# Alibre Design Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Alibre Design the right 3D CAD solution for you? Explore 183 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews --- Alibre Design 4.7 (183) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/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 June 3rd, 2026 # Reviews of Alibre Design Ease of use 4.6 Customer Service 4.8 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews JE Jeff E OwnerMusic, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Great customer support and rapid learning curve (I transitioned from AutoCAD and Pro E). Have been using since 2014 to support mechanical design, product development and even building "fly through" venue models to support a music based charity. “ March 15, 2026 JK Julian K EngineerElectrical/Electronic Manufacturing, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I found it difficult to set up defaults (dimension styles, set to use millimetres etc.) and get them to persist between drawing sessions.“ November 21, 2025 Sam R Principal Design EngineerDesign, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I have also designed mechanical screw machine parts where the CAD models and drawings were sent out to a CNC based swiss screw machine shop for manufacture, also flawless.“ May 16, 2026 Sam R Principal Design EngineerDesign, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I do have a word of advice: Keep your company employee owned and employee driven and never go public as that is the beginning of the end of a great company (been there done that, got no tee shirt and I don't recommend it!)“ May 16, 2026 SK Scott K EngineerEducation Management, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I really like their pricing structure, subscription based or one time based with option to pay for upgrades as needed. Plus, I was able to write my own plugin to tightly integrate it to Orca Slicer for 3d printer. “ September 21, 2025 RJ Ron J Owner and EngineerConsumer Goods, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “difficulty getting the program to accept fillets - I spend more time trying to get the fillets to work than drawing the parts.“ June 26, 2025 MR Mike R OwnerConsumer Goods, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “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 into, for my hobby and small business use.“ November 20, 2025 JK Jason K Mechanical DesignMachinery, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “For all intents and purposes no ability whatsoever to manage project files, creating an impossible mess on your hard drive that you can't fix because it will break all of your assemblies and require hours of re-locating files in their new locations.“ November 22, 2023 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 183 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Sam R. Principal Design Engineer Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Reasons why you should be a convert to Alibre Design" May 16, 2026 5.0 I use Alibre Design Expert almost on a daily basis for designing parts for test and mechanical fixtures for the various electronic products I design. These parts are then printed out of various materials on my BambuLab X1C FDM printer. I always use the STEP model output in millimeters as that seems to work best. I have tried the STL output but for some reason the STL files are huge (much larger than the STL files from SolidWorks). I believe this is due to configuration but I really do not know how to configure the output to be the same as SW was and STEP appears to work just fine. I have also designed mechanical screw machine parts where the CAD models and drawings were sent out to a CNC based swiss screw machine shop for manufacture, also flawless. I have also designed bent up sheet metal parts that were uploaded to vendors like SendCutSend and came out perfect. These were the first sheet metal parts I designed in Alibre. On the customer support side getting a real person that cares is a HUGE plus. Although I have had very few issues, mostly due to concept learning on my part, the support staff has always gotten back and usually within a few hours or the same day. Never had that level of support before from any CAD company. In addtion the YouTube training videos are very good and the live ask the engineers/users is amazing, they make you feel like you are part of the product improvement and development process. I do have a word of advice: Keep your company employee owned and employee driven and never go public as that is the beginning of the end of a great company (been there done that, got no tee shirt and I don't recommend it!) Pros Being a SolidWorks user since 2004, when I retired from my company I had no viable alternative for personal use. Like many I searched the internet for "Free" 3D CAD programs but found that the real cost in "Free" is the steep leaning curve and the sometimes rather arcane GUI or text based input and little or no support. So I purchased Alibre Design Expert as I wanted the closest product to SW I could find. As they say "80+% of SW functionality at 20% of the cost". I did not need the advanced finite analysis features nor did I want a subscription or a product expires that could hold my designs hostage. A really big one for me as I could buy it at no interest over a 10 month period AND I own it. No subscription and I can buy maintenance when I need it also on the 10 month plan. And it does not expire. One of the side things I found out is Alibre as I undertand it by the employees who bought out the prior owners of the company. As in the CAD world they are a really small company that can turn on a dime and have ownership in the product they produce. It's a great thing to see and talk to people that have a stake and real pride in what they do. The enthusiasm shines everytime I see a live or training video. I recommend Alibre to everyone I know who needs a 3D CAD program or is currently using a costly 3D CAD program and needs to switch! Cons One of the things I wish it would do is automatically refresh the design when exiting a sketch as SW does. I brought this up recently in a Alibre Live YouTube. I said maybe they can make this a checkbox option as if you are working on a large model/assembly you may not want to auto refresh but I think you should at least have the option. One thing they should add to all of their 3DCAD products is rectangle by center as I understand that Atom does not have this. Even though I use the Expert version I think all version should have the same sketching tools. I think that would also make it easier for Alibre to maintain the software and have basic common software source code between versions. Sketch tools should be the same and perhaps have modeling tools between the Atom/Pro/Expert from basic to advanced as it is today. These comments aside I would still would recommend that prospective buyers download and try a copy for the demo period. I am sure that they will see the value in the product. I would like to be able to install my product on two machines and as long as it is only used on one at a time (like a book) the license remains valid without having to move the license back and forth. There are situations where I could be off line for more than a month and I would like that flexibility. Maybe by default a license should be good for two machines like a really powerful desktop and the ubiquitous laptop for presentations, etc. The advanage to Alibre for this is more people in corporate and private environments really get to see what Alibre can do! Switched from [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/) Cost, Not a subscription, better support when rarely needed. Review Source RF Reg F. Senior Electronics Engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Alibre Design Expert - 3D CAD, CAM and PDM" January 28, 2026 5.0 My overall experience has been very good, I especially look forward to new releases which offer new features. The provision of the PDM to Design Expert Users (on Maintenance) also helps to justify continuing to pay annual maintenance. Pros Alibre Design Expert provides great features in a competitive value for money package. The addition of PDM has provided a central location for the storage of all design files and part libraries. The continuous development and release of new features (as well as bug fixes) again offered in a value for money annual maintenance package. Meshcam Pro for Alibre provides an entry level CAM capability which is suitable for my hobbyist workshop without costing a fortune. The Import of PCB step files form my PCB Design Package allows verification of fitment and interfaces well with mechanical design. the ability to colour components now makes this even more realistic. The ability to produce 2D Drawings for system assembly which can be included together in the PDM with the 3D Design files. Cons On occasion integrated packages get dropped or no-longer work with new versions (This happened with the integrated CAM Package). The made me nervous about purchasing the Meshcam Pro for Alibre, however it continues to work with the latest releases. Switched from [AutoCAD LT](https://www.capterra.com/p/2011/AutoCAD-LT/) I wanted a package which would meet my needs without having to constantly pay for expensive upgrade to get new features or the ability to produce CAM for my small workshop. Review Source RJ Ron J. Owner and Engineer Consumer Goods Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Many frustrating issues." June 26, 2025 3.0 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 then have molds built, I would be seriously looking at other CAD options. The issues make things take 2-3 times longer than they should. Pros Being able to make changes early in the chain and they update through. Being able to color. Mutiple view options. Cons Many crashes that shut down the program. Unable to define a radius size in a sketch before picking the lines. Unable to intersect a line to a curve or two curves. difficulty getting the program to accept fillets - I spend more time trying to get the fillets to work than drawing the parts. The program says the sketch has no errors, but then refuses to extrude the sketch and does not give an indication of what the problem is. Frequent errors introduced extra lines when mirroring a sketch - hard to clean up. When doing a "save as," it defaults to the last saved file rather than the file it came from, so many drawings end up in unrelated projects/files rather than the project file. I find trying to do 3D sketchin almost imposible. Switched from [SketchUp](https://www.capterra.com/p/211798/SketchUp/) The design tree that I can easily adjust the dimensions of. Review Source Response from Alibre June 30, 2025 Sorry to hear about your experience with crashes occurring in Alibre. We have reviewed your tickets with our support team and we agree there are a few behaviors that need to be tightened up. Like the ability to define a fillet radius before selecting the lines or edges... instead of after. However, some of the issues you are experiencing come down to workflows that are not recommended. You may review the Best Practices section of our Help File for workflow tips, especially when it comes to sketching and fillets. Alibre, like all CAD programs, performs best when you use smaller steps. Doing too much in a single feature can cause CAD to become over-taxed while calculating and projecting the desired geometry. It can also cause future edits to become more complicated. Breaking things down into smaller separate features, like a single extrusion for your base part, then apply cuts to remove material, will make things easier to process and edit. Same goes for things like mirror/fillets.. Craig F. Owner Industrial Automation Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My favorite 3D design tool" February 16, 2026 5.0 Overall it's a rocksolid design tool you can count on. Everything you need to get the job done and make it a joy while doing it. Pros I've used many CAD systems over the past 30 years. Alibre is by far one of the best mechanical design packages out there. It's ease of use, features, and value are unmatched. I use other CAD systems as well but given the choice of tool to work with I always pick Alibre. Cons It would be nice to have mesh editing tools to drive scan data in a design file. I'd love to have an integrated CAM plugin live Visualmill in Alibre. Switched from [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/178416/Fusion-360/)[Mastercam](https://www.capterra.com/p/230166/MasterCam/)[AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/)[FreeCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/) There is no other system with the ease of use , power and value like Alibre. It's also just fun to use. Review Source AN Adam N. Owner Broadcast Media Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Simply the Best for Anyone Who Respects Their Money and Their Data" January 23, 2026 5.0 Pros Alibre Design Pro/Expert is software that respects its users. With pricing options for every budget, friendly upgrade options, and nearly every tool the other guys have, Alibre is a no-brainer. It's easy to use, doesn't send your data to the cloud, and doesn't send your data to AI for machine learning. In a world where we're all getting sick of subscriptions, online-only software, forced cloud storage, and AI learning, Alibre is a huge breath of fresh air. Cons Windows only right now, but they're working on fixing that! With v29, Alibre intends to remove their Windows dependencies and consider other operating systems in the future! Switched from [Onshape](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/) Onshape's terms of service is very sketchy in that they take a lot of your data and sell it. Their free version has tons of limitations, including an outright ban on any commercial use. Their cheapest version that allows this is $1500 per year. Compare that to Alibre, where the cheapest version is only $200, one-time payment, and still allows commercial use. The mid-tier version by Alibre is closer to the features in OnShape, and it's only $1000. Again, a one-time payment. Review Source DP Dave P. Automation Engineering Tech Industrial Automation Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Life After AutoDesk" February 28, 2026 5.0 Alibre Design Expert is definitely a professional software, and is intuitive enough that most users will be onboard in a pretty short time. The software is not a memory hog, it runs very fast. I have gotten to the point now that I don't even miss Autodesk Inventor any more for 3D modeling. Pros Well I was an AutoCad and Inventor user for 30 years, and watched the price go up every year, some updates did not really change too much to justify the price increase. Then came the subscription license, that was the last straw. I immediately began looking for a perpetual license software. I found Alibre Experrt Design and decided to try, and after a short learning curve I am now comfortable with the software. Tech support is one of the best! They reply quickly and always are able to solve the problem. They have replied even on holiday weekends! You will never get that kind of service from Autodesk! Another bonus is the PDM document manager, it works very well! Cons I do miss the parts library that Autodesk Inventor came with out of the box. I do sometimes have trouble figuring out why a constraint will not work, but that is always a user caused problem. I don't really have a Con list. Switched from [Inventor](https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/) Subscription license, costs were out of control. Review Source BC Brian C. Owner Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Very Happy Long Time User" November 30, 2025 5.0 I have been a customer for over 10 years and am very happy with the Value of Alibre design and the technical support when I have needed it. Pros I've been an Alibre user for well over 10 years and really enjoy the power and intuitive interface of the product. 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 programs. Cons Sometimes the motion in the assemblies get corrupted or disconnected pretty easily and I have to go back and either completely reassemble or spend quite a bit of time repairing and issue. Alternatives considered [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/)[Creo](https://www.capterra.com/p/164678/Creo/) Reason for choosing Alibre Design The initial cost and annual maintenance were much more than Alibre Design with not a lot of loss in functionality. Switched from [Vellum](https://www.capterra.com/p/10029054/Vellum/) Price and ease of use. Once I made the change, I wouldn't go back. Review Source JE Jeff E. Owner Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Value Solid Modeling CAD Package" March 15, 2026 5.0 A+++ on customer support. As a Mechanical Engineer with over 40 years experience the product has been great. Outstanding ease of use and should you have a question - customer support is there to help. Pros Ease of use for 3D modeling and drawing. Cost effective with great solutions for every budget and need. Great customer support and rapid learning curve (I transitioned from AutoCAD and Pro E). Have been using since 2014 to support mechanical design, product development and even building "fly through" venue models to support a music based charity. Most capable product that punches way above it's weight from a cost perspective. Cons Zero complaints. Does exactly what I need! I don't really have any complaints about this product.. Switched from [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/)[Creo](https://www.capterra.com/p/164678/Creo/) Needed an affordable 3D modeling package to support my business.. Review Source BL Brian L. Co-owner Consumer Goods Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great software!" December 31, 2025 5.0 Very positive, easy to use and does a great job. I have been using it since 2011 and it has had continuous improvement. Pros Perpetual license, cost and fully featured. Ease of drawing, extruding and creating fully functional 3D designs. Cons Occasional glitches on radii or chamfers, which I can eventually get them where I want them, just have to do them individually most of the time. Automatically created threads, seem to not work correctly either. Switched from [Vectorworks Architect](https://www.capterra.com/p/29995/Vectorworks-Architect/) Lack of 3D capabilities at the time, this was back in 2011 Review Source SK Scott K. Engineer Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Awesome 3D CAD program for beginner to expert, licensing the way you want it." September 21, 2025 5.0 I'm really glad I found and use Alibre for my 3d modeling for general CAD and lots of 3d printing stuff. Pros Can install it on my machine, easy to setup and they have great getting started tutorials for the beginner 3D modeler! I really like their pricing structure, subscription based or one time based with option to pay for upgrades as needed. Plus, I was able to write my own plugin to tightly integrate it to Orca Slicer for 3d printer. Customer support has been awesome and very responsive when I've reached out to them. Cons Not much! Sometimes it crashes when I'm applying fillets on lots of edges and faces but always back up and running quickly. Do wish the community was bigger or just more well known, as it's a hidden gem it seems. Also wish they had a 2d parametric only version... though I can use just a simple sketch for simplistic scenarios. Alternatives considered [Onshape](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/)[Blender](https://www.capterra.com/p/167519/Blender/)[Tinkercad](https://www.capterra.com/p/207354/Tinkercad/)[FreeCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/167527/FreeCAD/) Reason for choosing Alibre Design Better licensing model for my use case and can easily upgrade and grow into the more advanced products as needed. Review Source RH Ralph H. President Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Alibre Design is the best solids program on the market" October 26, 2024 5.0 I was delighted in discovering how easy it was to create special client drawings and layouts. The ability to create a child parts list connected to the assembly drawings that can be manually edited is unmatched and very powerful. The ability to compute weights of assemblies that easily flow into a top assembly is excellent. Pros For a solids program with engineering precision, high caliber design, it hits the Sweet Spot of capability, functionality, cost, and ease of use. Cons That it only runs on a PC. Most of my day today computing occurs on a MacOS system and it forces me to have a separate windows computer networked with all documents saved to my Mac. It is how I have operated my successful engineering business for nearly 20 years. Alternatives considered [Cobalt](https://www.capterra.com/p/10005982/Cobalt/) Reason for choosing Alibre Design The stability of the product and the ability to manually change the bill of materials was a major point of decision. Switched from [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/) The cost of solidworks was over my budget. Review Source DH Dennis H. Electronics Engineering Industrial Automation Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Long term User " October 12, 2024 5.0 It has enabled entry into world of 3D engineering design Pros ease of use and lack of temperamental issues Cons Has difficulty handling medium to large sketches Switched from [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/)[TurboCad](https://www.capterra.com/p/32368/TurboCAD-Professional/) lost access to legal SolidWorks and this was affordable. Review Source MD Mark D. Tool and Die Maker Industrial Automation Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The Best 3d modeling software on the market" August 23, 2024 5.0 Great. And with the you tube channel I’m learning even more ways to use the software Pros I can take it on my laptop everywhere I go. Even my cabin that doesn’t have Wi-Fi Cons I wish I could afford to buy the version with sheet metal Switched from [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/178416/Fusion-360/) I didn’t want a subscription based product. When I go to my cabin I don’t have Wi-Fi. I like to draw there I can with Alibre Review Source MH Martin H. Owner Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Alibre Design Expert" June 27, 2024 5.0 I am now going on my 3rd year using this software. The technical support is fast and responsive. Each year I receive updates, and many times, during periods of travel between states, my floating license was very convenient, allowing me to set up my workstation on location. Great product, great company. Pros This is quality CAD software at a very affordable price. I have used Solidworks, AutoCAD, ProEngeer. I have been able to do virtually everything I did with those packages at a fraction of the cost. Best investment for a small engineering consulting company. Cons I have no complaints. I am a happy camper with this product. I Alternatives considered [Onshape](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/) Reason for choosing Alibre Design Onshape is good, but its a subscription service. I own my Alibre Design Expert software. I found I was able to perform all the engineering tasks with Alibre. Switched from [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/) I changed jobs and could not afford Soldiworks. I needed an affordable, effective CAD software. I discovered Alibre. I was very pleased with the trial test and decided to make the investment. Review Source MD Mark D. Emeritus Professor Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Two Decades of Alibre Use" April 25, 2024 5.0 I love it. At work I use it to design instrumentation for chemical and structural analysis. At home I use it for yacht chandlery and furniture. Once used it to lay out a new bathroom for my plumber. Pros Feature/cost ratio is outstanding and the evolution of the product keeps it competitive in performance. Even though maintaining the licence costs me only $620 per annum (Alibre pro) I also like the freedom to move to a perpetual licence rather than be stuck with a big bill if things are slack. I could never justify the $2000+ per annum of other products. My supplier in the UK is Mintronics. They have been fabulous. Cons Threads were once a bit of a bug bear (before 2010) especially externals. No longer a problem. Reason for choosing Alibre Design Far too expensive, annual maintenance costs unjustifiable. No perpetual licence option. Switched from [TurboCad](https://www.capterra.com/p/32368/TurboCAD-Professional/) Back in 2004 the 3D capability of TC was awful and it was slow and buggy. OK in 2D tho. Review Source MV Maurice V. President Farming Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Alibre Design Used Extensively on our Farm" December 22, 2023 5.0 My overall experience with Alibre Design Expert has been great. We really like the Sheet Metal option. We have a Plasma and Press Brake in our Workshop and when we export DXF files to our shop machines the end products are exactly what we expected. No surprises. Pros We were looking for a 3D Modeling program to aid in the development of specialized farm equipment. I had many friends use solidworks and constantly complain about the cost. Solidworks for farmers if a very expensive option. After spending some time researching 3D Model programs we decided on Alibre Design. We have been using Alibre Expert for over 7 years. What I can say is that its a feature packed 3D modeling software that I know can compete with higher priced Solidworks. I have shown my engineering friends Alibre and they are amazed how powerful it is. The thing with Alibre is that its powerful and precise. Cons Coming from AutoDesk 2D to Alibre Design was a challenge. Alibre has developed a 800 plus page workbook that is excellent to learn on. There also is abundant YouTube videos that come available daily. I'm Still learning and improving my design skills. If I used it everyday I probably would have mastered it sooner. Alternatives considered [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/) Reason for choosing Alibre Design Very Good value for the money spent. We also wanted to buy and own the product. We do pay the annual maintenance fee and therefore we keep getting the new in improved versions. Switched from [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) Wanted to switch from 2D to 3D. Looked at many different programs but purchased Alibre Expert Review Source AH Arron H. Production Manager Shipbuilding Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Manta Review" July 28, 2025 4.0 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 but look forward to seeing where this product goes next Pros it has helped alot with our 3d rendering of products so our workers can see the end result Gordon in new zealand has been a massive help with support and different ways to design things Cons some of the sheet metal options could have some different features such as with lofting been able to move where the join will be more information on 3d tube drawings when compounding angles and rools are required Review Source ML Mike L. President Military Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Feedback about Alibre Design" August 11, 2025 5.0 Despite the issues with the "help" feature, I am happy with the software. It has materially leveraged our capabilities. We have been using it for years. Pros It is incredibly powerful software available at an affordable price. We use it for its solid model design capabilities and also to reveal X/Y coordinates needed to construct CNC machining programs. Cons The software-resident and online "help" feature is too rigid and finding solutions to specific issues involves lots of guessing and lots of lost time. Support via email is good, but not real-time, when users are at an impasse and need immediate resolution before being able to move forward with the task at hand. Review Source RM Rochan M. Engineering manager Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Low cost full featured " December 12, 2024 5.0 Love the program. We have 3 floating seats for ppl to use in our orginization. Pros Alibre is a full featured cad program that can do assemblies and parametric modeling. We use for iterative simulation and design. The biggest benefit is the cost and model, it’s cheap to get a license to get started. Cons It does lack some features 1. It cannot do feature recognition 2. Importing stl models doesn’t work 3. It has a hard time with organic shaped Alternatives considered [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/)[Creo](https://www.capterra.com/p/164678/Creo/) Reason for choosing Alibre Design Cost and licensing is much more flexible. Review Source DM Dana M. Principal Machinery Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Alibre Design Software" January 20, 2025 5.0 Pros The Price is very good, especially comparing it to Solid Woks, Inventor and Pro E. The maintenance contract pricing is also very reasonable. Cons The part design library could be better. Alternatives considered [Inventor](https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/) Reason for choosing Alibre Design The pricing was far better for the product. Review Source BR Bill R. President Design Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Alibre review" October 9, 2025 5.0 Excellent value. I was looking for an additional design tool to add to my suite of design software tools. Pros Affordable design package with a reasonable array of functionality. Specifically the ability to work with EZ-CAM. Cons A rather unique user interface that takes a bit of effort to become comfortable with. Looking forward to exploring this design tool. Review Source DJ David J. Chief Technology Officer Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Alibre Design Expert Why I use Alibre " August 21, 2024 5.0 Very positive. I had no idea how to work with 3D CAD twelve years ago and now I have designed a patent pending suspension modification. Your payment plan back then convinced me to use Alibre as I had no idea whether investing $3500 would help my crane business then I took a chance with Alibre buying lesser modules on time then finally upgrading to Expert. Keep that in mind its a plus for anyone considering the alternates. Pros Alibre support was always there guiding me through my early learning stages. Their initial training modules (twelve years ago) were most helpful. Today they have an excellent presenter guiding newcomers through the important steps. He has a wonderful soft voice and positive demeanor that shine through his explanations making the complex simple. Cons Its struggles with Geomajic and their ownership. These are past now but unfortunately too much was lost. As an example NYC CNC \[sensitive content hidden\] used to recommend Alibre as their go to CAD program but switched to Fusion 360 where they are today. Fusion 360 compares themselves to Solid Works successfully in their comparison but I do not know where Alibre stands in this comparison. That would be helpful. From what I now know about Alibre you are close to both and most importantly closing the gap. Your ownership model is very relevant for professional users but you need to exploit it better. FEA and motion analysis from Simwise could be a plus in this competition if it were available on a favorable monthly payment plan with training support. Review Source JL John L. Cad Specialist Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A very capable cad program for beginners and experts." April 13, 2024 5.0 Alibre Design Expert does everything I want in a 3D cad package, and is the first package I've continued after the first year of use. A big plus on top of this is the customer support and forums, both of which are quick to help. This is the most positive experience I've had with a cad package. Pros I like Alibre Design Expert on many levels. First, it was easy to get started. With over 40 years of cad experience, learning the basics of Alibre Design 3D modeling was fast. Then the more advanced capabilities such as configurations, global parameters and boolean's made it easy to maintain model integrity. Next but not last, the assemblies feature was a major consideration in the purchase. It has been rock solid and invaluable in product design. Cons One drawback for me with Alibre Design is the 2D drawing package. Though it is very capable even when compared to more expensive packages with such features as exploded views, bill of materials and ballooning, etc. , the workflow is not as intuitive as it could be. Sometimes it takes many mouse clicks to accomplish what seems to be a very simple task. It is possible, however , to create very functional and useful drawings. Review Source MR Michael R. President Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Alibre- best value and best performing 3D CAD/CAE tool I know" September 17, 2023 5.0 I use other expensive tools that came before Alibre with various features.....but frankly the Alibre team have reproduced and improved the features of other tools.The design environment is clean. It NEVER crashes and I have built seriously massive 3D models that worked fine where other tools would have choked. Pros As an electrical Engineer more than 10 years ago I invested in Alibre because I wanted to learn 3D CAD\\CAE , 3D printing and CNC CAM. Alibre has taught me so much and has widened my capabilities beyond my wildest imagination. Well done, professional easy to Learn training videos got me started.....and the experience has augmented my inventive imagination like no other tool I have learned. Cons I really cannot think of anything at this time. Any shortcomings over time have been fixed or improved. Reason for choosing Alibre Design Frankly it was cost of ownership and training that started this choice. But after using Alibre for years now, the quality, performance and capabilities stack up against other tools very well.When I purhased it, It started as a learning excercise ...I took a chance....but over time my organization has grown to standardize on all engineering with Alibre. I highly recommend it to any company regardless of size. Review Source RF Richard F. retired Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Alibre - basic but very useable." September 22, 2022 4.0 I started with Alibre before the ownership change designing automotive clutches and then retired. I have since returned to Alibre and using it to design replacement parts for power seat tracks that have not been available as well as a few automotive related 'gadgets'. Pros I've used AutoCad a little and tried some of the free cad programs. Alibre is a good compromise between the high dollar programs and the low end freebies. Cons The biggest drawback is the inability to import third party stl files so they can be modified. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [3D CAD](https://www.capterra.com/3d-cad-software/)[Engineering CAD](https://www.capterra.com/engineering-cad-software/) ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.