---
title: "Compare Onshape vs Alibre Design 2026 | Capterra"
description: "Unsure of what to choose? Check Capterra to compare Onshape and Alibre Design based on pricing, features, product details, and verified reviews."
source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/compare/164681-172312/Onshape-vs-Alibre-Design"
page_type: "comparison"
language: "en"
---

# Onshape vs Alibre Design Features and Cost Comparison

Last updated September 17th, 2026

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews  
moderated by our Reviews Verification team.[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/)

Your comparison:

OnshapeAlibre Design2/4 selected

[Onshape](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/)[4.5 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/reviews/)

[Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.7 (185)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

[## Onshape](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/)[4.5 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/reviews/)

Starting Price

$1500.00/year

Value-for-Money

4.6

Functionality

4.1

Ease of Use

4.5

Customer Service

4.7

Reviews Sentiment

Based on [357 reviews](#user-reviews)

Positive

336

Neutral

19

Negative

2

[## Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.7 (185)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

Starting Price

$10.00/month

Value-for-Money

4.8

Functionality

4.6

Ease of Use

4.6

Customer Service

4.8

Reviews Sentiment

Based on [185 reviews](#user-reviews)

Positive

178

Neutral

5

Negative

2

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What’s your intended use case?

## Summary

* * *

Key features rated by users

Features selected based on 2,670 reviews from 3d cad software users.  
about the Fit Score methodology.

Fit Score methodology

Our Fit Score reflects how reviewers rate a product’s performance against a set of features reviewers rate as most important. A higher score indicates the product is rated better in delivering what reviewers most care about.

  

If the Fit Score is not shown for a specific product, that only means there are currently not enough relevant data points to develop a meaningful score. It does not indicate that the product should be excluded from further evaluation. Best for Methodology

81%Fit

Not enough reviews

Feature ratings

3D Design & Modeling

4.8

Data Import/Export

4.4

2D Drawing

3.9

Modeling & Simulation

5.0

Annotations

4.5

81%Fit

Feature ratings

3D Design & Modeling

4.8

Data Import/Export

4.3

2D Drawing

4.3

Modeling & Simulation

4.4

Annotations

4.2

User satisfaction

User satisfaction

4.5

User reviews[357](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/reviews/)

Ease of use

4.5

Functionality

4.1

Value for money

4.6

Customer support

4.7

User satisfaction

4.7

User reviews[185](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

Ease of use

4.6

Functionality

4.6

Value for money

4.8

Customer support

4.8

Price starts from

Price starts from

$1500Per User, Per Year

-   Free version
-   Free trial

Price starts from

$10Flat Rate, Per Month

-   Free version
-   Free trial

Best for

Best for

Innovative, cloud-forward Agile product teams use Onshape's built-in collaboration and version control tools to build products faster and with fewer headaches.

Best for

From SMBs, startups, labs, educational institutions, and machine shops all the way to Sandia National Laboratories. Organizations of 1 to 1000 choose Alibre for economical, powerful 3D engineering.

## User reviews

Pros & cons

GaC

Gonçalo C.

Project Manager

> "The main areas I would like to see improved are the management of very large imported models and the integration with 3Dconnexion..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7189353)

GaC

Gonçalo C.

Project Manager

> "Very large imported models (especially SAT files with thousands of parts) can become difficult to manage and performance starts to..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7189353)

LV

ÁLvaro V.

Systems Engineer

> "Version control, history, and collaboration are built directly into the CAD environment, which removes the complexity of external PDM..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7050592)

CD

Craig D.

Team Lead

> "Snap system when designing in context is frustrating as it won't snap automatically to all edges or vertexes in the plane."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7050308)

HL

Hans L.

CEO

> "Publications give us secure, file-free collaboration with customers and suppliers—important when working with companies like Equinor,..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7047056)

AG

Axel G.

General Manager

> "Till now we find only some problems with the point that the configurations with versions are some times a bit unuseful."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7047537)

BK

Ben K.

Senior Industrial Designer - Owner

> "The versions, versioning, and branching features stand out to me the most, as they support my rapid design iteration."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7195672)

UE

Urs E.

Head of Eyewear

> "The lack of floating license is a pitty."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7046997)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Mechanical Engineer

> "I think I also prefer Onshape's mate connector system over the mating features in other CAD software I have used."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7187569)

MM

Maurice M.

CEO

> "The only thing that annoyed me is that all project are public in the free version."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7046843)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Mechanical Engineer

> "Revision history is very helpful and being able to revert to an older version or branch from a version is so useful."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7187569)

ST

SETO T.

Engineer

> "This usually takes alot of time and is inefficient"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7050384)

ZA

Zach A.

CDO

> "The cloud nature of Onshape is a highlight for me, as it makes it easy to access across a broad range of devices."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7188120)

BD

Beer D.

Electronical Engineer Student

> "Sometimes it takes long to load, but this is more a internet issue than an Onshape issue."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___6552653)

ST

Sreenath T.

Mechanical Engineer

> "Its server based system, which enables access from anywhere, and even with relatively basic hardwares."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7105318)

HP

Hardik P.

CAD Designer

> "Difficult to use in large assemblies and surfacing projects - where its really high in price."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___5068985)

VP

Victor P.

Mechanical Engineer

> "It's cloud native, the pdm is native, I don't have to rebuild parts and assemblies all the time."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7187064)

CL

Christopher L.

Educator

> "THis seems like it would be a small matter but it makes building really frustrating for newer users."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___4318947)

SA

Stuart A.

Designer

> "Pretty easy to use, sketch > Revolve/Extrude.....and the ability to have a multitude of entities in the sketch, the choose which to..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7050312)

PS

Paul S.

Chief Engineer

> "Not being able to grab an axis took some getting used to."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___4147358)

DT

David T.

Managing Director

> "This alone has paid for the Onshape subscription, making Onshape a cost-effective tool."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7187295)

RT

Richard T.

Engineer

> "Where do I start the features are hard to use it is time consuming and extremely expensive and is overall hard to use in ANY capacity."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#SoftwareAdvice___3326930)

VR

Verified Reviewer

Mechanical Engineer

> "I love being able to collaborate with others in my organization within a document."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7187569)

Ayodeji O.

Additive manufacturing

> "It needs internet to work which could be really frustrating in conditions and areas where internet connection is unstable or not..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___2961698)

TV

Tim V.

Director of Engineering

> "I also like the ability to design multiple parts together in the part studios."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7050709)

JR

Joshua R.

Machinist

> "The lack of well-integrated CAM makes the final step in engineering solutions a bit harder than some other packages."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___2810380)

GK

Glendon K.

VP

> "Database documents mean that collaboration on models is very easy and allows for simultaneous viewing and editing."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7059079)

Godwin A.

Additive Manufacturing Engineer

> "Yes it requires the internet to use, this doesn't really favour usage in regions where there's no or poor internet connection."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___2791205)

LV

ÁLvaro V.

Systems Engineer

> "Performance is excellent: file loading and general modeling feel noticeably faster, and the cloud-based workflow makes it easy to work..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7050592)

CG

Christopher G.

Owner / Designer

> "Printing is a bit of a pain; gotta export / download file and then print."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___2768468)

HL

Hans L.

CEO

> "With updates every three weeks and highly responsive support, Onshape continuously improves in ways that reflect real user needs."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7047056)

SA

Sheng A.

Owner

> "The usability on a phone or similar device is buggy."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___2620778)

VP

Victor P.

Mechanical Engineer

> "Overall we're very happy with, being able to finally implement a pdm tool and increase the collaboration between team members."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7187064)

JG

Jason G.

Owner

> "It’s simple but there really isn’t a way to advance a lot with it."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___2433554)

JrK

Jörg K.

Freelancer

> "Value 3D Design in your drawings with a good sales and purchasing strategy to be in very good value for money."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7058850)

JR

Joshua R.

Machinist

> "The lack of well-integrated CAM makes the final step in engineering solutions a bit harder than some other packages."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___2810380)

BM

Benjamin M.

Senior Mechanical Engineer

> "The release process as well being online makes it very effective and efficient."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___7187982)

JG

Jason G.

Owner

> "It’s simple but there really isn’t a way to advance a lot with it."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#Capterra___2433554)

[View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/reviews/)

JE

Jeff E.

Owner

> "Great customer support and rapid learning curve (I transitioned from AutoCAD and Pro E). Have been using since 2014 to support..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7113007)

JK

Julian K.

Engineer

> "I found it difficult to set up defaults (dimension styles, set to use millimetres etc.) and get them to persist between drawing sessions."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7049064)

Sam R.

Principal Design Engineer

> "I have also designed mechanical screw machine parts where the CAD models and drawings were sent out to a CNC based swiss screw machine..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7151800)

Sam R.

Principal Design Engineer

> "I do have a word of advice: Keep your company employee owned and employee driven and never go public as that is the beginning of the end..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7151800)

SK

Scott K.

Engineer

> "I really like their pricing structure, subscription based or one time based with option to pay for upgrades as needed. Plus, I was able..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7013044)

RJ

Ron J.

Owner and Engineer

> "difficulty getting the program to accept fillets - I spend more time trying to get the fillets to work than drawing the parts."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6843494)

MR

Mike R.

Owner

> "Alibre's pricing and licensing policy are very fair, and offer the best bang-for-buck, of all of the 3D CAD programs that I looked into,..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7047978)

JK

Jason K.

Mechanical Design

> "For all intents and purposes no ability whatsoever to manage project files, creating an impossible mess on your hard drive that you can't..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6039503)

BC

Brian C.

Owner

> "I use the 3D modelling and assembly a lot and find it allows me to design and engineer more quickly and accurately than some other CAD..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7053271)

JS

Jason S.

Mechatronics Instructor

> "I use Alibre for making blueprints quite often and this is a constant headache."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6755493)

Sam R.

Principal Design Engineer

> "On the customer support side getting a real person that cares is a HUGE plus. Although I have had very few issues, mostly due to concept..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7151800)

GR

Geoff R.

Draftsman

> "It glitches occasionally, mainly when drawing a geometry line where many already exist, suddenly making all the geometry look like a..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6332346)

JS

Joseph S.

CEO

> "My Alibre tools get me quickly and efficiently from model concept through to generation of a .stl file that I can move into slicer..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6828408)

ME

Mark E.

None

> "The one complaint I have is the tutorials that I can find."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7049772)

ES

E S.

Product Engineer

> "Alibre Design is a fully capable parametric modeling application and I can complete a product design from idea to model to production..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6655356)

DP

Donald P.

Design Engineer

> "Can't get to my design files to edit them. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6537884)

GC

Gregory C.

NA

> "The combination of price and capabilities, Alibre Design is the best tool to facilitate the flow from rough pencil-sketch, to 3d model to..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6825569)

RJ

Ron J.

Owner and Engineer

> "Unable to intersect a line to a curve or two curves."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6843494)

MR

Mike R.

Owner

> "I like that the license is perpetual, and the fact that the service update subscription is optional, which helps control the cost."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7047978)

EW

Errol W.

Owner Director

> "Lack of Multi Body modelling."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6666535)

AN

Adam N.

Owner

> "With pricing options for every budget, friendly upgrade options, and nearly every tool the other guys have, Alibre is a no-brainer."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7083772)

GR

Geoff R.

Draftsman

> "It also has issues where, in an assembly, it substitutes one item for another and the only solution is to completely redraw the offending..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6332346)

RF

Reg F.

Senior Electronics Engineer

> "The continuous development and release of new features (as well as bug fixes) again offered in a value for money annual maintenance..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7086970)

RM

Rochan M.

Engineering manager

> "It has a hard time with organic shaped"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6622220)

Sam R.

Principal Design Engineer

> "A really big one for me as I could buy it at no interest over a 10 month period AND I own it."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7151800)

JN

John N.

President

> "When drawing detailed layout's with many shapes the software crashes."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6274493)

SK

Scott K.

Engineer

> "I'm really glad I found and use Alibre for my 3d modeling for general CAD and lots of 3d printing stuff."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7013044)

DJ

David J.

Chief Technology Officer

> "I had no idea how to work with 3D CAD twelve years ago and now I have designed a patent pending suspension modification."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6452809)

JE

Jeff E.

Owner

> "Most capable product that punches way above it's weight from a cost perspective."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7113007)

GC

Gavin C.

Director

> "Very occasional crashes and hangs like most cad software. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6146444)

RJ

Ron J.

Owner and Engineer

> "The support has generally been good. If I did not have so many files saved in Alibre, on a major project that I need to finalize and then..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6843494)

AL

Arturo L.

Owner

> "You should reselect (edit) plane when edit scketh When you replace a part in assembly, do not respect the relations with other parts"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3862564)

RB

Ryan B.

Manager

> "Great value for the money with a permanent license, great customer support on the rare occasion I have a question. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7114764)

SU

Sascha U.

freelancer

> "Alibre is a bit lacking in surface modeling tools, making it harder to model complex curved or organic surfaces."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3868143)

SK

Scott K.

Engineer

> "Can install it on my machine, easy to setup and they have great getting started tutorials for the beginner 3D modeler! "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7013044)

DJ

David J.

President

> "One that always bothers me is that selection of multiple elements requires shift-clicks in some contexts, but just clicks in others, which..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3851976)

AH

Arron H.

Production Manager

> "it has helped alot with our 3d rendering of products so our workers can see the end result"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6864015)

GC

Gavin C.

Director

> "Some advanced features not available."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6146444)

RH

Ralph H.

President

> "The ability to compute weights of assemblies that easily flow into a top assembly is excellent."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6557351)

JC

Joseph C.

Chief Builder

> "The 2D sketching experience is decent and gets the job done, but it is not as easy to use and lacks 2D drawing features compared to the..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3866536)

JW

Jon W.

Technical Manager

> "A huge improvement on the old CADMAX system."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7114024)

RG

Robert G.

Engineering manager

> "Overall assembly constraints can be quite a challenge, especially if some blow up, turns into a major cluster when trying to troubleshoot."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852191)

GC

Gregory C.

NA

> "I also appreciate the "buy once to own" sales model as opposed to the ubiquitous software-as-subscription subscription model."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6825569)

DH

Darrell H.

Owner / Mechanical Engineer

> "Hidden Line Management in 2D drawing can be a real pain and cumbersome to manage. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852281)

JW

Jared W.

Owner, Engineer

> "Alibre is an affordable, all-in-one CAD solution. While it's similar to other packages, there is a small learning curve."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6708542)

DS

David S.

Owner

> "I may have chosen otherwise if cost was no object but I don't design things every day and paying many thousands of dollars for a program..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3872613)

JK

Julian K.

Engineer

> "Alibre's licensing options are perfect for this."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7049064)

Anoop N.

Operations Manager

> "Alibre lacks easy integration with PCB / Electronics / Electrical Design software."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3853222)

JD

Jim D.

Creator

> "I started with Atom in early 2023 but very soon upgraded to to Alibre Design Expert for all of the extra features."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6615234)

RW

Ron W.

Senior Hardware Design Engineer Technologist

> "I do find limitations though, so unfortunately I also use SolidWorks on the large projects."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852042)

DP

Dave P.

Automation Engineering Tech

> "I have gotten to the point now that I don't even miss Autodesk Inventor any more for 3D modeling."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7104514)

TD

Thomas D.

Project Manager

> "I don't have anything that really bugs me about the software, small refinements are really all that is needed."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852792)

AH

Arron H.

Production Manager

> "it has been relatively good ive only used 2 drawing programes alibre been one of them and have found it is able to do what we require but..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6864015)

SG

Samuel G.

Electronics and Software Engineer, Retired

> "not quite match up to the 3-D CAD technology."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852197)

DP

Dave P.

Automation Engineering Tech

> "I found Alibre Experrt Design and decided to try, and after a short learning curve I am now comfortable with the software."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7104514)

EA

Eric A.

Engineer

> "Drawing errors are notified but not pinpointed where they occur."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3914045)

MR

Mike R.

Owner

> "Alibre Design was easy to learn, coming from SolidWorks, which I use at my day job."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7047978)

JW

James W.

CEO

> "Complex artistic forms is where it begins to hit limits."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852039)

MN

Matthew N.

Lead Engineer

> "Also, the ability to import common file formats (CATIA, SolidWorks, Inventor, ProE, NX, etc.) makes Alibre Design Expert the go to."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6230553)

SU

Sascha U.

freelancer

> "Sometimes there are also basic tools you expect to be there, and they don't exist."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3868143)

BR

Bill R.

President

> "Affordable design package with a reasonable array of functionality."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7024704)

DT

Dan T.

Owner

> "I still have a few issues with sketching, not really as intuitive as I would like. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852054)

JD

Jim D.

Creator

> "There's also a user forum which is great for sharing ideas, tips & tricks etc."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6615234)

DS

David S.

President

> "Lack of ability to produce models of boat hulls and project a flat pattern for hell shapes."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3796842)

FF

Francesco F.

Engineer

> "I like the simplicity of how to draw a 2d sketches and the parametrization of every measure, also with information on execel."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6041672)

BG

Bent G.

Owner

> "The motion simulation was removed some years ago that's BAD."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3906164)

DH

Dennis H.

Electronics Engineering

> "It has enabled entry into world of 3D engineering design"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6538799)

DO

Duane O.

Owner

> "There are some features I would like to see, but there's nothing i really don't like"

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852164)

Craig F.

Owner

> "Overall it's a rocksolid design tool you can count on."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7096405)

DH

Darrell H.

Owner / Mechanical Engineer

> "I would be less productive and less profitable with any other Software. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852281)

PW

Paul W.

manager

> "i like the fact its a software purchase, not subscription based."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7053808)

Eugene B.

Product Engineer

> "A couple of times over the years, I've had to completely scrap a design are restart when the software would crash repeatedly."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___2611603)

SC

Steve C.

Design Engineer

> "I've used various other parametric modeling software over the last 40 years, and for the industries I work with, Alibreprovides me wtih..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6260662)

DT

Dan T.

Owner

> "I still have a few issues with sketching, not really as intuitive as I would like. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3852054)

RM

Rochan M.

Engineering manager

> "The biggest benefit is the cost and model, it’s cheap to get a license to get started."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6622220)

Anoop N.

Operations Manager

> "Alibre lacks easy integration with PCB / Electronics / Electrical Design software."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3853222)

JD

Jim D.

Creator

> "I've just taken out 12 months maintenance so I can upgrade and now have Alibre PDM. "

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6615234)

BG

Bent G.

Owner

> "The motion simulation was removed some years ago that's BAD."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3906164)

LK

LaVerne K.

President

> "I moved from TurboCAD 2D and had a very little Solidworks experience, the switch was very easy, Alibre is intuitive, after a couple of..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6393194)

DJ

David J.

President

> "One that always bothers me is that selection of multiple elements requires shift-clicks in some contexts, but just clicks in others, which..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___3851976)

FF

Francesco F.

Engineer

> "I like the simplicity of how to draw a 2d sketches and the parametrization of every measure, also with information on execel."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___6041672)

Sam R.

Principal Design Engineer

> "I do have a word of advice: Keep your company employee owned and employee driven and never go public as that is the beginning of the end..."

[See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#Capterra___7151800)

[View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

## User interface

[Onshape](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/)

4.54 (357)

[Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)

4.69 (185)

## Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation

Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs.

### Features

Do these products fit your needs?

Prioritize real-user-identified key features according to your needs to find your best fit.

\--% Fit

vs

\--% Fit

2D Drawing

207

Important

3D Design & Modeling

150

Important

Activity Dashboard

120

Important

Onshape

Top features

33/50

-   2D Drawing
-   3D Design & Modeling
-   Activity Dashboard
-   AI Copilot
-   Animation
-   Annotate
-   Annotations
-   API
-   Bill of Materials Management
-   Collaboration Tools
-   Compliance Management
-   Component Library
-   Configurable Workflow
-   Configuration Management
-   Content Library
-   Customizable Branding
-   Customizable Templates
-   Data Capture and Transfer
-   Data Extract
-   Data Import/Export
-   Data Synchronization
-   Data Visualization
-   Design Management
-   Documentation
-   Document Generation
-   Document Management
-   Drag & Drop
-   File Management
-   For 3D Printing
-   For Architects
-   For Manufacturers
-   Generative AI
-   Grips
-   Image Editing
-   Modeling & Simulation
-   Multiple Format Support
-   Multiple Projects
-   Projections
-   Push/Pull
-   Real Time Comparisons
-   Real-Time Updates
-   Reference Management
-   Rendering
-   Reporting/Analytics
-   Rules-Based Workflow
-   Secure Data Storage
-   Sketching and Annotation Tools
-   Third-Party Integrations
-   Version Control
-   Views

[See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/#features)

Alibre Design

24/50

-   2D Drawing
-   3D Design & Modeling
-   Activity Dashboard
-   AI Copilot
-   Animation
-   Annotate
-   Annotations
-   API
-   Bill of Materials Management
-   Collaboration Tools
-   Compliance Management
-   Component Library
-   Configurable Workflow
-   Configuration Management
-   Content Library
-   Customizable Branding
-   Customizable Templates
-   Data Capture and Transfer
-   Data Extract
-   Data Import/Export
-   Data Synchronization
-   Data Visualization
-   Design Management
-   Documentation
-   Document Generation
-   Document Management
-   Drag & Drop
-   File Management
-   For 3D Printing
-   For Architects
-   For Manufacturers
-   Generative AI
-   Grips
-   Image Editing
-   Modeling & Simulation
-   Multiple Format Support
-   Multiple Projects
-   Projections
-   Push/Pull
-   Real Time Comparisons
-   Real-Time Updates
-   Reference Management
-   Rendering
-   Reporting/Analytics
-   Rules-Based Workflow
-   Secure Data Storage
-   Sketching and Annotation Tools
-   Third-Party Integrations
-   Version Control
-   Views

[See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/#features)

### Recognition

No recognitions have been awarded to Onshape

Alibre Design is recognized as a top-rated tool in 2 Capterra Shortlist reports

Best Value Engineering CAD Software (2024) 

Best Value Engineering CAD Software (2023) 

### Deployment & support

Onshape

Deployment

-   Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based
-   Desktop Mac
-   Desktop Windows
-   Desktop Linux
-   On-Premise Windows
-   On-Premise Linux
-   Desktop Chromebook
-   Mobile Android
-   Mobile iPhone
-   Mobile iPad

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

Alibre Design

Deployment

-   Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based
-   Desktop Mac
-   Desktop Windows
-   Desktop Linux
-   On-Premise Windows
-   On-Premise Linux
-   Desktop Chromebook
-   Mobile Android
-   Mobile iPhone
-   Mobile iPad

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

### Company Details

Onshape

-   By PTC
-   Located in United States
-   Founded in 1985

Alibre Design

-   By Alibre
-   Located in United States
-   Founded in 1997

## Popular Comparisons

[Onshape](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/)[4.54 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/reviews/)

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[Onshape](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/)[4.54 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/reviews/)

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[Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/)[4.69 (185)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/)

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$1500/year

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$310/month

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Features

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4.5

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4.2

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4.6

Features

4.5

4.6

Ease of Use

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4.5

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