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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    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

    CSI ETABS

    Score9 out of 10
    N/AETABS, from Computers and Structures, Inc headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, is an integrated software package for the structural analysis and design of buildings that offers a single user interface to perform modeling, analysis, design, and reporting. There is no limit to the number of model windows, model manipulation views, and data views.N/A

    PTC Mathcad

    Score9 out of 10
    N/APTC Mathcad Prime is a digital engineering notebook enabling engineers, mathematicians, and scientists to solve, analyze, document, and share their calculations. It helps users to solve problems accurately the first time numerically and/or symbolically, and then reuse important intellectual property with templates to save time on the next project.

    $735

    per year per seat

    Pricing
    AutoCADCSI ETABSPTC Mathcad
    Editions & Modules
    Monthly Subscription
    $245
    per month per user
    Yearly Subscription
    $1975
    per year per user
    3-Year Subscription
    $5925
    3 years per user
    No answers on this topic
    Mathcad Prime 10 License
    $735
    per year
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    AutoCADCSI ETABSPTC Mathcad
    Free Trial
    YesYesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    AutoCADCSI ETABSPTC Mathcad
    Considered Multiple Products
    Autodesk
    Chose AutoCAD
    As we all know that AutoCAD is a basic Drafting software used to drawing all of 2D object so all above softwares mentioned as as used as 2nd one after developing the plan on AutoCAD. So I do prepare plans on AutoCAD and develops them on above software. So basically my first …
    Incentivized
    Computers and Structures, Inc
    Chose CSI ETABS
    The only reason where I would hose the E-tabs is its commands which are easy to use and it also probide rebar shedule for whole project and also provide the model of rebar which gives me clear idea and helps from manual calculations.
    Incentivized
    PTC
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    96%
    Would buy again
    45 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    93%
    Delivers good value for the price
    38 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    91%
    Happy with the feature set
    43 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    88%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    29 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    95%
    Implementation went as expected
    38 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    AutoCADCSI ETABSPTC Mathcad
    Computer-Aided Design Software
    Comparison of Computer-Aided Design Software features of AutoCAD and CSI ETABS and PTC Mathcad
    Feature
    AutoCAD
    7.0
    7 Ratings
    7% below category average
    CSI ETABS
    -
    Ratings
    PTC Mathcad
    -
    Ratings
    3D Modeling6.07 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    2D Drafting8.77 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Rendering and Visualization6.37 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Parametric Design7.57 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Collaboration and Sharing8.77 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Compatibility with other software and formats8.77 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Assembly Design6.77 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Simulation and Analysis4.76 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Documentation and Annotation7.67 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customization and Extensions5.37 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    AutoCADCSI ETABSPTC Mathcad
    Small Businesses
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    Civil 3D
    Score9.3 out of 10
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    MicroStation
    Score6 out of 10
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    Enterprises
    PTC Creo
    Score7.6 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    PTC Creo
    Score7.6 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    AutoCADCSI ETABSPTC Mathcad
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.7
    (88 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (5 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    8.3
    (9 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.9
    (13 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    AutoCADCSI ETABSPTC Mathcad
    Likelihood to Recommend
    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
    Computers and Structures, Inc
    For High Rise Buildings I would prefer E-tabs only, as the other scope are projct situated in earthquake peone zone will be easy to design a and analysis the sesmic waves with recent input data. Also for steel structures, as E-tabs provide most details in RCC.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PTC
    It is great for any manual calculation. You can lay it out as you would on paper, but the math is calculated instantly, similar to how it is in excel. It is superior to either method for most engineering calculations. Being able to copy-and-paste is very helpful for considering multiple scenarios. In some situations where you need to do the same calculation on an array of numbers, Excel is still faster.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    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
    Read full review
    Computers and Structures, Inc
    • Loads distributation as it is our main concern
    • Providing rebar quantity as well as providing a full 3d model object of rebar's
    • Providing quanttity sheets and material specification in final output
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PTC
    • Conversion of measurement units (Imperial and Metric)
    • Easy to use for writing detailed engineering worksheets
    • Formulas can be written in the expanded form which facilitates verification
    • Spell Checker feature is life saver.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    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
    Computers and Structures, Inc
    • First E-tabs need to work on ease of load chnaging on an particular object after analysis as it reduce time and confusion between elements
    • The rebaring model on final output should be have more editing options as it will help in understanding and easy to use
    • Need to work on stairs rebar as it is also one of more important
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PTC
    • Some of the math and text formatting aspects are a little cumbersome.
    • Converting from older Matchcad versions to the newer Mathcad Prime platform could be made easier. It should be a direct import function.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    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
    Computers and Structures, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    PTC
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    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
    Computers and Structures, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    PTC
    Higher-order math, despite symbolics, become tedious and variable nomenclature isn't as forgiving as other programs. Due to it's sheet-like nature, the greater the complexity the more bothersome the screen usage becomes. But it's a trade-off between a sketchpad-like interface or lines and lines of code. Pick your poison but MathCad was our choice.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    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
    Computers and Structures, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    PTC
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    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
    Read full review
    Computers and Structures, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    PTC
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    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
    Read full review
    Computers and Structures, Inc
    The only reason where I would hose the E-tabs is its commands which are easy to use and it also probide rebar shedule for whole project and also provide the model of rebar which gives me clear idea and helps from manual calculations.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PTC
    MathCAD is easier to learn and faster to start with. It has more user-friendly interface and conventional style toolbox and GUI. It is really good for the beginners and those who are afraid of complex math.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    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
    Computers and Structures, Inc
    • Well as we alnalysis structure its has positivite effect for continuing the project further.
    • Expected Data @ times leads to disappointment as we need more details to save time
    • Working on E-TAb s in a customize organisation helps to provide result
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PTC
    • Speeds up calculations (especially when corrections need to be made near the beginning).
    • Ability to re-use old calculations as a template can save significant time.
    • You can use consistent formatting for all calculations, allowing for more organized, clear calculations.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots