SolidWorks Premium review
Bottom line
SolidWorks Premium is a 3D CAD and engineering design product that ties model creation to design data, revisions, and manufacturing tools. Its clearest strength is the set of named integrations with simulation, configuration, nesting, and machining software. The main cost to watch is the $1990 per user per year starting price, with no free plan. Engineering teams that build manufactured products and need CAD connected to data management are the best fit.
What is SolidWorks Premium?
SolidWorks Premium is a 3D CAD and engineering CAD product for designing parts, assemblies, and technical drawings. It addresses the gap between modeling a product and keeping its design files, bills of material, and revisions organized across a team. The feature set covers 3D design and modeling, 2D drawing, sketching and annotation, and design management in one environment.
Day to day, engineers build models with CAD tools, then sketch, annotate, and produce drawings and bills of material from the same design. Version control and change management track revisions, while configuration management and rules-based workflows help teams manage product variants and approvals. Component libraries, customizable templates, and project templates let teams reuse standard content across projects. Reporting and visual analytics show project status. Deployment is listed as web.
The product is aimed at freelancers, small businesses, mid-size businesses, and enterprises. Pricing starts at $1990 per user per year, and a free trial is available, but there is no free plan. Its listed capabilities include support for mechanical, electrical, and mechatronic design, as well as manufacturing design data and 3D printing.
What sets it apart in this category is its set of direct integrations: SIMULIA for simulation, DriveWorks for configuration, SWOOD for woodworking, SigmaNEST for nesting, and SolidCAM for machining. Support runs through email, phone, chat, a help desk, a knowledge base, and a forum. Training options include in-person sessions, live online classes, webinars, documentation, and videos. An API is also listed.
Who it's for
- Mechanical and product engineering teams
- Manufacturers using CAD with machining or nesting software
- Teams that need design data and revision control
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who need a free ongoing plan
- Very small teams with limited per-seat budgets
Typical uses
- Designing mechanical parts and assemblies
- Managing product variants through configuration
- Generating bills of material and engineering drawings
- Connecting CAD models to machining and nesting workflows
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SolidWorks Premium alternatives and comparisons
SolidWorks Premium is the only engineering cad product we list so far. Browse the category as more are added.