--- description: Discover the benefits and disadvantages of Alibre Design. Learn the software price, see the description, and read the most helpful reviews for UK business users. image: https://gdm-localsites-assets-gfprod.imgix.net/images/capterra/og_logo-e5a8c001ed0bd1bb922639230fcea71a.png?auto=format%2Cenhance%2Ccompress title: Alibre Design Pricing, Cost & Reviews - Capterra UK 2026 --- Breadcrumb: [Home](/) > [Engineering CAD Software](/directory/30556/engineering-cad/software) > [Alibre Design](/software/172312/alibre-design) # Alibre Design Canonical: https://www.capterra.co.uk/software/172312/alibre-design Page: 1 / 9\ Next: [Next page](https://www.capterra.co.uk/software/172312/alibre-design?page=2) > Comprehensive mechanical CAD including modeling, sheet metal, drawings, rendering, scripting, automation, design libraries, API \& more. > > Verdict: Rated **4.7/5** by 182 users. Top-rated for **Likelihood to recommend**. ----- ## Overview ### Who Uses Alibre Design? From SMBs, startups, labs, educational institutions, and machine shops all the way to Sandia National Laboratories. Organizations of 1 to 1000 choose Alibre for economical, powerful 3D engineering. ## Quick Stats & Ratings | Metric | Rating | Detail | | **Overall** | **4.7/5** | 182 Reviews | | Ease of Use | 4.6/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Customer Support | 4.8/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Value for Money | 4.8/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Features | 4.6/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Recommendation percentage | 90% | (9/10 Likelihood to recommend) | ## About the vendor - **Company**: Alibre - **Founded**: 1997 ## Commercial Context - **Starting Price**: US$10.00 - **Pricing model**: Flat Rate (Free Trial) - **Target Audience**: Self Employed, 2–10, 11–50, 51–200, 201–500, 501–1,000, 1,001–5,000, 5,001–10,000, 10,000+ - **Deployment & Platforms**: Windows (Desktop), Windows (On-Premise) - **Supported Languages**: Czech, Danish, English, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish - **Available Countries**: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium and 208 more ## Features - 2D Drawing - 3D Design & Modeling - 3D Imaging - Animation - Annotations - CAD Tools - Component Library - Data Import/Export - Design Analysis - Design Management - Manufacturing Design Data - Sketching and Annotation Tools - Third-Party Integrations ## Integrations (4 total) - KeyShot - SimLab - SimWise 4D - SprutCAM ## Support Options - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - Chat ## Category - [Engineering CAD Software](https://www.capterra.co.uk/directory/30556/engineering-cad/software) ## Related Categories - [Engineering CAD Software](https://www.capterra.co.uk/directory/30556/engineering-cad/software) - [3D CAD Software](https://www.capterra.co.uk/directory/31236/3d-cad/software) ## Alternatives 1. 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Meshcam Pro for Alibre provides an entry level CAM capability which is suitable for my hobbyist workshop without costing a fortune. The Import of PCB step files form my PCB Design Package allows verification of fitment and interfaces well with mechanical design. the ability to colour components now makes this even more realistic. The ability to produce 2D Drawings for system assembly which can be included together in the PDM with the 3D Design files. > > **Cons**: On occasion integrated packages get dropped or no-longer work with new versions (This happened with the integrated CAM Package). The made me nervous about purchasing the Meshcam Pro for Alibre, however it continues to work with the latest releases. > > My overall experience has been very good, I especially look forward to new releases which offer new features. The provision of the PDM to Design Expert Users (on Maintenance) also helps to justify continuing to pay annual maintenance. ----- ### "Give it a go\!\!" — 5.0/5 > **Jon** | *17 March 2026* | Mechanical or Industrial Engineering | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: Very competitive costing. If you've used CAD before, then the transition to Alibre should be straightforward. Updates are seamless. Maintenance package is worthwhile, and again, at a competitive cost. > > **Cons**: We've had the system for over 3 years now, and it has run pretty 100% ok. We do get the odd lock up, maybe 2 or 3 times a month max, but a restart fixes it. Apart from that, it's very good. > > I went from a basic 3D solid modeling CAD, but the company obsoleted the system. I searched the internet for a replacement. I shortlisted Alibre, compared costs and tried the 30 day trial. That was successful, so opted to purchase the system. I ran the old CAD and Alibre side by side for a couple of weeks, then dropped the old system in favour of Alibre. A huge improvement on the old CADMAX system. ----- ### "Two Decades of Alibre Use" — 5.0/5 > **Mark** | *25 April 2024* | Research | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: Feature/cost ratio is outstanding and the evolution of the product keeps it competitive in performance. Even though maintaining the licence costs me only $620 per annum (Alibre pro) I also like the freedom to move to a perpetual licence rather than be stuck with a big bill if things are slack. I could never justify the $2000+ per annum of other products. My supplier in the UK is Mintronics. They have been fabulous. > > **Cons**: Threads were once a bit of a bug bear (before 2010) especially externals. No longer a problem. > > I love it. At work I use it to design instrumentation for chemical and structural analysis. At home I use it for yacht chandlery and furniture. Once used it to lay out a new bathroom for my plumber. ----- ### "Way to go Alibre" — 5.0/5 > **Julian** | *21 November 2025* | Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing | Recommendation rating: 8.0/10 > > **Pros**: Not at all the steep learning curve I've come to expect from complex design software. Alibre really is a breeze to use. It is in daily use for general mechanical design, 2D workshop drawings, and an ever growing number of 3D printing jobs. There is nothing it cannot do for us. We are a tiny design and manufacturing operation so keeping control of expenditure is extremely important. Alibre's licensing options are perfect for this. There's masses of "how to..." videos on YT and elsewhere, one is never at a loss how to do something. > > **Cons**: This is a tough one - there's not really anything to dislike. I found it difficult to set up defaults (dimension styles, set to use millimetres etc.) and get them to persist between drawing sessions. > > A lot of our tasks involve setting jigs for small production runs. Maybe for alignment or to hold parts for press fitting. Ten minutes in Alibre, output an .stp for the slicer and the job is a good 'un. ----- ### "My experience with Alibre" — 5.0/5 > **Peter** | *1 April 2026* | Machinery | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: It's not overloaded with functions you don't use.Seems to take a long time to load, as is Solidworks. > > **Cons**: For some unknown reason it seems to take a long time to load some times, other times it's practically instant, > > For the beginner it is fairly easy to learn, you can be producing 3D drawings within a very short space of time. ----- Page: 1 / 9\ Next: [Next page](https://www.capterra.co.uk/software/172312/alibre-design?page=2) ## Links - [View on Capterra](https://www.capterra.co.uk/software/172312/alibre-design) ## This page is available in the following languages | Locale | URL | | de | | | de-AT | | | de-CH | | | en | | | en-AE | | | en-AU | | | en-CA | | | en-GB | | | en-IE | | | en-IL | | | en-IN | | | en-NZ | | | en-SG | | | en-ZA | | | es | | | es-AR | | | es-CL | | | es-CO | | | es-CR | | | es-DO | | | es-EC | | | es-MX | | | es-PA | | | es-PE | | | fr | | | fr-BE | | | fr-CA | | | fr-LU | | | ko | | ----- ## Structured Data