Autodesk Fusion vs SimScale

SolidWorks Premium

Inventor

Ansys SpaceClaim

FreeCAD

Ansys Fluent

COMSOL Multiphysics

Compare Autodesk Fusion and SimScale 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

Accelerate your design cycle with this powerful fluid simulation software. Ansys Fluent contains the best-in-class physics models and can accurately and efficiently solve large complex models.

Ansys is a 3D design software that can be utilized by businesses across several industry segments, including automotive, aerospace, construction & consumer goods. Organizations can manage processes related to workflow automation, predictive analysis, application customization, and product testing.

COMSOL Multiphysics is a simulation software, which helps engineering, manufacturing, and scientific research organizations manage physics-based modeling via verification and optimization of processes. Users can create custom modeling workflows to facilitating data sharing between multiple models.

SimScale is a cloud-native simulation platform that gives access to FEA and CFD simulation via a standard web browser to every engineer and designer in the world. Delivered as SaaS, SimScale is accessible through a yearly subscription, with no special hardware, installation or maintenance needed.

3D Imaging

Animation

Civil

Continuous Modeling

Data Visualization

Design Analysis

Design Modeling

Dynamic Modeling

For AEC Industry

Mathematical Modeling

Mechatronics

Modeling & Simulation

Motion Modeling

Multiple Projects

Projections

Turbulence Modeling

SimScale

Linux

General Engineer

SimScale was extremely easy to use, had a nice user interface, and for my purposes, was free. I liked that it was web-based because I didn't have to use my computing power on my machine.

Entrepreneur

Also, tutorials and consultants make all the difference in terms of speed of learning. Customer service provided by the consultants in terms of responsiveness, quality and depth is outstanding.

Project Engineer

The lack of shell elements and the lack of possibility to model composite materials. SimScale also has limited functionality when it comes to fatigue.

Outputs from simulations have been encouraging for me, and the ability to download the FOAM file for my own post-processing is a great touch.

Good software that do not required powerful computer as it is based on the cloud. Easy to use for someone who knows CFA software, and you can download your cad from other softwares like catia.

Not only is SimScale extremely affordable and cloud-based, but also gives you an easy to work with environment and a great onboarding so you understand how the whole platform works.

CFD Engineer

It is a great choice to start tackling CFD, it is quite good in pricing and capabilities for a CFD beginner or even for a medium-experienced one.

Import of complex CAD often met with errors, SimScale did not point me in the direction of those errors in modelling.

lab engineer

I like the software and the the interface. It is perfect for small companies needs, where simualtion is performed only some times a month.

Head of Sales

The direct browser integration makes it suitable for all operation systems. Having 64 cores available is very impressive.

Design Engineer

I've had runs fail or time out without knowing exactly what went wrong.

Another thing that I liked is the ease of use of the platform.

I really like the ability to create multiple simulations to run parallel. Also the large offering of post processing allows for very informational and diverse results to be presented.

Project Leader

I think the program seems very promising, robust and gives reliable results.

Mechanical Engineer

I do maybe one or two simulations a year, and it is a great, fast inexpensive relatively easy to use tool.

Physics Technical Services Coordinator

The Onshape "Connector" makes it easy to pull my work into SimScale, allowing for seamless analysis of collaborative projects.

When I had questions about the product I had very enthusiatic assistance from the simscale support team. I also very much enjoy the Simscale forum.

Currently only way to get this information for non-surfaces is by post processing simulation data using cutting planes. This requires more work and takes time.

Autodesk Fusion vs SimScale Comparison (2026)

Autodesk Fusion

SimScale

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives