Side-by-side software comparison
SOLIDWORKS vs Autodesk Inventor
SOLIDWORKS and Autodesk Inventor address overlapping design needs but differ in workflow depth, deployment, licensing and ideal customer.
Compared products
Comparison overview
Understand the key differences
SOLIDWORKS is best for mechanical engineers, machine builders and product development teams.
Autodesk Inventor is best for manufacturers already invested in autodesk design and data workflows.
Start here
Quick verdict
Quick verdict
SOLIDWORKS is the editorial winner for best dedicated mechanical workflow. Choose SOLIDWORKS when mechanical engineers, machine builders and product development teams. Choose Autodesk Inventor when manufacturers already invested in autodesk design and data workflows.
Key differences: overview.brand, pricing.starting_price, pricing.unit
Shared criteria: overview.current_version, overview.lifecycle_status, overview.primary_category
SOLIDWORKS is the editorial winner for best dedicated mechanical workflow. Choose SOLIDWORKS when mechanical engineers, machine builders and product development teams. Choose Autodesk Inventor when manufacturers already invested in autodesk design and data workflows.
What changes
Key differences
- Brand: set difference
- Starting Price: partial overlap
- Pricing Unit: value difference
- Trial Duration: value difference
- Licence Type: partial overlap
- Suitable For: partial overlap
- Published Comparisons: value difference
What is shared
Key similarities
- Current Version: identical
- Lifecycle Status: identical
- Primary Category: identical
- Pricing Visibility: identical
- Starting Price: partially overlapping
- Pricing Model: identical
- Free Trial: identical
- Demo Available: identical
- Licence Type: partially overlapping
- Deployment Type: identical
- Supported Platforms: identical
- Compatible Plugin Count: identical
- Customer Type: identical
- Suitable For: partially overlapping
- Alternatives Count: identical
Feature by feature
Detailed comparison
| Criterion | SOLIDWORKS | Autodesk Inventor |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Brand | Dassault Systèmes | Autodesk |
| Current Version | 2026 demo profile | 2026 demo profile |
| Lifecycle Status | active | active |
| Primary Category | CAD Software, Mechanical CAD | CAD Software, Mechanical CAD |
| Pricing | ||
| Pricing Visibility | starting_from | starting_from |
| Starting Price | USD 3995.00 | USD 2500.00 |
| Pricing Model | Paid | Paid |
| Pricing Unit | license_year | user_year |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Trial Duration | Demo on request | 30 days |
| Demo Available | Yes | Yes |
| Licensing | ||
| Licence Type | Subscription, Perpetual | Subscription |
| Deployment | ||
| Deployment Type | Desktop, Cloud Services | Desktop, Cloud Services |
| Platforms | ||
| Supported Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Integrations | ||
| Compatible Plugin Count | 0 | 0 |
| Commercial | ||
| Customer Type | Professional Teams | Professional Teams |
| Suitable For | Machine Design, Product Engineering, Manufacturing Documentation | Machine Design, Factory Equipment, Production Drawings |
| Other | ||
| Alternatives Count | 4 | 4 |
| Published Comparisons | 2 | 1 |
Trade-offs
Pros and cons
Product fit
Which product is best for you?
Category winners
Overview
No clear winner
Pricing
No clear winner
Licensing
No clear winner
Deployment
No clear winner
Platforms
No clear winner
Core Capabilities
No clear winner
Bim
No clear winner
Cam
No clear winner
Cae
No clear winner
Rendering
No clear winner
Collaboration
No clear winner
Ai
No clear winner
Integrations
No clear winner
File Compatibility
No clear winner
Support
No clear winner
Commercial
No clear winner
Other
No clear winner
Other options
Questions answered
Keep researching
Talk to an expert
Get help choosing between these products
Share your requirements and the EngineX Lead workflow will route your enquiry with this page context attached.
- Product and comparison context included
- Consent-aware submission
- Secure routing to configured CRM connectors