An independent CAD comparison
SolidCraft vs
Fusion 360
A familiar workflow.
A different trade-off.
Compare SolidCraft with Autodesk Fusion (formerly Fusion 360), including its personal-use edition. Find the differences that matter before moving your next design.
01 / Start with your project
Which CAD workflow fits you?
Our recommendations depend on your task. Neither a feature list nor a familiar interface establishes an interchangeable workflow.
Worth evaluating
Try SolidCraft for a small part.
You want to explore open-source CAD, a native Linux app, or modeling through CLI and MCP.
- Start with a spacer, plate or basic enclosure.
- Check dimension edits and exported geometry.
- Keep an editable native backup.
Keep your established workflow
Stay with Fusion for integrated production.
Your work relies on manufacturing setups, engineering documentation, simulation or shared project data.
- Check your exact subscription and extensions.
- Separate personal-use limits from paid capabilities.
- Validate any replacement against real requirements.
Evaluate before switching
Bring over one existing design.
You have a Fusion model and need to find out what survives exchange, editing and saving.
- Preserve the Fusion native archive.
- Exchange a copy through STEP.
- Check geometry and rebuild needed design intent.
02 / The practical differences
SolidCraft vs Fusion 360: feature comparison
Fusion personal use and a commercial subscription are shown separately. This is a documentation-based comparison, not a scorecard or a claim of feature parity.
On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways. The topic column stays in place.
| Your requirement | Open-source CADSolidCraft | Eligible non-commercial useFusion personal | Paid subscriptionFusion commercial |
|---|---|---|---|
| License & costSources: [1][6] | Free & open source Choose MIT or Apache-2.0; retain the applicable license notices. | Free for qualifying personal use Restricted to eligible home-based, non-commercial projects. Check all eligibility terms. | Paid subscription Commercial use under Autodesk’s terms. Check regional pricing and any required extensions. |
| Desktop & browserSources: [1][7][8] | Windows, macOS & Linux A browser app is also available. Desktop and browser file storage work differently. | Windows & macOS desktop No native Linux installer. Autodesk’s browser-access requirements exclude personal licenses. | Windows & macOS, plus browser access Browser access has its own requirements. It is distinct from native Linux installation. |
| Parametric modelingSources: [2][6] | Sketches, features & timeline Dimension-driven solids with operations such as extrude, revolve, fillet and shell. Check geometry limitations. | Core design tools Personal-use modeling with restrictions in other workspaces and selected capabilities. | Broader design platform Integrated modeling and product-development tools; exact capabilities depend on the plan. |
| Assemblies & sheet metalSources: [1][3][6] | Documented capabilities Components, joints and sheet-metal operations exist. Validate the specific operations your project needs. | Design within personal-use limits Evaluate your assembly and sheet-metal workflow against Autodesk’s current edition comparison. | Integrated design workflows Evaluate the relevant subscription and extensions for your engineering requirements. |
| CAM, simulation & drawingsSources: [3][6] | Workspaces deferred Manufacture/CAM, simulation, PCB and drawings are deferred in the roadmap. A DXF export is not a drawing workspace. | Limited CAM & drawings Limited electronics too. Do not assume the commercial subscription’s full capabilities are included. | CAD / CAM / CAE / PCB platform Advanced machining and simulation may require additional entitlements or extensions. |
| Files & offline workSources: [4][9][6] | Native design files Keep .solidcraft originals. Browser saves use browser-private storage; download an editable backup. | Cloud data, cached offline work Single-user data management. Offline work needs cached designs and reconnection within two weeks. | Cloud collaboration, cached offline work Team data management; offline work also requires periodic reconnection for license validation. |
| STEP & 3D printingSources: [4][10] | Solid & mesh exchange STEP import/export and STL/3MF export. Imported STEP geometry becomes a base feature. | STEP, STL & 3MF supported Personal use includes these formats. Other formats have edition-specific restrictions. | Broader format support Check Autodesk’s format table for the required import/export direction and file type. |
| AI & automationSources: [5][11] | CLI & built-in MCP server A compatible client can use a headless session or bridge to the desktop app. Client costs are separate. | Autodesk Assistant In-app assistance; agentic actions use Flex tokens. Check current access and regional availability. | Autodesk Assistant In-app guidance and agentic actions, subject to permissions, availability and token entitlements. |
Personal-use eligibility: Autodesk specifies home-based, non-commercial projects and less than US$1,000 in annual revenue, alongside other conditions. A revenue figure alone does not authorize commercial use. Sources: [6]
Version scope: SolidCraft’s v0.13.1 README anchors the project overview. Linked guides, roadmap and Autodesk documentation are living sources reviewed on the date above. Check changes against your installed build.
03 / Familiar concepts, different scope
Sketch. Constrain.
Build. Revisit.
If you are coming from Fusion, the general sequence is recognizable: create a constrained sketch, build a solid feature, then revisit dimensions through a parametric history. SolidCraft documents extrude, revolve, sweep, loft, fillet, shell and other solid features. Supported geometry and rebuild behavior still need checking in the current build. Sources: [2][3]
Assemblies and sheet-metal operations are also documented. Treat them as capabilities to evaluate against your own parts, joints and flat-pattern requirements. Their presence does not establish equivalent handling of a complex Fusion project. Sources: [1][3]
Start by changing an early dimension. Check the downstream holes, fillets and body count, then save and reopen the design. That tells you more about suitability than an untouched model that only looks correct.
Learn the sketch-to-solid workflow04 / Keep the geometry. Know the limits.
Moving a Fusion design to SolidCraft
Use STEP as a geometry-exchange path. Keep the original Fusion design for its native modeling history and any data that the exchange does not carry.
.f3d / .f3zKeep the original design and its native history.
.step / .stpExport the design or configuration you intend to move.
.solidcraftSave the import and any new features as an editable design.
What the STEP route gives you
SolidCraft documents STEP solids and assembly import with units, names and colours. Imported geometry becomes a base feature on which later features can build. An assembly’s component structure is different from its joint behavior; check both separately. Sources: [4]
STEP is available with Fusion personal use. Check the supported-format table for other formats and their export restrictions. Sources: [10]
What you need to preserve or rebuild
Do not expect the original Fusion sketch constraints, parameters, timeline, joints, CAM setups or drawings to become native SolidCraft features through STEP. New features after import do not recover the original construction history.
SolidCraft’s documented import list does not include native .f3d or .f3z. Keep those archives separately and verify the imported geometry before continuing. Sources: [4][12]
- Archive the original. Export a native Fusion archive appropriate to the design, keeping external references in mind.
- Export a STEP copy. In Fusion, use File → Export and choose STEP when available for the intended design or active configuration.
- Open it in SolidCraft. Inspect units, key dimensions, body count, component placement and reported import errors.
- Save and reopen. Save a
.solidcraftdesign, reopen it, and check any new features and downstream exports.
05 / Two routes to assisted work
AI and automation: MCP vs in-app assistance
Both products offer AI-assisted workflows. Compare the tools an agent can reach, how you review changes, and the costs of the client or service you use.
SolidCraft: connect your client.
The built-in MCP server exposes modeling tools to compatible clients. Headless mode uses a separate design session; bridged mode connects to a running desktop app. File access follows the server’s allowed-folder rules.
The CLI also supports command scripts. Using a local CAD server does not establish that an AI client’s model runs locally; check that client’s data handling and pricing. Sources: [5]
Prepare an MCP configurationFusion: work inside the app.
Autodesk Assistant provides in-app information and agentic assistance. Autodesk documents actions that inspect and modify designs, with access depending on permissions and current availability.
Agentic actions consume Flex tokens under Autodesk’s current entitlements. Check the latest access table and regional availability, including the personal-use edition. The two approaches do not imply identical tool access. Sources: [11]
Check Autodesk Assistant access06 / Make the decision with a part
A small test before a big switch.
Use this original exercise to evaluate your workflow. The dimensions are suggested test inputs; no software result, speed comparison or successful transfer is claimed.
A plain-text checklist with space for versions, results and errors.
- 01
Model the same mounting plate.
Sketch 60 × 40 mm, extrude 6 mm, and add two Ø5 through holes. Centre them across the 40 mm dimension, 15 mm from each end. Optionally add R2 corner fillets.
- 02
Change intent, not just appearance.
Change the 60 mm length to 80 mm. Keep each hole 15 mm from its nearest end. Inspect constraints, feature errors and the rebuilt geometry.
- 03
Save. Close. Reopen.
Use each product’s native format. Check dimensions, features and editability after reopening. Record the version and any unexpected behavior.
- 04
Check the receiving workflow.
Exchange a STEP copy from Fusion to SolidCraft and inspect the geometry. For 3D printing, export a mesh and check it in the same slicer at the same scale.
Your decision: if a required operation, rebuild or export fails, record it as a limitation for that workflow. A successful plate exercise does not establish suitability for a larger assembly or production job.
Good questions
Questions before you switch.
Can SolidCraft replace Fusion 360?
Is Fusion 360 still free for personal use?
Can SolidCraft open Fusion .f3d or .f3z files?
Does STEP preserve the Fusion parametric timeline?
Which should I use for 3D printing?
Is SolidCraft an alternative for Fusion CNC workflows?
Can I use these tools on Linux or without the internet?
Your next useful step
Start small. Keep it editable.
Find the official app, learn a first-part workflow, or prepare your local MCP configuration.
07 / How this comparison was made
Sources, scope and editorial method
Written by SolidCraft Guide, an independent community guide, using the first-party sources below. We separate documented capabilities from our workflow recommendations. This page contains no hands-on benchmark, verified migration result, rating or measured performance claim.
Project-level SolidCraft facts use the v0.13.1 README. The official guides, roadmap and Autodesk pages were reviewed on . They can change independently of that release. Pricing amounts are omitted because region, billing terms and extensions vary.
The plate drawing and evaluation procedure are original suggested exercises. For later revisions, changes to file support, workspace scope, license terms and AI access should be checked against the linked sources before changing the review date.
SolidCraft Guide is not affiliated with the SolidCraft maintainers or Autodesk. Autodesk and Fusion are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc.
Read the primary sources
Official documentation & references
- 01SolidCraft: project status & licenseSolidCraft maintainers
- 02SolidCraft: solid featuresSolidCraft documentation
- 03SolidCraft: supported scope & roadmapSolidCraft maintainers
- 04SolidCraft: import & exportSolidCraft documentation
- 05SolidCraft: CLI & MCP workflowsSolidCraft documentation
- 06
- 07Fusion: platforms & browser requirementsAutodesk Support
- 08Fusion: native Linux availabilityAutodesk Support
- 09Fusion: working offline & cached designsAutodesk documentation
- 10Fusion: file formats by licenseAutodesk documentation
- 11Fusion: Autodesk Assistant & accessAutodesk documentation
- 12Fusion: exporting designs & native archivesAutodesk documentation