Run SOLIDWORKS on a Mac
We are often asked if it is possible to run SOLIDWORKS on a Mac computer – the answer is YES you can! Watch our video summary to find out how.
We know quite a few users running SOLIDWORKS successfully on a Mac, and SOLIDWORKS recently updated their system requirements to include virtualisation such as parallels. However, the limit of this support is that although it will install, it may not run well as Macs rarely have supported graphics cards.
We therefore would NOT recommend this setup above a Windows based professional workstation.
Although SOLIDWORKS will run on OS X there are some major considerations to be aware of. SOLIDWORKS cannot run directly on macOS, so first you will need to install Windows on your Mac using an application such as Boot Camp or Parallels. There are other considerations such as graphics performance and the applications you are using SOLIDWORKS for. Watch the video above for a guide to this, alternatively, visit the original Solid Solutions article here.
Other SOLIDWORKS Applications for Mac
SOLIDWORKS do develop several other applications that are available for macOS and iOS. This includes eDrawings Viewer for macOS, as well as eDrawings and eDrawings Professional for iOS. DraftSight is also available for macOS as a beta version.
If you’re currently using SOLIDWORKS and considering a move to Apple hardware, or if you’re currently an Apple user and are considering SOLIDWORKS, we suggest contacting your local reseller (UK and Ireland) to discuss the pros and cons of using SOLIDWORKS on mac OS before making any final decisions.
Learn more about hardware and system requirements. Find your local educational reseller here.