What users are saying about
72 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>Score 8 out of 100
Based on 72 reviews and ratings
14 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>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.
Sr Lighting Artist
Labyrinth cinematic sollutions pvr.ltdMotion Pictures & Film, 11-50 employees
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.

Verified User
Professional in Engineering
Design Company, 11-50 employeesPros
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.

Verified User
Former Employee in Engineering
Design Company, 10,001+ employeesPTC 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.

Verified User
Engineer in Engineering
Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering Company, 501-1000 employeesCons
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.
Product Development Engineer
NoMo DiagnosticsMedical Devices, 1-10 employees
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.

Verified User
Engineer in Engineering
Design Company, 201-500 employeesPricing 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 Free | Free |
---|---|
Fusion 360 | $60.002 |
- none
- 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 |
- 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.

Verified User
Director in Sales
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Company, 11-50 employeesPTC 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.

Verified User
Director in Sales
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Company, 11-50 employeesPTC 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.

Verified User
Engineer in Engineering
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Company, 501-1000 employeesReliability 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.

Verified User
Director in Sales
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Company, 11-50 employeesPTC 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.

Verified User
Director in Sales
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Company, 11-50 employeesPTC 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.
Founder
NerdhausEntertainment, 1-10 employees
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.

Verified User
Director in Sales
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Company, 11-50 employeesPTC 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.
VP Operations and Engineering
Raycore LightsMechanical Or Industrial Engineering, 1-10 employees
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.
Research Fellow
University of StrathclydeHigher Education, 1001-5000 employees
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.

Verified User
Director in Sales
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Company, 11-50 employeesPTC 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.
Business Owner
MiniFabrikamConsumer Services, 1-10 employees
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.

Verified User
Professional in Engineering
Design Company, 11-50 employees