Side by side

ARES Commander vs CADDS 5

Both stand on 3d cad software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

ARES Commander

Paid LinuxMacWindows

Choose ARES Commander if you need desktop CAD with native DWG support across Windows, macOS, or Linux. Trinity is suited to teams that need cloud collaboration across desktop, online, and mobile CAD. Look elsewhere if offline mode or a free plan is essential.

Visit ARES Commander

CADDS 5

Paid Windows

CADDS 5 targets large, collaborative engineering programs with broad modeling, systems, and shipbuilding requirements. Buyers must request pricing and account for limits in the optional Creo exchange interface.

Visit CADDS 5

The facts

	ARES Commander	CADDS 5
Free plan	No	No
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux, Mac, Windows	Windows
Lowest paid plan	See the plans	Free or on request
Plans published	4	1
Maker	ARES Commander	CADDS 5
Website	graebert.com	ptc.com
On 3d cad software	#55 of 79	#59 of 79

ARES Commander: what it does well

Supports native DWG and DXF files.
Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Imports and exports a broad range of listed formats.
Trinity includes cloud synchronization and version history.
Offers a 30-day trial.

What to know first

There is no free plan.
Offline mode is not supported.
Flex/Cloud Network requires at least 2 seats per pool.
Flex/Network requires at least 3 seats per network.

CADDS 5: what it does well

Supports parametric, explicit, and derived modeling
Includes shipbuilding and NURBS hull capabilities
Allows concurrent work by hundreds of designers
Provides electrical, piping, and HVAC design
Offers enterprise product-data browsing through Optegra

What to know first

Pricing is available only on request
No free plan is listed
Creo exchange requires a separate license
Creo transfer excludes 2D drawings and feature history

Alternatives to ARES Commander Alternatives to CADDS 5 The whole list