# Inventor Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Inventor the right 3D CAD solution for you? Explore 278 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/reviews --- Inventor 4.5 (278) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/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 March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Inventor Ease of use 4.2 Customer Service 4.1 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews Versatile 3D modeling capabilities 93% positive reviews out of 73 Most reviewers describe 3D modeling as intuitive, supporting complex designs, prototyping, simulation, and efficient 3D printing workflows. Edgar B. Project manager, 2 - 10 employees. "I have been user of autocad for many years the transition from 2D design to 3d with inventor it is very intuitive ." Frequent crashes and instability 83% negative reviews out of 35 Most reviewers report bugs and issues, citing frequent crashes, lack of autosave, and workflow disruptions during complex tasks. Beginner-friendly learning curve 93% positive reviews out of 27 Most reviewers find ease of use notable, highlighting accessible tools, intuitive interface, and straightforward learning for new users. Comprehensive CAD software integration 96% positive reviews out of 23 Most reviewers indicate CAD software offers strong compatibility, broad format support, and seamless integration with other Autodesk tools. ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 278 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Steve G. Design Engineer Events Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Inventor for Millwork and Tradeshow Documents" October 24, 2018 5.0 Inventor is a great tool and easy to learn and be productive with. It is not a direct solution for any specific trade other than Sheet Metal, but can be tailored to fit. Pros Inventor is very easy to use to create realistic, solid designs for cabinetry and millwork. I have tailored the software to streamline my creation of repetitive tasks, and it allows me to effectively document my designs quickly and easily. The software allows you to design and see where problems are in real time. My absolute favorite thing is that the drawings created, are always 100% exactly what you've modeled. It is impossible to have a view that does not dimensionally match another view. My experience with CAD systems in the past, is when drawings get revised, if not checked carefully, views can get out of sync with each other and when something is manufactured, the fabricator undoubtedly will ALWAYS pick the incorrect view as the one to follow. Inventor completely eliminates this problem. Last but not least, is that after being an Engineer / Drafter / Project Manager for almost 30 years, learning and using inventor has made designing and drafting fun for me again. Cons If there's anything I dislike, is that the software could be more cabinet and millwork friendly without having to purchase an add-on. The drawing sizes and model file sizes can get very large, in some cases I have drawings over 200mb, which can be painfully slow when loading over a network Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Design Engineer Automotive Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Good and complete suite for 3D modeling" May 20, 2022 4.0 It was fine, but the only advantage using this software among others in the market is that when buying the complete suite of autodesk. Pros The way you can have compatibility with Autocad, also the libraries are pretty useful and the mold design and manufacturing module is very complete. Cons The price is very expensive also the complexity of the software is high when performing 3D modeling on complex geometry. Switched from [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/) Trying to use the suite for Autodesk and use more comercial and full software. Review Source RM Robert M. delineante Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "RUN AWAY FROM THIS SOFTWARE" July 2, 2024 1.0 The worst Cad software so far. Extremely overrated. I don't even understand the positive comments here. I assume most of them are people new to the game who didn't have a chance to try other software. Solidworks is not perfect, but it is infinitely better than Inventor. This software should be free and even then, it would still be a trash. Pros Nothing positive to mention if you have used other software before. Cons Continued crashes and bugs (I work with an HP workstation optimized for CAD with Xeon, 32gb, Graphics...). Non intuitive tools/Interface. The orbital movement system is trash. Poor restriction functions (specially the tangent one). You need to constantly update the assembly to see the results. Sometimes the preview of the restrictions are not shown for some misterious reason. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT!!!! -DON'T HAVE AUTO-SAVE- Review Source JC John C. Entrepreneur Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Intuitive and powerful 3D CAD, yet it takes time to master the more powerful features" May 17, 2022 5.0 I created many solid models, assemblies and drawings. Compared to a previous high end system I used, it has been very robust and rarely crashes. Once you know it it is very intuitive. Pros Easy and powerful solid modeller that can create Assemblies with both Part and Assembly variations. Bill of Materials with tables can be generated directly in the Assembly drawing. A lot of functions are available under the right mouse button, which saves time not having to go through menus. Cons Once you get deeper into the software, the more powerful features can be somewhat difficult to learn. Support does not always understand your exact needs. Some of the lesser used powerful features do not get the same attention from their R&D. An example is that it took about 2 years for a feature to be corrected. Alternatives considered [Designcenter Solid Edge](https://www.capterra.com/p/179964/Solid-Edge/)[SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/) Reason for choosing Inventor It was bundled with AutoCAD which some users could use. Review Source CC Carlos C. Structural Engineering Civil Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### " Basically the best software to design mechanical parts." October 13, 2021 5.0 In general I always use this software to design any part, running the stress simulation. Pros You can start form 0 and perform a very specialized analysis for any part. Very organized to go from a point, line, sketch, solid and assembly. Cons How the constraints can be easily affected and the whole model ruined. Very complex to repair this. Alternatives considered [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/) Reason for choosing Inventor The interoperability between programs. Switched from [CATIA](https://www.capterra.com/p/100453/CATIA/) Because the whole process in the company we do it with Autodesk Software. Review Source DR David R. Engineering Manager Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Inventor - A helpful and useful tool " September 19, 2022 5.0 Excellent. I wouldn't change to another software vendor anytime soon. Pros It is professional and easy to use (once you get past the learning curve). It integrates well with other Autodesk software and is an industry standard for most. Cons It does have some bugs and crashes occasionally. It also is impossible to use without an internet connection. This seems a little unnecessary, but sometimes if you are working very remotely it simply isn't what you want. Alternatives considered [Creo](https://www.capterra.com/p/164678/Creo/) Reason for choosing Inventor Autodesk's market share and the integration with our current Autodesk software. Review Source MF Mario F. 3D Designer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Inventor is Decent " September 24, 2020 4.0 I feel 80% is enjoyable. I can build structures or components. It’s getting better every time, the other 20% is just basic frustration not being able to mirror components in assemblies and keep them linked, and not being able to copy mates on assemblies is just a big time waster. Pros I love the rendering and Frame generator! Frame Generator is freaking Awsome! Literally allows you to build a complex frame out of a sketch or a simple extrusion. The frame members can be trimmed and you can create your own profiles! Also ipart creation make things easy. Cons This is a real great software, but I must be honest at 2 Major weak points that are deal breakers for me and maybe others. There is no “copy with mates” like others softwares have. So if you insert 100 Identical components, it’s gonna take you forever to constrain them in your assembly. Also there is no assembly mirror that associative! You have to use pattern, if you can! These are basic standards in even older softwares! How can Inventor not have these Basic staples! Weak points for sure. Alternatives considered [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/178416/Fusion-360/)[SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/) Reason for choosing Inventor It has more abilities and complexity in its features, but not more than solid works. But solid works was much to expensive. Switched from [Designcenter Solid Edge](https://www.capterra.com/p/179964/Solid-Edge/) Solid edge was to glitchy for me, and the assembly changes would just blow up when I changed parameters. Inventors constraints and parameter changing adaptivity was much stronger. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Director Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Amazing software for 3D Modeling and Drafting" July 27, 2022 5.0 Using inventor from last 4+years and it is best software for execute internanational level projects Pros Ease of using commands and Vault system helped to work on client server Cons Takes more memory when we use Vault system Reason for choosing Inventor Good in command use, various cad commands helped to execute projects quickly and effectively Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Design Engineer Machinery Used the software for: 2+ years ### "3D Modeling Awesome" March 5, 2020 5.0 Inventor allows me to do my job, mechanical engineering, I use it daily to design, analyze and draw components we make. Pros Inventor is used in everything we do. We need to accurately model things in 3d and create the fabrication and shop drawings. Since it is an Autodesk product it integrates easily with our use of AutoCAD too, with easy output to 2D cad formats as well. Cons It can be challenging to learn at first but it is easy if you know another 3D modeling program. The one thing I think the competition does better is exploded views, I dislike the exploded view functionality. Alternatives considered [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/) Reason for choosing Inventor We use AutoCAD and it is one complete package sold together Review Source Mariana M. Analista Control de Calidad Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "It is a 3D solid parametric modeling program produced by the software company Autodesk" July 10, 2018 4.0 In my case being a professional of iNGENIERIA IS OF GREAT BENEFIT BECAUSE Inventor is updated (with the help of users in Inventor Ideas) and improves with each new version It keeps the user competitive by accessing our latest innovations at the time they are available, along with the previous versions you need Configure your products more easily with new functions for assemblies and autocomplete in the rules editor. Work with data from any 3D CAD system while maintaining an associative link Pros It has many tools that are very useful not only in the mechanical area, but also in the design of circuits, in the design of pipelines, etc., that's why I like SW. However, what I like about inventor is that besides being a program where you can make designs (CAD), you can also manufacture them (CAM) and do not need an interface like solidworks to recognize it in a cnc. Moldflow analysis: because it shows the quality of the pieces during the preliminary design phases and avoids the problems of higher level. Family mold: this allows the administration of family molds. You can alternate between several charged plastic parts to complete the partition plane design of each core and cavity assembly. Feed channel and injection point: provides the means to specify the type and location of the injection points, and allows to define the characteristics of shape, size and sketch of the feed channel. Cooling channel: improves the efficiency of the mold design and simplifies the process of creating complex cooling channels. Core and cavity design: solves the complex problems of defining the partition plane. The combination of these functions allows the closing of the separation, in addition to the automatic creation of revisions of holes and partition surfaces. Standard component library and tools: supports a wide range of components from commercial catalog libraries and a component utility to create custom parts. Automation of the drawing: the automation of the 2D drawing Cons Java does not generate code for further deeper developments. It does not handle much flexibility like code does in Java It only works with an Internet connection and it is a great disadvantage when you signal it is bad at home or work It can only be developed for Android The program has a high cost, due to its license. Knowing how to fully use the software requires a lot of time since there are many functions, and even that they are of little application, since they are very specific. It requires a powerful computer to work with processing speed, and a high space on the hard drive Review Source SB Swaroop B. Design engineer Mining & Metals Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Autodesk inventor user advantage" August 30, 2024 5.0 I am using inventor since 4 years and a user friendly tool to designing and drafting. I logic programming was the greatest advantage by using inventor. Pros I like I logic programming & inventor has a huge content center library. Cons Static analysis results need to be precised & reported errors need to be resolved. Review Source PP Piotr P. QA Automation Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Intuitive and powerful design" July 15, 2022 5.0 I was using Inventor for multiple years in my work and my private projects. It is an amazing tool, packed with an enormous number of features. Each of the functions is customizable and can be adjusted to the expectations of the company and designer. Inventor can make the work efficient, quick, and enjoyable. Each function has an extensive description with detailed instructions on how to use it. Also, the whole ecosystem of apps from Autodesk is cooperating smoothly end effortlessly, and Inventor is a great part of it. It is widely used, so if a user encounters any problem, somewhere on the internet there is a resolution for it - on the official Autodesk page or on one of the multiple forums. The software has a student version, which can be a great possibility to get familiarized with it if you are studying. However, there is one significant disadvantage of Inventor - the price in the subscription model is extremely high. it is unlikely that hobbyists can afford that much. Also, small bugs may happen, which is fully understandable in the software of that size. In conclusion, if you have the possibility to work with it, it is totally a must - there is nothing that good on the market. If not, there are some cheaper alternatives - not as good as this one, but still decent. Pros A huge number of features. The intuitiveness of use. Customizability. Detailed descriptions and use instructions of features. Vast community support. Integration between different Autodesk apps. Cons The price is high. Subscription sell-based model. Review Source NJ Neha J. jr.sales er. Machinery Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Inventor- The king of drawings" November 16, 2022 5.0 Inventor is quite smooth to work with. Its tools are easy to understand and rapid to use. Pros The Inventor is a very smooth and fast modeling software that helps you to make fast operations over short period of time. Cons nothing like least-liked. perfect software of design. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer R&D Engineering Co-OP Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Very helpful tool to model components and help visualize real world assemblies." August 1, 2018 4.0 AutoDesk included a modelling and drawing software, as well as a simulation aspect. We use other softwares for other applications so this is the extent of my knowledge with autocad. Pros I have used this product for over 3 years now and couldn't be more satisfied with the product. My team and I use Inventor to model assemblies to be used in real life to help us visualize any potential flaws regarding manufacturing and assembly. The gear tool has allowed us to construct complex gear trains within minutes and simulating the motion has never been easier. To add to that, being able to visualize the motion of the gears through simulation has helped us fix several overlooked flaws in the design, including improper teeth meshing distance and collision with the frame. Cons My one complaint with AutoDesk is the pack and go feature. Once, I used it to export my assembly and various part files into a compressed zip file, checking all the correct boxes, and my zip folder was later corrupted. It has only happened once but it cost me a lot of time. It could have been a user error on my part but I have packed and gone since and it has worked fine every other time. Review Source BF Brandon F. Engineering Manager Aviation & Aerospace Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Inventor...only 10 years behind" October 30, 2018 4.0 Pros I like that it's fairly quick to rebuild parts after changing a feature early on in the tree. I like the view cube in the upper right hand corner, very easy to reorient the view any way I want. The measure tool is very useful and easy to use. I really like how easy it is to start and orient a sketch, super simple and intuitive. The hole tool is nice and easy to use, good GUI. Cons I don't like: 1. I can't measure between the edges of sketched circles without putting points there to measure from. Why shouldn't I be able to measure the web thickness or specify that as my measurable value? If that's something that's a CTC on my print, then let me spec it, don't tell me it's not "good engineering". 2. Why can't I split/trim projected geometry? You make me import it as a line, so let me trim it like one. 3. When using a feature in a subsequent sketch, why does it make me import that line geometry into my current sketch? Just reference it. 4. If I add a constraint, why not tell me what conflicts and let me delete the conflicting constraint (a la Creo). It's great that you tell me it's overconstraining it, but tell me what the conflicts are. 5. Why do I have to edit a sketch/feature to edit a dimension? I've been able to double click a dimension and edit that dimension in SW and Creo for years. 6. Why do I have to go into the View tab to change the visual style? Make that a floating toolbar in the viewable area (a la Creo). 7. Why don't all circular features, i.e. circles, holes, etc., automatically have an axis that's accessible to later features? It's dumb that I have to insert them... Review Source DA Daniel A. Systems Engineer, Analyst, Machinist Defense & Space Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent capability, decent learning curve for existing CAD/CAM users" July 3, 2018 5.0 Being able to flexibly work on design projects for work, hobbies, and STEM Education and Outreach work is incredibly nice, and linking this capability to much more accessible maker tech really opens new doors for rapid prototyping. Pros Really powerful software, surprisingly resource efficient for use on laptops, and the de facto standard for many uses. With a dedicated CAD rig (or repurposed gaming PC), performance even when dealing with large and complex models is excellent. The design and portability is really quite good, and when coupled with access to CNC machinery and 3D printing capability makes the prototyping process incredibly quick. Currently experimenting with amateur photogrammetry for metrology and rapid design capability (converting clay models or plastic-printing pens), and the toolset is powerful enough to leverage those capabilities quite well. Easy enough to use that high school students can tap many of the advanced capabilities with even limited background. Cons For myself as an old school Autodesk user the added capability is impressive, although the UI updates feel a lot like contemporary changes that fixed things which weren't broken in the first place. The biggest headache I have right now is that the install is tedious to reroute, particularly when repurposing existing computers for STEM outreach projects, anything other than the default installation is hard, and often inconsistent. Interfacing with open source tools is actually quite good, but innate support for that is unsurprisingly limited. Still, a really minor complaint, as properly packaged for export files are handled really well with existing CAM workflow and automation in slicing tools for experienced additive manufacturers. Review Source Manuel Alberto M. Project Engineer Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A great but expensive tool" November 28, 2017 4.0 It's easier to create the piping system in Inventor than it is to create it in Solidworks. The rules-based routing tools allow to select the correct fittings and helps ensure that they comply with the industry standards. I can also import it to other files easily if I need it. Pros I use this to create elements for 3D models of marketing activations activations. This is a simple and user friendly 3D modeling tool. to add, once you learn this tool it the interface carries throughout other autodesk programs. Cons The price of it is a bit expensive. A single license can cost about 7,000. Regardless of cost, the Inventor doesn't have symmetry check. The symmetry would also the user to find whether the part is symmetric at all or the axis in which it is symmetric about. This would be helpful for users running FEA analysis and want to reduce the run down time. Review Source Wayne O. Sr. Cad Design Dairy Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Why I like Inventor" October 30, 2018 5.0 I work in for a process engineering company, so it helps to be able when building my Plant 3D drawings to be able to design the specialty equipment in Inventor to import into Plant to be able to visualize how it will actually look in the facilities we build. Pros The thing I like most about Inventor is the ease of use. I came from a SolidWorks background and was able to jump right in and start working with Inventor with very little instruction. The interface is easy to understand and there is plenty of help videos and white papers on the Autodesk website to help you out if you get stuck. Cons Inventor has crashed on me a couple of times, but that was remedied with a patch. Review Source SR Shane R. Project Manager Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great software, unmatched design automation!" July 16, 2018 5.0 Model MASSIVE assemblies on not very powerful computers, design and process automation with iLogic. Pros If you have massive assemblies and love to automate processes, inventor is the ticket! This software runs well on computers that would barely be able to open SolidWorks. Huge assemblies (30,000 parts) open and are easily worked on. I can't imagine doing anything if this magnitude in any other software. I regularly use Solidworks, inventor and Pro-E (Creo), and inventor is my go to software for large machines. It's the best feature is iLogic which is a user-friendly programming interface to help you automate simple or complex tasks to save time and reduce errors. It is very similar to Visual Basic for applications, but you do not need to be a programmer to figure this out! Cons There is no global sheet scale in drawings and therefor no way to link a view scale to the title block in a drawing. It must be filled out manually. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Owner Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "CAD Manager" October 24, 2018 4.0 We use our models for everything from prototyping 3D printe models to rendering for marketing. Love the software and it's many uses Pros User friendliness. Easy to train employees on the many different features Inventor has, from modeling to documenting the models with drawings, and rendering for our parts catalog to rendering hi-resolution files for offset printng. Cons Can not export/import custom materials to a spreadsheet to verify the accuracy and make changes Review Source HC Haward C. mechanical engineer Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Where magic happens" July 10, 2021 5.0 Overall inventor is where I am more comfortable at and it gets the job done. Pros modeling in inventor is just satisfactory. As a designer theres no better feeling than whatching what you imagine becoming real and thats just what happens when modeling with inventor, it flows. Cons modeling piece by piece is one thing but when the assembly time comes that's when you start crying. as an inventor user i am already use to it and have come to perfect it and even prefer it over other software. Let's just say that if you don't recall your dynamics lectures you won't be having a good time. Review Source Ray G. Systems Analyst Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Fairly Intuitive " August 4, 2020 5.0 Pros I found this software easy to learn the basics and not too difficult to learn the advanced features. I would however strongly recommend that you buy a learning inventor tutorial book and work your way through it. Once the basics drawing concept is understood, it’s easy to draw 3D components and assemble them as parts. I think this software works for both the amateur and professional designer. I use it for designing my woodworking projects and it’s made my life much easier having cutting diagrams for each part and confirming that there will be no interference in parts when assembled. I have tried SketchUp, and found Inventor to be much more intuitive to use. Cons There does not seem to be an existing user community library of parts. In this regard, SketchUp is superior. Review Source Ryan S. Systems Designer Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Reliable and easy-to-use 3D modeling software" August 8, 2017 4.0 Pros Inventor has a very intuitive user interface. Not as pricey as other top-tier packages and provides a great bang for your buck. Cons Not as revolutionary or powerful as other packages but seems to be a great middle-of-the-road option with plenty of features for most industry needs. Automation & analysis features had been lacking in past releases but are starting to catch up. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Electrical Engineer Industrial Automation Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent 3D modeling software" October 24, 2018 5.0 Pros Inventor makes 3D modeling very easy to learn and use. The commands are simple to follow and the help files can be very helpful if you know what you are looking for. I have been using Inventor for 3-4 years now and I am still learning new and better ways to do certain things. Autodesk releases a new version every year with added functionality, which makes using the software easier. Cons Inventor can sometimes be a memory hog, if you have a model open with 100's of parts it can take 10-15GB of memory. Which slows down the computer and can make creating drawings slow and painful. Also the software sometimes can do things which you don't intend. This can get irritating and cause some delays in design. Review Source Brett T. Document Management Supervisor Civil Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Inventor Review" December 31, 2018 5.0 Pros Very easy and powerful software to use. One of the better parametric modelers out there and I have used just about all of them. The stress analysis is very handy and the constraints are intuitive and powerful. Cons Wish there was a plugin for featurecam into inventor. I know there is inventor HSM but its not as easy to use as featurecam. 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