ADSK vs DDD: How Autodesk and DDD Compare (2026)

Same yardstick, side by side (as of July 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. ADSK and DDD share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined ADSK and DDD exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Autodesk is a large-cap software company whose tools are the default in several design and engineering fields. Its best-known products are AutoCAD (2D and 3D drafting), Revit (building information modeling for architecture, engineering and construction), Fusion (cloud product design and manufacturing), and Maya and 3ds Max (media and entertainment). It serves roughly four end markets: architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), product design and manufacturing, media and entertainment, and a broad base of individual and small-business users.

Full ADSK guide

3D Systems Corporation is one of the original additive manufacturing companies, offering a broad portfolio of 3D printers, print materials, software, and on-demand manufacturing services. It reports in two segments. Healthcare Solutions covers dental, medical devices, and regenerative technologies like bioprinting, and in Q1 2026 grew about 21% year over year (roughly $50 million) on strength in Dental and Med Tech, each up over 20%. Industrial Solutions serves aerospace, defense, and general manufacturing and grew more modestly (roughly $45 million). Total Q1 2026 revenue was about $95.5 million, up ~1% reported but ~11% excluding divestitures, and healthcare has grown to a scale that now rivals the industrial business.

Full DDD guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• ADSK drivers: Recurring revenue and high retention; Margins and free cash flow.
• DDD drivers: Healthcare as the growth engine; Margin recovery and cost discipline.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The most-cited risk is valuation: as a high-quality, profitable software name, Autodesk often trades at a premium multiple, so growth that merely meets expectations can still disappoint the stock. For DDD, the central risk is that 3D Systems is a small, not-yet-consistently-profitable turnaround, so the thesis depends on execution that has not been fully proven.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick ADSK if you believe its drivers more; DDD if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the ADSK and DDD guides.

ADSK. Figures are approximate, tied to the asOf date, and use Autodesk's fiscal calendar (its year ends in late January), so verify live numbers before acting. Autodesk's transition to subscriptions and past changes to its billing model can distort year-over-year comparisons, so free cash flow and remaining performance obligations are often more useful than a single quarter's headline revenue. As a profitable compounder, its multiple prices in continued growth, which raises the bar for the stock even when the business executes well.

DDD. Figures are approximate and tied to the asOf date; verify live numbers before acting. Because 3D Systems is not consistently GAAP-profitable, traditional earnings multiples are not very meaningful, and the stock trades more on revenue growth, margin trajectory, and cash burn than on a stable P/E. As a low-priced small cap it can be volatile and sensitive to a single quarter. Treat this as a turnaround valuation, where the key is whether improving margins and healthcare growth translate into durable free cash flow.

Headline figures (approximate, Jul 2026): ADSK shows revenue (fiscal 2026) About $7.2 billion, up roughly 18% year over year, almost all subscription, recurring revenue mix Around 97% of revenue is recurring subscription and maintenance, profitability Solidly profitable; record operating income near $1.6 billion in fiscal 2026, free cash flow Strong, roughly $2.4 billion in fiscal 2026, up sharply as billing patterns normalized; DDD shows revenue (q1 2026) ~$95.5 million, up ~1% reported (or ~11% excluding divestitures) year over year, segment mix Healthcare ~$50 million (up ~21%) roughly matched Industrial ~$45 million, gross margin (q1 2026, non-gaap) ~36%, up from ~30% a year earlier on richer product mix, profitability GAAP EPS loss narrowed to ~$(0.03); adjusted EBITDA slightly positive (~$2 million).

ADSK and DDD are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined ADSK and DDD exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.