--- title: "SolidWorks Premium Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is SolidWorks Premium the right Engineering CAD solution for you? Explore 759 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" --- 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 July 21st, 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 NK Nicholas K Chief Research OfficerResearch, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Also the lack of compatibility with older versions can make it difficult to collaborate to institutions that canot afford the latest model year.“ October 17, 2024 Steven P CEOInternet, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I liked the 3DExperience cloud PDM fonctionnalities that are now available in my package“ March 6, 2026 CD Craig D Mechanical Design EngineerMachinery, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “SolidWorks crashes very often.“ February 12, 2026 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 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 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 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 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 759 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Jason H. Owner Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SolidWorks is a powerful CAD software. " July 25, 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 Kishore E. Mechanical engineer Defense & Space Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Best cad tool for designers" March 19, 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. Switched from [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) For Faster designing of 3d models and simulation Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Automation Engineer Biotechnology Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solidworks is solidly on the decline." July 5, 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 AA Amine A. Senior Mechanical Engineer Consumer Goods Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solidworks" January 28, 2025 5.0 Overall it's still correct because it fullfill my daily needs Pros It centralize a lot of tools for multiples tasks Cons The 3D experience is terrible i've paid like for 2 years it's plugging with solidworks it has 0 efficiency only cloud problems Alternatives considered [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/178416/Fusion-360/) Reason for choosing SolidWorks Premium I do use both actually because each one of them has pros and cons Review Source Steven P. CEO Internet Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great product if you're working with a SolidWorks Reseller (3DXperience)" March 6, 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 CI Chris I. CTO Medical Devices Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great software, but price is a tough pill to swallow" May 28, 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. Alternatives considered [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/178416/Fusion-360/) Reason for choosing SolidWorks Premium Seemed more industry standard at the time, although Fusion's growth and Solidworks increased price burden makes me have to reconsider this in the near future. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Project Engineer, Team Lead Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great product! Price is a bit crippling!" April 2, 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 CD Craig D. Mechanical Design Engineer Machinery Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Still the benchmark of CAD" February 12, 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 Caleb T. Mechanical Engineer Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A User-Friendly CAD Solution That Delivers" August 5, 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 DC Deepak C. Mechanical Design Engineer Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Reliable Engineering Software with Advanced Features " June 6, 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 TK Thomas K. Engineer Medical Devices Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solidworks review" September 12, 2024 5.0 Pros It is an intuitive modeling software that is easy to use and there is lots of documentation online to support use. Cons The changes between model years can be frustrating. Sometimes locations of common functions move and it can be annoying to have to relearn the software. Switched from [Creo](https://www.capterra.com/p/164678/Creo/) Forced to use Solidworks since it is the software that my company offers. Review Source SM Shoukhin M. Founder & CEO E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solidworks is All rounder as a 3D modeling Tool" February 25, 2022 5.0 Overall, I have had a positive experience with SolidWorks Premium. It is a powerful program that allows me to create complex 3D models with ease. The user interface is easy and the tools are powerful. I have been able to save time and money by using this software for product design. Pros As a Designer, Solidworks is the best solution for me for creating and modifying 3D designs. There are several versions of SolidWorks, but the Premium edition is the most comprehensive. It offers me an intuitive user interface, powerful engineering tools, and extensive libraries of components and assemblies. I can get a realistic view of how products will look before they are manufactured - this can save time and money. I can easily create complex designs that would be difficult or impossible to create by hand. I can quickly and easily export designs to different program applications for further refinement or production. This will allow me to make changes to the design or produce it in a different format. This software is very easy for me to use and it can be helpful for beginners too. They will be able to create complex 3D models in a short amount of time. I can use this 3D tool to design products with complex shapes and curves. The Bill of Materials Management feature can help me keep track of all the components that go into my product, and how much each component costs. Cons Sometimes, I can't understand some of the tool features to execute for modeling. It is hard to find some errors that occurred while designing a complex model. Sometimes, I get stuck on what tool to use or how to fix an error in my model. Switched from [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) SolidWorks offers a more comprehensive set of tools for product design. AutoCAD is a good for 2D design, but it does not offer the same level of flexibility and control that SolidWorks does. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Sales Engineer Machinery Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "SOLIDWORKS is a pretty SOLID choice!" June 18, 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 RK Robert K. draftsman Civil Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "great modeling" July 18, 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 JK Jacob K. Process Engineer Chemicals Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SoldWork works!" December 17, 2024 5.0 SolidWorks has been very reliable and any time I have had issues, it is the fault of my hardware. Pros SolidWorks let me translate my ideas into something other people can understand exactly how I do. Cons SolidWorks can be pricey, but in a business, it easily pays for itself. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Hydraulic Engineer, MSc Geological Engineering (Oil and Gas prospecting) Civil Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Lower cost, powerful and friendly CAD simulation program" August 13, 2018 4.0 As a hydraulic engineer, SolidWorks is an essential component in my CAD software kit specifically for the mechanical design of valves, pipes, and structures as well as for the simulation and verification of structural faults Pros The price of the program is really one of its main attractions, considering that meets the expectations and needs of mechanical design. It has powerful 3D design capabilities and a very friendly interface. Solidworks is a more thought-out and useful program for mechanical engineers and designers and is not as appropriate for the architectural design. It can be used to create 2D and 3D designs, has enough tools to incorporate elements such as shading, textures, lighting, and transparencies that facilitate the reading of the design. Another advantage is its library of materials and the possibility of creating customized materials that can be stored in this library. You can also add and edit any text, and like other CAD programs, the design work is done in layers that you can easily select and change. Also has the option of extrusion that easily allows you to create a 3D model from a 2D plane or the reverse process. The design facility includes a customizable palette where you can locate the tools that are most used and also, also we have the function of recording macros. SolidWorks offers the possibility of working with DWG, DXF, STEP, STL formats, as well as printing their designs in 3D. Additionally, one of its main advantages is that we can work with raster and PDF files. As for the simulation process, the significant advantage of SolidWorks is its SolidWorks Security Factor Wizard, with which you can examine the created design and locate structural weaknesses. Cons Although the renderig, illumination and the photorealistic representation are not powerful as those obtained with other CAD programs, they are still powerful and allow to visualize the designs with an acceptable quality. SolidWorks tools are powerful for small projects, such as specific parts and components, but they are not efficient for the design of more complex projects such as large motor examples. Review Source hA haider A. freelancer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "SolidWorks Premium review" July 7, 2021 5.0 There are many programs in 3D design, but due to its distinct specifications Solidworks was chosen to design and print the graduation project parts using a 3D printer. Pros It is one of the popular software for 3D design of mechanical parts. I have used this software for a year or more to design parts of my graduation project. It is an easy to learn program and contains many powerful tools in design. Including - design tools - Validate tools - Collaboration Tools - Building tools The most important feature I liked is the simulation of the design and testing its tolerance to pressure and heat, as well as an analysis of the movement of the designed part (a great feature). Cons The Solidworks program contains a lot of tools and features, which makes the program very heavy. It needs a computer with a powerful processor as well as a powerful graphics card to ensure that there are no interruptions or slowdowns in the program. Also, one of the disadvantages is that it is very expensive. With the free version, you cannot manufacture any part you designed because you do not own the rights to it. Review Source MH Mahmoud H. Mechatronics Engineering Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The ideal 3D CAD software for all engineering businesses." November 8, 2022 5.0 I have 2+ years of experience with SolidWorks Premium. SolidWorks helps me a lot in my business. It almost solved all my problems I encountered with 3D modeling. Specifically, my 3D printed models. Because of its professional and helpful tools, it is very efficient at helping users to get the most suitable design for my products. The Software has smooth handling of Import and Export files, and allows many different types of files. Software allows me to provide my customers with the highest quality product with the perfect design. Pros The handling, control, and mobility of the user interface are among the features I find amazing about this software. It's easy enough to use, and understandable for all users. It helps me a lot in my business, especially 3D modeling. Cons The animation might need a bit of improvement, but that doesn't even affect the current software state. It is still perfect. Review Source MA Muhammad A. Engineer Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Features that are useful and innovative in Solidworks" May 3, 2023 4.0 An extremely intuitive tool that provides its users with multiple easy design tools to shape their ideas and concepts virtually. Pros The extremely easy learning curves allows users to grasp the concept of modeling right away and the user interface is very friendly and to the point. Cons handling large assemblies gets a bit difficult and can create lags. Review Source shaikh A. Subject Matter Expert E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "SolidWorks: One of the best software for Mechanical Engineers" March 14, 2022 5.0 Overall SolidWorks is the most useful tool for the Mechanical Engineers beginners, as it will give them the foundation who want to design and analyze real life models as per the real time scenario. There is no need of another software is assemblying the product, SolidWorks will also do the same for you, plus it also has drawing window where we can make General Assembly drawing and can add Bill of Materials, Title Block, Detailed Drawings, etc. Pros The best part about the software is that, I can directly use it without any prior experience because of it's simple user-interface and placing of all the features in a very concise manner. SolidWorks has a large collection of Material Database I can any materials ranging from metals, alloys, non-metals, and super-alloys and with the presence of Design Library I can directly import all the standard components like gears, nuts,bolts, keys, washers, etc. Thus, saving my modeling time. Also, there is no constriction in using the feature, I can make simple model to very complex models very easily. With integration of SolidWorks Simulation, I can analysis and study my models in different scenarios and boundary conditions. Another plus part is that I can save my file to any extension I require, I can save my model as jpg, png, pdf, iges file to use it in ansys, stl file to 3D print it, etc. Cons The meshing feature present in SolidWorks is not advance as compared to Ansys and lacking manual meshing option, hence with increasing complexity of the parts I can't mesh according to my requirements. The SolidWorks Simulation is also quite time consuming considering the involvement of the complex parts. Intermittent crashing of the software is also oneof the major concern I face sometimes. Review Source RM Rajiv M. Senior design engineer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "One of the best 3d modelling software with simple but powerful tools ." November 7, 2023 4.0 Overall my experience with solidwork is very awesome, I use solidwork daily form last 6 years . Pros Multi body feature in a part modelling is very helpful for me , top to bottom assembly is so easy , it's sketching tools are are very reliable. Motion study analysis, 360 photo-realistic image is amazing and so on ... End apart then all these features it's user interface is really good. Simple n so powerful software I'm using it from last 6 years. Cons Apart from all powerful tools the only issue is crashing some time some commands are taking lot of time end something software got crash which is not good. Large file are also taking lot of time open . Solidwork drawing is quite boring end not so effective it got crash when you use for long time without saving. Review Source PK Praveen K. Senior Engineer Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Beginner Friendly fully featured CAD software" June 17, 2022 5.0 I used SolidWorks for new product development. Definitely, this software had been a companion from the idea initiation phase to the final design through a number of iterations. Pros The interface of Solidworks is awesome. It is very intuitive and a beginner can get started within minutes. Also, the performance of the software is also impressive. I am able to run SW 21 smoothly on 11gen i3 along with other parallel software. The rendering is also eye-pleasing. The high customizability is also a pro. Additionally, the plethora of features and options make it possible to model anything with this software. Cons Sometimes when I had to create rapid 2D drawings, then I found Solidworks to be less helpful and I have to revert to other drafting software. Review Source Ajoob S. Engineer Trainee Chemicals Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Easy to create engineering models with great accuracy." March 12, 2022 4.0 Solidworks premium helps us in designing of 3d models of the part and assemblies to be manufactured. We are perform stress analysis using the software to analyse the design will withstand under various loading conditions. The stress analysis gives accurate results and according to the result we can make changes to the design if needed. Pros Solidworks premium is the most widely used design software by mechanical Engineers. The software helps to create part models and assembly models in 3d with high accuracy. The best about solidworks premium is that we can easily make edits to the parts in an assembly model and the changes will automatically applied to all the associated models. The simulation of the designs can also be performed using the software to avoid failures during manufacturing. Cons No difficulties were faced during our use. Review Source AD Amira D. Site Architect Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "One of the most user-friendly 3D design programs available." March 29, 2022 5.0 Because of the many plugins and capabilities that Solidworks offers to its users, we were able to speed up the exporting of designs for use by our work teams, especially for simple designs. Pros The ease with which a design may be built and the precision with which 3D models can be created are two of my favorite features of Solidworks. As a designer, I use Solidworks because of its many basic 3D tools and flattening choices for producing free-form pieces, which allow me to show my clients accurate renderings of the designs I've created for their space. Solidworks is a user-friendly program that lets you create drawings and apply different textures to surfaces, making it easier to bring your ideas to life in 3D. It also includes an outstanding online component library full of downloadable pieces that you can use to create your designs. With this option, it is easy to find faults in the design plan and solve them, which leads to the design being completed on schedule and to the satisfaction of everyone involved. Cons Large-scale model creation in Solidworks is incredibly flexible, but assembly of many components is slow and requires a high-speed computer to be able to execute orders faster. Review Source TK Tomasz K. Production Engineer Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Production engineer - sheet metal structures" February 17, 2023 5.0 Pros Very friendly and intuitive interface, lots of design options. Good tools for converting solids into sheet metal structures. Good looks, fast working tools. Cons I did not notice any significant deficiencies. All the options I need are and work very well. 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.