SOLIDWORKS

Overview

SOLIDWORKS is a 3D product-design portfolio for building parts and assemblies, producing drawings and evaluating designs. It is best suited to engineering and product teams that need more than a modeling tool; its annual single-user plans make it a substantial commitment for occasional or personal work.

The core Design application runs locally and can connect to the 3DEXPERIENCE cloud platform. For teams, that combination brings design work together with sharing and revision management; for a browser-only workflow, SOLIDWORKS xDesign provides modeling tools without local installation. The portfolio spans industrial, medical, scientific, consumer, education, technology and transportation work.

Key features

Design and analysis

SOLIDWORKS Design covers parts, assemblies, drawings, sheet metal and framing, with parametric modeling, sculpting, animation, a built-in renderer and 3D-print export. That breadth suits product development from component modeling through presentation and fabrication output. Simulation tools across the portfolio support performance, efficiency and durability analysis, although the more specific analysis capabilities vary by plan.

Collaboration and data management

Cloud Services connect the installed application to 3DEXPERIENCE for design sharing, stakeholder markups, cloud storage and revision management. SOLIDWORKS Design can also be used offline, which helps when a connection is unavailable. The cloud platform carries ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO/IEC 27017:2015 certifications, an AICPA SOC 2 Type 2 audit and CSA STAR Level 1 registration. The service states a 99.5% availability SLA.

Support and ecosystem

Online purchases include technical support and getting-started resources. The SOLIDWORKS community numbers more than 8 million users, and the Solution Partner Program works with hundreds of partners; Certified Gold Products integrate inside the SOLIDWORKS interface. Eligible commercial licenses also include AURA and LEO virtual companions and listed AI competencies without an extra license.

Pricing

The paid Design plans are billed yearly for a single user, excluding local taxes. Each is a machine-locked device license, so the annual price buys access for one user on one device rather than a flexible seat.

Design Standard with Cloud Services — $2,820 USD per year. Includes parts, assemblies and drawings, cloud collaboration, revision management and technical support. It is the entry point for users who need core CAD and shared data, but not the higher-tier rendering and analysis additions.

Design Professional with Cloud Services — $3,456 USD per year. Adds a CAD component library, photorealistic rendering, tolerance stack-up analysis, cost estimation and CAD standards checking. It fits teams that need those production and review tools without Premium's routing and analysis features.

Design Premium with Cloud Services — $4,716 USD per year. Adds electrical cable and harness routing, pipe and tube routing, linear static analysis, motion analysis and advanced surface flattening to Professional. It is the strongest fit when those specialist workflows justify the higher yearly cost.

SOLIDWORKS for Makers — $48 a year. Intended for personal, non-commercial use and includes 25 GB of 3DEXPERIENCE storage, which cannot be expanded. It has no free trial, and its non-commercial restriction rules it out for paid work.

A free SOLIDWORKS Design Standard tier is available to students, with the same professional 3D CAD software used by leading companies. A free trial is also offered. Online purchases include support, and orders can be cancelled and refunded within 15 days after purchase.

Platforms

Client SOLIDWORKS products support Windows 10 and Windows 11 64-bit; eDrawings for Mac supports specified macOS releases. The portfolio also includes browser-based xDesign for use on any device without local installation. The main Design application is not browser-only, but its offline mode means cloud connectivity is not required for every session.

Who it's for

SOLIDWORKS is a good fit for product engineers and design teams working with assemblies, fabrication-oriented parts, drawings or simulation, especially when they can use the cloud collaboration and revision tools. Professional makes sense when rendering, cost estimation or tolerance analysis matters; Premium is easier to justify for routing or motion and static analysis. The Makers plan suits personal projects, while students can use the free Standard tier. Solo users needing only occasional modeling may find the annual commercial plans more than their work requires.

Pros and cons

Pro: Core design spans parts, assemblies, drawings, sheet metal and framing, with parametric modeling and 3D-print export in the same portfolio.

Pro: Cloud Services combine collaboration, markups and revision management, while offline use remains possible.

Pro: The tier ladder ties concrete additions such as rendering, routing and motion analysis to higher plans.

Con: The entry commercial plan costs $2,820 USD per year for a single machine-locked device, making it a sizable commitment for an individual.

Con: Makers is restricted to personal, non-commercial work and caps cloud storage at 25 GB without expansion.

Con: Windows client support and a separate browser product mean users seeking one browser-first workflow should compare alternatives.

Alternatives

Consider Onshape if you want a free non-commercial plan on Android, iOS or the web; its documents are public, so it is a poor fit when private designs are essential. Rhino 3D is another option if you prefer Windows or macOS software with a permanent commercial license. Choose Creo instead when its web, desktop and mobile platform range suits your deployment needs.

Shapr3D is worth comparing for a free Basic tier limited to two projects or a Pro annual plan. OwlCAD may suit those seeking a free forever option with commercial rights and broad import/export formats. Autodesk Inventor offers a monthly no-contract subscription option or access in 24-hour token increments. FreeCAD is the free alternative for Linux, macOS and Windows users. CATIA is another paid option with web and Windows platforms.

For a broader shortlist, see 3D CAD Software, CAD software, Electrical Design Software and 3D modeling software.

Verdict

Choose SOLIDWORKS if your work depends on capable 3D product design, production drawings and a path into simulation, with cloud collaboration available alongside installed software. Its clearest drawback is the price and machine-locked single-device terms of the commercial plans; look elsewhere if you need a lower-cost, browser-first or more flexible personal modeling setup.