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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Altair Inspire

    Score8.4 out of 10
    N/AAltair Inspire, developed by SolidThinking which was acquired by Altair, is software for Generative Design/Topology Optimization, and rapid simulation solution for design engineers. It is designed to enhance the concept development process by enabling simulation-driven design to increase a product’s efficiency, strength and manufacturability. This can lead to reduced costs, development time, material consumption, and product weight.N/A

    AutoCAD

    Score8.1 out of 10
    N/AAutoCAD is a CAD product from Autodesk. It allows designers to work in 2D and 3D, and is available on Windows and Mac, but with extensive online collaboration tools.

    $245

    per month

    Pricing
    Altair InspireAutoCAD
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Monthly Subscription
    $245
    per month per user
    Yearly Subscription
    $1975
    per year per user
    3-Year Subscription
    $5925
    3 years per user
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Altair InspireAutoCAD
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Altair InspireAutoCAD
    Considered Both Products
    Altair Engineering, Inc.
    No answer on this topic
    Autodesk
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    96%
    Would buy again
    45 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    93%
    Delivers good value for the price
    38 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    91%
    Happy with the feature set
    43 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    88%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    29 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    95%
    Implementation went as expected
    38 Answers
    Features
    Altair InspireAutoCAD
    Computer-Aided Design Software
    Comparison of Computer-Aided Design Software features of Altair Inspire and AutoCAD
    Feature
    Altair Inspire
    -
    Ratings
    AutoCAD
    7.1
    7 Ratings
    5% below category average
    3D Modeling00 Ratings6.17 Ratings
    2D Drafting00 Ratings8.77 Ratings
    Rendering and Visualization00 Ratings6.47 Ratings
    Parametric Design00 Ratings7.57 Ratings
    Collaboration and Sharing00 Ratings8.87 Ratings
    Compatibility with other software and formats00 Ratings8.87 Ratings
    Assembly Design00 Ratings6.77 Ratings
    Simulation and Analysis00 Ratings4.76 Ratings
    Documentation and Annotation00 Ratings7.67 Ratings
    Customization and Extensions00 Ratings5.37 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Altair InspireAutoCAD
    Small Businesses
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    Enterprises
    PTC Creo
    Score7.6 out of 10
    PTC Creo
    Score7.6 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Altair InspireAutoCAD
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    7.7
    (88 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.3
    (9 ratings)
    Support Rating
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    6.9
    (13 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Altair InspireAutoCAD
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Altair Engineering, Inc.
    This software is incredibly intuitive and really does provide a great finished product. The software runs relatively quickly and will usually throw an error right away, which is a nice feature. I didn't use the geometry editing parts of the software, but it looks promising to be able to edit files directly in the program.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    Once again, for jobs/companies where you are doing a lot of design and modelling of tanks, pipework or filling machine or basic electronics its fantastic as a 3D and 2D modelling tool, however once again when it comes to testing these actual products in the real world, I feel like AutoCAD is let down by its clunky fitting and spec management and also in very limited in-house engineering simulations.
    Read full review
    Pros
    Altair Engineering, Inc.
    • Defining the actuators, pin joints, sliding joints is very easy.
    • Defining a motion sequence is straightforward.
    • The UI tends to make you follow a sequence of steps to be successful in doing a motion simulation and finite element analysis study on a design.
    • The motion simulation results are automatically transferred to the FEA solver.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    • Compatibility of different file formats, and also exports to different file formats.
    • CLI Commands as well as internal functions which are exposed can be used for automation of various tasks.
    • The new 2025 comes with .NET Core support which helps AutoCAD to connect with Cloud based features.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Altair Engineering, Inc.
    • I think the tools to create CAD are a bit difficult to use. Consequently, it is now easier to develop the part in other software, which is bad since we need to use more than one tool at a time.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    • User Interface Customisation: AutoCAD's user interface could benefit from more robust customisation options. Allowing users to rearrange toolbars, menus, and panels according to their specific workflows and preferences would enhance productivity.
    • Enhanced 3D Modeling Tools: While AutoCAD is capable of 3D modeling, it's not as intuitive or feature-rich as dedicated 3D modeling software. Streamlining the process and adding more advanced modeling tools would be a welcome improvement.
    • Enhanced Collaboration and Version Control: AutoCAD could improve its collaboration tools, such as real-time editing and version tracking, to facilitate smoother teamwork, especially in multi-disciplinary projects.
    • Intelligent Object Libraries: AutoCAD could benefit from an expanded and more intelligent library of standard objects and components. This would save time for designers who often have to create custom components from scratch.
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Altair Engineering, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Autodesk
    Because rarely we [would] rather wait for a whole year to update, sometimes the new updates don't bring many new features and we are still ok with the current version. Also the change of interface is always something that takes time for every partner in the company to get comfortable with. So those are the main reasons we may want to keep the same version.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Altair Engineering, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Autodesk
    It is very usable once you understand the program. I believe there is room for improvement in the 2D to 3D modeling capability. We have to use other apps to 3D model and that can be time consuming and sometimes AutoCAD doesn't transfer work that well between apps. They can improve there.
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Altair Engineering, Inc.
    When I needed clarification on how do use a feature or best way to define the constraints for a design problem, the response was quick and solved my needs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    AutoCAD has the issue of crashing or slowing down the design procedure once a heavy design that includes several disciplines or multiple families/blocks is involved. Customer services gets the feedback from the crash reports but this issue seems like it has never been addressed in the software updates past several years.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Altair Engineering, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Autodesk
    the implementation was realy easy , to set up our workstation we pay for the licenses we are about to use , there was a little bit of delay to get the payment processed to receive the serial but after that the install runs without any problem , so you can fell secure there will be not issue with the implementation.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Altair Engineering, Inc.
    Working Model, MathCad, Dynamic Designer, Algor, and Mathlab had poor UI's and poor ways to define actuator and motor motion profiles. The force results and vectors were not easy to input into the FEA software. SOLIDWORKS Motion does not have an excellent way to define a linear actuator or its motion profile. Altair provides a UI that guides you through defining your linear actuator or motor's motion profile quickly.
    Incentivized
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    Autodesk
    I use Revit far more than I use AutoCAD. AutoCAD is great for simple linework, but even then I will often create the lines in Revit and then export to AutoCAD for final touches and printing. AutoCAD is a bit easier for large-format prints, which is why I almost always end up using it after starting in Revit.
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Altair Engineering, Inc.
    • In my personal opinion, we think that this product does not have any negative aspect that makes us feel very uncomfortable.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    • As an educational institute there are no overall business objectives.
    • As a negative, the licensing is expensive and we have to limit the number of computers we put it on.
    • As a positive, many of our students will have a leg up when entering into programs or companies that use this software.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots