Software Alternatives & Reviews

SolidWorks VS BRL-CAD

Compare SolidWorks VS BRL-CAD and see what are their differences

SolidWorks logo SolidWorks

Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. develops and markets 3D CAD design software, analysis software, and product data management software. SolidWorks is the leading supplier of 3D CAD product design engineering software.

BRL-CAD logo BRL-CAD

BRL-CAD: Open Source Solid Modeling
  • SolidWorks Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-15
  • BRL-CAD Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-23

SolidWorks

Categories
  • 3D
  • Architecture
  • 3D Modeling
  • CAD
Website solidworks.com

BRL-CAD

Categories
  • 3D
  • Architecture
  • CAD
  • 3D Modeling
Website brlcad.org

SolidWorks videos

First Look at SOLIDWORKS Software - SOLIDWORKS

More videos:

  • Review - SOLIDWORKS 2018 Overview
  • Review - SOLIDWORKS 2019 - Large Design Review Mode

BRL-CAD videos

Introduction of BRL-CAD

More videos:

  • Review - free open source cad software Archer BRL-CAD Setup

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SolidWorks and BRL-CAD)
3D
72 72%
28% 28
Architecture
73 73%
27% 27
CAD
76 76%
24% 24
3D Modeling
69 69%
31% 31

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare SolidWorks and BRL-CAD

SolidWorks Reviews

7 Best 3D Modeling Programs Like SketchUp | EASY RENDER
If it’s flexibility and modeling capability you’re looking for, you could do a lot worse than SolidWorks. Not only is it probably the best 3D modeler on this list, it has been a mainstay in the visualization industry for decades, and has been constantly developed to be more powerful and easier to use. SolidWorks is most commonly used by mechanical and industrial designers,...
Best SolidWorks rendering software [2020 Guide]
There are numerous SolidWorks rendering programs available but we have compiled the very best below in terms of functionality.
Looking for a SketchUp alternative? Check out the 10 best options
SolidWorks is another popular CAD software on par (and arguably above) the likes of Autodesk Inventor or Fusion 360. Though definitely harder to learn than SketchUp, SolidWorks is packed with advanced features that companies use to design and manufacture products. All this functionality certainly doesn’t come cheap, however – you’ll have to contact their site to get a quote...
Source: all3dp.com
Top 10 of the best 3D modeling software for architecture
Solidworks is a 3D modeling software mainly used by engineers. It can be a great solution if you need a 3D software for a project, and you just want to create a quick design. You can’t do complex rendering, with a lot of material or texture as it is not a CAD program dedicated to architecture. But it is possible to design a building and get a good overview of your...

BRL-CAD Reviews

We have no reviews of BRL-CAD yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, BRL-CAD seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 13 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

SolidWorks mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of SolidWorks yet. Tracking of SolidWorks recommendations started around Mar 2021.

BRL-CAD mentions (13)

  • What is a Good Next Step After to Learn C in More Depth After CS50?
    If computer graphics is of interest, BRL-CAD (https://brlcad.org) is very welcoming to new contributors and has lots of projects you could take on. Source: 11 months ago
  • GPT4 hallucinating a FTP server at ftp.disney.com
    Mike Muuss[0] approves of this message. 0: https://brlcad.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Best way/book to learn C, for a rookie like me
    Join an open source community that is welcoming to newcomers (e.g., BRL-CAD, Haiku OS, OSGeo, ..) and work on a little bit of code every day. It can be a simple feature, specific bug, or something new you want to achieve. Many open source groups are very welcoming to newcomers if you do the work and ask smart questions. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Windows / MacOS - Home/garden design
    You could also try out free AutoCAD alternatives like libreCAD (2D), or brlCAD (2D&3D, I believe). Source: about 1 year ago
  • Free 3D design software??? Hey friends! I am building a couple of custom sized cabinets with shaker style doors. Are there any free design design software applications that can render in 3D that isn’t too difficult to use? Any info will be so appreciated! Thanks!!
    So, uh ... Learning curve. If you want anything and everything under the sun, go with BRL-CAD. It was designed for ballistics testing and simulation, but it can do pretty much anything. The learning curve for BRL-CAD is immense. Otherwise, I recommend OpenSCAD. Source: about 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing SolidWorks and BRL-CAD, you can also consider the following products

FreeCAD - An open-source parametric 3D modeler

SketchUp - 3D for Everyone

LibreCAD - An open source 2D CAD application for Windows, Apple and Linux.

OpenSCAD - OpenSCAD is a software for creating solid 3D CAD objects.

Blender - Blender is the open source, cross platform suite of tools for 3D creation.

Autodesk AutoCAD - Autodesk AutoCAD is a commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application.