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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Adobe Illustrator

    Score8.9 out of 10
    N/AAdobe Illustrator CC is a vector-based graphic design software.

    $20.99

    per month

    SOLIDWORKS

    Score8.3 out of 10
    N/ADassault Systemes offers SOLIDWORKS, a computer-aided design (CAD) system for education and manufacturing supporting 2D or 3D design, electrical design, simulations, and product development with collaboration tools.

    $1,295

    per year

    Pricing
    Adobe IllustratorSOLIDWORKS
    Editions & Modules
    Yearly - Billed Monthly
    $20.99
    per month
    Monthly
    $31.49
    per month
    Yearly - Billed Upfront
    $239.88
    per year
    Solidworks Annual Subscription
    1,295
    per year
    Solidworks Standard
    3,996
    per standalone license
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Adobe IllustratorSOLIDWORKS
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Adobe IllustratorSOLIDWORKS
    Considered Both Products
    Adobe
    No answer on this topic
    Dassault Systemes
    Chose SOLIDWORKS
    SOLIDWORKS is a bit more user-friendly than AutoCAD. Since it was designed from the start for 3D, it is a lot more intuitive than AutoCAD. Pricing is comparable to SOLIDWORKS, but SOLIDWORKS is a better value.

    SketchUp is a nice tool for quickly sketching something to help …
    Incentivized
    Chose SOLIDWORKS
    SOLIDWORKS is better in terms of design speed of 3D parts. It is also better for pieces of high technical detail. Other CAD programs do not have a simulation of forces, SOLIDWORKS does. The user interfaces are, in my opinion, friendlier and easier to use than other programs. In …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    98%
    Would buy again
    64 Answers
    97%
    Would buy again
    32 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    57 Answers
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    30 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    65 Answers
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    32 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    56 Answers
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    19 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    97%
    Implementation went as expected
    60 Answers
    96%
    Implementation went as expected
    24 Answers
    Features
    Adobe IllustratorSOLIDWORKS
    Computer-Aided Design Software
    Comparison of Computer-Aided Design Software features of Adobe Illustrator CC and SOLIDWORKS
    Feature
    Adobe Illustrator CC
    -
    Ratings
    SOLIDWORKS
    7.6
    2 Ratings
    7% above category average
    3D Modeling00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
    2D Drafting00 Ratings7.72 Ratings
    Rendering and Visualization00 Ratings7.52 Ratings
    Parametric Design00 Ratings6.01 Ratings
    Collaboration and Sharing00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Compatibility with other software and formats00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
    Assembly Design00 Ratings6.92 Ratings
    Simulation and Analysis00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Documentation and Annotation00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Customization and Extensions00 Ratings7.72 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Adobe IllustratorSOLIDWORKS
    Small Businesses
    CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Onshape
    Score9.9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Adobe PhotoShop
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Onshape
    Score9.9 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Adobe PhotoShop
    Score9.1 out of 10
    PTC Creo
    Score5.5 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Adobe IllustratorSOLIDWORKS
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.1
    (107 ratings)
    9.1
    (57 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Usability
    7.2
    (4 ratings)
    8.5
    (4 ratings)
    Support Rating
    5.0
    (25 ratings)
    5.2
    (16 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Adobe IllustratorSOLIDWORKS
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Adobe
    Adobe Illustrator is used to help make drawings look good but not make them. It is easy to add color or texture but it is hard to actually make the drawings in it. I would recommend using other software to make the lines for plans and sections and using Adobe Illustrator to make it look good.
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    As a mechanical engineer, it is one of the best tools to just start modeling and engineering with. The UI tools are intuitive and engineering analysis such Mold Analysis, FEA, are great! Other 3D CAD modeling tools have a longer learning curve to master. All in all, if you're not planning to design an entire airplane with large assembly files, then Solidworks is your tool!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Adobe
    • Vector graphics for scaling to large sizes
    • Filling an object with a texture
    • Easily adjusting and expanding an artboard to fit the size of the content (especially for infographics)
    • Compatibility with other Adobe CC programs, but also exporting for PPT graphics
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    • The collaborative work environment is a cool and useful feature where groups of people can work on the same model at the same time, and SOLIDWORKS ensures that you don't overwrite each other's work.
    • The ease and amount of customization options are very useful for creating a personalized and intuitive user interface, whether SOLIDWORKS is your native CAD package or not.
    • It is very easy to quickly edit a model you have already created. The software allows sketch and feature editing without having to take the time to actually enter the sketch/feature environment.
    • The use of configurations and configurations-specific dimensions in the same sketch is very useful for creating different forms of the same part
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Adobe
    • It's tough to master. If you haven't used Adobe products like Photoshop or Illustrator before, there is a lot to take in.
    • It would be great to have some better options to preview the final product if you're creating a multiple page document.
    • Better integration and pricing points with Adobe Stock for the useful stock images to complete your projects.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    • Save DWG 2D files in inches or metric easily, defaults to metric and has to be manually converted to inches
    • When using the sketch feature, the ability to disable ALL references. If I don't know the exact shape and I want to draw/adapt my design, it harshly interprets the references which have no value to me. The easiest exact is to think about when you have a Microsoft Word document that has a lot of formatting, photos, tabs, etc. If you accidentally hit the "enter" key, you can explode the formatting and everything goes crazy. SW does this to me, I just want to "doodle" my sketches, edit/delete/etc and not be bound by arbitrary references.
    • For the sketch feature, ability to use a DraftSight plugin of some sort. I'm super fast in DS, if I could draw using the commands in SW then I would probably never open DS again and convert to SW full time. Currently, I only use SW as a way to convert 3D files so I can build everything in DraftSight.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Adobe
    While Adobe Illustrator CC is one of the only true design software out there, it really stands heads above the other products. It's clean UI and menu structure is easy to navigate.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    We have absolutely no reasons to not keep with SolidWorks for the foreseeable future.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Adobe
    There's a bit of a learning curve to this software vs other similar tools that can take some time to learn and get familiar with but the amount of functionality that Adobe Illustrator CC offers is quite large compared to simpler tools.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    I have been using SOLIDWORKS for around 12 years as of writing this review, so have learned where most things are and how they work. When first starting out it was quite daunting, but the interface is well laid out with like functions near each other which made finding new functions relatively easy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Adobe
    I normally already know how to do whatever I'm trying out, but the documentation (as well as a simple Google search) makes any question quick to resolve. The Adobe boards themselves are a fantastic resource, especially for resolving questions between new programs and iterative releases.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    We have an unusual arrangement. We don’t pay for support, but we’re partnered with a VAR for second-tier support.
    I work with other users if I have questions but when we’ve had to ask the VAR, they always have answers. It appears that all of the VARs have access to a support platform from DS SOLIDWORKS that helps them answer most questions.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Adobe
    It was very easy to purchase and download.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Adobe
    They complement each other, each with its own specific characteristics, but within a marketing sector, an experienced designer knows that the use of these tools in sets makes all the difference. It is possible to combine their uses and create really relevant materials that will bring a great return to the company and in the dissemination of arts with superior quality to the competitors
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    Onshape is a direct competitor. It has great entry level pricing and it is easy to access with no installation required. Being a web based app there is sometime some lag being based in NZ. Management also have concerns over where the data is stored on the cloud. With SW we can control where it is stored
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Adobe
    • Helps us quickly and easily create and manage numerous logos
    • Cloud libraries allow us to access commonly used colors, fonts, logos and other design elements quickly
    • We are able to provide high-quality, scalable college logos for print and digital which give us a more professional, credible look.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    • Creation of small 3D pieces to generate cash flow.
    • Not being able to create 3D sculptures with this tool, and not being able to fulfill the client's requirements.
    • To be able to sell high visual quality simulations for companies that hire the service.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots