Autodesk Fusion

Autodesk Fusion (formerly Fusion 360) is a cloud-connected parametric modeller that keeps CAD, CAM, generative design and basic simulation in a single interface and file format. Version history and collaboration live in the cloud even though the app installs locally, so opening the same design on a different computer just works.

Its edge over SolidWorks and Inventor is how directly it goes from a finished model to CNC toolpaths — genuinely useful if you own a 3D printer or a desktop CNC router and want to go from sketch to machine without exporting through several programs. The free Personal Use plan (for individuals earning under $1,000 a year, non-commercial, three-year term) is one of the most complete free CAD offers from a major vendor, though it trims CAM, PCB and import/export features compared with a paid seat.

Choose Fusion if manufacturing your own designs — 3D printing or CNC — matters as much as drawing them.

Against SolidWorks and Inventor, Fusion's advantage is breadth in a single subscription rather than depth in any one discipline — the toolpaths and generative design are bundled in rather than sold as extensions, but large-assembly and sheet-metal workflows are less mature. Against Onshape, the other cloud-native option here, Fusion installs locally and works fully offline, which Onshape does not.