--- title: "SolidWorks Premium Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is SolidWorks Premium the right Engineering CAD solution for you? Explore 760 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" publication_date: "2026-10-19" --- SolidWorks Premium 4.6 (759) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated October 19th, 2026 # Reviews of SolidWorks Premium Ease of use 4.3 Customer Service 4.2 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews DC Deepak C Mechanical Design EngineerMechanical or Industrial Engineering, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “It has comprehensive set of design,simulation, motion analysis,and validation tools within a single platform.“ June 6, 2026 AA Amine A Senior Mechanical EngineerConsumer Goods, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The 3D experience is terrible i've paid like for 2 years it's plugging with solidworks it has 0 efficiency only cloud problems“ January 28, 2025 Jason H OwnerDesign, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Ease of use, included CNC g-code creation, FEA analysis, & real view options.“ July 25, 2026 CI Chris I CTOMedical Devices, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Recent changes to their subscription model make it feel even more expensive and less customer-friendly on price.“ May 28, 2025 CI Chris I CTOMedical Devices, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Powerful design capabilities: Robust tools for 3D modeling, simulation, and rendering.“ May 28, 2025 CD Craig D Mechanical Design EngineerMachinery, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “SolidWorks crashes very often.“ February 12, 2026 Sahil G Sales EngineerMachinery, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Amazing and intuitive design software with an abundance of features that allows you to bring a design to life with ease!“ June 18, 2025 SG Shan G CTOMechanical or Industrial Engineering, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Also it lacks AI upgrade.“ April 10, 2025 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 759 available reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use R Reviewer Data specialist Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Happy user " September 3, 2026 5.0 The features and 3d design integration were impressive and with some further access our integration will be progressing. Pros The security was great and customer support really helpful. With top collaboration for our requirements we were impressed Cons I'm these times value for money is important so this could be improved. Some of the drawing did glitch slightly Review Source R Reviewer Owner Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "SolidWorks is a powerful CAD software. " July 26, 2026 5.0 I’ve been using SolidWorks for over 20 years now and have kept up the subscription. I’d like to try out their web based version next. Pros Ease of use, included CNC g-code creation, FEA analysis, & real view options. Ability to create detailed drawings. Cons Its ability to randomly crash. The mating scheme seems overly complicated after using OnShape for a few years. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Automation Engineer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Solidworks is solidly on the decline." July 6, 2026 1.0 After over 10 years of using SolidWorks and paying their expensive annual subscription, I've seen almost no meaningful innovation year over year. The software feels stuck in the classic Innovator's Dilemma—protecting its installed base and steadily raising prices while delivering minimal new value. If re-learning was not such a massive barrier, I would actively switch to a more progressive CAD platform that includes PDM for free. Maybe when they make the next release even worse -- more unreliable, or when I lose more files, I will make the switch. The VAR's play the Comcast/Mediacom games of continually gaming the yearly rate. Pros Every year, every service pack, the software becomes less reliable, and they continue to charge you yearly for it. Cons Frequent crashes—even on SolidWorks-certified hardware—have forced far too many support calls and lost files. Their certified hardware program and website data feel like a joke, and navigating the site as a paid licensee is a mess. Review Source R Reviewer Mechanical Design Engineer Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Reliable Engineering Software with Advanced Features " June 8, 2026 4.0 Overall Experience positive, particularly in drawing creation,where it provides powerful tools for generating accurate 2d drawing from 3d models.in terms of collaboration it enable teams to share design, track changes,and coordinate projects effectively through cloud connected tools. Pros It has comprehensive set of design,simulation, motion analysis,and validation tools within a single platform. For security perspective, the software offer user access controls,data management option and integration with PDM system. Customer support generally reliable. Cons Its cost is high,especially for small business, students, or startups.large or complex assemblies can sometime lead to performance issues. Review Source Verified Reviewer Project Engineer, Team Lead Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Great product! Price is a bit crippling!" April 6, 2026 5.0 This is a very intuitive software that allows for suppressing components within the assembly FEA that you want to exclude from analysis, change remote loadings, and much more! Pros The Simulation for FEA is invaluable for analyzing the strength of assemblies. Solidworks express gets left in the dust when you can analyze entire assemblies Cons This is a very expensive add on. Our company has only 1-2 licenses with this premium feature because of the costs Review Source R Reviewer CEO Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Great product if you're working with a SolidWorks Reseller (3DXperience)" March 11, 2026 5.0 Very good experience overall. SolidWorks Premium offers powerful tools, stability, and efficiency for professional design work Pros Access to the Simulation in assembly is a must for our products. I liked the 3DExperience cloud PDM fonctionnalities that are now available in my package Cons Without an integrator like (\[sensitive content hidden\]) it is hard to navigate in 3DExperience platform by your own. I strongly recommand to contact a VAR to help you during the installation Review Source Craig D. Mechanical Design Engineer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Still the benchmark of CAD" February 18, 2026 4.0 It is the benchmark for all CAD systems, for all its quirks and the cost, SolidWorks remains the software all CAD systems compare themselves to. Pros 3d Design is excellent. I like how more and more companies are integrating their products into the features of SolidWorks. The part to drawing integration is excellent. Cons It is very expensive in comparison to other products. SolidWorks crashes very often. I've lost a good amount of work due to this. We get a huge number of notifications telling me we have the wrong graphics card Review Source R Reviewer Ingegnere Meccanico Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Poca trasparenza" December 2, 2025 2.0 Hanno un furbissimo sistema commerciale truffaldino, omettono informazioni importanti sulla frequenza dei pagamenti, sul fatto che i pagamenti sono anticipati anche se per tutta la fase di contrattazione sono sempre espressi annualmente. Difficile credere che sia un caso, è un sistema collaudato che da più di un decennio ci riserva sorprese OGNI volta che abbiamo a che fare con loro. Le offerte vengono mandate via testo mail e le info più delicate vengono comunicate telefonicamente, in modo che non ci sia nessuna documentazione ufficiale e che possano disattendere la parola data. I contratti inviati lasciano spazio a libere interpretazioni quindi la delusione è assicurata! Sul loro sito non c'è modo di mandare una recensione e la chat permette solo di aprire ticket! In tutto questo il software ha molti bugs e va in conflitto con la maggior parte degli altri software, richiedendo l'utilizzo di una macchina dedicata! Una macchina per soldi niente male!! Consiglio di tornare al tecnigrafo Pros Dedicato alla meccanica Facile da usare Buoni tools dedicati alla progettazione Buona la progettazione parametrica Cons Il sistema di vendita truffaldino Il servizio clienti La spocchia e il fatto che trattano i clienti dall'alto al basso Problemi di compatibilità con quasi tutti gli altri software installati sul pc Review Source R Reviewer Mechanical engineer Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Best cad tool for designers" March 26, 2025 4.0 As mechanical engineer i made products to defence sector, by using i can made faster 3d models and production drawings within the one software and so its reduces the time and also money Pros The best thing i like about the software is its simplicity like even beginners can learn easily and a connection between sketch and drafting and finally its Tool box Cons The downside of this software is its sadddenly crashes sometimes ,so all the work we have done before crashing will be lost. Review Source R Reviewer CTO Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Great software, but price is a tough pill to swallow" May 29, 2025 3.0 We’ve really enjoyed using the software – it’s a powerful tool with all the features you could need for engineering design. The software itself is great and delivers on performance for most of our needs. But with the way pricing has been shifting, it’s making me question if it’s worth the investment for our company in the long term. If the cost was more competitive, I’d be all in, but right now, we have to consider alternatives. Pros Powerful design capabilities: Robust tools for 3D modeling, simulation, and rendering. Great for complex engineering designs, especially if you have the right computer specs. User-friendly interface: easy to pick up. Layout makes finding tools and features quick and easy. Solid integration: Works well enough with other CAD/CAM tools, so can drop into existing workflow without much disruption. Cons Expensive: The cost is simply very high compared to alternatives like Fusion 360. Recent changes to their subscription model make it feel even more expensive and less customer-friendly on price. Subscription model changes: switch in how they offer plans compared to a few years ago has made me rethink each year if we can stick with it for the long run, especially for smaller team/company. Learning curve: Interface is good, but still a learning curve to fully get the most out of all the features. Review Source R Reviewer Mechanical Engineer Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "A User-Friendly CAD Solution That Delivers" August 6, 2025 5.0 Overall, I am very pleased with SolidWorks. In my experience, it is the easiest to learn and use daily out of any of the CAD software. Pros I like the ease of use and the intuitive feature set. It is a very user-friendly program and super easy to learn. It also has one of the most straightforward UIs of any CAD software. The learning curve for even advanced features is relatively small. Cons There are times when the entire program freezes. If you let it sit for a few minutes, it sorts itself out usually, but I wish it had some indicator that it is still functioning. In the task manager, it always shows up as "not responding". I also wish it did a little better job with importing and feature recognition. It will not import Creo files. Review Source R Reviewer Design Engineer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Career Using Solidworks" October 4, 2019 4.0 Overall, Solidworks has become a trusty tool for me. I'm able to get my point across clearer with a 3D drawing with detailed views to the customer instead of working on a physical model. I suggest taking classes if you're very new to the world of 3D modeling but if you have an understanding of it, a quick set of Youtube tutorials can get you on track easily. I recommend this product to anyone who has a creative mind and wants to make objects digitally with hopes to transfer it into a physical model. Pros Solidworks is good for taking things you've drawn and giving precise dimensions to make it as accurate to the object you're trying to create or recreate as possible. You're able to transfer these drawings to machines that can cut and print what you've done after. Since this software is so popular among design/engineer firms, thousands of tutorials and helpful guides can be found on the internet to help with anything you are trying to produce, along with many forums with knowledgeable people that are willing to help. It has many modes that can simulate object properties if you assign a material to it and will give you a close representation of what you'd expect in the real world. Cons Solidworks has trouble with organic shapes. If you are doing something that requires a bulbous shape you might need to look elsewhere like 3DS Max or Maya. It also has trouble with the spline command, which requires a bit more finesse when controlling it. Review Source R Reviewer Entrepreneur Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "A great system for new users, but for those switching from an old system - buyer beware!" May 19, 2022 5.0 I went for 3 day SolidWorks training for Part Modelling. This was a basic introduction. While SolidWorks is probably better than AutoDesk Inventor in some aspects, in others it feels primitive. A simple example is constructing either a pocket or an extrusion from a 2D profile. Inventor can do either, or switch from one to the other, inside of one command. SolidWorks has two separate commands of which neither can convert from one to the other. However, these are small issues that you can become accustomed to. Pros SolidWorks and their resellers have good support and the product is very capable, although like other systems it takes time to learn. Cons While switching from AutoDesk Inventor to SolidWorks I discovered that 3D Part Assemblies and associated Drawings would not be transferred. They would need to be redone. This is an incredible amount of work that, in most cases, would never be done. If you have engineers who prefer SolidWorks, it can be run alongside other CAD systems. But don't expect to push a button and convert old designs. It will not work between any two systems that I am aware of. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Sales Engineer Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "SOLIDWORKS is a pretty SOLID choice!" June 19, 2025 5.0 Absolutely love it and use it to this day. It might intitally be a bit tough to understand and get used to, if you don't learn it directly from someone but there's plenty of good youtube series' available. Pros Amazing and intuitive design software with an abundance of features that allows you to bring a design to life with ease! Cons Soildworks can sometimes be a bit buggy and things may not work exactly how you expect them to eveytime. Despite this, it's my go-to design software. Review Source R Reviewer draftsman Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "great modeling" July 22, 2025 5.0 Pros great software for creating 3d models, the animation feature of this makes it possible to find interferences before making the physical part Cons commands take a little getting used to as they are different from Autodesk software, which i was used to. Review Source Ngiria K. Mechanical design engineer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Delighted with the results " December 2, 2024 5.0 im impressed to share my good experience using this software as i learned using it within weeks due to its ease of integration. Pros its amazing architecture and incredible features like solid cam Cons Solidworks has low storage which limits designers from large data processing Review Source Raheem A. Production Manager Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "SolidWorks promotes a collaborative design environment, allowing designers to work seamlessly with t" June 23, 2023 5.0 SolidWorks Premium impresses users with its powerful and versatile design capabilities. The software offers a wide range of tools for 3D modeling, assembly design, sheet metal design, and more. Users appreciate the ability to create complex designs with precision and efficiency, thanks to advanced features like parametric modeling, surface modeling, and direct editing. Pros SolidWorks Premium excels in its integrated simulation and analysis capabilities. With features like structural analysis, motion simulation, and flow simulation, users can evaluate and validate their designs with confidence. The ability to perform simulations within the same software environment saves time and enhances the design iteration process Cons One aspect that i have found challenging is the complexity of features in SolidWorks Premium. With its vast array of advanced design tools and functionalities, the software can be overwhelming for beginners or those transitioning from simpler CAD software. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Jr. Supervisor Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "SolidWorks Premium: " August 23, 2021 5.0 Pros One of the best feature I frequently used in SolidWorks Premium was the so called Hole Wizard. It conserves a lot of time and energy compared to a typical CAD software. The software is user-friendly since most of the time it only requires a user to draw 2D blueprints and can be extruded in its simplest form. Thus, SolidWorks Premium can be easily integrated and converted to other 3D CAD software and vice versa. Cons When having a complex machine design assembled, obviously it tends to hang up and system clash. There is a need to have a good PC graphic cards to sustain it. Nonetheless, if the necessary requirement were met then there will be no other problem. Review Source R Reviewer Lead Estimator Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "The Best 3D Design Software for Engineers" May 27, 2022 5.0 Overall, Solidworks is a wonderful all around program shared by many fields. It's easy to send prints to a machine shop or just send a prototype to a 3D printer. Pros I like that I can use a plethora of programs all in one. I can do electrical, mechanical, aerodynamic & hydraulic designs & calculations all in one program. It has a wonderful sheet metal feature to get you prints sent over to your machine shop in no time. The versatility & adaptation is very impressive. In terms of material selection for stress analysis, its incomparable to start and easily modifiable if you have custom alloys. Cons As much as I love working in Solidworks, it is a little difficult when you're working on a project and it suddenly crashes. Most of our workstations have ECC ram to stabilize the program a little bit, but it still suffers from instability equaly. Review Source Verified Reviewer QA Engineer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Very user friendly easy to learn design tool" January 4, 2023 5.0 I am very satisfied with the design experience with the software. Pros The tool is very user friendly any new user can learn it with in days. It provides so many features to design parametric models. Cons some times we need a non-parametric approach. it would be very good to have a simple addon to create a non-parametric design. In times of concept development Review Source Milind M. Review For Autocad LT Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Review For Soliworks Premium." April 24, 2023 4.0 My overall experience with this software is very nice as this software is very friendly user, handy and value for money. Pros Very Friendly User Software.After 3D Model has been done we can create file for 3D Printing.Very useful software for Analysis and Development.Very Useful for Structure Design.Very Useful for Small Scale Industries.Value For Money. Cons If we compared this software to other softwares like catia, Unigrafics it has some limitations for Analysis part.Rendering quality compared to other softwares is moderate. Review Source R Reviewer Design Engineer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Powerful industry standard modelling package." September 13, 2023 4.0 Pros It is the most commonly used CAD package within manufacturing and has a vast array of plugins. There is a lot of help online so getting community support for niche questions is normally possible. The software is very powerful and can do 99% of what you want if you know the technique for it. It is a logical workflow without too many head scratchers. Cons It is definitely very pricey but generally covers its cost if using it commercially. The assembly system is not as robust as it could be and it lets you get a way with lots of bad practices that will bite you later on without you realising although this does provide more flexibility than other CAD packages. Review Source Adedayo F. Maintenance Technician Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "The best CAD and CAM software." August 1, 2022 5.0 My experience with this software is fantastic, cause I make use of this software daily to design using CAM. Pros I liked everything about this software,from 2D modelling down to 3D CAD designs. Cons So far I found nothing bad about this software. Review Source Konstantinos A. Mechanical Engineer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Not worthy of the price" October 5, 2020 2.0 I have been using Solidworks Premium (2017 and 2020 SP3.0) for the past 3 years and I still do. It is a very unstable program. Crashes more often than not and it has many bugs that make the creation of large assemblies feel like hell. Customer support is not satisfactory at all. Solidworks customer service is also not helping as well. I would not recommend this product to anyone. You are surely better off with using Solid Edge / Creo Parametric or AutoDesk Inventor. Pros \- Assembly features (configurations / exploded views) make the creation of assembly drawings faster - Rendering options are vast Cons \- Very unstable as a program (Used it on more than 5 computers with multiple configurations) - Its developers focus on adding extra useless features instead of focusing on the program stability - Command layout is not practical (Features Tab has three (3) buttons for the Extrude Command (Boss Extrude / Cut Extrude / Intersect) where as in Inventor there is only one command button. This is a personal opinion and I highly prefer AutoDesk's approach on this - Customer Support: Depends on the Value-Added-Reseller (VAR). Some of them are very cooperative whereas others just want your money. Personally I do not like representatives and I prefer to contact the actual company (AutoDesk has the upper hand here). Review Source R Reviewer Software Enginner Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Best in the market" October 28, 2023 5.0 There is a reason that SolidWorks Premium is one of the most used CAD software in the world. You can create everything from individual pieces to technical drawings of those pieces, all the way to enormous assembly projects with more than a thousand pieces. There is also room for fluid geeks and eletric experts. You can fit everthing you want into SolidWorks. Pros All in all, works as it is supposed to. It became so widely used because it had a much better user interface than the other software. Also, you can draw anything you want because it has a wide of tools and you don't need to be a brain surgeon or a nuclear scientist to understand how they work. Cons When I worked in big assembly projects, I experienced erratic behavior from the program. Sometimes it shutdowns, other times it breaks the relations I set up before. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## 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.