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Autodesk Inventor

Autodesk Inventor is Windows 3D CAD for mechanical design: $320 a month or $2,585 a year in Autodesk's US store, with a 30-day free trial.

Our take: Autodesk's US store prices Inventor by term at $320 monthly, $2,585 for a year or $7,755 for three years, with Flex tokens from $99 for occasional use.

Best forMechanical 3D CAD design

ReviewedNov 2026Free Trial

6.55 criteria · see breakdown

Try Autodesk$2,585/yr ($216/mo shown); $320 monthly

Autodesk Inventor is 3D CAD software for mechanical design, simulation and documentation that runs on Windows. In Autodesk's US store it costs $320 a month, $2,585 for a year or $7,755 for three years per user, with Flex tokens from $99 and a 30-day free trial. These USD prices were checked on 2 November 2026; Autodesk's pages load them with scripts, and the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection is a separate product with its own price.

The bottom line

A professional mechanical CAD tool with no regular free plan, where the term, the Collection and Flex decide the cost; read the buy page's plan cards before paying.

Our score

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team. Hover a facet to focus it; click to pin.Tap a facet to focus it.

What it is, and why we rate it

One line each. Open a row for detail.

What it really isAutodesk's Windows 3D CAD software for mechanical design, simulation and documentation, sold by subscription or Flex tokens.

Our takeAutodesk's US store prices Inventor by term at $320 monthly, $2,585 for a year or $7,755 for three years, with Flex tokens from $99 for occasional use.

The price that matters most for a team that also uses AutoCAD or Fusion is the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection at $3,375 a year, which Autodesk shows beside $7,515 for Inventor, AutoCAD and Navisworks Manage bought separately. The friction is mostly in how the price is shown: Autodesk's overview page leads with $216 a month, the annual rate, while the monthly price is $320.

Why we rate itAutodesk publishes each term's price, return window and device rule and offers a trial and free educational access, but each seat is costly and its overview page leads with the annual rate per month ($216) rather than the $320 monthly price.

The catchOne named user per subscription, Windows only, no regular free plan, and Inventor CAM only inside the Collection.

Best / not good for

Best for

Mechanical designers who model parts and assemblies for manufacturing
Teams that can budget a named-user subscription for each designer
Students and educators who qualify for free educational access

Not good for

Anyone who needs 2D drafting only, since Autodesk points to AutoCAD for 2D drawings
Mac-only users, since Autodesk says Inventor runs on Microsoft Windows
Buyers who want one license shared between several people

Trade-offs

Friction report

Trade-offs to know before signing up.

Time to value
Autodesk offers a 30-day trial and getting-started guides, and a trial converts to a subscription under the same sign-in.
Scale breakpoint
Each extra designer needs their own seat: five annual seats come to $12,925 a year at $2,585 each, and a team that also needs AutoCAD and Fusion should price the $3,375 Collection instead.
Walled garden
Inventor runs on Windows only, and Inventor CAM is sold only as part of the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection.

Still a fit?

If none of these block you, try it on the official site.

Try Autodesk

Autodesk Inventor plans and prices

Plan	Price (USD, 1 user)	Billing	What Autodesk says
Monthly subscription	$320	Paid monthly	A no-contract option with a 15-day return policy
1-year subscription	$2,585 a year (the plan card shows $216 a month)	Paid annually	Labelled Best value; 30-day return policy
3-year subscription	$7,755 for 3 years	Paid annually	Protects against price increases for 3 years; 30-day return policy
Flex tokens	From $99 for 33 tokens	Prepaid tokens	Inventor uses 8 tokens a day; tokens expire 1 year from purchase

From Autodesk's Inventor buy page (autodesk.com/products/inventor/buy), read in a browser on 2 November 2026 with its plan cards and its 1-year and 3-year term options; Autodesk's FAQ on the same page states the same three subscription prices. The page data showed US and USD (re-read 4 November 2026); confirm the figures at checkout. Flex minimum and the $1,500 for 500 tokens option are from autodesk.com/flex.

Inventor alone or the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection

Item	Price per year (USD)	Note
Inventor	$2,585	Standalone subscription price on Autodesk's collection page
AutoCAD	$2,095	Standalone price on the same page
Navisworks Manage	$2,835	Standalone price on the same page (on 2 November 2026 the page listed Autodesk Fusion at $680 here instead)
The three bought separately	$7,515	Total shown by Autodesk on 4 November 2026 ($5,360 with Fusion on 2 November 2026)
Product Design & Manufacturing Collection	$3,375	Autodesk shows a $4,140 a year saving (it showed $1,985 on 2 November 2026); the Collection is a separate product and also includes Inventor CAM, which Autodesk sells only inside it

From Autodesk's collection page (autodesk.com/collections/product-design-manufacturing/overview), read on 4 November 2026 on Autodesk's US site; Inventor CAM wording from autodesk.com/products/inventor-cam/overview. The page also showed the Collection at $282 a month paid annually and $420 paid monthly; the 3-year Collection price was not read. The page text says the Collection combines Inventor, AutoCAD and Autodesk Fusion plus more.

Ways to try or use Inventor without a full subscription

Route	What Autodesk says	Where
Free trial	A 30-day trial (Autodesk says trials are typically 30 days); turn off automatic renewal before it ends, and if no payment method was required it expires automatically; it cannot be extended	Inventor free-trial page
Educational access	Free, one-year, single-user access for eligible students and educators, for educational purposes, renewable annually while eligible	Autodesk education page; free-trial page
Flex tokens	Prepaid tokens used on each day a product is open, from $99, with Inventor at 8 tokens a day	Buy page; Flex page
Monthly subscription	Autodesk suggests it for a short project with automatic renewal turned off	Free-trial page

Read on Autodesk's own pages on 2 November 2026. Education eligibility is decided by Autodesk's verification, not by this page.

Terms to check before buying

Item	What Autodesk says	Where
Returns	A 30-day return policy on annual and multi-year subscriptions and 15 days on monthly subscriptions	Buy page
Price protection and savings	A 3-year term shields you from price rises for those 3 years; a 1-year or 3-year subscription saves 33% over the monthly price, in Autodesk's words	Buy page
Monthly term	A no-contract option that can be changed to a 1-year or 3-year term in your Autodesk account; Autodesk says the monthly term is offered only to direct buyers	Buy page; How to buy page
Operating system	Inventor runs on Microsoft Windows	Buy page FAQ
Devices and users	A subscription can be installed on up to 3 computers or devices, but only the named user can sign in and use it on a single computer at any given time	Buy page FAQ
Previous versions	A subscription gives access to install and use the 3 previous versions	Buy page FAQ
Support included	8x5 support, single sign-on and usage reporting come with subscription and Flex purchases; Business and Enterprise success plans are upgrades	Buy page

Wording is Autodesk's, read on 2 November 2026; Autodesk's Software License Agreement governs the details.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Autodesk Inventor cost?Is Autodesk Inventor free?Should I price the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection instead of Inventor alone?Can I pay for Autodesk Inventor only on the days I use it?Where can I buy Autodesk Inventor?How is Autodesk Inventor different from AutoCAD?

How much does Autodesk Inventor cost?

In Autodesk's US store Inventor is $320 a month, $2,585 for a one-year term (the plan card shows $216 a month, paid annually) or $7,755 for three years, for one user in USD. Flex begins with a $99 pack of 33 tokens, and Autodesk puts Inventor at 8 tokens a day. Autodesk presents the monthly term as a no-contract option and says a 3-year term shields you from price rises for those 3 years. Autodesk's page data showed the US site and USD (re-read 4 November 2026), so these are US store prices; confirm the figures at checkout (checked 2 November 2026).

Is Autodesk Inventor free?

Partly. Autodesk lists a 30-day free trial and free educational access, and both carry conditions. A trial cannot be extended, and for short projects Autodesk points to a monthly subscription with automatic renewal turned off, or Flex tokens. Educational access is free, one-year, single-user access for educational purposes that renews annually while you stay eligible, and eligibility means meeting the minimum age and being enrolled at, employed by or a contractor of a qualified educational institution (checked 2 November 2026).

Should I price the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection instead of Inventor alone?

Yes, if you also use AutoCAD and Fusion: Autodesk's collection page lists Inventor at $2,585 a year, AutoCAD at $2,095 and Navisworks Manage at $2,835, $7,515 together, against $3,375 a year for the Collection, a $4,140 saving. The Collection is a separate product with its own price, so its price should not be added to Inventor's. Autodesk says Inventor CAM is available only as part of the Collection, and its Inventor FAQ says Inventor Nastran is included with a Collection subscription (checked 2 November 2026; the comparison figures were re-read on 4 November 2026, when Autodesk's table listed Navisworks Manage instead of Fusion).

Can I pay for Autodesk Inventor only on the days I use it?

Yes, through Flex. Autodesk's Flex page says you pre-purchase tokens and use them on each day a product is open, and that tokens expire 1 year from the date of purchase. The minimum is $99 for 33 tokens and Autodesk lists Inventor at 8 tokens a day; token rates vary by product. Autodesk describes Flex as best for occasional users and a subscription as best for frequent users (checked 2 November 2026).

Where can I buy Autodesk Inventor?

Autodesk lists three ways to buy: online in its own store, through Autodesk Sales, or through an authorized Autodesk Partner, and says its monthly term is offered only to direct buyers. Third-party sellers also list Inventor; Conversion Gems has not checked their licenses and uses only Autodesk's own prices. Autodesk says return policies at third-party sellers vary by seller, so ask any seller for its terms in writing (checked 2 November 2026).

How is Autodesk Inventor different from AutoCAD?

Autodesk says Inventor is used to build intelligent 3D models with relationships, assemblies and simulations for manufacturing, while AutoCAD is best for 2D drawings and non-parametric 3D models. Autodesk also says Inventor includes native DWG drawings. On price, Autodesk's collection page shows AutoCAD at $2,095 a year beside Inventor at $2,585, and the Collection bundles both with Autodesk Fusion (checked 2 November 2026).

Autodesk Inventor alternatives

No tool in our reviews is a direct rival to Autodesk's mechanical CAD. These are the closest ones: a lighter 3D design start, a machining tool, a simulation tool and a product-data tool.