What users are saying about

Autodesk Fusion 360 vs PTC Mathcad

Autodesk Fusion 360
72 Ratings
PTC Mathcad
14 Ratings

Autodesk Fusion 360

72 Ratings
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Score 8 out of 100

Based on 72 reviews and ratings

PTC Mathcad

14 Ratings
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Score 9.2 out of 100

Based on 14 reviews and ratings

Attribute Ratings

  • Autodesk Fusion 360 is rated higher in 1 area: Usability
  • PTC Mathcad is rated higher in 1 area: Likelihood to Recommend

Likelihood to Recommend

7.0

Autodesk Fusion 360

70%
15 Ratings
9.3

PTC Mathcad

93%
5 Ratings

Likelihood to Renew

10.0

Autodesk Fusion 360

100%
1 Rating

PTC Mathcad

N/A
0 Ratings

Usability

9.0

Autodesk Fusion 360

90%
1 Rating
6.0

PTC Mathcad

60%
1 Rating

Availability

9.0

Autodesk Fusion 360

90%
2 Ratings

PTC Mathcad

N/A
0 Ratings

Performance

8.0

Autodesk Fusion 360

80%
2 Ratings

PTC Mathcad

N/A
0 Ratings

Support Rating

7.9

Autodesk Fusion 360

79%
4 Ratings

PTC Mathcad

N/A
0 Ratings

Implementation Rating

10.0

Autodesk Fusion 360

100%
2 Ratings

PTC Mathcad

N/A
0 Ratings

Product Scalability

9.0

Autodesk Fusion 360

90%
1 Rating

PTC Mathcad

N/A
0 Ratings

Likelihood to Recommend

Autodesk Fusion 360

This software has been so easy to use from day one! I couldn't be more thrilled with it. Being an SME, it is offered on an annual basis free of charge. My network of engineers are amazed I am able to accomplish what I have using this software when the companies they come from are paying thousands for licensing. I also would like to note that Autodesk offer an incredible specialization to really round out your skills via Coursera.

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vijay kumar | TrustRadius Reviewer
vijay kumar
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PTC Mathcad

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.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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Pros

Autodesk Fusion 360

  • The first PRO of Fusion 360 that always comes to mind is how versatile it is. Fusion 360 is the first CAD/CAM software that also includes other key features that CAD programs of this size don't have.
  • Fusion 360 has a generous licensing structure that gives those just starting out a place to start with a professional level CAD program. As a result, this has helped build up a huge community and user base around Fusion 360.
  • Fusion 360 is updated on a monthly basis. This has proven to be a huge advantage over Solidworks (something else I use) which is only updated once a year. The nice thing about monthly updates, other than regular bug fixes, is that the team can adapt quickly and no one is taken by storm with a big overhaul of the UI or features at the beginning of the year.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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PTC Mathcad

  • 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.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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Cons

Autodesk Fusion 360

  • Fusion 360 is a very simple program, so once you begin to draw more complex 3D models, the software gets sluggish and loses its fluidity.
  • It would be really nice if Fusion 360 could output a model as a SolidWorks file so I can begin to draw something out in Fusion 360 and then pick it up in SolidWorks when I need to do some more advanced functions.
  • Because Fusion 360 is a simpler program, there are a few functions such as 3D sketches that are not intuitive like all the rest of the functions are.

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Tyler Grudowski | TrustRadius Reviewer
Tyler Grudowski
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PTC Mathcad

  • 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.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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Pricing Details

Autodesk Fusion 360

General

Free Trial
—
Free/Freemium Version
Yes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—
Entry-level set up fee?
No

Starting Price

$0

Autodesk Fusion 360 Editions & Modules

Edition
Fusion 360 FreeFree
Fusion 360$60.002
  1. none
  2. per month
Additional Pricing Details
—

PTC Mathcad

General

Free Trial
—
Free/Freemium Version
—
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—
Entry-level set up fee?
No

Starting Price

$230 per month

PTC Mathcad Editions & Modules

Edition
PTC Mathcad Prime 6.0 Subscription$600.001
Worksheet Library Volume 1$600.001
Worksheet Library Volume 2$600.001
Worksheet Library - Applied Math$230.001
Worksheet Library - Civil & Structural$230.001
  1. per month
Additional Pricing Details
—

Likelihood to Renew

Autodesk Fusion 360

Autodesk Fusion 360 10.0
Based on 1 answer
It does everything I need for great value.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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PTC Mathcad

No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic

Usability

Autodesk Fusion 360

Autodesk Fusion 360 9.0
Based on 1 answer
Overall it is just a great piece of software for doing most 3D work. It has everything I need plus more at a great price.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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PTC Mathcad

PTC Mathcad 6.0
Based on 1 answer
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.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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Reliability and Availability

Autodesk Fusion 360

Autodesk Fusion 360 9.0
Based on 2 answers
Sometimes I like using it on Saturday nights. Unfortunately, they usually do their updates at this time and it isn't available to use.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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PTC Mathcad

No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic

Performance

Autodesk Fusion 360

Autodesk Fusion 360 8.0
Based on 2 answers
It can freeze sometimes while doing heavy tasks.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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PTC Mathcad

No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic

Support Rating

Autodesk Fusion 360

Autodesk Fusion 360 7.9
Based on 4 answers
Support is conducted via internet Q&A boards; newcomers to 3D modeling may find that articulating their questions in the language of CAD software is the tricky part — once they find the right technical term for what they're trying to accomplish, answers come quickly. Autodesk also provides a large library of educational tutorial videos that make the initial process of learning Fusion 360's interface much easier.

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Jeff Eaton | TrustRadius Reviewer
Jeff Eaton
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PTC Mathcad

No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic

Implementation Rating

Autodesk Fusion 360

Autodesk Fusion 360 10.0
Based on 2 answers
No. It is basic and straightforward.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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PTC Mathcad

No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic

Alternatives Considered

Autodesk Fusion 360

Autodesk Inventor excels at daily core engineering tasks. When integrated with Vault management systems and part libraries, Autodesk Inventor is tough to beat when you need a mechanical design solution. When Inventor and Vault are setup properly it allows for a very efficient design workflow. I think it would be difficult to achieve the same amount of workflow efficiency with Autodesk Fusion 360, that said, Autodesk Fusion 360 offers a very good toolset at a much lower cost. I can maintain a yearly subscription of Autodesk Fusion 360 and get about 85% of the functionality that is available via the Inventor design suite for the cost of about 2 months of an Inventor subscription. I then also get access to manufacturing plugins with Autodesk Fusion 360 but lose a lot in the drawing environment. Inventor beats Autodesk Fusion 360 hands down when it comes to documentation.

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Mark Williams | TrustRadius Reviewer
Mark Williams
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PTC Mathcad

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.

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Yevgen Gorash | TrustRadius Reviewer
Yevgen Gorash
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Scalability

Autodesk Fusion 360

Autodesk Fusion 360 9.0
Based on 1 answer
It offers so much already, and the reason being is that it showed promise early on.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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PTC Mathcad

No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic

Return on Investment

Autodesk Fusion 360

  • It gives me totally positive impacts. Its zero cost eliminates the need to search for other software to use.
  • Fusion 360's Autodesk cloud solution enables me to use 3d files generated via other Autodesk design software that are widely used by my customers.

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Oral Tosun | TrustRadius Reviewer
Oral Tosun
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PTC Mathcad

  • 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.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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