Working on designs and moving them between these two machines becomes much more of a hassle. Not only are you juggling licenses between both machines (it requires a manual transfer), but your data needs to move between both as well. Sure, you could store your data on a cloud-based storage system such as Dropbox or Google Drive, but may also impact performance.

Based on my experience, Solidworks assemblies that need to reference parts can become quite temperamental especially when it involves moving or duplicating libraries.So, without offering much in the way of cloud integration, Solidworks offers a better experience in an enterprise environment PDM, server combination and floating licenses.

Fusion 360

Fusion 360 was built on a cloud-based system. This means your data is constantly syncing to the cloud (a server elsewhere) and you conveniently never need to transfer files from one machine to another. Wherever you log in, your data and presets are present.

Other than data syncing, many of Fusion 360s features integrate much deeper with the power of the cloud, rather than being a bolt-on solution. Basically, Fusion 360’s online interface (named A360), acts as a simple PDM to a degree. Your parts, designs, assemblies and more are stored to your own A360 account. Whenever you log into Fusion 360 on a machine, it accesses this library and you’ve got your data.

From A360, you can also choose to share or collaborate with others. You can grant them access to designs, much like you’d invite someone to access a Dropbox folder. Another benefit of the cloud integration is that operations that require heavy computation can be performed on Autodesk’s servers. You can exchange credits for various computations like simulations and renderings. Finally, some little things like automatic orthographic views are generated of your designs and made available to you whenever you need them.

The big unfortunate truth of Fusion 360 being so integrated into the cloud, is that it requires an internet connection and you’re at the mercy of Autodesk’s servers at times. While this isn’t often an issue for me, it can be a deal-breaker for many.

Working in Fusion 360 without an internet connection means a slow and clunky launch process (sometimes taking more than 10 minutes), and the inability to export certain file types. Personally, I’ve run into issues exporting files such as OBJ and FBX. There are actually limits on how much data A360 can export in mesh format. If these functions were performed locally your machine, this would be much less limiting.

Verdict

Solidworks doesn’t integrate with the cloud. Fusion 360 does. The convenience gained by Fusion 360’s cloud integration is nice. For some however, it may be outweighed by having to rely on Autodesk’s servers for some functions. While many wonder about data security when integrating with a cloud service, the only way to be truly secure is to keep your data local and inaccessible by any internet connection.

Price

This one’s going to be quite short. Buying Fusion 360 is a lot less painful than buying Solidworks. From the actual price tag to the buying process, Fusion 360 seems to be the winner.

Solidworks

Solidworks is available in a tiered pricing structure. The more you pay, the more features you get. Maintenance is optional, but it will get you upgrades to new releases, technical support and access to a few plugins and features. If you wish to stay current with your version of Solidworks, it’s more effective to keep paying maintenance rather than pay to upgrade each year.

• Standard costs $3,995 and annual maintenance costs $1,295 for a total price tag of $5,290.
• Professional costs $5,490 and annual maintenance costs $1,495 for a total price tag of $6,985.
• Premium costs $7995 and annual maintenance costs $1,995 for a total price tag of $9,990.

With Solidworks ranging from $5,290-$9,990, it’s clearly a premium software package. To make it even more of a hassle to buy, you can’t purchase it from Solidworks directly. They only make it available through resellers who need to offer you a personalized quote. You won’t see the above prices published on the Solidworks website. Even obtaining a trial version of the software seems to be impossible. I did test their browser-based version the other day and it was limited to a single two-hour session. Pretty hard to get an idea of whether it’s worth dropping $5-10K on a product without even proper testing on your local hardware.

Fusion 360

Now, Autodesk, the makers of Fusion 360 took the opportunity to compete with Solidworks. Solidworks is simply too expensive for many hobbyists, freelancers or other professionals depending on where they live.

Autodesk makes it easy to try and get into CAD. Here’s what they’re doing that Solidworks isn’t:

• Offers a free 30-day trial that will run on your personal computer
• Is free to use for and small business owners making under $100K
• Offers a free 3-year educational license for students
• One price tier at $495 per year with unlimited upgrades

Here are the payment options for Fusion 360:

• $60 per month
• $495 per year
• $990 for 2 years

Comparing the paid versions of both software, Solidworks costs anywhere between ten and twenty times more expensive.

Fusion 360 – 2, Solidworks – 1

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The Verdict: Fusion 360 or Solidworks?

Solidworks and Fusion 360 are popular in their own right and for many people, they are the go-to software for drafting models for 3D printing.

If you still aren’t 100% sure on what product to choose then consider this:

• If you want a more modern user interface then choose Fusion 360
• If you don’t want to worry about being able to access the software due to internet problems choose Solidworks
• If you’re on a budget, then Fusion 360 is better priced than Solidworks

I hope that you now have a better understanding of the differences between Solidworks and Fusion 360 and you can make an informed choice on which CAD package to opt for.

Recommended Reads:

• The Best 3D Printing CAD Software – My Top Software for 3D Printing Guide
• AutoCAD vs. Solidworks for 3D Printing – Which is The Best?
• Solidworks vs CATIA Compared
• Fusion 360 vs Blender CAD Software Compared
• Fusion 360 vs Rhino

User Interface

While user interface is much more a matter of personal preference, to some, it can make a software much more enjoyable to use and especially to learn. A well thought-out user interface could be the difference between overwhelm, and intuitive learning.

Solidworks

Solidworks hasn’t been known for being easy on the eyes for very long. This has changed quite a bit though. While it’s not winning any UI design awards, it’s certainly left the Windows ’95 aesthetic behind. I’d say this has been one of the most noticeable changes over the past 5 years. I think it’s a direct result of competition in emerging 3D applications that are focused on user experience.

The number of icons and the organization of the feature tree can be quite intimidating and or overwhelming. Couple that with the real estate a laptop offers and you’ll quickly find that the experience can stand to be improved.

Once you’re at the intermediate or expert level however, a customizable pie-menu that can be triggered by mouse gestures is one of my favorite features or aspects of Solidworks as a whole. It can speed up the workflow quite a bit.

Fusion 360

A simple UI can make a software much easier to learn. Specifically, Fusion 360 does this well, reminding me a bit of Google’s Sketchup. Fusion 360 has a few bold icons and the entire working area (called the canvas) only shows a grid where you’re working, allowing you to focus on what you’re creating.

When I’ve the luxury of working behind a large monitor, I prefer to see every button laid out in plain view. However, I travel frequently for work with a 15″ Macbook Pro, and the consolidated tools and condensed menus make working on a laptop pleasant. One way this is achieved is by allowing commands to perform several functions. For instance, in Fusion, the same extrude command can create a new body, component, extruded cut or intersection. This Swiss Army knife functionality applies to nearly every tool in Fusion 360!

Solidworks pie-menu is great. Fusion 360’s equivalent is the toolbox. Pressing ’s’ on the keyboard opens the toolbox, where you can save tools for quick access. When the toolbox is active, you can also search for a function, making it quite versatile.

What about customization? While Fusion 360 offers a light and dark mode, many who spend countless hours behind a back-lit display place high value on being able to customize all the colors of every aspect of the user interface. Buried in Solidworks preferences is the ability to change the color of many aspects of the interface.

Keyboard short cuts, hotkeys, macros or whatever you call them, are the stuff of a power-user’s dream. While Solidworks allows you to program or customize your keyboard shortcuts, Fusion 360 simply doesn’t. Such a missed opportunity for Autodesk in my mind.

Verdict

While I’m quick to confess my love for Solidworks gesture-initiated pie-menu, hotkeys and slightly better dark theme, I think the overall experience of Fusion 360’s user interface is much more refined. It’s intuitive, minimal, effective and scalable for multiple devices. Fusion 360 wins here. This just comes down to your priorities. The point could go either way, so we’ll call it a draw. They each get a point.

2017

Выпущены два апдейта

22 ноября 2017 года компания Autodesk представила два обновления для облачной САПР Fusion 360.

Пользователям станет доступен генеративный дизайн. Они смогут работать с форматами других САПР, устанавливая ассоциативные связи между сторонней геометрией и нативными моделями Fusion.

Генеративный дизайн

Генеративный дизайн от Autodesk дает возможность быстро создавать и изучать проектные решения, помогая анализировать и выбирать оптимальные по соотношению цена/эксплуатационные качества. Генеративный дизайн от Autodesk позволяет исследовать сотни и тысячи потенциальных решений, включая те, которые человек не мог бы придумать.

Технология AnyCAD для работы с другими САПР

Autodesk добавила технологию AnyCAD в Fusion 360, сформировала уровень интероперабельности в коллекции.

AnyCAD радикально упростила процесс проектирования, позволяя интегрировать в него практически любые данные САПР, независимо от их источника. Это позволило обеспечить бесперебойное взаимодействие между Inventor и другими САПР, позволяя проектировщикам сосредоточиться на создании инноваций, а не на переводе данных.

Технология AnyCAD обеспечит совместимость с Inventor и другими продуктами коллекции. С этим взаимодействием данные будут передаваться в обеих направлениях. Пользователи могут сочетать возможности Inventor с облачными сервисами Fusion 360. Они получат доступ к инструментам для проекта в любое время, независимо от того, какую САПР они используют.

AnyCAD позволит использовать данные Solidworks в Inventor и Fusion 360, сохраняя полную ассоциативность. Пользователи Inventor могут импортировать другие основные типы файлов, такие как Siemens NX, PTC Creo и другие «неродные» форматы. Это станет возможным в Fusion 360.

Расширение от инженеров FabLab НИТУ «МИСиС

Команда молодых инженеров FabLab НИТУ МИСиС в начале сентября 2017 года представила скрипт Addin для программы Fusion 360 компании Autodesk. Это генератор для автоматического моделирования и проектирования коробки с указанными размерами, которую можно изготовить с использованием лазерной резки или фрезерования. Идея проекта заняла 1-е место в конкурсе Forge For Universities («Кузница 3D-решений») на фестивале Autodesk Hackathon.

По словам одного из создателей проекта, резидента FabLab НИТУ «МИСиС» Филиппа Егорова, «в фаблабах и мэйкерспейсах частой задачей является создание коробки из плоских деталей, для лазерной резки или фрезеровки. На первый взгляд, это несложная задача, при этом она занимает время от одного часа и более. Наше решение позволяет получить готовые файлы для изготовления коробки на лазерном резчике или фрезерном станке за считанные минуты. Пользователю теперь нет необходимости изучать 3D-моделирование, необходимо лишь ввести параметры будущей коробки (толщина материала, размеры и т.д.). Наша команда разработала Addin для Fusion 360. Продукт уже полностью прошел процедуру верификации и доступен для скачивания в Autodesk App Store.

Конкурс Forge For Universities проводится компанией Autodesk среди российских вузов с целью повышения мотивации молодежи в освоении и применении облачных программных продуктов и технологий Autodesk. Платформа Forge – это набор облачных API, на базе которых программисты могут создавать инженерные веб-сервисы и приложения. В этом году первое место в конкурсе Forge ForUniversities заняла команда Филиппа Егорова и Тимофея Короткова из университета НИТУ МИСиС, и в качестве приза ребята получают грант от Autodesk на дальнейшее развитие проекта, — рассказал старший специалист партнерских программ для разработчиков Autodesk Forge и Autodesk Developer Network Ярослав Решетников.

Разработчики продолжают оптимизировать программный продукт, исправлять ошибки и добавлять функции, в том числе функцию мультизубцов, что позволит сделать большие коробки более устойчивыми и надежными.

Design for Manufacture

Either you create 3D models because you plan to manufacture your designs, or you create models for visualization purposes such as rendering or animation. There are many requirements a model must meet before it can be manufactured that aren’t required for visualization purposes.

Solidworks has a huge share of the design market because for decades, they’ve provided the tools to crate production-ready CAD models. This is Solidworks’ bread and butter. From tolerancing to draft and mold design to FEA and cost estimate, Solidworks is the clear leader in aiding designers create models for manufacturing purposes.

I personally create models for visualization purposed 99% of the time. To me, being able to create a production-ready CAD model isn’t a high priority. Because of this, Fusion 360’s lack of production-focused modeling tools isn’t a huge issue.

In summary, if you’re going to be modeling for production purposes, Solidworks is the clear winner. If you’re just working on your design skills, exploring concepts or focused on product visualization, Fusion 360 should do the job.

Fusion 360 Summary

Fusion 360 is an intriguing product when you think about it. It is offered by the same company that produces other heavy-hitting 3D applications such as Inventor, Maya, and 3DS Max, etc. It has so many fully-functioning advanced capabilities that are comparable to Solidworks, yet the price for utilizing this application is dramatically less than Solidworks.

On the other hand, the more advanced tools for generative design, simulation, rendering, etc. are all cloud-based services. So you might find yourself spending a lot of money on these Cloud Credit services as the years pass. Fusion 360 is also easy to collaborate with other teams because it is cloud-based.

Furthermore, Fusion 360 has a dramatically more straightforward UI and is much more user-friendly than Solidworks. This simple UI brings 3D product design into the hands of those who aren’t ready to take on the Solidworks learning curve. As a result of which, Fusion 360 still has me scratching my head.

When I think about it one way, it makes sense to start with Fusion 360 and, maybe, later down the road, switch to Solidworks. Still, when I think about it another way, it might be better to wrap your arms around Solidworks and gain the full freedom to utilize its rendering, simulating, wiring, etc. capabilities without worrying about the Cloud Credits.

Fusion 360 Pros and Con

Why Go With Fusion 360? | Autodesk

Lightweight, affordable and cloud-based. Fusion 360 is more user friendly for freeform 3D modeling.

View Promos & Discounts

We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Pros

• Uses the cloud so you can access files on the move and updates and security fixes are easy to install
• Exports files that are compatible with most 3D printers on the market
• Very intuitive and straightforward user interface so you shouldn’t have any issues with using this particular CAD software
• Quick responses from their support team and you can avail of the online training materials too
• Works seamlessly on both Windows and Mac computers

Cons

• You will need a good internet connection as the application uses cloud technology
• If your internet is down you won’t be able to access your files
• Can’t customize your keyboard shortcuts