SolidWorks alternatives: where to go and how to take your files with you
Five destinations in detail, six reasons people leave, and an eight-step migration that keeps your assemblies intact.
The short answer: Onshape if you want the most direct move (it opens .sldprt files and runs on the same Parasolid kernel as SolidWorks), Solid Edge if you want to keep the feature tree of your parts thanks to its migration tool, Fusion if you design and machine in the same shop, FreeCAD if you're done paying for licenses, and BricsCAD if your job is mostly DWG drawings. One warning before you pick: none of these tools carries your drawings over cleanly. Plan to redo them, or archive them as PDF and DWG. We compared all five on what matters to a design team in 2026: real cost, platforms, and what happens to your files.
Our ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why people want out of SolidWorks, and why they hesitate
Let's be fair: SolidWorks is still an excellent mechanical CAD tool, and it's the format your machine shops and suppliers are most likely to read. People rarely leave because of the modeling. They leave because of the bill, the Windows-only workstation, and the way Dassault Systèmes keeps reshaping its licensing. Six reasons come up again and again, all checked in 2026.
A subscription north of €3,400 a year
On Dassault's European online store, 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS is listed at €3,480 per user per year for Standard (€290 a month, billed annually), €4,152 for Professional and €5,496 for Premium, before local taxes. Over three years, one Standard seat comes to €10,440. For a freelancer or a two-person shop, that's usually the single biggest software line on the budget.
A license that lives in the cloud
3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS is a named-user license tied to your login. It needs an internet connection, with offline use capped at 30 days. You rent it quarterly or yearly, with no perpetual option: stop paying and you lose access to the software. Classic perpetual licenses are still sold through resellers, by quote, and Dassault says it has no plans to retire them. Still, the direction worries anyone who wants to own their tools.
Yearly reactivation, even on perpetual
Since 2022, every SolidWorks license, perpetual ones included, has to be reactivated once a year on the date of its previous activation. If you bought and paid for a license, that stings. It's harmless when you're on top of it, but a forgotten seat on a shop-floor PC can stop working on the day you need it. Put each seat's reactivation date on your calendar.
Windows and nothing else
SolidWorks has no native macOS app and no Linux version. On a Mac, you need a Windows virtual machine such as Parallels, because Boot Camp doesn't work on Apple silicon. Plan on 16 GB of RAM at minimum for parts, and 32 GB or more for large assemblies. A Mac-based team ends up paying for a virtual machine and a Windows license on top of SolidWorks.
Price hikes and the maintenance treadmill
In 2022, French users reported Dassault increases of up to 19% on floating licenses and 14% on maintenance. Forum threads tend to say the same thing: there's not much choice, and bugs and regressions between releases make it harder to swallow. If you drop maintenance on a perpetual license, you keep the software but lose access to updates.
The Makers plan won't save a business
SolidWorks for Makers costs $48 a year or $15 a month (US price, before tax), with a 15-day refund window. But it's strictly non-commercial, for projects earning under $2,000 a year. Worse, your native files are watermarked and only open with a Makers license. The day your side project becomes a business, those files don't come with you.
You're leaving because… go to…
The right SolidWorks alternative depends on what's pushing you out. Usually one or two lines fit. Each card jumps to the detailed write-up below.
Imports parts directly, same Parasolid kernel as SolidWorks.
You want to keep the feature tree of your partsSolid EdgeA SolidWorks migration tool that carries mates, holes and patterns.
Your team runs Mac, Linux or ChromebooksOnshapeRuns in the browser, nothing to install.
You design and machine in the same shopFusionCAD and CAM in a single tool.
You never want to pay for a license againFreeCADFree, open source, commercial use allowed.
Your work is mostly 2D DWG drawingsBricsCADNative DWG, published prices.
SolidWorks alternatives, tool by tool
For each tool: why move to it, who it's for, where it falls short, how to bring your SolidWorks files over, and what it costs. Scores come from our CAD software ranking, out of 5. Prices are what vendors list in 2026.
Onshape: the most direct move from SolidWorks
Most directWhy move to Onshape. Onshape and SolidWorks share the same modeling kernel, Parasolid. In practice, your geometry crosses over without the small surface glitches you get with neutral formats. Onshape runs entirely in the browser: no install, no certified graphics card, and it works on Mac, Linux and Chromebooks. One instructor says he never has to talk his IT department into installing anything anymore.
Who it's for. Teams spread across several sites, schools and robotics teams, and anyone tired of maintaining beefy Windows workstations. FRC teams like that anyone can open the model on any device.
Who it's not for. A shop with unreliable internet, or a company that won't let its designs leave its own servers. Some users simply distrust the cloud, and that's a fair position.
The catch. No internet, no work, and your data sits on PTC's servers. The Free plan is non-commercial only, and every document on it is public. Users who moved from SolidWorks say they don't regret it, while noting that Onshape doesn't match every SolidWorks feature yet.
How to migrate. A single .sldprt imports directly: Create, then Import, or pull it from Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive. For an assembly, run Pack and Go to a ZIP in SolidWorks, check "Include Toolbox components" and "Flatten to single folder", and name the ZIP after the top-level assembly. Importing the assembly file alone gives you missing parts, because it doesn't contain the parts themselves.
Price. Free at $0 (non-commercial), Standard at $1,500 per user per year, Professional at $2,500, Enterprise by quote. Over three years, one Standard seat costs $4,500.
- Score
- 3.8 / 5
- Paid
- Standard $1,500/yr per user
- SolidWorks files
- .sldprt import, assemblies via Pack and Go
- Catch
- needs a connection
Solid Edge: keep the history of your parts
Fullest migrationWhy move to Solid Edge. It's the only destination here with a dedicated SolidWorks migration tool, available since ST6. Siemens says it transfers geometry, parts, subassemblies, materials, assembly mates, hole features, patterns and configurations. Parts land as editable body features rather than dumb solids. If you have ten years of live assemblies, that's the argument that matters most.
Who it's for. Engineering teams and manufacturers who want a full desktop mechanical CAD (parts, assemblies, sheet metal, drawings) installed on their own machines.
Who it's not for. Anyone who wants to see a price before a sales call, or who relies on a supplier network already running SolidWorks.
The catch. Siemens lists no prices for commercial editions: you contact sales. The migration also needs SolidWorks installed and reachable on the network during the transfer. Siemens says nothing about drawings, so expect to redo them. The free Community Edition is non-commercial and Windows-only, with watermarked drawings and files that won't open in a paid version.
How to migrate. Keep a SolidWorks license active, install Solid Edge on a machine that can see your files, run the migration tool on one representative assembly, then check it part by part. Use the 30-day trial to do this on your real files before you sign anything.
Price. Subscription by quote, 30-day free trial, and a first month for $1 for new customers. Siemens also offers Solid Edge X, a cloud version.
- Score
- 3.7 / 5
- Trial
- 30 days, then first month $1
- SolidWorks files
- migration tool, features kept
- Catch
- drawings must be redone
Fusion: design and machine in one tool
Shop floorWhy move to Fusion. Autodesk Fusion combines part design with CAM, the toolpath programming for CNC machines. If you currently export every SolidWorks part to a second program to machine it, you drop a step. On review sites, users coming from SolidWorks say they switched completely in two to three weeks.
Who it's for. Job shops, makers turned manufacturers and hardware startups that design their own parts and program their own machining or 3D printing.
Who it's not for. An engineering firm delivering large assemblies and drawing packages to manufacturers on SolidWorks. Some users also find its interface unconventional.
The catch. Your files live on Autodesk's servers. For commercial work, Fusion is sold by subscription. The free personal-use license is non-commercial, for people earning under $1,000 a year from it, with 10 editable documents at a time (total documents are unlimited).
How to migrate. Export your parts from SolidWorks as STEP or Parasolid (.x_t): you get the geometry, not the feature tree. Rebuild first the parts that will keep changing, and keep the rest as imported geometry. Also export every finished part as STEP outside your Autodesk account. It's your safety net if the subscription ever lapses.
Price. Free for personal use. Commercial use by subscription, priced on Autodesk's store. Always add up three years before you compare.
- Score
- 4.2 / 5
- Free
- personal use, under $1,000/yr revenue
- SolidWorks files
- STEP or Parasolid, geometry only
- Catch
- subscription only, cloud files
FreeCAD: stop paying for licenses altogether
FreeWhy move to FreeCAD. It's the only destination that's free and open for commercial use. No account, no document cap, no revenue ceiling. It runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. Next to roughly €10,440 for one SolidWorks Standard seat over three years, the math is simple. The current release, 1.1, installs with no sign-up.
Who it's for. Freelancers, small fabricators and designers working on parts and simple assemblies who want to own their tool and are willing to invest the time.
Who it's not for. A firm that trades native SolidWorks files with clients every day, or that needs a vendor support contract.
The catch. FreeCAD can't read native .sldprt files. Everything goes through STEP, meaning geometry without history. The interface takes real effort to learn: it gets the lowest ease-of-use score in our ranking. Help comes from the forum and the docs.
How to migrate. Export to STEP everything that must stay viewable, before you give up your license. Redraw in FreeCAD, with fully constrained sketches, the parts that will keep changing. It takes longer, but you end up with truly parametric parts. Keep one SolidWorks seat for a few months if clients still send you native files.
Price. Free, no sign-up, no restrictions.
- Score
- 4.1 / 5
- Price
- free, commercial use allowed
- SolidWorks files
- STEP only
- Catch
- steep learning curve
BricsCAD: when your real job is drawings
DWG drawingsWhy move to BricsCAD. Plenty of SolidWorks seats exist mainly to produce drawings. If that's you, BricsCAD works natively in DWG, the AutoCAD format every client and supplier can open, and adds 3D on the side. It also does something rare in CAD: it publishes its prices.
Who it's for. Drafters, cabinet makers, fit-out contractors and small engineering offices that ship mostly 2D drawings and some 3D.
Who it's not for. Heavy mechanical design: on big assemblies and their drawings, SolidWorks is smoother.
The catch. No lasting free version, only a 30-day trial. It won't replace a parametric assembly modeler for a complex product.
How to migrate. Export your SolidWorks drawings to DWG, then check every sheet. Three problems keep showing up: dimensions coming out with zero decimal places because of the dimension style, views at a different scale from the sheet coming out wrong, and views that go missing. Set the base scale before exporting. For 3D, go through STEP. If you draw fit-outs, also see our picks for interior design software.
Price. Annual subscription on the EU store, excluding VAT: Pro at €710, Mechanical at €998, with 10% off on a 3-year term.
- Score
- 3.9 / 5
- Paid
- Pro €710/yr, Mechanical €998
- SolidWorks files
- drawings as DWG, 3D as STEP
- Catch
- not built for big assemblies
SolidWorks and 5 alternatives side by side
Our default pick: Onshape if you want to keep as many files usable as possible without a heavy workstation, Solid Edge if your assemblies must keep their history. For a sense of scale over three years and one seat: SolidWorks Standard on subscription runs €10,440 in Europe, Onshape Standard $4,500, BricsCAD Mechanical about €2,700 on the 3-year term, and FreeCAD nothing. One row per tool: on the left, the free option and platforms; on the right, the paid price and what happens to your SolidWorks files.
| Free option and platforms | Paid price and SolidWorks files | |
|---|---|---|
| SolidWorksWhere you start | Makers at $48/yr, non-commercial, watermarked files; Windows only | 3DEXPERIENCE Standard €3,480/yr in Europe; perpetual by quote from resellers |
| OnshapeMost direct | Free plan, non-commercial, public documents; browser (Mac, Linux, Chromebook) | Standard $1,500/yr; .sldprt import, assemblies via Pack and Go |
| Solid EdgeHistory kept | Community Edition, non-commercial, watermarked drawings; Windows | Subscription by quote, first month $1; migration tool (features, mates, configurations) |
| FusionShop floor | Personal use, under $1,000/yr revenue, 10 editable documents | Subscription, priced on Autodesk's store; STEP or Parasolid, geometry only |
| FreeCADFree | Everything free, commercial use included; Windows, Mac, Linux | No subscription; STEP only, redraw parts to edit them |
| BricsCADDWG drawings | No lasting free version, 30-day trial | Pro €710/yr, Mechanical €998; drawings as DWG (check them), 3D as STEP |
Entry prices before tax, subject to change. Scores come from our CAD software ranking.
Migrate from SolidWorks in eight steps
Order matters. Most failed migrations fail for one simple reason: the SolidWorks license was gone before the files were properly out. This order prevents that.
Take stock of what you actually have
Week 1List your projects, then for each one: the number of parts, assemblies and drawings, the configurations in use, Toolbox components (fasteners, bearings), add-ins (sheet metal, weldments, simulation) and the last modified date. Also note who sends you native SolidWorks files, clients or suppliers.
This list tells you fast whether you need a heavy migration (Solid Edge) or whether STEP exports cover most of it.
- Time
- half a day to two days
- Risk if rushed
- a forgotten add-in
Only migrate active projects
Saves timeOnshape's advice to new customers works for everyone: many teams only translate active designs. A product discontinued five years ago doesn't need to be editable. For those, an archive is enough: STEP for 3D, PDF and DWG for drawings, stored outside SolidWorks.
That often cuts the job by a factor of three or four, and saves your effort for parts that will still change.
- Archive
- STEP + PDF + DWG
Keep a SolidWorks license active through the migration
CriticalPack and Go, Parasolid export, DWG export, Solid Edge's migration tool: they all need SolidWorks running. Keep at least one license to the end, and check its yearly reactivation date so it doesn't cut out mid-transfer.
On 3DEXPERIENCE, remember that the end of the term ends access: schedule the migration before renewal, not after. On the Makers plan, your watermarked files won't open anywhere else.
- Risk if rushed
- files you can't open
Package each assembly with Pack and Go
An assembly file doesn't contain its parts: it points to them. For each active assembly, run Pack and Go to a ZIP, check "Include Toolbox components" and "Flatten to single folder", and name the ZIP after the top-level assembly. Onshape uses that name to rebuild the whole thing.
Tip: when importing into Onshape, the "Import into Part Studios only" option flattens everything into one Part Studio. Handy for an archive, a bad idea for an assembly you'll keep editing.
- Check
- Toolbox + flatten
Pick the right format: native, then Parasolid, then STEP
The coreIn order of preference. Native first, when the destination reads it (Onshape for parts, Solid Edge with its tool). Then Parasolid (.x_t), which keeps very clean geometry between tools on the same kernel. STEP or IGES last: they carry geometry, never the feature tree.
In practice, a part exported as STEP arrives as a single solid. You can add holes or machine it, but you can't change a dimension in the original sketch.
- Keeps history
- native only
Rebuild the parts that will keep changing
Longest stepFeature recognition tools recover some holes, fillets and extrusions from imported geometry. Results vary: good on prismatic parts, much weaker on complex shapes. Don't count on it for everything.
Sort parts into three piles: rebuild (they'll change), keep as imported geometry (they won't), delete. Start with parts from products that sell.
- Success rate
- varies, best on prismatic parts
Archive and redo your drawings
Often forgottenNo vendor promises to bring over your .slddrw files with associative dimensions. For each active drawing, export a PDF (the reference) and a DWG (editable), then redo the drawing in the destination from the migrated model.
When exporting DWG, check three things: dimension precision (a dimension style can push them out at zero decimals), views at a different scale from the sheet, and missing views. One wrong dimension on a production drawing costs far more than an hour of checking.
- Export
- PDF + DWG per drawing
- Risk if rushed
- wrong dimensions
Run a pilot on your real files, then switch
Before you signTake one part, one full assembly and one drawing from your actual work, and run the whole path in the destination during its free trial: import, edit, drawing, export to your supplier. Every vendor gives this advice, and it's the only test that counts.
Then switch project by project. Keep SolidWorks for a month or two after the last migrated project, in case a client sends one more native file.
- Time
- one to two weeks
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes a SolidWorks migration fail
The same mistakes come up on CAD forums from one shop to the next. None of them is really technical. They're oversights, and each one gets paid for in redrawing hours.
Dropping the license too early
Without SolidWorks running, there's no Pack and Go, no Parasolid export, no migration tool. On 3DEXPERIENCE, the end of the term cuts access cold. Keep one license active until the last project is migrated, plus a month or two.
Assuming STEP keeps everything
STEP carries shapes, not design intent. An imported part can't be edited through its sketch dimensions. Find that out after your license is gone, and every change becomes a full redraw.
Importing an assembly without its parts
The assembly file holds only references. Imported alone, it shows up empty or with missing parts. Always go through Pack and Go, Toolbox included.
Forgetting the drawings
Teams migrate the models and assume the drawings will follow. They won't. Count your active drawings during the inventory and budget the time to redo them: it's often the biggest chunk of the work.
Building on a limited free version
Files from SolidWorks for Makers and Solid Edge Community Edition won't open in commercial versions. Onshape's Free plan makes your documents public. Never put client work on a limited free tier, FreeCAD aside.
Comparing one year instead of three
Compare subscriptions over three years, seat by seat, including training and migration time. Our CAD software ranking covers each tool and its three-year cost. If you lean toward freeform modeling or rendering, see our picks for 3D modeling software; for buildings, our list of 3D modeling software for architects. Leaving another tool too? Browse our switching guides.
- Inventory of projects, configurations, Toolbox parts and add-ins
- Inactive projects archived as STEP, PDF and DWG
- One SolidWorks license active to the end, reactivation date noted
- Every active assembly packaged with Pack and Go
- Format chosen per part: native, Parasolid or STEP
- Changing parts rebuilt, the rest kept as geometry
- Drawings exported as PDF and DWG, dimensions checked
- Full pilot on a real part, assembly and drawing
- No client work on a limited free tier
- SolidWorks kept for a month or two after the switch
SolidWorks alternatives: frequently asked questions
Is there a free version of SolidWorks?
No. The cheapest option, SolidWorks for Makers, costs $48 a year and is limited to non-commercial projects earning under $2,000 a year. It runs on Windows and in the browser, and you can get a refund within 15 days if it doesn't suit you.
What is cheaper than SolidWorks?
Every tool on this page, over three years. FreeCAD costs nothing, BricsCAD Pro is €710 a year, and Onshape Standard is $1,500 a year against €3,480 for a 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Standard seat in Europe. Our CAD software ranking works out the three-year cost of each.
What is the best free SolidWorks alternative for commercial work?
FreeCAD is the only one: free, open source and allowed for commercial use. Fusion personal use, Onshape Free and Solid Edge Community Edition are all free but non-commercial. Tip: Onshape Free makes every document public, so keep unreleased prototypes off it.
Is Fusion free?
Only for personal, non-commercial use, if you earn under $1,000 a year from it, with 10 editable documents at a time. Business use requires a paid subscription.
Can Onshape open SolidWorks files?
Yes, for parts: a .sldprt imports directly. For assemblies, upload a Pack and Go ZIP named after the top-level assembly, with Toolbox parts included. Drawings don't carry over.
Does SolidWorks run on Mac?
Not natively. You need a Windows virtual machine such as Parallels, with 16 GB of RAM at minimum and 32 GB for large assemblies. If your team is all on Mac, Onshape, which runs in the browser, skips that detour.
Fusion or SolidWorks: which should you choose?
SolidWorks if you deliver large assemblies and drawings to manufacturers who use it. Fusion if you design and machine yourself, on a tight budget. Fusion scores 4.2 out of 5 in our ranking against 4 for SolidWorks, mostly thanks to cost.
Can FreeCAD open a SolidWorks file?
No, FreeCAD doesn't read native .sldprt or .sldasm files. Ask the sender for a STEP export, or make one yourself while you still have SolidWorks. You get accurate geometry without the build history.
What happens to my files if I cancel 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS?
The files are yours, but without an active term you lose the software to open them. Export everything that matters (Pack and Go, STEP, PDF, DWG) before your quarterly or yearly term ends.
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