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Most buyers should pick Autodesk Fusion.
For broad CAD-to-manufacturing and PCB work, Autodesk Fusion is the stronger fit on the published feature set, and it offers eligible users a free education plan. SOLIDWORKS is the clearer pick if you want named-user or device-license options and can budget from $235 per user or device per month, billed yearly. Its Makers offers start at a promotional $2/month equivalent, but are limited to personal, non-commercial projects under $2,000 annual revenue. Fusion paid prices aren't published.
01Side by side
| Autodesk Fusion | SOLIDWORKS | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Paid price not published | Makers: $2/month equivalent promo; $24/year |
| Free plan | Yes; eligible education plan is free | No |
| Best for | CAD, CAM, PCB, and cloud product development | 3D CAD, simulation, and design-to-production |
| Core strength | CAD through CNC, additive, simulation, and PCB | Parts, assemblies, simulation, manufacturing workflows |
| Learning curve | Review ease-of-use score: 7/10 | Review ease-of-use score: 6/10 |
| Integrations/data | Cloud storage, version control, permissions, design reviews | Product data management and collaboration |
| Team/seat costs | Subscription price unpublished; Flex uses prepaid daily tokens | Named-user/device offers: $235–$393 monthly equivalent, billed yearly |
| Support | Prioritized 24/7 support on Business Success Plan | Support terms not published |
Autodesk Fusion Choose Autodesk Fusion if
- Choose Autodesk Fusion if you need CAD, CAM, and PCB.
- Choose Autodesk Fusion if eligible free education access matters.
- Choose Autodesk Fusion if cloud version control and reviews matter.
SOLIDWORKS Choose SOLIDWORKS if
- Choose SOLIDWORKS if you want published named-user license pricing.
- Choose SOLIDWORKS if you need machine-locked device licensing.
- Choose SOLIDWORKS Makers if personal projects stay under $2,000 annual revenue.
02Pricing compared
Autodesk Fusion’s paid prices are not published on the vendor's site. Its Subscription and Flex plans have no listed price; Flex uses prepaid daily tokens, and the page does not state the token cost. Eligible students and educators get a free, renewable one-year Education Plan for educational use only. A Business Success Plan upgrade is listed at about $200 for eligible offerings, but its billing unit and term are not stated.
SOLIDWORKS lists its Standard, Professional, and Premium offers at $235, $288, and $393 per user or device per month, respectively, with annual billing. The Makers offers are listed at $15 monthly or $48 per year; a promotion lowers the annual price to $24, equivalent to $2 per month. Makers use is restricted to personal, non-commercial projects generating under $2,000 in annual revenue. Compare the license terms, not just the monthly equivalents.
03Features and depth
Fusion’s published feature set covers CAD, engineering, manufacturing, and PCB design in one cloud-based platform. It includes parametric, direct, freeform, mesh, and sheet metal modeling, plus assemblies and manufacturing drawings. Manufacturing tools cover 2.5- to 5-axis milling, turning, mill-turn machining, toolpaths, and machine simulation. The listed capabilities also include additive manufacturing preparation, FEA, generative design, PCB schematic and layout work, and cloud collaboration with version control and design reviews.
SOLIDWORKS’ published summary centers on parts, assemblies, drawings, sheet metal, framing, simulation, data management, and design-to-production workflows. It also lists AI Virtual Companions for repetitive tasks and knowledge capture. Both products cover core 3D design and simulation; Fusion’s stated breadth is the clearer fit if PCB design and a broad range of manufacturing methods matter in the same platform. The published SOLIDWORKS feature summary does not detail PCB design or the same range of machining capabilities, so check the exact edition and workflow before switching.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Neither product is presented as a no-learning-curve option. Fusion spans modeling, simulation, PCB design, and manufacturing, so teams using several of those areas should account for the effort of learning each workflow. Its review score for ease of use is 7 out of 10; SOLIDWORKS scores 6 out of 10 in the published reviews. Those scores are directional, not a substitute for checking your own team’s workflows.
SOLIDWORKS offers named-user licenses that can be accessed on multiple devices, with offline work for up to 30 consecutive days. Its Makers review notes some friction around logins, so hobbyists should verify that setup suits them. For either product, confirm license access, collaboration needs, and the tools your team actually uses before migrating.
Questions people ask
Do professional engineers use SOLIDWORKS?
The published product information describes SOLIDWORKS as 3D CAD and cloud product development software, with parts, assemblies, drawings, simulation, data management, and manufacturing workflows. It does not provide data on how many professional engineers use it, so we can’t quantify its adoption.
Is Fusion 360 still free for hobbyists?
The published pricing information confirms a free Education Plan for eligible students and educators, for educational use only. It does not state that hobbyists qualify for a free plan or publish a personal-use price. Check Autodesk’s current eligibility and terms before assuming it will be free.
Is Fusion good for 3D modeling?
Fusion’s listed modeling tools include parametric, direct, freeform, mesh, and sheet metal modeling, along with assemblies and manufacturing drawings. That makes it a broad option for 3D product design; whether it fits depends on the specific modeling and production workflows your team needs.
Is there a better alternative to Fusion 360?
There isn’t a universal winner in the published information. Fusion has the broader published coverage for PCB design and multiple manufacturing methods, while SOLIDWORKS lists named-user and device-license options. Compare the tools you need and the license cost; Fusion paid prices are not published here.