CADABRA vs. SOLIDWORKS Aura.
Aura answers questions about SOLIDWORKS. CADABRA performs operations against the model in front of you.
Head to head.
| Capability | CADABRA | SOLIDWORKS Aura |
|---|---|---|
| Turns a prompt into a CAD operation | ✓ | – |
| Automates repetitive design work | ✓ | – |
| Generates drawings and deliverables | ✓ | – |
| Runs inside your SOLIDWORKS session | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reads your libraries and standards | ✓ | – |
Conversation against operation.
Aura is a conversational assistant. It answers questions about SOLIDWORKS and leaves the modelling to you.
CADABRA resolves a prompt into a real operation on the open document: the sketch is edited, the feature added, the part rebuilt. Drawings and the BOM come from the same model, on your standards.
Both run inside the session you already have. The difference is what comes back: an answer, or a changed model.
Common questions.
How is CADABRA different from SOLIDWORKS Aura?
CADABRA performs CAD operations and produces deliverables; Aura is primarily a conversational assistant. CADABRA is configured with your own drawing standards rather than being generic, and it both modifies the model and produces the documentation from it.
What is an AI CAD copilot?
An AI CAD copilot is an assistant that lives inside a CAD program and performs real CAD operations from natural-language prompts. Instead of clicking through menus, an engineer types what they want, for example “fillet all sharp edges 2 mm” or “generate a drawing with our title block”, and the copilot executes the feature operations, updates the model, and produces the deliverables.
Do I need my own SOLIDWORKS license?
Yes. CADABRA is an add-in, not a CAD system. You keep your existing SOLIDWORKS license, files, libraries, and PDM, and CADABRA works inside them.
Does CADABRA integrate with PLM or PDM?
No PLM or PDM connector today. CADABRA works on the files you have open and the drawing standards you upload, and your PDM rules around those files keep applying. If a connector matters to your team, tell us which system.
How much does CADABRA cost?
CADABRA has a free plan with no card required. Standard is $50/month and Professional is $120/month, both licensed for commercial use by one engineer, and Enterprise is custom priced with Drawings Mode, custom standards, SSO, zero-retention handling, and a dedicated engineer. Every paid plan can be billed yearly at 10 times the monthly price. Students pay $20/month on the education plan at cadabrai.com/education.
See it run on your own part.
Bring a SOLIDWORKS file to a twenty minute demo and watch it edited live.