AutoCAD LT vs. MicroStation

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
AutoCAD LT
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
AutoCAD LT computer-aided design (CAD) software that architects, engineers, construction professionals, and designers rely on to produce solely 2D drawings, drafts, and documentation. AutoCAD LT is a CAD software used for 2D drawing, drafting, and documentation whereas AutoCAD is a CAD software used to create 2D drawings and 3D models. While AutoDesk's AutoCAD includes industry-specific toolsets that can provide productivity gains, both AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT include the AutoCAD web and…
$60
per month per user
MicroStation
Score 6.0 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
Bentley Systems offers the MicroStation application and product family as a 3D and 2D modeling and computer-aided design (CAD) solution for engineers and designers.
$250
Per User Per Month
Pricing
AutoCAD LTMicroStation
Editions & Modules
Monthly Subscription
$60
per month per user
Yearly Subscription
$490
per year per user
3-Year Subscription
$1470
3 years per user
Microstation
$250.00
Per User Per Month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
AutoCAD LTMicroStation
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
AutoCAD LTMicroStation
Features
AutoCAD LTMicroStation
Computer-Aided Design Software
Comparison of Computer-Aided Design Software features of Product A and Product B
AutoCAD LT
7.5
Ratings
5% above category average
MicroStation
-
Ratings
2D Drafting10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Parametric Design8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Collaboration and Sharing7.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Compatibility with other software and formats4.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Assembly Design8.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Simulation and Analysis7.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Documentation and Annotation6.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Customization and Extensions8.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
AutoCAD LTMicroStation
Small Businesses
Onshape
Onshape
Score 9.9 out of 10
Revit
Revit
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Onshape
Onshape
Score 9.9 out of 10
Revit
Revit
Score 9.4 out of 10
Enterprises
Rhino
Rhino
Score 9.1 out of 10
Revit
Revit
Score 9.4 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
AutoCAD LTMicroStation
Likelihood to Recommend
8.6
(0 ratings)
7.2
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.6
(0 ratings)
2.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
AutoCAD LTMicroStation
Likelihood to Recommend
It is suitable for use with students who are familiar with using a computer. Unfortunately, we still have many people without access and basic knowledge, such as a simple application of the oficce package.
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MicroStation is well suited for environments where animation and 3D modelling is required for designs. It perfectly fits into scenarios where Building Information Modelling (BIM) is used. One should avoid this platform if the budget is low and the overall length of the project is not huge.
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Pros
  • Drafting and layouts generation
  • 2D Modeling and measurements
  • Layers and property features
  • Useful commands like mirror, copy, move, array, offset and rotate etc.
  • File recovery feature
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  • MicroStation, as a stand-alone CAD package, is a great plan production tool.
  • MicroStation makes a very good base to build other applications on top of.
  • It has at least, in my opinion, a very easy to use interface.
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Cons
  • Incremental savings (if possible) because autosave on big drawings took time to get done because it saves the whole file
  • Some custom macros that I made should be made standard (like infinite horizontal or vertical lines)
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  • MicroStation's graphic interface appears data in comparison to other CAD software.
  • MicroStation has a tendency to crash if not managed properly during design.
  • MicroStation's transportation design component is separated from the main system which causes occasional complications.
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Usability
For being a light version of the program it has a ton of functionality and features. I found the system fairly easy to learn how to use once I took an intro course on it. Overall i think the usability is great and it was easy to jump right in and get working in the program
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MicroStation is very hard to use for our newest employees. It is not intuitive, and you need to know where to find the buttons to perform the commands you would like to perform instead of typing in the commands like other similar modeling programs. Also, it has no good traffic turning add-ins. We continue to run ALL our turning in Autoturn, since this is not a usable feature with MicroStation.
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
We haven't had to use it for many years, so not able to comment.
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Alternatives Considered
Although AutoCAD LT is the lite software when compared to standard AutoCAD, it does all the work when it comes to 2D modeling and issuing design drawings. When comparing it to BricsCAD, AutoCAD LT shines, as it works without freezing and is usually more responsive than BricsCAD, it just outclasses it.
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Microstation is not intuitive. It is almost impossible for our newest employees to use effectively, and I strongly prefer to start them with Civil 3D, where possible. With MicroStation, you really need to be an intermediate to advanced user to use the program and know where the buttons to do what you want are located. They need to make their program more command based. Things like snapping to a near point or correcting text size universally are not intuitive like they are in Civil 3D or SOLIDWORKS. For other programs you can just type in commands like "LINE" and draw a line. In Microstation, you need to select between a polyline or smartline from the tools>geometry menu. Why does it need to be so complicated? We ONLY use this program, because we are required to deliver our models in the DGN format to our client. Otherwise, we would use Civil 3D for everything.
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Return on Investment
  • We have been able to looks at CAD files that ordinarily we would not have been able to open. Giving us more control over our projects
  • We are now able to create very accurate draft designs that save us and our engineering/architecture team valuable time in drafting.
  • We can create our own plan sheets for when it is something that does not require a stamp. This saves us time and money.
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  • Been beneficial in the current office to have a copy for information exchange.
  • Some of the more "die-hard MicroStation users" often do markups in it over our current software.
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ScreenShots

MicroStation Screenshots

Screenshot of Take advantage of built-in support for 100+ common formats and data types for 2D and 3D raster and vector geometry and associated BIM information, including trusted RealDWGScreenshot of Supporting hundreds of coordinate systems and dozens of geospatial data types, users can reliably integrate existing data quickly and confidently.Screenshot of Produce better documentation, faster, with fully integrated 2D and 3D workflows, creating a single integrated model that allows you to view drawings and other model information directly immersed within the 3D modelScreenshot of You can ensure your design intent while speeding modeling with extremely powerful and flexible constraints and a range of solid, mesh, surface, and topological modeling toolsScreenshot of MicroStation's native support for an unmatched range of file formats and data types means you can leverage any data you have to speed drafting and modeling and decision-makingScreenshot of Turn your models into polished professional presentations to win stakeholder buy-in and speed approvals on your design projects.