Compare Blender and SOLIDWORKS 
At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (77.0% of reviews)
Small-Business (43.7% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
No pricing available
Blender
Star Rating
(298)4.6 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (77.0% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about BlenderSOLIDWORKS
Star Rating
(602)4.4 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (43.7% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about SOLIDWORKSSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- Users report that SOLIDWORKS excels in CAD-CAM compatibility with a score of 9.1, making it a preferred choice for those needing seamless integration between design and manufacturing processes. In contrast, Blender, while strong in 3D modeling, does not focus on CAD-CAM workflows, which may limit its appeal for engineering applications.
- Reviewers mention that SOLIDWORKS offers superior ease of setup with a score of 7.7, which is beneficial for new users. Blender, however, has a steeper learning curve with a lower ease of use score of 7.1, indicating that users may face challenges when first starting out.
- G2 users highlight SOLIDWORKS' robust support for 3D/solid modeling tools, scoring 9.7, which is essential for mechanical design. Conversely, users on G2 note that while Blender provides excellent 3D modeling tools with a score of 9.1, it may not meet the specific needs of mechanical engineers as effectively as SOLIDWORKS.
- Reviewers mention that Blender shines in rendering capabilities, particularly with textures and lighting, both scoring 9.5, making it ideal for visual effects and animation. In comparison, SOLIDWORKS has a lower rendering tools score of 8.0, which may not satisfy users looking for high-quality visual outputs.
- Users say that SOLIDWORKS has a strong focus on mechanical design features, such as dimensioning tools and editing tools, both scoring 9.4, which are crucial for precision engineering. Blender, while versatile, does not specialize in these areas, which may be a drawback for users in the engineering field.
- Reviewers mention that Blender's community and resources for learning and troubleshooting are extensive, which can be a significant advantage for new users. In contrast, while SOLIDWORKS has good support, some users feel that the community resources are not as comprehensive as those available for Blender.
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Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Blender
No pricing availableSOLIDWORKS
No pricing availableFree Trial
Blender
No trial information availableSOLIDWORKS
No trial information availableRatings
Meets Requirements
9.0
249
8.8
500
Ease of Use
7.2
251
8.6
504
Ease of Setup
9.2
18
7.9
76
Ease of Admin
8.6
13
7.8
47
Quality of Support
8.5
218
8.1
441
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
9.2
10
8.3
47
Product Direction (% positive)
9.2
246
8.5
497
Features by Category
CAD to CAM
Not enough data
9.1
37
Not enough data
8.8
37
Not enough data
8.8
37
CNC Programming
Not enough data
8.7
33
Not enough data
8.5
33
Not enough data
8.3
32
Machining
Not enough data
8.6
34
Not enough data
8.6
34
Not enough data
8.8
34
Design
8.6
122
Not enough data
8.3
121
Not enough data
8.2
115
Not enough data
7.9
114
Not enough data
8.5
121
Not enough data
Move
8.7
123
Not enough data
9.0
127
Not enough data
8.8
128
Not enough data
Store & Manage
8.6
114
Not enough data
8.3
123
Not enough data
7.8
112
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Design
Not enough data
9.4
88
Not enough data
9.4
88
Not enough data
9.3
85
Not enough data
8.0
85
Edit
Not enough data
8.4
83
Not enough data
8.2
76
Not enough data
9.3
83
Not enough data
8.2
71
Collaboration
Not enough data
8.5
81
Not enough data
9.0
81
Not enough data
8.4
76
Library
Not enough data
8.8
24
Not enough data
8.3
24
Not enough data
8.2
25
Not enough data
8.4
20
CAD
Not enough data
8.9
21
Not enough data
9.4
26
Not enough data
9.0
26
Integration
Not enough data
8.4
23
Not enough data
9.5
24
Not enough data
8.5
21
Data
Not enough data
9.1
23
Not enough data
8.5
22
Not enough data
8.1
22
Not enough data
8.8
22
Not enough data
8.0
20
Not enough data
8.5
21
Logistics
Not enough data
9.0
23
File Support
9.1
22
8.7
55
8.8
15
8.5
41
9.4
25
8.4
46
File Editing
9.1
20
7.5
49
9.3
23
8.6
53
Software Integrations
8.0
15
7.5
43
8.9
22
8.8
52
Software Type
7.1
11
7.6
42
9.5
24
8.5
47
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
File Options
Not enough data
8.8
38
Not enough data
9.1
37
Not enough data
9.1
37
Not enough data
9.3
38
Not enough data
8.2
30
Not enough data
8.1
36
Tools
Not enough data
9.5
37
Not enough data
9.0
35
Not enough data
9.1
37
Design
Not enough data
9.4
37
Design
Not enough data
7.7
11
Not enough data
7.7
11
Tools
Not enough data
9.2
12
Not enough data
8.8
12
Library
Not enough data
8.1
12
Platform
Not enough data
8.5
12
Not enough data
7.9
11
Customization
Not enough data
7.6
11
Not enough data
8.2
11
Design
Not enough data
9.2
52
Not enough data
8.9
52
Not enough data
8.7
52
Not enough data
7.4
52
Tools
Not enough data
7.9
46
Not enough data
7.9
47
Not enough data
7.3
40
Work
Not enough data
7.3
34
Not enough data
7.6
35
Not enough data
8.1
41
Not enough data
7.9
37
Not enough data
8.4
40
Environment
Not enough data
8.3
46
Not enough data
8.3
44
Not enough data
8.2
41
Not enough data
8.5
45
Library
8.3
24
Not enough data
8.5
22
Not enough data
Rendering
9.5
23
Not enough data
9.5
23
Not enough data
9.6
23
Not enough data
9.2
23
Not enough data
8.8
20
Not enough data
8.9
19
Not enough data
Integrations
8.2
14
Not enough data
8.2
21
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Editing
6.4
6
Not enough data
8.0
5
Not enough data
7.7
8
Not enough data
8.1
8
Not enough data
9.3
5
Not enough data
7.7
8
Not enough data
8.6
6
Not enough data
Platform
9.6
9
Not enough data
9.5
10
Not enough data
9.2
6
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Compatibility
8.8
8
Not enough data
8.3
10
Not enough data
9.0
10
Not enough data
Functionality
8.5
9
Not enough data
7.9
7
Not enough data
8.9
11
Not enough data
9.1
9
Not enough data
Project Management
9.1
9
Not enough data
9.4
8
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Tools - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
Not enough data
9.2
10
Not enough data
7.8
10
Not enough data
9.3
10
Not enough data
8.5
10
Not enough data
7.3
10
File Options - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
Not enough data
7.8
10
Not enough data
8.0
10
Not enough data
7.3
10
Not enough data
7.7
10
Not enough data
7.0
10
Customization - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
Not enough data
7.8
9
Not enough data
8.1
9
Not enough data
7.6
9
Not enough data
8.1
9
Environment - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
Not enough data
8.0
10
Not enough data
8.1
9
Not enough data
7.6
9
Not enough data
8.1
9
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Blender and SOLIDWORKS are categorized as 3D Printing
Unique Categories
Blender is categorized as Animation, Video Effects, 3D Modeling, Video Editing, 3D Rendering, and Architectural Rendering
SOLIDWORKS is categorized as Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD), General-Purpose CAD, Simulation & CAE, CAD Viewers, Sketching, PCB Design, Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM), CAD Libraries, CAD Data Exchange, and Simulation and Test Suite
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Blender
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
SOLIDWORKS
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Animation
11.6%
Computer Games
9.5%
Design
8.8%
Computer Software
7.0%
Graphic Design
6.7%
Other
56.3%
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
22.4%
Design
12.1%
Automotive
6.3%
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
6.1%
Medical Devices
6.0%
Other
47.1%
Most Helpful Reviews
Blender
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Jackson Eli H.
Verified User
It is a tool that is free, we can get many easy to follow tutorials, you don't need a great processor for simple things, you have many options to mold the objects. It is compatible with Linux, Windows, Mac OS X,, Solaris, IRIX and FreeBSD. It uses very...
Most Helpful Critical Review
Verified User in Online Media
The tools and interface are confusing (I was trained on Maya)
SOLIDWORKS
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Yevgen G.
Verified User in Higher Education
1. User friendly interface including - clear structure; - intuitively proper location of tools; - good help system; - customizable toolboxes. 2. Comprehensive functionality including - open platform with hundreds of add-ins; - add-ins present CAD,...
Most Helpful Critical Review
Jim P.
Verified User in Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
The business model for SolidWorks relies on a effectively mandatory annual subscription fee that amounts to a repurchase of the software about every six years. This is required since the first time a customer updates, you will no longer be able to read...
Jackson Eli H.
Verified User
It is a tool that is free, we can get many easy to follow tutorials, you don't need a great processor for simple things, you have many options to mold the objects. It is compatible with Linux, Windows, Mac OS X,, Solaris, IRIX and FreeBSD. It uses very...
Yevgen G.
Verified User in Higher Education
1. User friendly interface including - clear structure; - intuitively proper location of tools; - good help system; - customizable toolboxes. 2. Comprehensive functionality including - open platform with hundreds of add-ins; - add-ins present CAD,...
Verified User in Online Media
The tools and interface are confusing (I was trained on Maya)
Jim P.
Verified User in Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
The business model for SolidWorks relies on a effectively mandatory annual subscription fee that amounts to a repurchase of the software about every six years. This is required since the first time a customer updates, you will no longer be able to read...
Discussions
Do professionals use blender?
3 comments
DH
Yes, professionals use Blender for various purposes, such as creating 3D models, animations, visual effects, games, and more. Blender is a powerful and...Read more
Better user manual on sculpting is needed.
2 comments
VK
Manage your bankroll carefully. Set a budget for each betting session and wager only a certain percentage of it on each bet. Track your bets. Even if you are...Read more
Can blender come up with a Mobile only 3D Models availability for Porting applications over Mobile
2 comments
RL
If you are asking if Blender can view models on mobile devices.......you can do this. You will need to export your file as an .obj file format. Once you’ve...Read more
What is SOLIDWORKS used for?
3 comments
YP
SOLIDWORKS IS USED FOR MULTIPLE WORK LIKE 2D & 3D CAD MODELING, ASSEMBLY MODELING, SHWWET METAL MODELING, SURFACE MODELING, RENDERING, SIMULATION, 3D...Read more
How to stop or cancel a ongoing command.
2 comments
GP
The sentence does not contain any translatable content as it is an imperative instruction.Read more
best use o this software
2 comments
OS
Making 2D sketches and extruding them to make 3d sketches.Read more
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