# Altair Inspire vs SOLIDWORKS Comparison
---
## AI Generated Summary
- **G2 reviewers report** that SOLIDWORKS excels in user satisfaction, with a higher overall score reflecting its robust feature set. Users appreciate its intuitive interface, which simplifies complex 3D modeling and assembly tasks, making it easier to create and modify designs.
- **Users say** that Altair Inspire stands out for its simulation-driven design capabilities, allowing for rapid prototyping and testing. Reviewers highlight how quickly they can transition from initial concepts to validated designs, emphasizing the tool's ability to combine creativity with engineering intelligence.
- **According to verified reviews** , SOLIDWORKS offers superior support for 3D modeling and drawing tools, with users praising its extensive features for parametric modeling and simulations. This comprehensive toolkit enhances productivity, especially for those working on intricate designs.
- **Reviewers mention** that while Altair Inspire has a user-friendly interface, it may not match the depth of features found in SOLIDWORKS. Users appreciate the ease of setting loads and constraints, but some feel that the overall toolset is less extensive for complex modeling tasks.
- **G2 reviewers highlight** that SOLIDWORKS provides better quality support, with users noting that assistance is readily available when needed. This aspect is crucial for teams that rely on timely help to resolve issues and maintain workflow efficiency.
- **Users report** that both products cater well to small businesses, but SOLIDWORKS has a slight edge in meeting specific workflow requirements. Reviewers express satisfaction with how SOLIDWORKS adapts to their needs, while some users of Altair Inspire mention occasional challenges in aligning the software with their unique processes.



| | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.3 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 76 | 643 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (44.3% of reviews) | Small-Business (44.3% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Altair Inspire

Pros:
- Ease of Use (11 reviews)
- Efficiency Improvement (7 reviews)

Cons:
- Learning Curve (5 reviews)
- Not User-Friendly (2 reviews)

### SOLIDWORKS

Pros:
- Ease of Use (37 reviews)
- Features (29 reviews)

Cons:
- Performance Issues (17 reviews)
- Slow Performance (15 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 8.1 (69 reviews) | 8.8 (535 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.5 (69 reviews) | 8.6 (540 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.4 (29 reviews) | 8.3 (112 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.5 (9 reviews) | 8.0 (47 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 7.8 (59 reviews) | 8.2 (475 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.7 (9 reviews) | 8.3 (47 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.2 (69 reviews) | 8.6 (529 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Altair Inspire

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

Yes

### SOLIDWORKS

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altair Inspire** | N/A | N/A |
| **SOLIDWORKS** | 8.7/10 | 53 |

#### CAD to CAM

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **CAD-CAM Import** | Not enough data | 9.0 (42 reviews) | 
| **CAM Data Exchange** | Not enough data | 8.8 (42 reviews) | 
| **CAD/CAM Compatibility** | Not enough data | 8.9 (43 reviews) | 

#### CNC Programming

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **CNC Workflows** | Not enough data | 8.7 (39 reviews) | 
| **CNC Feature Recognition** | Not enough data | 8.6 (38 reviews) | 
| **Programming Control** | Not enough data | 8.4 (37 reviews) | 

#### Machining

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Job Set-up** | Not enough data | 8.6 (39 reviews) | 
| **Operations** | Not enough data | 8.7 (39 reviews) | 
| **Tooling and Toolpaths** | Not enough data | 8.8 (39 reviews) | 

### General-Purpose CAD

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altair Inspire** | N/A | N/A |
| **SOLIDWORKS** | 8.8/10 | 112 |

#### Design

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Drawing** | Not enough data | 9.5 (107 reviews) | 
| **Modeling** | Not enough data | 9.4 (107 reviews) | 
| **Visualize ** | Not enough data | 9.2 (103 reviews) | 
| **Rendering** | Not enough data | 8.1 (100 reviews) | 

#### Edit

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **File Import ** | Not enough data | 8.5 (98 reviews) | 
| **Push/Pull** | Not enough data | 8.4 (90 reviews) | 
| **Views** | Not enough data | 9.3 (101 reviews) | 
| **Grips ** | Not enough data | 8.3 (85 reviews) | 

#### Collaboration

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Annotate** | Not enough data | 8.6 (94 reviews) | 
| **Documentation ** | Not enough data | 9.0 (96 reviews) | 
| **Data Extract** | Not enough data | 8.4 (90 reviews) | 

### CAD Libraries

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altair Inspire** | N/A | N/A |
| **SOLIDWORKS** | 8.9/10 | 35 |

#### Library

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Categorize** | Not enough data | 8.9 (29 reviews) | 
| **Search** | Not enough data | 8.6 (28 reviews) | 
| **Deduplication** | Not enough data | 8.4 (28 reviews) | 
| **Feedback** | Not enough data | 8.6 (23 reviews) | 

#### CAD

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Types** | Not enough data | 8.8 (24 reviews) | 
| **Models** | Not enough data | 9.4 (30 reviews) | 
| **Compatibility** | Not enough data | 9.1 (29 reviews) | 

#### Integration

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Catalogs** | Not enough data | 8.5 (26 reviews) | 
| **CAD & PLM** | Not enough data | 9.6 (29 reviews) | 
| **ERP** | Not enough data | 8.6 (25 reviews) | 

### CAD Data Exchange

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altair Inspire** | N/A | N/A |
| **SOLIDWORKS** | 8.8/10 | 34 |

#### Data

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **3D Format** | Not enough data | 9.3 (29 reviews) | 
| **Data Quality** | Not enough data | 8.8 (27 reviews) | 
| **Extra Information** | Not enough data | 8.3 (26 reviews) | 
| **Standard Format** | Not enough data | 9.0 (27 reviews) | 
| **Translate** | Not enough data | 8.3 (24 reviews) | 
| **Validation** | Not enough data | 8.7 (25 reviews) | 

#### Logistics

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Integrate** | Not enough data | 9.1 (25 reviews) | 

### Additive Manufacturing

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altair Inspire** | N/A | N/A |
| **SOLIDWORKS** | 7.9/10 | 66 |

#### File Support - Additive Manufacturing

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **STL Compatible** | Not enough data | 8.7 (61 reviews) | 
| **3MF Compatible** | Not enough data | 8.5 (47 reviews) | 
| **OBJ Compatible** | Not enough data | 8.4 (52 reviews) | 

#### File Editing - Additive Manufacturing

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Mesh Repair** | Not enough data | 7.5 (55 reviews) | 
| **File Editing** | Not enough data | 8.6 (60 reviews) | 

#### Software Integrations - Additive Manufacturing

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Standalone Slicer** | Not enough data | 7.6 (49 reviews) | 
| **Inetgrated 3D Modeling** | Not enough data | 8.8 (58 reviews) | 

#### Software Type - Additive Manufacturing

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Cloud-based Platform** | Not enough data | 7.7 (48 reviews) | 
| **Downloadable Application** | Not enough data | 8.6 (53 reviews) | 

#### Generative AI - Additive Manufacturing

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Text-to-Image** | Not enough data | 6.0 (20 reviews) | 
| **AI Text-to-3D** | Not enough data | 6.1 (20 reviews) | 

#### Building Preparation - Additive Manufacturing

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Material Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Building Simulation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Slicing Optimization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### CAD Viewers

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altair Inspire** | N/A | N/A |
| **SOLIDWORKS** | 9.0/10 | 49 |

#### File Options

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Import files** | Not enough data | 8.9 (44 reviews) | 
| **Export files** | Not enough data | 9.1 (43 reviews) | 
| **View 2D files** | Not enough data | 9.1 (43 reviews) | 
| **View 3D files** | Not enough data | 9.3 (44 reviews) | 
| **Batch convert files** | Not enough data | 8.3 (35 reviews) | 
| **File size** | Not enough data | 8.3 (41 reviews) | 

#### Tools

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Dimensioning tools** | Not enough data | 9.5 (43 reviews) | 
| **Change units** | Not enough data | 9.1 (41 reviews) | 
| **3D/solid modeling tools** | Not enough data | 9.2 (43 reviews) | 

#### Design

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Drawing** | Not enough data | 9.4 (43 reviews) | 

### PCB Design

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altair Inspire** | N/A | N/A |
| **SOLIDWORKS** | 8.2/10 | 15 |

#### Design

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **PCB layout editing** | Not enough data | 7.9 (12 reviews) | 
| **Schematic editor** | Not enough data | 7.8 (12 reviews) | 

#### Tools

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **3D modeling tools** | Not enough data | 9.2 (13 reviews) | 
| **Component placement** | Not enough data | 8.7 (13 reviews) | 

#### Library

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Component libraries** | Not enough data | 8.2 (13 reviews) | 

#### Platform

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Board size** | Not enough data | 8.6 (13 reviews) | 
| **Layers** | Not enough data | 8.1 (12 reviews) | 

#### Customization

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Custom commands** | Not enough data | 7.8 (12 reviews) | 
| **Custom interface** | Not enough data | 8.3 (12 reviews) | 

### Simulation & CAE

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altair Inspire** | 7.6/10 | 34 |
| **SOLIDWORKS** | 8.2/10 | 64 |

#### Design

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **3D/solid modeling Tools** | 7.9 (32 reviews) | 9.2 (62 reviews) | 
| **Drawing Tools** | 7.4 (32 reviews) | 9.0 (62 reviews) | 
| **Editing Tools** | 7.6 (32 reviews) | 8.8 (62 reviews) | 
| **Rendering tools** | 7.2 (31 reviews) | 7.7 (60 reviews) | 

#### Tools

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Fluid analysis** | 6.8 (30 reviews) | 8.0 (54 reviews) | 
| **Finite element analysis** | 8.7 (33 reviews) | 7.9 (56 reviews) | 
| **Multibody dynamics** | 7.7 (31 reviews) | 7.4 (49 reviews) | 

#### Work

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Discrete event modeling** | Feature Not Available | 7.6 (41 reviews) | 
| **Continuous event modeling** | 6.9 (30 reviews) | 7.8 (42 reviews) | 
| **Mechanical event simulation** | 7.8 (29 reviews) | 8.3 (51 reviews) | 
| **Manufacturing process simulation** | 7.8 (30 reviews) | 8.1 (44 reviews) | 
| **Integrate** | 7.1 (29 reviews) | 8.4 (47 reviews) | 

#### Environment

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Hardware support** | 7.7 (31 reviews) | 8.3 (53 reviews) | 
| **Task** | 7.4 (30 reviews) | 8.4 (51 reviews) | 
| **Manage Multiple Profiles** | Feature Not Available | 8.2 (49 reviews) | 
| **Command Clarity** | 8.1 (31 reviews) | 8.6 (53 reviews) | 

### Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altair Inspire** | N/A | N/A |
| **SOLIDWORKS** | 8.4/10 | 45 |

#### Tools - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **3D/solid modeling Tools** | Not enough data | 9.4 (36 reviews) | 
| **Rendering Tools** | Not enough data | 8.7 (28 reviews) | 
| **Drawing Tools** | Not enough data | 9.2 (30 reviews) | 
| **Editing Tools** | Not enough data | 9.1 (26 reviews) | 
| **Text Editing Tools** | Not enough data | 7.7 (25 reviews) | 

#### File Options - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Export Files** | Not enough data | 8.6 (31 reviews) | 
| **Import Files** | Not enough data | 8.6 (27 reviews) | 
| **File Interoperability** | Not enough data | 8.3 (29 reviews) | 
| **Backwards compatibility** | Not enough data | 8.0 (26 reviews) | 
| **File size** | Not enough data | 7.3 (32 reviews) | 

#### Customization - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Custom Commands** | Not enough data | 8.4 (23 reviews) | 
| **Custom Scripts** | Not enough data | 8.4 (24 reviews) | 
| **Custom Menus** | Not enough data | 7.6 (24 reviews) | 
| **Custom Interface** | Not enough data | 8.2 (24 reviews) | 

#### Environment - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)

| Feature | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Hardware support** | Not enough data | 8.0 (27 reviews) | 
| **Task-based interfaces** | Not enough data | 8.4 (23 reviews) | 
| **Manage Multiple Profiles** | Not enough data | 7.9 (23 reviews) | 
| **Command Clarity** | Not enough data | 9.0 (27 reviews) | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (1):** [Simulation & CAE Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/simulation-cae)


**Unique to SOLIDWORKS (9):** [Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/mechanical-computer-aided-design-mcad), [General-Purpose CAD Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/general-purpose-cad), [CAD Viewers](https://www.g2.com/categories/cad-viewers), [Sketching Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/sketching), [PCB Design Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/pcb-design), [Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/computer-aided-manufacturing-cam), [CAD Libraries](https://www.g2.com/categories/cad-libraries), [CAD Data Exchange Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/cad-data-exchange), [Additive Manufacturing Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/additive-manufacturing)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Altair Inspire | SOLIDWORKS | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 44.3% | 44.3% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 25.7% | 33.8% | 
| **Enterprise** | 30.0% | 21.9% | 

### By Industry

#### Altair Inspire

- **Automotive:** 25.7%
- **Mechanical or Industrial Engineering:** 17.1%
- **Aviation & Aerospace:** 5.7%
- **Construction:** 5.7%
- **Higher Education:** 5.7%
- **Consumer Goods:** 4.3%
- **Machinery:** 4.3%
- **Airlines/Aviation:** 2.9%
- **Civil Engineering:** 2.9%
- **Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing:** 2.9%
- **Other:** 22.9%

#### SOLIDWORKS

- **Mechanical or Industrial Engineering:** 23.2%
- **Design:** 11.7%
- **Automotive:** 6.6%
- **Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing:** 5.9%
- **Medical Devices:** 5.8%
- **Machinery:** 5.6%
- **Higher Education:** 4.6%
- **Aviation & Aerospace:** 4.5%
- **Oil & Energy:** 3.0%
- **Consumer Goods:** 2.2%
- **Other:** 26.8%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Altair Inspire

- [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-fusion/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (519 reviews)
- [Ansys Fluent](https://www.g2.com/products/ansys-fluent/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (122 reviews)
- [Ansys Mechanical](https://www.g2.com/products/ansys-mechanical/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (92 reviews)
- [MATLAB](https://www.g2.com/products/matlab/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (770 reviews)
- [Inventor](https://www.g2.com/products/inventor/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (440 reviews)
- [CATIA](https://www.g2.com/products/catia/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (255 reviews)
- [SolidWorks Simulation](https://www.g2.com/products/solidworks-solidworks-simulation/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (60 reviews)
- [Simcenter STAR-CCM+](https://www.g2.com/products/simcenter-star-ccm/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (178 reviews)
- [nTop](https://www.g2.com/products/ntop/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (11 reviews)
- [Designcenter Solid Edge](https://www.g2.com/products/designcenter-solid-edge/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (599 reviews)

### Alternatives to SOLIDWORKS

- [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-fusion/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (519 reviews)
- [Onshape](https://www.g2.com/products/onshape/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (695 reviews)
- [Designcenter Solid Edge](https://www.g2.com/products/designcenter-solid-edge/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (599 reviews)
- [Inventor](https://www.g2.com/products/inventor/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (440 reviews)
- [Creo](https://www.g2.com/products/creo-2025-08-26/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (200 reviews)
- [AutoCAD](https://www.g2.com/products/autocad/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1930 reviews)
- [SketchUp](https://www.g2.com/products/sketchup/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (1324 reviews)
- [Designcenter NX](https://www.g2.com/products/designcenter-nx/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (527 reviews)
- [IronCAD](https://www.g2.com/products/ironcad/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (43 reviews)
- [CATIA](https://www.g2.com/products/catia/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (255 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### Altair Inspire

- Title: [What file formats will Inspire import?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/file-import) — 2 comments, 1 upvote *(includes official response)*
  > **Top comment:** "ACIS (.sab, .sat): through R21
CATIA V4 (.model): all 4.xx
CATIA V5 (.CATPart, .CATProduct): V5R10 through V5-6R2015
IGES (.iges, .igs): 3 & 5
JT (.jt):..."
- Title: [What languages is Inspire localized for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/language-support-e9ce63ff-860d-4e16-986b-65ea1e281166) — 1 comment, 1 upvote *(includes official response)*
  > **Top comment:** "English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean."
- Title: [What file formats will Inspire export?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/file-export) — 1 comment, 1 upvote *(includes official response)*
  > **Top comment:** "Inspire supports the following CAD formats and versions for export:
ACIS(.sab, .sat): R19
STL (.stl)
IGES (.iges, .igs): 5.3
Parasolid (.x_b, .x_t,..."
- Title: [What is topology optimization?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/topology-optimization) — 1 comment, 2 upvotes *(includes official response)*
  > **Top comment:** "Topology optimization is a mathematical method that creates a material layout within a given design space, for a given set of loads and constraints, in the..."
- Title: [Who uses Inspire?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/customers-431e59c8-3fb9-4b29-ad22-e4804288f7a0) — 1 comment, 1 upvote *(includes official response)*
  > **Top comment:** "solidThinking Inspire is used by a growing number of design engineers, product designers, and architects at well known companies around the world such as:..."

### SOLIDWORKS

- Title: [What is SOLIDWORKS used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-solidworks-used-for) — 3 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "A person can use SolidWorks for many things, Part modeling, Assembly Testing, rendering, Creating working animation of any machine or product. Start..."
- Title: [How to stop or cancel a ongoing command.](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-to-stop-or-cancel-a-ongoing-command) — 2 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "By pressing escape key."
- Title: [best use o this software](https://www.g2.com/discussions/35425-best-use-o-this-software) — 2 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Making 2D sketches and extruding them to make 3d sketches."
- Title: [Where is the Features toolbar in Solidworks?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/where-is-the-features-toolbar-in-solidworks) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Right-click in the window border, click Toolbars, and select or clear a toolbar name.
Click Tools > Customize. On the Toolbars tab, select the toolbars to..."
- Title: [What are features in Solidworks?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-features-in-solidworks) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Solidworks have so many feature like sketch tool, Part modeling, Assembly modeling, Drawing Tool, Sheet metal, weldments, Surface modeling, Rendering Tool,..."

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/altair-inspire-vs-solidworks)