The Fusion 360 alternative that works the way Fusion does.
Zenve3D is a Fusion 360 alternative for makers: the same sketch, constrain, extrude and timeline workflow, running natively on the iPad with the Pencil and on the Mac. Free with no eligibility form, and Pro is $99.99 a year against Fusion's $680.
Zenve3D vs Fusion 360: feature comparison
What a maker choosing a Fusion 360 alternative actually asks about — the workflow, the free plan's terms, the price and the platforms — side by side.
| Feature | Zenve3D | Fusion 360 |
|---|---|---|
| Modeling workflow | Sketch, constrain, extrude, edit anything later — Fusion's workflow, kept on purpose | Sketch, constrain, extrude, parametric timeline |
| History timeline | Fusion-style timeline — scrub, edit, insert, suppress | Parametric timeline |
| Parameters and expressions | Every dimension field is an expression; a named parameter rebuilds the part | User parameters and expressions |
| iPad | Full modeling, native, with Apple Pencil hover and snap | Viewer and comments only — no modeling in the iPad app |
| Mac | Native on Apple silicon | Native on Apple silicon |
| Browser | The same engine at app.zenve3d.com — a Windows PC included | Desktop application |
| Free plan terms | No eligibility form, no revenue cap, no term to renew | Personal use only: non-commercial, under $1,000 a year in revenue, a three-year term to renew |
| Free plan projects | 3 synced projects, every feature unlocked | 10 active documents; the rest archived until swapped in |
| Free plan features | Every feature, every export, agent mode | Core modeling; CAM, simulation, drawings and collaboration reduced or out |
| Paid plan | $99.99 a year, or $14.99 a month | $680 a year, or $85 a month |
| Lifetime licence | $299.99 once — Pro forever | Subscription only |
| Where your files live | On your device; an account adds sync and nothing else, and offline is a normal state | In Autodesk's cloud, behind an Autodesk account |
| STEP import and export | Both, on the free plan | Both, personal use included |
| Agent mode and scripting | Your own AI builds parts over MCP; every part is a plain-text script | Add-in API in Python and C++; no agent door |
| CAM, simulation, PCB | Not offered | In the subscription |
| Technical drawings and rendering | Not yet | Yes |
| Assemblies | Parts with rigid mates; joints and motion are not built | Joints, motion studies, large assemblies |
Fusion plans, prices and personal-use limits as listed on autodesk.com in September 2026 — check there for the current offer. Autodesk renamed Fusion 360 to Autodesk Fusion in 2024; this page keeps the name people search for. Fusion and Fusion 360 are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., which is not affiliated with Zenve3D.
Why makers switch from Fusion 360 to Zenve3D
Four things a Fusion 360 user notices in the first hour with this alternative — and the one thing they do not have to relearn.
Nothing to relearn
Zenve3D copies Fusion's workflow on purpose: a sketch with constraints, an extrude, a timeline at the bottom you scrub and edit. A Fusion 360 user builds their first part here without opening a tutorial. What changes is everything around the workflow, not the workflow.
Real CAD on the iPad
Fusion's iPad app views and comments. Zenve3D models on the iPad — the full parametric app, native, with Apple Pencil hover showing the snap before the tip lands. The same project opens on the Mac and in the browser, synced.
Free without the fine print
Fusion for personal use is non-commercial, capped at $1,000 a year in revenue, limited to ten active documents and renewed every three years. The Zenve3D free plan is the whole app on three projects — no form, no cap, no clock. Pro is $99.99 a year against Fusion's $680, or $299.99 once for life.
Your files, on your device
A Zenve3D project is a file on your iPad or Mac. An account adds sync across devices and gates nothing else — offline is a normal state, not a grace period. Fusion keeps designs in Autodesk's cloud behind an Autodesk account. And every Zenve3D part is a plain-text script an AI agent can write.
Where Fusion 360 is still the better choice
An honest Fusion 360 alternative page names what it does not do. Fusion is a whole engineering suite; Zenve3D is the modeling part of it, built for makers.
- CAM, simulation, PCB design, generative design and sheet metal. Zenve3D models parts and exports STL and STEP; the toolpaths happen elsewhere.
- Technical drawings and rendering. Not built yet.
- Assemblies with joints and motion. Zenve3D has parts and rigid mates — enough for a box and its lid, not for a gearbox.
- Surfacing and sculpting. Zenve3D is solid modeling: sketches, features, bodies.
- A Windows desktop app and fifteen years of tutorials. On Windows, Zenve3D runs in the browser.
If you machine what you design, or you need drawings for a shop, Fusion earns its price. If you design printed parts, enclosures and brackets, and you want to do it on an iPad without an eligibility form, keep reading.
Moving from Fusion 360 to Zenve3D
Three steps. The geometry comes across; the history you rebuild where it matters.
- 1
Export STEP from Fusion 360
File ⟩ Export ⟩ STEP, available on personal use too. A STEP file carries the exact solids; an F3D file carries Fusion's own history and stays with Fusion.
- 2
Import it into Zenve3D as a solid
The STEP file lands as an editable body at its real dimensions. Sketch on its flat faces, extrude, cut, fillet and shell — the same moves you would make in Fusion.
- 3
Rebuild what you will keep editing
An imported body carries no timeline. For the parts you change often, redraw them as recipes — it is the workflow you already know — or describe them to an agent and let it write the script. Parts you only print can stay as imported.
Zenve3D pricing, next to Fusion 360's
Fusion is $680 a year or $85 a month per user; personal use is free with the terms above. Everything below is Zenve3D's list price — the same in the app and in the browser.
Free
The whole app. Nothing is held back — the only limit is how many projects you keep.
Start free- Every feature, unlocked — the same app Pro users run
- 3 projects, synced across iPad, Mac and the browser
- Sketch, constrain, extrude, revolve, sweep, pattern, threads, shell
- STL and STEP export, STEP import
- Agent mode — drive the engine from your own AI over MCP
- ~100 MB for imported geometry
Zenve3D Pro
The same app, with the cap lifted. For the maker whose fourth project is already waiting.
Get Pro- Unlimited projects
- Nothing new to unlock — Free already has every feature
- 1 GB for imported geometry
- Buy in the app or in the browser — one subscription covers both
- Cancel any time; your projects stay readable and downloadable
Pro Lifetime
Pay once. Pro forever, on every platform, with nothing to renew.
Buy Lifetime- Everything in Pro, permanently
- No renewal, no expiry, no card on file
- Works on the iPad, the Mac and the browser
Studio
For a shared library and a model that answers questions. Not for sale yet.
- Team library with check-out — one writer at a time, never a merge
- Hosted AI inside the app, capped per month
- 10 GB for imported geometry
Fusion 360 alternative: the questions
- Is Zenve3D a free Fusion 360 alternative?
- Yes. The free plan is the full app on three synced projects — every sketch tool, every feature, STL and STEP export — with no eligibility form, no revenue cap and no term to renew. Fusion for personal use is free too, but non-commercial, capped at ten active documents and renewed every three years.
- Is there a Fusion 360 alternative for the iPad?
- This is one. Fusion's iPad app is a viewer; Zenve3D is the whole parametric app on the iPad, native, with the Apple Pencil. The same project opens on the Mac and in the browser.
- How similar is Zenve3D to Fusion 360?
- The workflow is the same on purpose: sketch, constrain, extrude, then edit any earlier step from the timeline and watch the part rebuild. Fusion 360 users are the people Zenve3D was designed for. The suite around it — CAM, simulation, drawings — is what Zenve3D leaves out.
- Can I open my Fusion 360 files in Zenve3D?
- Export STEP from Fusion and import it. The geometry arrives as an editable solid; the feature history does not, because an F3D file is Fusion's own format.
- Does this Fusion 360 alternative need an account or an internet connection?
- No. Zenve3D opens without an account and works offline; projects are files on your device. An account adds sync across the iPad, the Mac and the browser, and gates nothing else.
- What does Zenve3D not do that Fusion 360 does?
- CAM, simulation, PCB, drawings, rendering, sheet metal, surfacing, and assemblies with joints. Each one is named on this page rather than hidden.
- How much cheaper is Zenve3D than Fusion 360?
- Fusion is $680 a year. Zenve3D Pro is $99.99 a year or $14.99 a month, and Pro Lifetime is $299.99 once. The free plan is free for as long as you like.
Ready to try the Fusion 360 alternative?
Zenve3D is free on the iPad, the Mac and the browser. Import a STEP file from Fusion 360, or start a part from a blank sketch — the workflow is the one you know.