Autodesk Fusion vs MicroStation

AutoCAD

SolidWorks Premium

Revit

Inventor

FreeCAD

LightningCad

Compare Autodesk Fusion and MicroStation based on features, pricing, verified reviews, integrations & more on GetApp. Find out which software is best for your business in 2026.

SolidWorks Premium is the leading 3D design solution in the industry. It seamlessly integrates powerful design tools-including industry-leading part, assembly, and drawing capabilities with built-in simulation, rendering, animation, product data management, and cost estimation. 

SolidWorks will help you get work done faster and easier than before, using innovative phases of product creation to achieve a more productive 3D design experience.

Inventor is a Windows-based 3D CAD software that assists in 3D modelling through mechanical design, documentation, and product simulation tools. Professionals can create custom design configurations and automate repetitive tasks.

FreeCAD is an on-premise open-source paramedic 3D modeler, which helps businesses design objects of all sizes. Programmers can sketch constrained 2D shapes and utilize them as a base to create other objects. It supports several file formats such as IGES, SVG, DXF, DE, IFC, STL, STEP, OBJ, and more.


Autodesk Fusion is a 3D CAD, CAM, and CAE tool that combines industrial and mechanical design, simulation, collaboration, and machining to connect the entire product development process in an integrated, concept-to-production toolset

2D Drawing

3D Design & Modeling

3D Modeling

Access Controls/Permissions

Annotations

Bills of Material

CAD Tools

Change Management

Collaboration Tools

Compliance Management

Component Library

Configurable Workflow

Content Library

Customizable Fields

Data Import/Export

Design Management

Document Generation

Document Management

Document Storage

Drafting

Drag & Drop

Electrical

File Management

Floor Plans & Maps

For 3D Printing

For Architects

For Manufacturers

Landscape Design

Manufacturing Design Data

Mechanical

Mobile Access

Offline Access

Parts Management

Product Data Management

Production Management

Project Management

Project Templates

Project Workflow

Quality Control

Real-Time Updates

Rendering

Reporting/Analytics

Reusable Designs

Rules-Based Workflow

Scheduling

Secure Data Storage

Sketching and Annotation Tools

Third-Party Integrations

Workflow Management

Autodesk Fusion

Android

Web-based

Windows

iPad

iPhone

UX Designer and Researcher

I loved that it worked on my mac. I wound up winning two national awards while in school with designs I created on Fusion 360.

Industrial engineer

Fusion 360 had been really easy to learn and easy to use. The ability to have updated geometry transfer to existing geometries is super helpful.

Director of Operations

Customer service is fantastic and very prompt. They do a very good job of making sure that you are integrating to exactly your needs.

Industrial and Manufacturing engineer

It consists of many features and is not a heavy software comparing it to other cad softwares. It has always worked wonderful for me with easy usage of tools and is quite is easy to learn and explore.

Software Developer

And everything is saved to the cloud so it's super easy to keep track of your files and switch between devices.

Owner

Clearly the best 3D design software for engineering-type applications. Insanely powerful parametric modeling.

Industrial Engineer 

Its a great software for rapid prototyping and product development. Being a cloud based software is the most extreme advantage.

Mechanical engineer

Considering that the program can be used for free for non commercial purposes with few limitations, it is a very practical and powerful solutions for amateurs on a budget.

Draftsman

The tools/commands are well labeled and represented. The work space is clean and nice.

student

It is best suitable for mechanical industry. Online tutorials can be found so using this is not that difficult.

Graduate Research Assistant

There is also an active community that is great at answering questions, and a lot of YouTube tutorials put out by Autodesk and others that fully explore Fusion 360's functionality.

Engineer

I like how you don't need a specific or high end graphics card to access the functionality. I also enjoy the fact that you can do work in any location and switch locations very easily.

Some specific issues with parametric modeling were noticed by me. I also noticed some problems with fillets around curves.

Research Assistant

Continous updates and patches are released frequently. Some times this becomes annoying.

Operator

The user interface at first can be a bit confusing, and there's a lot of unlabeled buttons that take time getting used to.

Technology innovation fellow

Overall what i enjoyed the most was version control feature and the electronic design feature integrated into the software.

It run on cloud so you have to have an internet connection for using this. Learning can be difficult for the beginners.

Reliability Supervisor

The price point is perfect for company users so that nobody will complain about expensive software.

Autodesk Fusion screenshot: Fusion 360 track design references

Autodesk Fusion screenshot: Fusion 360 designing

Freelancers

Large Enterprises

Mid Size Business

Public Administrations

Small Business

AutoCAD is a design and drafting platform which supports automated design tasks and offers features such as 2D drafting, drawing and annotation, 3D modeling and visualization, and more.

LightningCAD is an online user-guided design platform that is customized to your business. The sophistication of CAD and the simplicity of CPQ, LightningCAD solutions translate your business rules into a dynamic 2D/3D end to end design/configure solution that will help your business scale.

Revit is a BIM (building information modeling) solution for architects, structural engineers, construction companies, & MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) services. The platform facilitates coordinated 3D design & offers tools such as floor plan design, 3D visualizations, & a WYSIWYG editor.

MicroStation is a 3D architecture software that helps businesses in the oil and gas, construction, mining, manufacturing, and other sectors create and visualize 2D drawings and 3D computer-aided designs. The platform enables creators to build models using various parametric designing tools including mesh, surface, and solid modeling.

3D Imaging

Activity Dashboard

Animation

Automatic Formatting

Bill of Materials Management

BIM Modeling

Civil

Comparison View

Data Visualization

Design Analysis

Design Templates

For AEC Industry

Image Editing

Modeling & Simulation

Multiple File Format Support

Multiple Format Support

Presentation Tools

Reference Management

MicroStation

Vr Developer

Overall it's a great software for professionals and not so much for beginners since it provides features and functionalities which is the best.

Engineer 

I love the ability to create an extremely complex and intricate design by utilizing microstation software.

Fabric Buyer (now) 

It is so useful and helpful. We can get our drawing quickly I believe  that Bentley's R&D is one of the best learning software in our company.

Highway Engineer

There are no prompts which explain what you are doing wrong, instead the program just crashes, leaving the user to wonder what he has to do to make the program work.

One of the best features that it has is Integration with State Departments' rules and regulations. It helps to reduce repetitive work and make it efficient for designers and engineers.

Coordinator

Printing quality is good. Software system is quite good.

Customer support and other facilities are excellent in microstation.

Freelancer

This software is super easy to use and understand.

It is the best platform for daily production. The file sizes is high and big.

Digital Engineering

Administration can seem confusing as there are so many different options.

Civil engineer

I can work with all of kind of documents like dwf, ffx and pdf.

Sr Engineer

Microstation is a great CAD platform for civil engineering.

The best CAD software for companies heavily invested in Bentley ecosystem.

Drafting Technician 

Also the MicroStation support team is always willing to help with quick response time.

project Engineer

It has been a struggle as of late but from past experience i believe the bugs will all be worked out.

engineer

When making the transition from autocad to micro station, there is a lot of frustration because some college students come out with decent drafting skills.

Associate Director

Integration with existing business processes is made easier due to MicroStation's compatibility with various file formats, facilitating seamless collaboration and data exchange.

Researcher's 

Businesses use MicroStation to reduce costs, speed up processes, and increase productivity.

Autodesk Fusion vs MicroStation Comparison (2026)

Autodesk Fusion

MicroStation

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives