What is Autodesk Fusion?
Autodesk Fusion combines several traditionally separate engineering tools in one application. Designers create parametric solid models, freeform surfaces and sheet metal parts, assemble them with joints and produce 2D drawings, and the same design can then be used to program CNC machines, run stress and thermal simulations and lay out the printed circuit boards that go inside a product. The desktop app runs on Windows and macOS, with a browser version and view-only mobile apps.
Designs are stored in Autodesk’s cloud, which handles version history and lets team members review and comment on work from a browser. That all-in-one approach has made Fusion popular with small manufacturers, startups, product designers and makers who would otherwise need separate CAD, CAM and PCB programs. Its manufacturing tools cover milling, turning and additive manufacturing, and generative design can propose part shapes that meet specified loads and constraints. Advanced capabilities are sold as extensions on top of the base subscription.
Autodesk dropped 360 from the product’s name in January 2024 and has folded older tools into it, including the EAGLE electronics design software, which it stopped selling and supporting in June 2026 in favor of Fusion’s electronics workspace. At its Autodesk University conference in 2025, the company previewed neural CAD, generative AI models intended to create editable CAD geometry in Fusion from text prompts. Fusion competes with SolidWorks, Onshape and Autodesk’s own Inventor, and its designs can be shared as drawings with AutoCAD users.
Key features of Autodesk Fusion
- 01
Parametric and freeform modeling
History-based solid modeling, T-spline freeform surfaces, sheet metal and mesh tools let engineers and designers build precise parts and organic shapes in the same design environment.
- 02
Integrated CAM
Toolpaths for milling, turning, cutting and additive manufacturing are generated from the design model, simulated to check for collisions and converted into code for CNC machines.
- 03
Simulation
Finite element analysis tools test designs for stress, thermal behavior, vibration and other conditions, with more advanced studies available through the Fusion Simulation Extension.
- 04
Generative design
Engineers set loads, constraints, materials and manufacturing methods, and cloud computing produces multiple design options that meet those requirements for side-by-side comparison.
- 05
Electronics and PCB design
Schematic capture, circuit board layout and 3D board models connect electronics to the mechanical enclosure, replacing Autodesk’s standalone EAGLE software.
- 06
Cloud data management
Designs are stored in Autodesk’s cloud with automatic version history, sharing links and browser-based reviews, so distributed teams can work from the same data.
Who uses Autodesk Fusion?
- Startups and small manufacturers take products from concept through CNC machining in a single tool instead of separate CAD and CAM packages.
- Hobbyists and makers design 3D-printed parts, woodworking projects and CNC jobs under the free personal-use license.
- Electronics companies design circuit boards and the enclosures around them in one connected model.
- Engineering schools and students learn product design, simulation and manufacturing using free educational licenses.
History of Autodesk Fusion
Fusion grew out of Inventor Fusion, a technology preview Autodesk released in 2009, and launched as Fusion 360 on September 24, 2013. The product reflected Autodesk’s bet that engineering software would move toward cloud-connected subscription tools, and over the following years Autodesk merged in capabilities from other products, including the slicing tools of Autodesk 123D in 2017 and the Netfabb additive manufacturing and Meshmixer mesh editing software in 2021.
Autodesk bought CadSoft, the German developer of EAGLE, in 2016 and gradually moved its circuit board design features into Fusion, ending EAGLE on June 7, 2026. The company announced new pricing and packaging for commercial users in November 2023 and began calling the product Autodesk Fusion in January 2024, renaming its extensions at the same time.
- 2009
Autodesk releases Inventor Fusion as a technology preview.
- 2013
Fusion 360 launches on September 24 as a cloud-connected CAD and CAM tool.
- 2016
Autodesk acquires CadSoft, maker of the EAGLE circuit board design software.
- 2021
Netfabb and Meshmixer capabilities are folded into Fusion 360.
- 2024
The product is renamed Autodesk Fusion, dropping 360 from its name.
- 2026
Autodesk ends sales and support of EAGLE, directing users to Fusion’s electronics tools.
Autodesk Fusion pricing
Pricing modelSubscription
Commercial use requires a subscription, with paid extensions for advanced tools; a limited free personal-use license and free startup and education licenses are available.
Prices change often. Check the official Autodesk Fusion website for current plans.
Autodesk Fusion alternatives
Well-known alternativesSolidWorks, Onshape, Solid Edge, PTC Creo and Shapr3D
Autodesk Fusion: frequently asked questions
Who makes Autodesk Fusion?
Autodesk Fusion is made by Autodesk, the San Francisco design software company behind AutoCAD, Revit and Maya. Autodesk launched the product as Fusion 360 in 2013 and renamed it Autodesk Fusion in January 2024.
What is Autodesk Fusion used for?
Autodesk Fusion is used to design and manufacture physical products. Engineers and makers use it for 3D modeling, assemblies and drawings, programming CNC machines and 3D printers, running simulations and generative design studies, and designing the printed circuit boards inside electronic devices.
Is Autodesk Fusion free?
Autodesk Fusion is free only in limited forms. A personal-use license with restricted features is available for hobbyists doing non-commercial work, and qualifying startups, students and educators can get free licenses. Commercial users need a paid subscription, and advanced tools are sold as extensions.
When was Autodesk Fusion released?
Autodesk Fusion was released as Fusion 360 on September 24, 2013, building on an earlier technology preview called Inventor Fusion. Autodesk dropped 360 from the name in January 2024, when the product officially became Autodesk Fusion.
Is Fusion 360 the same as Autodesk Fusion?
Yes. Fusion 360 and Autodesk Fusion are the same product. Autodesk began phasing out the 360 in January 2024 as part of a rebranding that coincided with new pricing and packaging, and it renamed the product’s extensions, such as the Fusion Design and Fusion Simulation extensions, to match.
Sources
- Autodesk Fusion overview, Autodesk autodesk.com
- The Future of Autodesk EAGLE: Autodesk Fusion Electronics, Autodesk autodesk.com
- Upcoming 3D generative AI foundation models for Autodesk Fusion and Forma, Autodesk News adsknews.autodesk.com
- Autodesk Fusion, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
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