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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

    Simcenter STAR-CCM+

    Score9.5 out of 10
    N/ASimcenter, from Siemens, is a suite of simulation tools and software. STAR-CCM+ is a multiphysics computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to study how products operate under real-world conditions.N/A
    Pricing
    AutoCADSimcenter STAR-CCM+
    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
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    AutoCADSimcenter STAR-CCM+
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    AutoCADSimcenter STAR-CCM+
    Considered Both Products
    Autodesk
    No answer on this topic
    Siemens AG
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    96%
    Would buy again
    45 Answers
    100%
    Would buy again
    14 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    93%
    Delivers good value for the price
    38 Answers
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    9 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    91%
    Happy with the feature set
    43 Answers
    93%
    Happy with the feature set
    13 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    88%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    29 Answers
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    11 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    95%
    Implementation went as expected
    38 Answers
    91%
    Implementation went as expected
    10 Answers
    Features
    AutoCADSimcenter STAR-CCM+
    Computer-Aided Design Software
    Comparison of Computer-Aided Design Software features of AutoCAD and Simcenter STAR-CCM+
    Feature
    AutoCAD
    7.0
    7 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+
    -
    Ratings
    3D Modeling6.07 Ratings00 Ratings
    2D Drafting8.77 Ratings00 Ratings
    Rendering and Visualization6.37 Ratings00 Ratings
    Parametric Design7.57 Ratings00 Ratings
    Collaboration and Sharing8.77 Ratings00 Ratings
    Compatibility with other software and formats8.77 Ratings00 Ratings
    Assembly Design6.77 Ratings00 Ratings
    Simulation and Analysis4.76 Ratings00 Ratings
    Documentation and Annotation7.67 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customization and Extensions5.37 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    AutoCADSimcenter STAR-CCM+
    Small Businesses
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Enterprises
    PTC Creo
    Score7.6 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    AutoCADSimcenter STAR-CCM+
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.7
    (88 ratings)
    9.5
    (14 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    8.3
    (9 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.9
    (13 ratings)
    9.5
    (8 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    AutoCADSimcenter STAR-CCM+
    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
    Siemens AG
    A case where you are interested in modeling various physics such as
    Aerodynamics,
    Hydrodynamics, Heat Transfer & Thermal Management, Multiphase Flow, Fluid-Structure
    Interaction (FSI), Combustion & Reacting Flows, Aeroacoustics, Electrochemistry, and Electromagnetics. STARCCM+ is recommended. But if your interest is complex Structural dynamics, durability, or Motion analysis, etc. better to go with other tools.
    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
    Siemens AG
    • Meshing is very easy to do in STAR CCM+
    • Post-processing results is also very intuitive, making extracting results very enjoyable and easy to use.
    • The Advanced rendering options that are available in STAR CCM+ can really help make very well-generated videos that can make the simulation easy to visualize, share with non-technical engineers, and showcase the study done.
    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
    Siemens AG
    • Maybe a little bit on the automation side and if you want to script something, if you want to automate procedures, that happens through every simulation round that you have. That part could be a little bit cumbersome right now, depending on the operating system that you use.
    • Introducing the software on other platforms like Mac OSS.
    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
    Siemens AG
    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
    Siemens AG
    Great single window GUI
    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
    Siemens AG
    STAR CCM+ technical support was very quick to respond when a ticket was raised for issues. For support in setting up a test case for the Lagrangian particle tracking technique, a support assist agent was assigned immediately, and after having a detailed discussion, my problem was understood by them, and a suitable test case was shared, which I was able to understand and use to build my case.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Siemens AG
    It is super easy when it comes to implementing it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Siemens AG
    Competitive tools, both Fluent and STARCCM+, but the user interface and ease of learning, along with everything in a single interface, and a wide variety of proven physics capabilities, along with good scalability and automation, made the choice easy for me. Also, the user guide and tutorials available to explore various kinds of Physics capability, and A single license for access to all physics, also made it easy.
    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
    Siemens AG
    • Time saved in creating a inhouse code, tens and tens of hours.
    • Time saved in experimental setup, tens of hours.
    • Does add some time in testing to confirm star is doing what you think it's doing, but an overall net gain in productivity.
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Screenshots

    Screenshot of Multiphysics Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulationScreenshot of Car aerodynamics CFD simulationScreenshot of Integrated Design Exploration and OptimizationScreenshot of Fully integrated CFD based topology optimizationScreenshot of Multiphysics CFD - Electric Motor CoolingScreenshot of Multiphase Flows