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Comparison

Solidworks vs Fusion 360

Pick Solidworks when

  • Full-time mechanical and product designers
  • Engineering teams needing simulation plus PDM
  • Startups via the SOLIDWORKS startup program
  • Hobbyists at the $48 Maker tier

When Solidworks is not a fit

  • Occasional users . subscription cost outpaces rare use
  • Casual makers wanting simple, cheap tools
  • Mac-only teams . desktop CAD is Windows-bound
  • Buyers demanding transparent public pricing

Sources

  1. SOLIDWORKS Reviews . G2g2.com
    review
  2. Solidworks is the worst occasional use software . Redditreddit.com
    review
  3. Subscriptions have gone up 25% from last year . Redditreddit.com
    review
  4. SolidWorks 2025 review . Creative Bloqcreativebloq.com
    review
  5. SOLIDWORKS for Makers ($48 hobbyist license)solidworks.com
    official
  6. SOLIDWORKS Design plans and pricingsolidworks.com
    official
  7. 2026 SOLIDWORKS Buying Guide . Hawk Ridge Systemshawkridgesys.com
    official
  8. CVE-2026-3476: SOLIDWORKS Desktop RCE . SentinelOnesentinelone.com
    security
  9. Dassault Systèmes Security Advisories3ds.com
    security
  10. solidworks.com data breach in 2021 . Breachsensebreachsense.com
    security
  11. Companies that use Solidworks . TheirStacktheirstack.com
    news
  12. Onshape as a SOLIDWORKS alternativeonshape.com
    news