# Compare Alibre Design vs MicroStation 2026 | Capterra

> Unsure of what to choose? Check Capterra to compare Alibre Design and MicroStation based on pricing, features, product details, and verified reviews.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/compare/172312-192416/Alibre-Design-vs-MicroStation

---

# Alibre Design vs MicroStation Features and Cost Comparison

Last updated April 15th, 2026

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews  
moderated by our Reviews Verification team.[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/)

Your comparison:

Alibre DesignMicroStation2/4 selected

[Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.7 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

[MicroStation](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/)[4.3 (176)](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/reviews/)

[## Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.7 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

Starting Price

$10.00/month

Value-for-Money

4.8

Functionality

4.6

Ease of Use

4.6

Customer Service

4.8

Reviews Sentiment

Based on [183 reviews](#user-reviews)

Positive

176

Neutral

5

Negative

2

[## MicroStation](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/)[4.3 (176)](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/reviews/)

Starting Price

$2284.00/year

Value-for-Money

4.1

Functionality

4.2

Ease of Use

4

Customer Service

4

Reviews Sentiment

Based on [176 reviews](#user-reviews)

Positive

156

Neutral

17

Negative

3

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What’s your intended use case?

## Summary

* * *

Key features rated by users

Features selected based on 2,906 reviews from 3d cad software users.  
about the Fit Score methodology.

Fit Score methodology

Our Fit Score reflects how reviewers rate a product’s performance against a set of features reviewers rate as most important. A higher score indicates the product is rated better in delivering what reviewers most care about.

  

If the Fit Score is not shown for a specific product, that only means there are currently not enough relevant data points to develop a meaningful score. It does not indicate that the product should be excluded from further evaluation. Best for Methodology

80%Fit

High performer

Feature ratings

3D Design & Modeling

4.8

Data Import/Export

4.3

2D Drawing

4.3

Annotations

4.2

Component Library

4.1

75%Fit

Feature ratings

3D Design & Modeling

4.1

Data Import/Export

4.3

2D Drawing

4.4

Annotations

3.7

Component Library

3.3

User satisfaction

User satisfaction

4.7

User reviews[183](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

Ease of use

4.6

Functionality

4.6

Value for money

4.8

Customer support

4.8

User satisfaction

4.3

User reviews[176](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/reviews/)

Ease of use

4.0

Functionality

4.2

Value for money

4.1

Customer support

4.0

Price starts from

Price starts from

$10Flat Rate, Per Month

-   Free version
-   Free trial

Price starts from

$2284Other, Per Year

-   Free version
-   Free trial

Best for

Best for

From SMBs, startups, labs, educational institutions, and machine shops all the way to Sandia National Laboratories. Organizations of 1 to 1000 choose Alibre for economical, powerful 3D engineering.

Best for

Design teams responsible for creating and managing the world's infrastructure, including buildings, roadways, bridges, airports, hospitals, industrial, and power plants as well as utility networks.

## User reviews

Pros & cons

JE

Jeff E.

Owner

> "Great customer support and rapid learning curve (I transitioned from AutoCAD and Pro E). Have been using since 2014 to support..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7113007)

JK

Julian K.

Engineer

> "I found it difficult to set up defaults (dimension styles, set to use millimetres etc.) and get them to persist between drawing..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7049064)

MR

Mike R.

Owner

> "Alibre's pricing and licensing policy are very fair, and offer the best bang-for-buck, of all of the 3D CAD programs that I looked..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7047978)

GR

Geoff R.

Draftsman

> "It glitches occasionally, mainly when drawing a geometry line where many already exist, suddenly making all the geometry look like a..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6332346)

BC

Brian C.

Owner

> "I use the 3D modelling and assembly a lot and find it allows me to design and engineer more quickly and accurately than some other CAD..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7053271)

RJ

Ron J.

Owner and Engineer

> "difficulty getting the program to accept fillets - I spend more time trying to get the fillets to work than drawing the parts."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6843494)

JS

Joseph S.

CEO

> "My Alibre tools get me quickly and efficiently from model concept through to generation of a .stl file that I can move into slicer..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6828408)

GR

Geoff R.

Draftsman

> "It also has issues where, in an assembly, it substitutes one item for another and the only solution is to completely redraw the..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6332346)

GC

Gregory C.

NA

> "The combination of price and capabilities, Alibre Design is the best tool to facilitate the flow from rough pencil-sketch, to 3d model..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6825569)

ME

Mark E.

None

> "The one complaint I have is the tutorials that I can find."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7049772)

SK

Scott K.

Engineer

> "I really like their pricing structure, subscription based or one time based with option to pay for upgrades as needed. Plus, I was..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7013044)

JK

Jason K.

Mechanical Design

> "For all intents and purposes no ability whatsoever to manage project files, creating an impossible mess on your hard drive that you..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6039503)

MR

Mike R.

Owner

> "I like that the license is perpetual, and the fact that the service update subscription is optional, which helps control the cost."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7047978)

RJ

Ron J.

Owner and Engineer

> "Unable to intersect a line to a curve or two curves."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6843494)

AN

Adam N.

Owner

> "With pricing options for every budget, friendly upgrade options, and nearly every tool the other guys have, Alibre is a no-brainer."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7083772)

JS

Jason S.

Mechatronics Instructor

> "I use Alibre for making blueprints quite often and this is a constant headache."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6755493)

RF

Reg F.

Senior Electronics Engineer

> "The continuous development and release of new features (as well as bug fixes) again offered in a value for money annual maintenance..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7086970)

DJ

David J.

Chief Technology Officer

> "I had no idea how to work with 3D CAD twelve years ago and now I have designed a patent pending suspension modification."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6452809)

ES

E S.

Product Engineer

> "Alibre Design is a fully capable parametric modeling application and I can complete a product design from idea to model to production..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6655356)

DP

Donald P.

Design Engineer

> "Can't get to my design files to edit them. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6537884)

RJ

Ron J.

Owner and Engineer

> "The support has generally been good. If I did not have so many files saved in Alibre, on a major project that I need to finalize and..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6843494)

EW

Errol W.

Owner Director

> "Lack of Multi Body modelling."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6666535)

AH

Arron H.

Production Manager

> "it has helped alot with our 3d rendering of products so our workers can see the end result"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6864015)

RM

Rochan M.

Engineering manager

> "It has a hard time with organic shaped"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6622220)

SK

Scott K.

Engineer

> "I'm really glad I found and use Alibre for my 3d modeling for general CAD and lots of 3d printing stuff."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7013044)

JN

John N.

President

> "When drawing detailed layout's with many shapes the software crashes."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6274493)

JE

Jeff E.

Owner

> "Most capable product that punches way above it's weight from a cost perspective."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7113007)

GC

Gavin C.

Director

> "Very occasional crashes and hangs like most cad software. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6146444)

LK

LaVerne K.

President

> "I moved from TurboCAD 2D and had a very little Solidworks experience, the switch was very easy, Alibre is intuitive, after a couple of..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6393194)

AL

Arturo L.

Owner

> "You should reselect (edit) plane when edit scketh When you replace a part in assembly, do not respect the relations with other parts"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3862564)

GC

Gregory C.

NA

> "I also appreciate the "buy once to own" sales model as opposed to the ubiquitous software-as-subscription subscription model."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6825569)

SU

Sascha U.

freelancer

> "Alibre is a bit lacking in surface modeling tools, making it harder to model complex curved or organic surfaces."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3868143)

JK

Julian K.

Engineer

> "Alibre's licensing options are perfect for this."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7049064)

DJ

David J.

President

> "One that always bothers me is that selection of multiple elements requires shift-clicks in some contexts, but just clicks in others,..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3851976)

DP

Dave P.

Automation Engineering Tech

> "I have gotten to the point now that I don't even miss Autodesk Inventor any more for 3D modeling."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7104514)

DS

David S.

President

> "Lack of ability to produce models of boat hulls and project a flat pattern for hell shapes."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3796842)

AH

Arron H.

Production Manager

> "it has been relatively good ive only used 2 drawing programes alibre been one of them and have found it is able to do what we require..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6864015)

GC

Gavin C.

Director

> "Some advanced features not available."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6146444)

RB

Ryan B.

Manager

> "Great value for the money with a permanent license, great customer support on the rare occasion I have a question. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7114764)

JC

Joseph C.

Chief Builder

> "The 2D sketching experience is decent and gets the job done, but it is not as easy to use and lacks 2D drawing features compared to..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3866536)

DP

Dave P.

Automation Engineering Tech

> "I found Alibre Experrt Design and decided to try, and after a short learning curve I am now comfortable with the software."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7104514)

RG

Robert G.

Engineering manager

> "Overall assembly constraints can be quite a challenge, especially if some blow up, turns into a major cluster when trying to..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852191)

MR

Mike R.

Owner

> "Alibre Design was easy to learn, coming from SolidWorks, which I use at my day job."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7047978)

DH

Darrell H.

Owner / Mechanical Engineer

> "Hidden Line Management in 2D drawing can be a real pain and cumbersome to manage. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852281)

SK

Scott K.

Engineer

> "Can install it on my machine, easy to setup and they have great getting started tutorials for the beginner 3D modeler! "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7013044)

DS

David S.

Owner

> "I may have chosen otherwise if cost was no object but I don't design things every day and paying many thousands of dollars for a..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3872613)

WW

William W.

Research and Development Engineer

> "The Sheet metal functions in the Expert version are really intuitive for me to use and there are several projects I could not have..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6359821)

Anoop N.

Operations Manager

> "Alibre lacks easy integration with PCB / Electronics / Electrical Design software."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3853222)

RH

Ralph H.

President

> "The ability to compute weights of assemblies that easily flow into a top assembly is excellent."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6557351)

RW

Ron W.

Senior Hardware Design Engineer Technologist

> "I do find limitations though, so unfortunately I also use SolidWorks on the large projects."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852042)

JW

Jon W.

Technical Manager

> "A huge improvement on the old CADMAX system."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7114024)

TD

Thomas D.

Project Manager

> "I don't have anything that really bugs me about the software, small refinements are really all that is needed."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852792)

Craig F.

Owner

> "Overall it's a rocksolid design tool you can count on."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7096405)

SG

Samuel G.

Electronics and Software Engineer, Retired

> "not quite match up to the 3-D CAD technology."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852197)

PW

Paul W.

manager

> "i like the fact its a software purchase, not subscription based."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7053808)

EA

Eric A.

Engineer

> "Drawing errors are notified but not pinpointed where they occur."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3914045)

JW

Jared W.

Owner, Engineer

> "Alibre is an affordable, all-in-one CAD solution. While it's similar to other packages, there is a small learning curve."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6708542)

JW

James W.

CEO

> "Complex artistic forms is where it begins to hit limits."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852039)

JD

Jim D.

Creator

> "I started with Atom in early 2023 but very soon upgraded to to Alibre Design Expert for all of the extra features."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6615234)

SU

Sascha U.

freelancer

> "Sometimes there are also basic tools you expect to be there, and they don't exist."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3868143)

BL

Brian L.

Co-owner

> "I have been using it since 2011 and it has had continuous improvement."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7071560)

DT

Dan T.

Owner

> "I still have a few issues with sketching, not really as intuitive as I would like. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852054)

TG

Thomas G.

Manufacturing Engineer

> "Assemblies are easy to create, and I can import parts from virtually any source."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6861900)

BG

Bent G.

Owner

> "The motion simulation was removed some years ago that's BAD."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3906164)

TG

Thomas G.

Manufacturing Engineer

> "Enjoying the new tools added with this update and look forward to new innovations from the development team."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6861900)

DO

Duane O.

Owner

> "There are some features I would like to see, but there's nothing i really don't like"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852164)

MN

Matthew N.

Lead Engineer

> "Also, the ability to import common file formats (CATIA, SolidWorks, Inventor, ProE, NX, etc.) makes Alibre Design Expert the go to."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6230553)

DH

Darrell H.

Owner / Mechanical Engineer

> "I would be less productive and less profitable with any other Software. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852281)

AG

Alex G.

Design Engineer

> "I've been using Alibre for 20 years and it's the CAD package I always return too, having had experience with many others more than..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6427442)

Eugene B.

Product Engineer

> "A couple of times over the years, I've had to completely scrap a design are restart when the software would crash repeatedly."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___2611603)

[View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

JR

Julius R.

Senior Technical Designer

> "Pull down menus, ribbons and command palettes are easy to use and they are helpful in speeding up drafting works and..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___6579255)

NK

Nina K.

Designer

> "When referencing AutoCAD files (what we need quite often) - sometimes it does not work, needs transfer AutoCAD files into..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___6114621)

VR

Verified Reviewer

BIM Manager

> "After working with MicroStation for many years for client required projects, I have become efficient at using the platform,..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___6670135)

GB

Garrett B.

Director of Operations

> "It only works on Windows computers making it hard to deploy in a multi OS environment."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___4153399)

JR

Julius R.

Senior Technical Designer

> "I have used Microstation for 5 years and it has delivered what you expect from it when it comes to 2D drafting and..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___6579255)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Project Engineer

> "Lots of crashes, software can be slow, 3D renders are dated."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___4788218)

Arturo S.

Associate Director

> "For example, civil engineers can leverage MicroStation's road design tools to create accurate alignments, profiles, and..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___4847130)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Student

> "Not able to see how to draw 360 degrees circle using micro database"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___4432641)

VR

Verified Reviewer

BIM Manager

> "I also like the way it handles levels and the way seed files work."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___6670135)

TC

Tara C.

Researcher's

> "Certain aspects of the product can be challenging to use, primarily due to the complexity of the software."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___4550344)

Arturo S.

Associate Director

> "MicroStation's visualisation tools offer realistic representations for effective communication and decision-making."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___4847130)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Engineer

> "It was costly and time-consuming and sometimes very frustrating"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___3828216)

TC

Tara C.

Researcher's

> "Benefits include faster delivery of design and construction drawings, better document management, improved accuracy,..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___4550344)

CM

Chad M.

Principal

> "Way too expensive for a small company. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#SoftwareAdvice___4518666)

Arturo S.

Associate Director

> "The software's interoperability facilitates seamless data exchange and collaboration."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___4847130)

AA

Alexander A.

GIS Technician

> "A recent update changed some of the files on my machine, effectively breaking my normal workflow and resetting my machine..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___2340914)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Student

> "It database micro modeling 3D not using pencils or paper but saving time to work quickly as possible."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___4432641)

MZ

Miguel Z.

Universal Business

> "I saw very few cons, but one of them is that they should improve the interface a bit, it is already a bit outdated."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___2903380)

TC

Tara C.

Researcher's

> "Additionally, MicroStation includes helpful documentation and tutorials to help users get comfortable with the software."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___4550344)

AT

Audrey T.

Designer

> "There is a lack of training resources and it's only learnable if someone holds your hand and walks you through."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___3258696)

Veronica D.

Tecnico Mecanico

> "The CAD functionalities on this platform is the best and the data import and export is easy."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___3768901)

SnM

Saw naing M.

marine engineer

> "It sometimes got bugs while rendering sketch."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___3179398)

VK

Vikash K.

Architect

> "Its good for drawings and 3d models."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___4520222)

TG

Taylor G.

Engineering Technician II

> "There are some things that I miss that AutoCAD has, like using the space bar as enter/replicate the last command."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___2384263)

HUA

HAFIZ USMAN A.

Engineer

> "Its easy to use as compare to other CAD software."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___6132612)

Arshad R.

Student

> "The user interface is not very user-friendly or intuitive."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___3144582)

Valarie V.

Project Director

> "Excellent 3D modeling experience with MicroStation, easy document editing and construction drawings management."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___3101627)

AT

Audrey T.

Designer

> "This is not a beginner friendly software."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___3258696)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Data analyst

> "I will continue to test this cool and amazing application that suit me for my project."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___4194427)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Vr Developer

> "Microstation has a trial version that is the only viewer and it is very costly is not easily accessible."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___2775307)

AA

Ahmed A.

student

> "one of the best features that it has is Integration with State Departments' rules and regulations."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___3154539)

AM

Aditya M.

Civil Designer

> "MicroStation is expensive software to have for a single person to design infrastructure projects."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___2817378)

AT

Audrey T.

Designer

> "Microstation v8i has a feature that lets you project coordinate systems."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___3258696)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Staff project manager

> "Very pricy and no free trials available to the market"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___2733047)

Valarie V.

Project Director

> "The CAD capability that MicroStation has is productive, and the tool reporting functions are perfect."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___3101627)

Hareesh I.

Senior land surveyor

> "Dimension tool seems to be unprofessional"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___2292693)

Marlen S.

Freelancer

> "Software helps me out a lot and when I work with government projects where by I have to attach reference files,the software..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___2697939)

HH

Hillory H.

Engineer

> "It is not user-friendly in the least bit."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#Capterra___2825529)

[View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/reviews/)

## User interface

[Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)

4.69 (183)

[MicroStation](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/)

4.34 (176)

## Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation

Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs.

### Features

Do these products fit your needs?

Prioritize real-user-identified key features according to your needs to find your best fit.

\--% Fit

vs

\--% Fit

2D Drawing

207

Important

3D Design & Modeling

150

Important

Activity Dashboard

120

Important

Alibre Design

24/44

-   2D Drawing
-   3D Design & Modeling
-   Activity Dashboard
-   AI Copilot
-   Animation
-   Annotations
-   API
-   Bill of Materials Management
-   Collaboration Tools
-   Compliance Management
-   Component Library
-   Configurable Workflow
-   Configuration Management
-   Content Library
-   Customizable Branding
-   Customizable Templates
-   Data Capture and Transfer
-   Data Import/Export
-   Data Synchronization
-   Data Visualization
-   Design Management
-   Document Generation
-   Document Management
-   Drag & Drop
-   File Management
-   For 3D Printing
-   For Architects
-   For Manufacturers
-   Generative AI
-   Image Editing
-   Modeling & Simulation
-   Multiple Format Support
-   Multiple Projects
-   Projections
-   Real Time Comparisons
-   Real-Time Updates
-   Reference Management
-   Reporting/Analytics
-   Rules-Based Workflow
-   Secure Data Storage
-   Sketching and Annotation Tools
-   Third-Party Integrations
-   Version Control
-   Workflow Management

[See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#features)

MicroStation

24/44

-   2D Drawing
-   3D Design & Modeling
-   Activity Dashboard
-   AI Copilot
-   Animation
-   Annotations
-   API
-   Bill of Materials Management
-   Collaboration Tools
-   Compliance Management
-   Component Library
-   Configurable Workflow
-   Configuration Management
-   Content Library
-   Customizable Branding
-   Customizable Templates
-   Data Capture and Transfer
-   Data Import/Export
-   Data Synchronization
-   Data Visualization
-   Design Management
-   Document Generation
-   Document Management
-   Drag & Drop
-   File Management
-   For 3D Printing
-   For Architects
-   For Manufacturers
-   Generative AI
-   Image Editing
-   Modeling & Simulation
-   Multiple Format Support
-   Multiple Projects
-   Projections
-   Real Time Comparisons
-   Real-Time Updates
-   Reference Management
-   Reporting/Analytics
-   Rules-Based Workflow
-   Secure Data Storage
-   Sketching and Annotation Tools
-   Third-Party Integrations
-   Version Control
-   Workflow Management

[See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/#features)

### Recognition

Alibre Design is recognized as a top-rated tool in 2 Capterra Shortlist reports

Best Value 3D CADSoftware (2024) 

MicroStation is recognized as a top-rated tool in 2 Capterra Shortlist reports

### Deployment & support

Alibre Design

Deployment

-   Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based
-   Desktop Mac
-   Desktop Windows
-   Desktop Linux
-   On-Premise Windows
-   On-Premise Linux
-   Desktop Chromebook
-   Mobile Android
-   Mobile iPhone
-   Mobile iPad

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

MicroStation

Deployment

-   Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based
-   Desktop Mac
-   Desktop Windows
-   Desktop Linux
-   On-Premise Windows
-   On-Premise Linux
-   Desktop Chromebook
-   Mobile Android
-   Mobile iPhone
-   Mobile iPad

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

### Company Details

Alibre Design

-   By Alibre
-   Located in United States
-   Founded in 1997

MicroStation

-   By Bentley Systems
-   Located in United States
-   Founded in 1980

## Popular Comparisons

[Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.69 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

vs

[AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/)[4.65 (3,207)](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/reviews/)

$10/month

Price

$250/month

4.6

Features

4.6

4.6

Ease of Use

4.1

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/172312-265024/Alibre-Design-vs-AutoCAD)

[MicroStation](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/)[4.34 (176)](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/reviews/)

vs

[AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/)[4.65 (3,207)](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/reviews/)

$2284/year

Price

$250/month

4.2

Features

4.6

4.0

Ease of Use

4.1

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/192416-265024/MicroStation-vs-AutoCAD)

[Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.69 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

vs

[SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/)[4.63 (756)](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/reviews/)

$10/month

Price

Contact vendor for pricing

4.6

Features

4.6

4.6

Ease of Use

4.3

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/93121-172312/SolidWorks-Premium-vs-Alibre-Design)

[MicroStation](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/)[4.34 (176)](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/reviews/)

vs

[SketchUp](https://www.capterra.com/p/211798/SketchUp/)[4.49 (1,046)](https://www.capterra.com/p/211798/SketchUp/reviews/)

$2284/year

Price

$19.99/month

4.2

Features

4.3

4.0

Ease of Use

4.4

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/192416-211798/MicroStation-vs-SketchUp)

[Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.69 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

vs

[Inventor](https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/)[4.53 (277)](https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/reviews/)

$10/month

Price

$310/month

4.6

Features

4.5

4.6

Ease of Use

4.2

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/172312-236745/Alibre-Design-vs-Inventor)

[MicroStation](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/)[4.34 (176)](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/reviews/)

vs

[AutoCAD Architecture](https://www.capterra.com/p/172801/AutoCAD-Architecture/)[4.61 (289)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172801/AutoCAD-Architecture/reviews/)

$2284/year

Price

$1775/year

4.2

Features

4.5

4.0

Ease of Use

4.2

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/172801-192416/AutoCAD-Architecture-vs-MicroStation)

[Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.69 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

vs

[Autodesk Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/178416/Fusion-360/)[4.49 (269)](https://www.capterra.com/p/178416/Fusion-360/reviews/)

$10/month

Price

$85/month

4.6

Features

4.5

4.6

Ease of Use

4.1

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/172312-178416/Alibre-Design-vs-Fusion-360)

[MicroStation](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/)[4.34 (176)](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/reviews/)

vs

[Revit](https://www.capterra.com/p/265023/Revit/)[4.61 (482)](https://www.capterra.com/p/265023/Revit/reviews/)

$2284/year

Price

$365/month

4.2

Features

4.6

4.0

Ease of Use

4.0

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/192416-265023/MicroStation-vs-Revit)

[Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.69 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

vs

[SketchUp](https://www.capterra.com/p/211798/SketchUp/)[4.49 (1,046)](https://www.capterra.com/p/211798/SketchUp/reviews/)

$10/month

Price

$19.99/month

4.6

Features

4.3

4.6

Ease of Use

4.4

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/172312-211798/Alibre-Design-vs-SketchUp)

[MicroStation](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/)[4.34 (176)](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/reviews/)

vs

[ActCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/168061/ACTCAD-Professional/)[4.22 (214)](https://www.capterra.com/p/168061/ACTCAD-Professional/reviews/)

$2284/year

Price

$249one time

4.2

Features

4.2

4.0

Ease of Use

4.3

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/168061-192416/ACTCAD-Professional-vs-MicroStation)

[Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.69 (183)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

vs

[Onshape](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/)[4.51 (342)](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/reviews/)

$10/month

Price

$1500/year

4.6

Features

4.1

4.6

Ease of Use

4.5

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/164681-172312/Onshape-vs-Alibre-Design)

[MicroStation](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/)[4.34 (176)](https://www.capterra.com/p/192416/MicroStation/reviews/)

vs

[ARCHICAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/2018/ArchiCAD/)[4.44 (279)](https://www.capterra.com/p/2018/ArchiCAD/reviews/)

$2284/year

Price

$33.33/month

4.2

Features

4.4

4.0

Ease of Use

4.2

[View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/2018-192416/ArchiCAD-vs-MicroStation)