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Autodesk Inventor vs Alibre Design: catalog facts
Autodesk Inventor	Alibre Design
Best for: Mechanical engineers and product designers doing professional 3D CAD work	Best for: Small businesses and engineers who need mechanical CAD at a lower cost
Paid Sold as a subscription from Autodesk or an Autodesk partner.	Paid Paid licences with a free trial; add-ons are sold separately.
Windows	Windows
Parametric modelling for mechanical parts and assemblies Includes simulation and documentation tools All 3 strengths for Autodesk Inventor Parametric modelling for mechanical parts and assemblies Includes simulation and documentation tools Actively maintained with yearly releases	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
Subscription only, no free tier Closed-source commercial software	Paid software; advanced features require higher editions or add-ons Smaller user community than the largest CAD suites
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 Autodesk Inventor autodesk.com/products/inventor/overview Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Alibre Design alibre.com Catalog checked September 24, 2026

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