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Compare Inventor and SOLIDWORKS 
At a Glance
Market Segments
Mid-Market (42.7% of reviews)
Small-Business (43.4% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
$2085 1 year
No pricing available
Inventor
Star Rating
(435)4.4 out of 5
Market Segments
Mid-Market (42.7% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
$2085 1 year
Browse all 4 pricing plansSOLIDWORKS
Star Rating
(603)4.4 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (43.4% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about SOLIDWORKSSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- Users report that SOLIDWORKS excels in its Drawing Tools, scoring 9.4 compared to Inventor's 8.7. Reviewers mention that the intuitive interface and robust features make it easier to create detailed technical drawings.
- Reviewers mention that SOLIDWORKS has superior Modeling capabilities, with a score of 9.4 versus Inventor's 8.9. Users appreciate the advanced features like 3D/solid modeling tools that enhance design flexibility and creativity.
- G2 users highlight SOLIDWORKS' strong CAD-CAM Import functionality, scoring 9.1, which allows for seamless integration of CAD designs into CAM processes. In contrast, Inventor's capabilities in this area are less emphasized, leading to a lower user satisfaction.
- Users on G2 report that SOLIDWORKS offers better Rendering Tools, with a score of 8.0 compared to Inventor's 7.5. Reviewers mention that the rendering quality and speed in SOLIDWORKS significantly enhance the visualization of designs.
- Reviewers mention that SOLIDWORKS provides a more comprehensive Library management system, scoring 8.9 for categorization and search features, while Inventor's library capabilities are rated lower, making it less efficient for users managing large component libraries.
- Users say that SOLIDWORKS has a more favorable Quality of Support, with both products scoring 8.1, but users report that SOLIDWORKS support is more responsive and helpful, which is crucial for users needing timely assistance during projects.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Inventor
1 Year
$2085
1 year
Choose online store or reseller or call toll-free 1-844-821-0545.
SOLIDWORKS
No pricing availableFree Trial
Inventor
Free Trial is available
SOLIDWORKS
No trial information availableRatings
Meets Requirements
8.8
372
8.8
501
Ease of Use
8.3
372
8.6
505
Ease of Setup
7.9
102
8.0
77
Ease of Admin
7.7
99
7.9
46
Quality of Support
8.1
341
8.1
442
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.2
94
8.3
46
Product Direction (% positive)
8.3
367
8.6
498
Features by Category
CAD to CAM
Not enough data
9.1
38
Not enough data
8.9
38
Not enough data
8.9
38
CNC Programming
Not enough data
8.7
34
Not enough data
8.6
34
Not enough data
8.4
33
Machining
Not enough data
8.6
35
Not enough data
8.7
35
Not enough data
8.8
35
Design
8.6
35
9.4
89
8.9
35
9.4
89
8.4
35
9.3
86
7.5
32
8.0
86
Edit
8.1
34
8.4
84
7.3
33
8.2
77
7.9
34
9.3
84
7.7
34
8.2
72
Collaboration
8.1
34
8.5
82
8.6
33
9.0
82
8.3
34
8.4
77
Library
Not enough data
8.8
24
Not enough data
8.3
24
Not enough data
8.2
25
Not enough data
8.4
20
CAD
Not enough data
8.9
21
Not enough data
9.4
26
Not enough data
9.0
26
Integration
Not enough data
8.4
23
Not enough data
9.5
24
Not enough data
8.5
21
Data
Not enough data
9.1
23
Not enough data
8.5
22
Not enough data
8.1
22
Not enough data
8.8
22
Not enough data
8.0
20
Not enough data
8.5
21
Logistics
Not enough data
9.0
23
File Support
Not enough data
8.7
55
Not enough data
8.5
41
Not enough data
8.4
46
File Editing
Not enough data
7.5
49
Not enough data
8.6
53
Software Integrations
Not enough data
7.5
43
Not enough data
8.8
52
Software Type
Not enough data
7.6
42
Not enough data
8.5
47
Generative AI
Not enough data
6.8
14
Not enough data
6.7
14
File Options
Not enough data
8.8
38
Not enough data
9.1
37
Not enough data
9.1
37
Not enough data
9.3
38
Not enough data
8.2
30
Not enough data
8.1
36
Tools
Not enough data
9.5
37
Not enough data
9.0
35
Not enough data
9.1
37
Design
Not enough data
9.4
37
Design
Not enough data
7.7
11
Not enough data
7.7
11
Tools
Not enough data
9.2
12
Not enough data
8.8
12
Library
Not enough data
8.1
12
Platform
Not enough data
8.5
12
Not enough data
7.9
11
Customization
Not enough data
7.6
11
Not enough data
8.2
11
Design
9.0
20
9.2
53
8.6
20
8.9
53
8.7
20
8.7
53
7.6
19
7.4
53
Tools
5.6
16
7.9
47
7.5
19
7.9
48
7.1
17
7.3
41
Work
6.9
15
7.3
35
6.8
15
7.6
36
7.2
16
8.1
42
7.6
14
7.9
38
7.6
16
8.4
41
Environment
7.7
17
8.3
47
7.7
18
8.3
45
6.9
18
8.2
42
8.1
19
8.6
46
Tools - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
Not enough data
9.3
12
Not enough data
7.9
12
Not enough data
9.4
12
Not enough data
8.8
12
Not enough data
7.6
12
File Options - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
Not enough data
8.2
12
Not enough data
8.2
12
Not enough data
7.6
12
Not enough data
8.1
12
Not enough data
7.5
12
Customization - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
Not enough data
8.2
11
Not enough data
8.2
11
Not enough data
7.7
11
Not enough data
8.3
11
Environment - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
Not enough data
8.2
12
Not enough data
8.3
11
Not enough data
8.0
11
Not enough data
8.5
11
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Inventor and SOLIDWORKS are categorized as Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD), Simulation & CAE, and General-Purpose CAD
Unique Categories
Inventor has no unique categories
SOLIDWORKS is categorized as CAD Viewers, 3D Printing, Sketching, PCB Design, Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM), CAD Libraries, and CAD Data Exchange
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Inventor
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
SOLIDWORKS
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
24.9%
Machinery
7.9%
Design
7.2%
Construction
5.0%
Utilities
3.8%
Other
51.1%
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
22.6%
Design
12.1%
Automotive
6.5%
Medical Devices
5.9%
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
5.9%
Other
47.0%
Most Helpful Reviews
Inventor
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Ryan S.
Verified User in Machinery
Ease of use is the big winner here. The user interface is intuitive and light years ahead of competing software packages. Ability to import 3rd party files with relative ease is a major plus. The design workflow is very seamless between sketching, modeling...
Most Helpful Critical Review
henk w.
Verified User
The program has a lot of bugs and it you have to know what to make when you start the model
SOLIDWORKS
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Yevgen G.
Verified User in Higher Education
1. User friendly interface including - clear structure; - intuitively proper location of tools; - good help system; - customizable toolboxes. 2. Comprehensive functionality including - open platform with hundreds of add-ins; - add-ins present CAD,...
Most Helpful Critical Review
Steve F.
Verified User in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
I have been using CAD systems since 1985 when they were still 2D wireframe programs. I have been an engineer for over 20 years. I have used every CAD system there is...AutoCAD, Inventor, Cadkey, KeyCreator, MasterCam, IDEAS, Anvil, Catia, SurfCam and...
Ryan S.
Verified User in Machinery
Ease of use is the big winner here. The user interface is intuitive and light years ahead of competing software packages. Ability to import 3rd party files with relative ease is a major plus. The design workflow is very seamless between sketching, modeling...
Yevgen G.
Verified User in Higher Education
1. User friendly interface including - clear structure; - intuitively proper location of tools; - good help system; - customizable toolboxes. 2. Comprehensive functionality including - open platform with hundreds of add-ins; - add-ins present CAD,...
henk w.
Verified User
The program has a lot of bugs and it you have to know what to make when you start the model
Steve F.
Verified User in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
I have been using CAD systems since 1985 when they were still 2D wireframe programs. I have been an engineer for over 20 years. I have used every CAD system there is...AutoCAD, Inventor, Cadkey, KeyCreator, MasterCam, IDEAS, Anvil, Catia, SurfCam and...
Discussions
How do you handle the data creation problem?
2 comments
SG
You basically need to create each model from scratch in Inventor. You can copy your AutoCAD in Inventor and extrude the models but the models won't be...Read more
there is a form to get more realistic renders from inventor?
2 comments
KC
Max can load Inventor files natively, so that's certainly one option.
The render engine in Inventor is pretty good, though. There is a great deal of ...Read more
Is integration with other Autodesk products being considered?
2 comments
MG
Autodesk published a video on how to export Inventor parts to Revit here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue7-WtyiUtIRead more
What is SOLIDWORKS used for?
3 comments
YP
SOLIDWORKS IS USED FOR MULTIPLE WORK LIKE 2D & 3D CAD MODELING, ASSEMBLY MODELING, SHWWET METAL MODELING, SURFACE MODELING, RENDERING, SIMULATION, 3D...Read more
To stop or cancel an ongoing command, use the 'abort' or 'terminate' command.
2 comments
GP
The sentence does not contain any translatable content as it is an imperative instruction.Read more
best use o this software
2 comments
OS
Making 2D sketches and extruding them to make 3d sketches.Read more
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