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Alibre Design vs DesignSpark Mechanical: catalog facts
Alibre Design	DesignSpark Mechanical
Best for: Small businesses and engineers who need mechanical CAD at a lower cost	Best for: Engineers and makers who need quick 3D models and edits without a full parametric CAD package
Paid Paid licences with a free trial; add-ons are sold separately.	Free + paid options A free Explorer plan is available, with paid Creator and Engineer plans adding more tools.
Windows	Windows
Parametric part and assembly modeling Weldments module for structural assemblies in the Expert edition All 4 strengths for Alibre Design Parametric part and assembly modeling Weldments module for structural assemblies in the Expert edition Optional CAM, FEA and motion add-ons Free trial available	Push-pull direct modelling that suits non-specialists Imports and exports STEP, IGES, STL and DXF All 3 strengths for DesignSpark Mechanical Push-pull direct modelling that suits non-specialists Imports and exports STEP, IGES, STL and DXF Free plan with no project limit
Paid software; advanced features require higher editions or add-ons Smaller user community than the largest CAD suites	Assembly tools require the paid Engineer plan Some import and export features depend on the plan
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Not open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Alibre Design alibre.com Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for DesignSpark Mechanical rs-online.com/designspark/mechanical-software Catalog checked September 24, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.