Autodesk Tinkercad vs. PTC Mathcad

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Autodesk Tinkercad
Score 7.5 out of 10
N/A
Autodesk offers Tinkercad, a 3D modeling and design tool available free for educational purposes. Shapes are the building blocks of Tinkercad. Users can add pre-existing shapes, or import them. To adjust objects, users can rotate the workplane to adjust shapes or change views and input exact dimensions with the ruler. Custom shapes can also be created by combining elements.
$0
per month
PTC Mathcad
Score 8.6 out of 10
N/A
PTC 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
Autodesk TinkercadPTC Mathcad
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Mathcad Prime 10 License
$735
per year
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Autodesk TinkercadPTC Mathcad
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Autodesk TinkercadPTC Mathcad
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
Autodesk TinkercadPTC Mathcad
Small Businesses
Onshape
Onshape
Score 9.4 out of 10
Onshape
Onshape
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Onshape
Onshape
Score 9.4 out of 10
Onshape
Onshape
Score 9.4 out of 10
Enterprises
Rhino
Rhino
Score 8.5 out of 10
Rhino
Rhino
Score 8.5 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Autodesk TinkercadPTC Mathcad
Likelihood to Recommend
9.8
(6 ratings)
9.1
(5 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Autodesk TinkercadPTC Mathcad
Likelihood to Recommend
Autodesk
I have found that Autodesk Tinkercad is best for creating simple 3D models for printing. I use it to add text or modifications to 3D models of artifacts for my museum, including labels and support structures for artifacts to stand on. I also use it to create promotional materials, like 3D models of artifacts with our logo on them, which we can print and pass out at events. I would not use Autodesk Tinkercad for more complex 3D modeling or editing 3D models. It's really designed for basic creation and modification, and in those areas it is extremely useful!
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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.
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Pros
Autodesk
  • Tinkercad is a great baseline CAD program. This program is easy to implement and train people in.
  • After on a short period of time my students are able to create complex forms using Tinkercads pre-generated shapes and holes.
  • The Tinkercad provided projects aid in pushing the learning experience even further and reinforce the ideas that I train on and help my students explore the program before designing their own complex sculptural forms.
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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.
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Cons
Autodesk
  • The tutorials could be more easily readable and easier for younger students
  • Sometimes confusing how to use the mouse tools vs on an iPad
  • Less professional, not often used in career fields
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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.
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Usability
Autodesk
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.
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Alternatives Considered
Autodesk
Tinkercad is free and easy to use. It's a great place for people to start learning about 3D Design before they invest time and money in professional-level tools.
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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.
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Return on Investment
Autodesk
  • I should definitely say that Tinkercad has no negative impact on my business.
  • It shortened my 3d design process for my many simple projects.
  • Tinkercad is a free tool, no investment needed.
  • I suggest it to my customers who don't know 3d design, but desperately needs a 3d file for their projects.
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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.
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