We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes a score or a ranking. How we make money
Most buyers should pick Autodesk Fusion.
Choose Autodesk Fusion if you need CAD, engineering, manufacturing, and PCB design in one platform. Its paid prices are not published, so budget comparisons are difficult. Solid Edge is the clearer price choice: its Design and Drafting plan starts at $99.74 per user per month billed annually, with a 30-day trial. Both have free options, but eligibility and permitted use differ. Solid Edge’s free offerings include community, student, and startup options; Fusion lists free access for eligible students and educators.
01Side by side
| Autodesk Fusion | Solid Edge | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Not published; eligible education users pay $0. | From $99.74/user/month, billed annually (Design and Drafting). |
| Free plan | Free access for eligible students and educators; educational use. | Free 2D, community, student, and startup options; eligibility applies. |
| Best for | Product development spanning CAD, engineering, manufacturing, and PCB design. | Design and drafting with integrated CAD/CAM solutions. |
| Core strength | Broad CAD, CAE, CAM, and PCB tools in one platform. | Integrated CAD/CAM delivered as secure SaaS. |
| Learning curve | Review ease-of-use score: 7/10. | Review ease-of-use score: 6/10. |
| Integrations/data | Cloud project storage, version control, permissions, and design reviews. | Teamcenter Share includes 500 GB pooled storage per listed plan. |
| Team/seat costs | Subscription pricing and billing terms are not published. | Published per-user monthly prices; annual billing is available. |
| Support | Business Success Plan includes prioritized 24/7 support. | Support details are not published on the vendor's site. |
Autodesk Fusion Choose Autodesk Fusion if
- Choose Autodesk Fusion if you need CAD, CAE, CAM, and PCB together.
- Choose Autodesk Fusion if cloud collaboration and version control matter.
- Choose Autodesk Fusion if you qualify for free educational access.
Solid Edge Choose Solid Edge if
- Choose Solid Edge if you want published per-user plan prices.
- Choose Solid Edge if you need a 30-day trial.
- Choose Solid Edge if you qualify for its free options.
02Pricing compared
Autodesk does not publish Fusion’s monthly or annual price, so we can’t make a like-for-like paid-cost comparison. Its pricing page lists subscriptions and Flex daily tokens, but not their prices. Eligible students and educators get free access for one year, renewable for educational use only.
Solid Edge publishes its prices. Design and Drafting starts at $124.68 per user monthly, or $99.74 per month billed annually. Designcenter X Standard, Advanced, and Premium cost $234.15, $290.85, and $416.85 per user monthly, respectively, with annual billing. Each listed plan includes one license, 500 GB pooled storage, and Teamcenter Share for 10 authorized users per project. Siemens offers a 30-day trial. Free options cover eligible community, student, and startup users, with use restrictions. Add-ons cost extra; for example, Advanced Simulation is $283.50 monthly billed annually.
03Features and depth
Fusion has the broader set of specifically documented capabilities here. Autodesk describes one platform spanning CAD, engineering, manufacturing, and PCB design. Its CAD tools include parametric, direct, freeform, mesh, and sheet metal modeling, assemblies, and manufacturing drawings. Manufacturing features cover 2.5- to 5-axis milling, turning, mill-turn, toolpaths, and machine simulation. Autodesk also lists additive manufacturing preparation, FEA, generative design, PCB layout and simulation, plus cloud storage, version control, permissions, and design reviews.
Siemens describes Solid Edge within Designcenter X as secure SaaS design software with integrated CAD/CAM solutions. It also positions the suite around digital twins and product development. The published Solid Edge material does not specify comparable modeling methods, machining operations, simulation tools, or PCB capabilities, so we would verify those against the exact plan before switching. Solid Edge plans vary, and routing and simulation are also sold as add-ons.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The available product details don’t establish which tool is easier to learn. Fusion combines several disciplines in one cloud-based platform, so teams choosing it should map which CAD, manufacturing, simulation, and PCB workflows they actually need. A wider feature set can mean more to evaluate, but it does not prove a steeper learning curve.
Solid Edge is delivered as SaaS, and its listed plans include Teamcenter Share and 500 GB pooled storage. Those details describe delivery and collaboration, not day-to-day usability. Before switching, check whether your team’s files, integrations, and manufacturing workflows fit the specific Solid Edge tier. Use the 30-day trial Siemens lists to assess that fit; Autodesk’s published pricing information does not state a Fusion trial term.
Questions people ask
Is Fusion 360 better than Solid Edge?
It depends on the work. Autodesk documents CAD, manufacturing, simulation, additive manufacturing, and PCB design in Fusion. Siemens describes Solid Edge as part of an integrated CAD/CAM SaaS offering, but the published details are less specific. Compare the exact workflows and plan costs; Fusion’s paid prices are not published.
Is Fusion no longer free for hobbyists?
The published Autodesk pricing information lists free access for eligible students and educators, for educational use, but does not list a free hobbyist plan or explain its status. We can’t confirm from these sources whether hobbyist access changed. Check Autodesk’s current eligibility terms before relying on free access.
Is Solid Edge still used?
Siemens currently lists Solid Edge within Designcenter X and describes it as SaaS design software with integrated CAD/CAM solutions. That confirms the product is listed by Siemens, but the published sources don’t provide usage figures or adoption data, so we can’t quantify how widely it is used.
Does NASA use Fusion 360?
The published sources do not say whether NASA uses Autodesk Fusion, formerly Fusion 360. We can’t verify that claim from this material. If NASA usage matters to your decision, look for a current statement from NASA or Autodesk that identifies the product and the specific use.