ActCAD Software vs. Designcenter

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ActCAD Software
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
ActCAD is a 2D & 3D CAD software with two product options: - ActCAD Standard for 2D Drafting Power Users - ActCAD Professional for 2D Drafting & 3D ACIS Modeling Users - ActCAD Prime for 2D Drafting, 3D Modeling, and AEC Objects (walls, doors, windows, staircases, roofs, floors, etc.) ActCAD can be used for applications across domains of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) including Structural, Electrical, and…
$249
one-time fee per user
Designcenter
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
Designcenter™ software (formerly NX™ software) is an integrated product design and engineering solution. The platform supports stages of product development—from concept design and engineering to manufacturing—to optimize design processes and enhance team collaboration.N/A
Pricing
ActCAD SoftwareDesigncenter
Editions & Modules
ActCAD 2025 Standard
$249
one-time fee per user
ActCAD 2025 Premium
$399
one-time fee per user
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ActCAD SoftwareDesigncenter
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ActCAD SoftwareDesigncenter
Considered Both Products
ActCAD Software
Chose ActCAD Software
Best bang for the buck is ActCAD. I have reviewed and used other products and they may compare similar software but are far more expensive. I have upgraded ActCAD over the years instead of buying something else.
Chose ActCAD Software
We all agree that if you understand AutoCAD, then ActCAD is a very very easy fit. That along with pricing, being able to purchase it outright without having to do a yearly lease or whatever it's called make it a very cost-effective solution for a small business allowing us to …
Designcenter
Chose Designcenter
Customer requirement is in NX CAD.
NX CAD is easy to use.
NX and TCPLM integration is easy.
Chose Designcenter
I like NX CAD modelling features and drafting tool bars which helps in accomplishing the task in minimum steps. The available tools precisely generate the splines and complex geometries as required. There is perfect integration between NX CAD and NX CAM modules with less data …
Chose Designcenter
Was not question. The SW is only a translator, export, import system.
Chose Designcenter
NX CAD is very good for interoperability between different three dimensional modelling softwares, it can convert to .jt models, from native format such as .CATPart, .CATProduct, and ones from Solidworks. Also it is integrated to Siemens Teamcenter, which also enables other …
Chose Designcenter
The API is more great then by the others. Also the Integration in Teamcenter. This is also leading to collaborative functions.
Chose Designcenter
Copy of parts and assemblies was much easier in NX CAD than in Solid Edge. The same was with parameters. I don't know if this changed in the last few years.
Chose Designcenter
more design options,
load large assemblies
Chose Designcenter
Siemens NX CAD is having very simple layout as compared to other competitors. It supports many numbers of file formats & translation to other software. It supports easy conversion of 3D to 2D. It supports PLM for project & Data Management. It is very versatile & supports Mold …
Chose Designcenter
The only reason why NX was chosen was due to the process management, and revision control that's built-in. And being able to limit access to files and if they can be modified.
Chose Designcenter
I find DraftSight as a pure 2d integration of Siemens NX CAD. They don't collide, they are useful for different needs.
Chose Designcenter
Currently do not have any experience outside of Siemens PLM.
Features
ActCAD SoftwareDesigncenter
Computer-Aided Design Software
Comparison of Computer-Aided Design Software features of Product A and Product B
ActCAD Software
-
Ratings
Designcenter
7.6
Ratings
3% above category average
3D Modeling00 Ratings8.70 Ratings
2D Drafting00 Ratings8.80 Ratings
Rendering and Visualization00 Ratings5.90 Ratings
Parametric Design00 Ratings8.40 Ratings
Collaboration and Sharing00 Ratings6.50 Ratings
Compatibility with other software and formats00 Ratings7.60 Ratings
Assembly Design00 Ratings8.30 Ratings
Simulation and Analysis00 Ratings7.30 Ratings
Documentation and Annotation00 Ratings7.10 Ratings
Customization and Extensions00 Ratings7.40 Ratings
Best Alternatives
ActCAD SoftwareDesigncenter
Small Businesses
Onshape
Onshape
Score 6.4 out of 10
Onshape
Onshape
Score 6.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Onshape
Onshape
Score 6.4 out of 10
Onshape
Onshape
Score 6.4 out of 10
Enterprises
Rhino
Rhino
Score 8.4 out of 10
Rhino
Rhino
Score 8.4 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
ActCAD SoftwareDesigncenter
Likelihood to Recommend
8.8
(0 ratings)
8.1
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
8.5
(0 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.4
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
ActCAD SoftwareDesigncenter
Likelihood to Recommend
Some dimensions move for no apparent reason. 3d modeling could be improved upon. As a 2D program I use it daily and prefer it to 3D modeling programs for drawing details.
Read full review
NX CAD is very good when it comes to three dimensional modelling and rendering and visualization. Furthermore, the export to jt function together with import into other Siemens software packages, such as Teamcenter, is a major reason why I am using NX. However, it can be a little more computationally expensive compare to other CAD packages.
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Pros
  • This is one of the most complete packages that I've used, very intuitive, thus saying user-friendly is somewhat on the mild side, as it is a pleasure to use
  • Functionality is straightforward and all pertinent information are right on the screen
  • Its ease-of-use cuts down on documentation time thus allowing me to spend more time where it's really needed
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  • Seamless interaction across multiple departments.
  • The software allows you to create a very high level of control and organization within your engineering staff. This reduces the companies mistakes and maximizes productivity.
  • The software makes it very easy to track your product through every phase of the production cycle.
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Cons
  • My major complaint is sometimes the dimensions do not stay where I place them.
  • 3D modeling is complicated for me.
  • Need to specify wall types and be able to create custom walls.
  • Need to have a roof manager to make trusses or hand-stack framing.
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  • Keeping the colors of surfaces if volume bodies are linked
  • Show and keep symbolic threads
  • For me, I miss more information why a surface can't be deleted or a radius is not possible. And maybe a solution, how could it look like, if NX CAD adds a new surface.
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Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
It works very well for our organization. It has made us much more productive.
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Usability
No answers on this topic
Siemens NX CAD has been has been simple in design & user interface. It is best among the competitors. It can develop heavy models & designs with very ease. It has Layers options for arranging multiple assemblies in the same file. It does not require heavy system investment & works fine on professional PCs
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
NX CAD version is going out of support after only 12 months. Changes will not be implemented after 12 months from prodcution
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Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
Need more clear training
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Alternatives Considered
We all agree that if you understand AutoCAD, then ActCAD is a very very easy fit. That along with pricing, being able to purchase it outright without having to do a yearly lease or whatever it's called make it a very cost-effective solution for a small business allowing us to appropriate funds to continue to grow our business
Read full review
I like NX CAD modelling features and drafting tool bars which helps in accomplishing the task in minimum steps. The available tools precisely generate the splines and complex geometries as required. There is perfect integration between NX CAD and NX CAM modules with less data loss. Better graphical interface and simplified commands makes NX CAD a better software then others.
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • ActCAD reasonably does what proprietary software does.
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  • Through API implementation we have created some CAD Automation tool that saved us about 100h to create specific 3D geometry
  • Teamcenter integration leverage quality of 3D geometry because avoid any situation of duplicated version of same Item that can take lot of hours to verify the correct version
  • Possibility to integrate different 3D format allow to earlier detect possible impact of wrong geometry
Read full review
ScreenShots

ActCAD Software Screenshots

Screenshot of ActCAD 2023 PrimeScreenshot of ActCAD 2023 StandardScreenshot of STL FileScreenshot of KML/KMZ FileScreenshot of 3D PDF ExportScreenshot of Sheet set Manager

Designcenter Screenshots

Screenshot of Sustainability in Designcenter helps evaluate a product's environmental impact. Analyze material choices and manufacturing processes to create eco-friendly designs that meet global standards and reduce your carbon footprint.Screenshot of the Performance Predictor, used to simulate and forecast operational efficiency. This helps optimize designs and proactively avoid bottlenecks before physical implementation.Screenshot of Immersive Engineering, used to dive deep into manufacturing environments. Viewers can explore and analyze processes virtually to pinpoint potential issues and optimize workflows before they ever reach the factory floor.Screenshot of the Select Similar tool, used to quickly identify and group geometrically identical or parametrically similar components within a design. This streamlines modifications and ensures consistency across an entire project.Screenshot of a rendering created from the actual product design. Notice the lighting and surface realism.