# SolidWorks Premium Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is SolidWorks Premium the right Engineering CAD solution for you? Explore 755 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/reviews --- SolidWorks Premium 4.6 (755) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated December 15th, 2025 # Reviews of SolidWorks Premium Ease of use 4.3 Customer Service 4.2 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews CI Chris I CTOMedical Devices, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Powerful design capabilities: Robust tools for 3D modeling, simulation, and rendering.“ May 28, 2025 CI Chris I CTOMedical Devices, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Recent changes to their subscription model make it feel even more expensive and less customer-friendly on price.“ May 28, 2025 Sahil G Sales EngineerMachinery, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Amazing and intuitive design software with an abundance of features that allows you to bring a design to life with ease!“ June 18, 2025 NK Nicholas K Chief Research OfficerResearch, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Also the lack of compatibility with older versions can make it difficult to collaborate to institutions that canot afford the latest model year.“ October 17, 2024 Steven P CEOInternet, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I liked the 3DExperience cloud PDM fonctionnalities that are now available in my package“ March 6, 2026 CD Craig D Mechanical Design EngineerMachinery, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “SolidWorks crashes very often.“ February 12, 2026 Caleb T Mechanical EngineerDesign, 5,001 - 10,000 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “It also has one of the most straightforward UIs of any CAD software.“ August 5, 2025 AJ Amjad J Technical SupportConstruction, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: I used a free trial. “SolidWorks Premium is a powerful CAD software that offers a range of advanced design and simulation tools, but it may not be the best fit for all organizations or individuals due to its cost, steep learning curve, and compatibility issues.“ April 25, 2023 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 755 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Steven P. CEO Internet Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great product if you're working with a SolidWorks Reseller (3DXperience)" March 6, 2026 5.0 Very good experience overall. SolidWorks Premium offers powerful tools, stability, and efficiency for professional design work Pros Access to the Simulation in assembly is a must for our products. I liked the 3DExperience cloud PDM fonctionnalities that are now available in my package Cons Without an integrator like (\[sensitive content hidden\]) it is hard to navigate in 3DExperience platform by your own. I strongly recommand to contact a VAR to help you during the installation Review Source Kishore E. Mechanical engineer Defense & Space Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Best cad tool for designers" March 19, 2025 4.0 As mechanical engineer i made products to defence sector, by using i can made faster 3d models and production drawings within the one software and so its reduces the time and also money Pros The best thing i like about the software is its simplicity like even beginners can learn easily and a connection between sketch and drafting and finally its Tool box Cons The downside of this software is its sadddenly crashes sometimes ,so all the work we have done before crashing will be lost. Switched from [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) For Faster designing of 3d models and simulation Review Source CI Chris I. CTO Medical Devices Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great software, but price is a tough pill to swallow" May 28, 2025 3.0 We’ve really enjoyed using the software – it’s a powerful tool with all the features you could need for engineering design. The software itself is great and delivers on performance for most of our needs. But with the way pricing has been shifting, it’s making me question if it’s worth the investment for our company in the long term. If the cost was more competitive, I’d be all in, but right now, we have to consider alternatives. Pros Powerful design capabilities: Robust tools for 3D modeling, simulation, and rendering. Great for complex engineering designs, especially if you have the right computer specs. User-friendly interface: easy to pick up. Layout makes finding tools and features quick and easy. Solid integration: Works well enough with other CAD/CAM tools, so can drop into existing workflow without much disruption. Cons Expensive: The cost is simply very high compared to alternatives like Fusion 360. Recent changes to their subscription model make it feel even more expensive and less customer-friendly on price. Subscription model changes: switch in how they offer plans compared to a few years ago has made me rethink each year if we can stick with it for the long run, especially for smaller team/company. Learning curve: Interface is good, but still a learning curve to fully get the most out of all the features. Alternatives considered [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/178416/Fusion-360/) Reason for choosing SolidWorks Premium Seemed more industry standard at the time, although Fusion's growth and Solidworks increased price burden makes me have to reconsider this in the near future. Review Source CD Craig D. Mechanical Design Engineer Machinery Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Still the benchmark of CAD" February 12, 2026 4.0 It is the benchmark for all CAD systems, for all its quirks and the cost, SolidWorks remains the software all CAD systems compare themselves to. Pros 3d Design is excellent. I like how more and more companies are integrating their products into the features of SolidWorks. The part to drawing integration is excellent. Cons It is very expensive in comparison to other products. SolidWorks crashes very often. I've lost a good amount of work due to this. We get a huge number of notifications telling me we have the wrong graphics card Review Source AA Amine A. Senior Mechanical Engineer Consumer Goods Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solidworks" January 28, 2025 5.0 Overall it's still correct because it fullfill my daily needs Pros It centralize a lot of tools for multiples tasks Cons The 3D experience is terrible i've paid like for 2 years it's plugging with solidworks it has 0 efficiency only cloud problems Alternatives considered [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/178416/Fusion-360/) Reason for choosing SolidWorks Premium I do use both actually because each one of them has pros and cons Review Source hS harsha S. Mechanical engineer Medical Devices Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solidworks Review" December 18, 2024 5.0 I've been using solidworks for almost 5 years medical devices ....it's the best in market & never faced any serious issues that couldn't be resolved Pros Able to Navigate Large Assemblies smoothly and better Cons There is still lot of Lag using PDM within the Tab Switched from [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) Better features & user friendly Domain Of solidworks Review Source Caleb T. Mechanical Engineer Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A User-Friendly CAD Solution That Delivers" August 5, 2025 5.0 Overall, I am very pleased with SolidWorks. In my experience, it is the easiest to learn and use daily out of any of the CAD software. Pros I like the ease of use and the intuitive feature set. It is a very user-friendly program and super easy to learn. It also has one of the most straightforward UIs of any CAD software. The learning curve for even advanced features is relatively small. Cons There are times when the entire program freezes. If you let it sit for a few minutes, it sorts itself out usually, but I wish it had some indicator that it is still functioning. In the task manager, it always shows up as "not responding". I also wish it did a little better job with importing and feature recognition. It will not import Creo files. Review Source Cody C. Executive Director of Operations Aviation & Aerospace Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SolidWorks is a Must for the Precision Machining Industry" August 4, 2025 5.0 My overall experience with SolidWorks has been great, it's easy enough to use for jr. engineers to learn, and advanced enough for senior engineers to leverage creating blueprints very quickly and efficiently. Pros SolidWorks Premium is THE best software for creating manufacturing/process blue-prints efficiently and it is also a great tool to extract GD&T and PMI data from a 3D model. Cons I had to purchase Mastercam in addition to SolidWorks for CNC programming capabilities, I wish SolidWorks would implement CNC programming software, such as Mastercam, so it's an all-in-one package for creating blueprints and programming CNC vertical mills. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Senior analyst and consultant Logistics and Supply Chain Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best balance between easiness of use and technical features. " July 13, 2025 5.0 Amazing! Best software for engineering cad design and products innovation. Also well integrated suite adding 360 degrees capabilities. Pros Best software overall in terms of balance between features, features quality, complexity of use, 3d and 1d interoperability and renders capability. Cons Sometimes got issue with motions video and also to download some parts from library, but overall always managed to get it fixed or find a turnaround. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Engineering Student Machinery Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Ease of use" May 30, 2025 5.0 Very nice and well. Was my first Cad software and learning it gave me the base of using other cad softwares. Pros Perfect software to get started with 3D drawings and 3D model designing. Used it for a solid while in uni and now in everyday use. Cons Sometimes some of the functions that are needed is hidden. so need a bit of gogling around to find where it is. Review Source SM Shoukhin M. Founder & CEO E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solidworks is All rounder as a 3D modeling Tool" February 25, 2022 5.0 Overall, I have had a positive experience with SolidWorks Premium. It is a powerful program that allows me to create complex 3D models with ease. The user interface is easy and the tools are powerful. I have been able to save time and money by using this software for product design. Pros As a Designer, Solidworks is the best solution for me for creating and modifying 3D designs. There are several versions of SolidWorks, but the Premium edition is the most comprehensive. It offers me an intuitive user interface, powerful engineering tools, and extensive libraries of components and assemblies. I can get a realistic view of how products will look before they are manufactured - this can save time and money. I can easily create complex designs that would be difficult or impossible to create by hand. I can quickly and easily export designs to different program applications for further refinement or production. This will allow me to make changes to the design or produce it in a different format. This software is very easy for me to use and it can be helpful for beginners too. They will be able to create complex 3D models in a short amount of time. I can use this 3D tool to design products with complex shapes and curves. The Bill of Materials Management feature can help me keep track of all the components that go into my product, and how much each component costs. Cons Sometimes, I can't understand some of the tool features to execute for modeling. It is hard to find some errors that occurred while designing a complex model. Sometimes, I get stuck on what tool to use or how to fix an error in my model. Switched from [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) SolidWorks offers a more comprehensive set of tools for product design. AutoCAD is a good for 2D design, but it does not offer the same level of flexibility and control that SolidWorks does. Review Source JC John C. Entrepreneur Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "A great system for new users, but for those switching from an old system - buyer beware!" May 18, 2022 5.0 I went for 3 day SolidWorks training for Part Modelling. This was a basic introduction. While SolidWorks is probably better than AutoDesk Inventor in some aspects, in others it feels primitive. A simple example is constructing either a pocket or an extrusion from a 2D profile. Inventor can do either, or switch from one to the other, inside of one command. SolidWorks has two separate commands of which neither can convert from one to the other. However, these are small issues that you can become accustomed to. Pros SolidWorks and their resellers have good support and the product is very capable, although like other systems it takes time to learn. Cons While switching from AutoDesk Inventor to SolidWorks I discovered that 3D Part Assemblies and associated Drawings would not be transferred. They would need to be redone. This is an incredible amount of work that, in most cases, would never be done. If you have engineers who prefer SolidWorks, it can be run alongside other CAD systems. But don't expect to push a button and convert old designs. It will not work between any two systems that I am aware of. Reason for choosing SolidWorks Premium It was a management decision and other SolidWorks products were purchased as part of the package. Switched from [Inventor](https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/) AutoDesk changed their software subscription model and no longer supported perpetual licenses. SolidWorks still supports perpetual licenses. Review Source SG Shan G. CTO Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "One of the best products design tools for simulation " April 10, 2025 4.0 Fast and accurate simulations, especially on mechanical and materials areas. Pros All levels of simulations including mechanical, materials and performance. Cons The physical simulation part needs some improvement. Also it lacks AI upgrade. Review Source RK Robert K. draftsman Civil Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "great modeling" July 18, 2025 5.0 Pros great software for creating 3d models, the animation feature of this makes it possible to find interferences before making the physical part Cons commands take a little getting used to as they are different from Autodesk software, which i was used to. Review Source NK Nicholas K. Chief Research Officer Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Industry standard" October 17, 2024 4.0 Overall I have a positive experience with solidworks Pros Very capable software. The industry standard, so it makes it easy to collaborate with others. Cons Very closed ecosystem, so it makes getting support difficult. Also the lack of compatibility with older versions can make it difficult to collaborate to institutions that canot afford the latest model year. Review Source mL mickael L. emmbeded and hardware ingeneer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Good complement to my electrical CAD tools" June 14, 2024 5.0 Pros It works really fine with Altium Designer to import 3D in the fonal product and make my collaboration with the mecanical team really easy. Cons A little bit hard to understand at first and that mouse moves are not the same as the tools i'm already using, but once you get use to it it becommes really easy. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Hydraulic Engineer, MSc Geological Engineering (Oil and Gas prospecting) Civil Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Lower cost, powerful and friendly CAD simulation program" August 13, 2018 4.0 As a hydraulic engineer, SolidWorks is an essential component in my CAD software kit specifically for the mechanical design of valves, pipes, and structures as well as for the simulation and verification of structural faults Pros The price of the program is really one of its main attractions, considering that meets the expectations and needs of mechanical design. It has powerful 3D design capabilities and a very friendly interface. Solidworks is a more thought-out and useful program for mechanical engineers and designers and is not as appropriate for the architectural design. It can be used to create 2D and 3D designs, has enough tools to incorporate elements such as shading, textures, lighting, and transparencies that facilitate the reading of the design. Another advantage is its library of materials and the possibility of creating customized materials that can be stored in this library. You can also add and edit any text, and like other CAD programs, the design work is done in layers that you can easily select and change. Also has the option of extrusion that easily allows you to create a 3D model from a 2D plane or the reverse process. The design facility includes a customizable palette where you can locate the tools that are most used and also, also we have the function of recording macros. SolidWorks offers the possibility of working with DWG, DXF, STEP, STL formats, as well as printing their designs in 3D. Additionally, one of its main advantages is that we can work with raster and PDF files. As for the simulation process, the significant advantage of SolidWorks is its SolidWorks Security Factor Wizard, with which you can examine the created design and locate structural weaknesses. Cons Although the renderig, illumination and the photorealistic representation are not powerful as those obtained with other CAD programs, they are still powerful and allow to visualize the designs with an acceptable quality. SolidWorks tools are powerful for small projects, such as specific parts and components, but they are not efficient for the design of more complex projects such as large motor examples. Review Source hA haider A. freelancer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "SolidWorks Premium review" July 7, 2021 5.0 There are many programs in 3D design, but due to its distinct specifications Solidworks was chosen to design and print the graduation project parts using a 3D printer. Pros It is one of the popular software for 3D design of mechanical parts. I have used this software for a year or more to design parts of my graduation project. It is an easy to learn program and contains many powerful tools in design. Including - design tools - Validate tools - Collaboration Tools - Building tools The most important feature I liked is the simulation of the design and testing its tolerance to pressure and heat, as well as an analysis of the movement of the designed part (a great feature). Cons The Solidworks program contains a lot of tools and features, which makes the program very heavy. It needs a computer with a powerful processor as well as a powerful graphics card to ensure that there are no interruptions or slowdowns in the program. Also, one of the disadvantages is that it is very expensive. With the free version, you cannot manufacture any part you designed because you do not own the rights to it. Review Source MH Mahmoud H. Mechatronics Engineering Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The ideal 3D CAD software for all engineering businesses." November 8, 2022 5.0 I have 2+ years of experience with SolidWorks Premium. SolidWorks helps me a lot in my business. It almost solved all my problems I encountered with 3D modeling. Specifically, my 3D printed models. Because of its professional and helpful tools, it is very efficient at helping users to get the most suitable design for my products. The Software has smooth handling of Import and Export files, and allows many different types of files. Software allows me to provide my customers with the highest quality product with the perfect design. Pros The handling, control, and mobility of the user interface are among the features I find amazing about this software. It's easy enough to use, and understandable for all users. It helps me a lot in my business, especially 3D modeling. Cons The animation might need a bit of improvement, but that doesn't even affect the current software state. It is still perfect. Review Source MA Muhammad A. Engineer Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Features that are useful and innovative in Solidworks" May 3, 2023 4.0 An extremely intuitive tool that provides its users with multiple easy design tools to shape their ideas and concepts virtually. Pros The extremely easy learning curves allows users to grasp the concept of modeling right away and the user interface is very friendly and to the point. Cons handling large assemblies gets a bit difficult and can create lags. Review Source AM Ash M. Design Engineer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Powerful industry standard modelling package." September 12, 2023 4.0 Pros It is the most commonly used CAD package within manufacturing and has a vast array of plugins. There is a lot of help online so getting community support for niche questions is normally possible. The software is very powerful and can do 99% of what you want if you know the technique for it. It is a logical workflow without too many head scratchers. Cons It is definitely very pricey but generally covers its cost if using it commercially. The assembly system is not as robust as it could be and it lets you get a way with lots of bad practices that will bite you later on without you realising although this does provide more flexibility than other CAD packages. Review Source Adedayo F. Maintenance Technician Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "The best CAD and CAM software." July 17, 2022 5.0 My experience with this software is fantastic, cause I make use of this software daily to design using CAM. Pros I liked everything about this software,from 2D modelling down to 3D CAD designs. Cons So far I found nothing bad about this software. Review Source Konstantinos A. Mechanical Engineer Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Not worthy of the price" September 25, 2020 2.0 I have been using Solidworks Premium (2017 and 2020 SP3.0) for the past 3 years and I still do. It is a very unstable program. Crashes more often than not and it has many bugs that make the creation of large assemblies feel like hell. Customer support is not satisfactory at all. Solidworks customer service is also not helping as well. I would not recommend this product to anyone. You are surely better off with using Solid Edge / Creo Parametric or AutoDesk Inventor. Pros \- Assembly features (configurations / exploded views) make the creation of assembly drawings faster - Rendering options are vast Cons \- Very unstable as a program (Used it on more than 5 computers with multiple configurations) - Its developers focus on adding extra useless features instead of focusing on the program stability - Command layout is not practical (Features Tab has three (3) buttons for the Extrude Command (Boss Extrude / Cut Extrude / Intersect) where as in Inventor there is only one command button. This is a personal opinion and I highly prefer AutoDesk's approach on this - Customer Support: Depends on the Value-Added-Reseller (VAR). Some of them are very cooperative whereas others just want your money. Personally I do not like representatives and I prefer to contact the actual company (AutoDesk has the upper hand here). Review Source Miguel P. Software Enginner Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best in the market" May 22, 2023 5.0 There is a reason that SolidWorks Premium is one of the most used CAD software in the world. You can create everything from individual pieces to technical drawings of those pieces, all the way to enormous assembly projects with more than a thousand pieces. There is also room for fluid geeks and eletric experts. You can fit everthing you want into SolidWorks. Pros All in all, works as it is supposed to. It became so widely used because it had a much better user interface than the other software. Also, you can draw anything you want because it has a wide of tools and you don't need to be a brain surgeon or a nuclear scientist to understand how they work. Cons When I worked in big assembly projects, I experienced erratic behavior from the program. Sometimes it shutdowns, other times it breaks the relations I set up before. Review Source SD Swarnim D. Associate Engineer Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solidworks and its uses" September 21, 2023 5.0 Pros I appreciate SolidWorks Premium for its robust modeling and simulation features, which help streamline product development. It offers powerful tools for design validation and 3D modeling. The ease of use can vary based on individual familiarity with CAD software, and integration depends on a company's existing processes but is generally manageable with SolidWorks' support and resources. Cons I find cost of SolidWorks Premium can be a drawback. The ease of use varies among individuals based on their familiarity with CAD software, and integration with existing business processes can require adjustment but is typically manageable with support and training. Review Source Similar Products Featured