Fabdose vs DFM checkers built into your CAD
DFM checkers built into Fusion 360 or SOLIDWORKS run in the tool you already model in, which is convenient. The trade is that you need that CAD license, and many checks stay at the rule level. Fabdose runs standalone on a STEP file from any CAD, with deep per-face geometry for injection molding.
Fabdose vs CAD-embedded DFM checkers: feature comparison
If you already live in one CAD package, its built-in checker fits your workflow. Fabdose is for when you want a process-focused read on a STEP file without being tied to a specific CAD seat.
| Capability | Fabdose | CAD-embedded DFM checkers |
|---|---|---|
| Reads your actual STEP geometry | Yes. Per-face geometry for injection molding (undercut, draft). | Yes, within that CAD package. |
| Where your CAD is processed | On your computer. Works on any STEP file. | Local, but inside that specific CAD application. |
| Time to first answer | Under a minute, no CAD launch. | Fast, once the CAD tool and model are open. |
| Tells you which faces fail | Names faces with undercuts or low draft for injection molding. | Varies. Some flags are general; depth depends on the package. |
| What it costs to try | Free for 5 analyses, no card. Pro is $35/month. | Bundled, but you pay for the CAD license first. |
When CAD-embedded DFM checkers is the better call
Use the built-in checker when you already model in that CAD package and want checks without leaving it. SOLIDWORKS DFMXpress is free with the seat, and Fusion's manufacturing checks live right next to your model. For a continuous in-CAD workflow, that integration is hard to beat.
When Fabdose is the better call
Use Fabdose when you want a process-focused manufacturability read on a STEP file without owning a specific CAD seat, when you receive files from clients in different CAD tools, or when you want per-face injection-molding feedback in your own language. It opens any STEP file and gives a designer-readable report in under a minute.
Pricing: Fabdose vs CAD-embedded DFM checkers
Fabdose Free: 5 analyses, no card. Pro: $35/month for unlimited analyses plus a multi-process comparison report. | CAD-embedded DFM checkers SOLIDWORKS DFMXpress is included with a SOLIDWORKS seat. Fusion 360 manufacturing checks require Fusion plus, in some cases, a paid extension. Either way the CAD license comes first. |
Honest limits
Fabdose is a rules-based pre-check, not a full manufacturing review. It reads STEP geometry face by face for injection molding (undercut and draft). For CNC machining, sheet metal, die casting, and the other processes, it applies that process's rule set, measuring what it can find in the file and stating the rest as rules for you to check, rather than analyzing per-face geometry. Ten processes are available today, expanding to fourteen. Fabdose does not send RFQs, match suppliers, or return real quotes.
Questions
- Do I need Fusion 360 or SOLIDWORKS to use Fabdose?
- No. Fabdose runs standalone. You only need a STEP or STP file exported from any CAD tool. There is no heavy CAD install, which is the point: it works regardless of which package the file came from.
- Is Fabdose's analysis deeper than a built-in checker?
- For injection molding, Fabdose reads geometry face by face and names the exact faces with undercuts or low draft. For CNC, sheet metal, die casting and the other processes, it applies that process's rule set, measuring what it can find in the file and stating the rest as rules for you to check, rather than analyzing per-face geometry. Built-in checkers vary the same way. The honest answer is that depth depends on the process, not the tool alone.
- Why use Fabdose alongside my CAD's checker?
- Because Fabdose is process-focused and CAD-agnostic. It opens a STEP file from any source, gives a report in your language (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) written for designers, and keeps the file on your computer. Many designers run it as a quick second read before sending a part out.
Free tier needs an account, no card. Your STEP files stay on your computer.