# Page 5 | Onshape Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 5 - Is Onshape the right 3D CAD solution for you? Explore 342 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/reviews --- Onshape 4.5 (342) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Page 5 - Reviews of Onshape ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 101-125 of 342 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use AB Alex B. R&D Medical Devices Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Suited our needs perfectly. Great value with low initial investment allowed us to implement quickly." August 21, 2017 5.0 Easy implementation. Strong support structure. Easy to use and some good features to allow faster modelling. Fantastic training methods. Pros Great value - low comparative cost for the CAD capability. The lack of necessity for high end workstations also made the decision easy. The sharing, collaboration and control abilities are revolutionary. I have shared certain documents with suppliers to good effect. The data management is also less of a headache. This also saves local storage and backup demand. No more lost files and broken links! The user interface is well laid out and easy to use and learn. I also enjoy the fact that I can log on and work from any work station. The constant development and instant access to the latest additions and "whats new" videos is brilliant. The support teams are really involved and listen to comments. Cons Depending on your locations internet infrastructure this can be a limiting factor. Here in Cape Town there are times when the connection is interrupted but not so much that it is debilitating. Some minor features are lacking depending on the industry you are in, however I expect they will be added in time as the product develops. Review Source Response from PTC August 25, 2017 Thanks for the great review, Alex! I'm happy to hear you've been enjoying Onshape so far. As always, please feel free to reach out if there's anything I can help with. Tyler P. Co-Owner Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Streamlined our workflow tremendously " October 24, 2017 5.0 A very streamlined process. Pros We use it mainly for importing and analyzing files for quote. The API make it easy to move data from their system to ours. Team projects are really easy with multiple people working on the same file. Cons Imports could be quicker. Large .stl files are still hard to deal with. Need a model repair tool for imported geometry. Review Source SW Sylvia W. Manufacturing Team Lead Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My favorite CAD system right now" August 15, 2017 4.0 Pros Independent of operating system. Nothing to install. Interface is very similar to Solidworks which I got started on. Built in version control is awesome. I use CAD mostly for inspecting models these days, and OnShape is more than sufficient for that. The measurement tools are really convenient. Very affordable and easy to get licensed. iPhone/iPad app is a big plus -- I've done modeling in a coffee shop on a whim while waiting for brunch, how cool is that! Cons Some step files that open fine as closed body solids in Solidworks would only show up as a set of surfaces in OnShape. Large assemblies are slow. Review Source ST SF T. Technical Director Automotive Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The mobility is great, wish you will get the local college to start using Onshape" August 16, 2017 3.0 I am more productive and easy access to a full 3D CAD. Pros Cloud solution is the future, mobility & connected. To be able to demo and view the dwg on the spot is excellent. I hardly carry my notebook, especially the issue on safety and snatch theft. The feature is compatible to most 3D cad. The learning curve is low. For start up I pick up quickly. In case of trouble, I find the video tutorial very productive. Too bad I dont have time to join the Webminar. Especially the timing is on US time zone. It will be great if you organize on site training, I am sure you can get a good turn out in KL. As a start you can help to build the local Onshape community. Like local fan group. It will allow cross learning. I have idea of turning Onshape to purchase bidding. I am sure the machine shop and buyer will like this feature. I am sure you aware of the supply chain bottle neck, Onshape is one small step from this topic. Cons lack of peer support therefore the problem solving on difficult topic is rather tough. The pricing, it should use pay per usage instead pay per month. It is not attractive for random user like me. The auto dimension feature need improvement. Review Source Response from PTC August 16, 2017 Hi SF! Thanks for taking the time to review Onshape. I'm the Director of our Customer Success team and I'd love to connect and introduce you to your Customer Success Manager. If you're having difficulty finding answers to your questions, that team is going to be instrumental in pointing you in the right direction. Let's set up some time to discuss how we can help you! GP Gonzalo P. CEO-CTO Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "It has been quite good since the start." August 19, 2017 4.0 Provably we have saved thousands of Euros on software and time. Suppliers and other companies that we interact with are a bit reticent to use this software as a way to communicate designs with us but after they try it for a short time they are very happy with it, that makes it easy for us to work with them. We encounter problems finding people that knows/use Onshape. (sorry this should be on other place but I forgot) Pros We like most its easy to use. Other things that we like: The capability of the team to work on the same document/container. Versions control. Easy to share. Although we still have not explored much about the apps but looks really promising. Customer support. Cons Sometimes is VERY slow. We have some big problems when exporting to DWG, and hope that they solve in the future. Sometimes the sketches gives us some headaches. Review Source Response from PTC August 25, 2017 Hi Gonzalo! Thanks so much for taking the time to review Onshape. We appreciate hearing your feedback - both the positive and negative. Please let me know if you'd like to discuss your feedback in more detail or if there's anything I can help with! donald R. Owner Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Onshape Review" February 26, 2019 5.0 Love it. I use it all the time. Pros #1 - Its free to use. #2 - Its the best alternative if you already know SolidWorks. #3 - You don't have to install anything. This Web based CAD designer is super easy to use and runs great in a web browser. Cons Some features are lacking / missing. Mostly because its web based. Assemblies are kind of hard to work with as well. Review Source CA Carlos A. Designer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A wonderful CAD software" May 31, 2018 5.0 Best CAD ever Pros I'm sure the best Onshape feature is its super user-friendly interface, very, very good. I loved it an how the software still looking like a CAD software. Of all the CAD softwares I used, is Onshape that still with me till today Cons I don't even consider it a con, once each software has its purpose and limitations, but sometimes some tools seems a little limited Review Source PB Peter B. Director Construction Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Onshape v Solidworks " January 14, 2021 1.0 Abysmal quality of training meant that the software was unusable Pros Shareability. The idea that customers could directly interact was a great sales point Cons Failure to provide credible training. Software is not bought for the technical advances or features. These are almost certainly offered in whole or in part by the competition. It is training and support that differentiates competitors. Onshape training is totally inadequate in my experience. Alternatives considered [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/) Reason for choosing Onshape Onshape offered ability and cost. It failed to deliver. Switched from [SolidWorks Enterprise PDM](https://www.capterra.com/p/92707/SolidWorks-Enterprise-PDM/) Cost. But big mistake. Onshape cannot offer quality training. I asked for my money back Review Source AD Alessandro D. Student Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Online, collaborative CAD " May 28, 2022 4.0 I'd say it's not YET a complete software... but over the years has been updated a lot. It's the best collaborative CAD that I've tried and iit's got a free version too. If you're a student, you can also get access to advanced features and have your private files. Pros Changes are instantaneous and are received by every member of the group. The software is good, has got many features that can be more than sufficient for the vast majority of the users and has been constantly updated during the past 3 years. Overall is fairly easy to navigate trough and it's similar to other more famous CADs, like Solidworks and NX. It's got some nice integrations with other softwares, like Simsolid of Altair for instance, and I think that in the future the number of integrations will increase. Cons It's not yet ideal for surface modeling and I personally think that the measurement tool could be improved. Files are public in the free version Review Source JS James S. Managing Director Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Onshape is an intuitive, accessible, and increasingly powerful CAD Package." August 15, 2017 5.0 Ability to collaborate with others and develop products from any device, anywhere in the world. Pros I like that it provides full functionality for free, and I appreciate that it is easy to use for beginners, but also extremely customizable (using its open FeatureScript language) for us expert users. It doesn't have a typical PDM system, but rather a very intuitive way to compare, branch, and merger different versions of the same design. The ability to collaborate in real time is unbelievable, and allows me to work alongside my clients, which they love. No more waiting for an email update or the new CAD files. Cons There is no graphics lag, but sometimes, it takes a while to access larger assemblies (couple hundred components). The performance increases each month (as does the global internet bandwidth) but it still loses today in a heads-up speed race against a local CAD program on a high-performance machine. Review Source gF gary F. President Wholesale Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "With minimal training and experience, we are able to make very complex 3D models" August 10, 2017 5.0 Collaboration with customers, collaboration with colleague, impact with a customer from sales perspective, discussion with vendor on part being built for us. Pros The 3D capability and allowing a customer to be invited onboard to collaboratively interact with our drawing are extremely powerful on the sales side of our business. We hadn't even contemplated this possibility on the front end, but when we invite a customer to click a link, come in and "touch and feel" the fitting, rolling and turning it, has enhanced the sales perspective. The customer doesn't have to be a registered user; He just clicks on a link in his email while you are on the phone with him, he looks it over and says, "Yes, that's exactly what I am asking for," or "What if you made the flanged end a little bit thicker?" You have an order off the street and manufacturing before the competitor even has it drawn up. Cons There is still a learning curve. And this isn't a bicycle. If you don't use it, mental rust will form. That makes it a bit tough on the casual user. There are help screens and video and tutorials and that library is growing, but when you are trying to look up what "merge scope" infers in a tool, it can be very hard to search that out. Review Source HS Harald S. Director Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Onshape is a fantastic CAD tool empowered by the endless possibilities of the cloud." August 10, 2017 5.0 Shorter development time, easier document management and free training with the purchase of a subscription. Pros Onshape is well built and enabled for collaborative work right from the start. It is a powerful yet simple to use CAD tool, completely focused on shape modeling. Alongside this core functionality run integrated versioning and access control features. This, together with the simple subscription model make it a fantastic tool for designers Cons The main page is cluttered, and it is not easy to clean up. I would also like to not show a list of parts when I log in. Sometimes I show something to a client. Then I have to hide my screen until I can get to his part, so that he doesn't see the parts of other clients. Review Source TK Tago K. Constructor Industrial Automation Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "After struggling with SolidWorks for few years I feel that there is breath of fresh air in market :)" August 10, 2017 4.0 Cloud, file managment, easy to increase team size, sharing options. Pros Browser based system, meaning I don't have to sit behind PC to all tasks. Meaning I don't care what computer I have at friends house - I can go be 99% sure I can access my files. Don't have to worrie about where my files are - no sync issues! And Support. Every question and trouble what I had has been answered fastly and 90% with result. Rest of 10% has been sent to development notes and 90% of that has turned into feature/option later on :) Cons Cloud based system was hard to sell to my boss. With slow internet speed it's amazingly hard to work...but you are only option in market at all what I can use outside of office. Review Source MG Matthew G. Mechanical Engineer Medical Devices Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Overall positive with a pretty bright future of continued product improvement. " August 10, 2017 4.0 Simple cloud access to my CAD models including simplified team modeling collaboration. Pros I really love how much the Onshape setup promotes top down modeling, especially with the new in context editing. Being able to access my models anywhere on any device is really a huge plus, though sometimes slow internet can be a hassle. Feature script is a pretty awesome program, and I love the possibilities it opens up. Cons There is still pretty limited functionality as far as modeling goes. It definitely isn't the most powerful CAD modeling tool out there, but they are working really hard and releasing new updates every 3 weeks, so I'm confident that it will eventually get caught up with other big name programs. Drawings are still lacking. And I don't love how they promote 3rd party software for performing a lot of functions that other packages would include. Review Source DW Donald W. Project founder Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "It is an easy to use CAD. I also like the philosophy behind Onshape on how to design." August 11, 2017 5.0 Easy to use, no storage limits! Being able to use it on different platforms is one great and superior advantage over the competition. Pros With out a doubt, the fastening features of the 3D assembly. This is what made me love Onshape; it's unarguably the fastest way to assemble a 3D. I like the idea to create different parts in the "part studio tab" as compare to other 3D CADs where you need to create each part in another drawing/sketch, losing sight of what you are doing. Open projects like Openvolta takes most of it advantage with the online collaboration. The benefits of internet and enable to draw on different OS like Linux, it's for me 5 stars. Even an Android tablet takes all it's sens and advantages. And finally, the support his great. I had an issue in the past and Onshape finally resolve it. Cons It would be nice to have 3D sketching to built a rolled cage chassis for a buggy and a building plumbing, electrical conduits, ventilation ducts, etc. I applaud the initiative of Onshape to give unlimited storage access on the condition that the documents remain public. Open design and technologies project like Openvolta does take the most of its advantage of it. However, for personal and private use, the fee/month is exorbitant especially when your currency is low. I truly believe that there should be a corporate license and an individual license to help this individual. Review Source JE Jim E. Project Engineer Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A breath of fresh air from the cloud" August 11, 2017 4.0 Pros I've always wanted cloud based CAD so signed up as soon as I saw the advert on FaceBook. There are many great innovations such as the view cube and assembly mating. The best thing is that the company listens to its customers and updates the software regularly. Cons Some functionality from main contenders like SW is still missing but it's an easy work-around. Users are encouraged to submit service requests and if enough users ask for the same or similar features they will be considered for future (monthly) releases. Review Source RK Ravishankar K. President Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Very pleasant overall, impressed with a novel approach to every aspect of CAD modeling." August 18, 2017 5.0 Pros I see more focus on tomorrow's needs rather than simply addressing today's. FeatureScript, In-context modeling enabling top down design which used to be cumbersome in the past, single work space for all my project documents, real-time collaboration and data management are some of the features I find to be greatly beneficial. Not having to worry about installation, updates or patches feels like being able to drive a car around while some one else is periodically and automatically taking care of all its maintenance work and also keep enhancing its performance. Being a designer, I am highly impressed with the intuitive interface and work flow, an aspect I draw inspiration from. Cons Length of feature list and its organization. Limitations arising from being a history based modeler - it would be preferable; (a) if sketches can be freed from this hierarchy as long as they are not dependent on any feature (b) better access to and management of parent/child relationships. Not too happy about the drawing resolution/interface as my eyes are used to a better one. This could be due to browser's limitations. Shortcut keys are limited, would be better if sequence of keys (mapping) can be used. Review Source AF Albert F. Design Engineer Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "CAD for the connected age, by people who are themselves connected." August 11, 2017 5.0 I joined a flexible, responsive community supporting a dynamic product - rather than buy a cold CAD product with a once yearly upgrade. Several of my improvement ideas have been included, thank you for listening Onshape. Pros Onshape is modern CAD, cloud based, community oriented and supported in the way we expect in the connected era. The product is developing literally by the day. The support staff is responsive and personable. Quite simply, Onshape is lightyears ahead, if not in features (yet), then certainly in heart and soul. Cons Onshape is not quite as rich in features as more mature offerings, but it is already a fully professional offering and growing in features on at least a monthly basis. Well done Onshape. Review Source CL Christopher L. Educator Education Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "There are better free tools, but none are easier to access..." December 6, 2022 3.0 It isn't a bad program if you are accustomed to CAD software, it looks the same as most of the other major players but it doesn't have all of the functionality It's free and easy to install but sometimes you get what you pay for. Pros Ease of deployment was my primary reason for going with OnShape but I have since moved onto Autodesk Fusion 360 because, while it's a headache to get students set up, it is a superior CAD software. Cons Extrusion particularly negative extrusion through OnShape isn't an option. THis seems like it would be a small matter but it makes building really frustrating for newer users. Review Source MS Michael S. Engineer Aviation & Aerospace Used the software for: 2+ years ### "It's great value and has good functionality" August 19, 2017 5.0 Its great CAD functionality. Cloud storage. Powerful document and version control. Pros Ease of use. Capability to create complex parts and assemblies. Excellent document and version control. As good as any of the other professional CAD packages i have used in the past. Cons No mid range pricing option. Always need an internet connection to use it. But this hasn't proved a huge problem. Review Source Response from PTC August 25, 2017 Thanks for the great review, Michael! I'm happy to hear you've been enjoying Onshape so far. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or if there's anything I can help with. CS Connor S. CTO Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My favorite software I have ever used. You couldn't pay me to go back to Solidworks." August 16, 2017 5.0 Pros \-Revision history of every document, back to the beginning of time. -Never lose any work -Easy and natural collaboration around the world -Branching and merging -Monthly automatic updates -Built in scripting language allows unparalleled customization. -Very well thought out GUI and tools makes parametric design natural Cons \-Fewer tools than solidworks -Internet connection always required (but who can really work without one?) -Surfacing tools are still fairly basic (though constantly improving) Review Source GF Geoffrey F. Co Founder / Design Engineer Sporting Goods Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Over all I am very happy with the product and its features with a couple of key issues to be sorted." August 11, 2017 4.0 Portability of my design data. Easy collaboration with my colleagues. Effortless and thoughtless retention and backing up of data. Effortless and thoughtless version control. Pros Fantastic feature rich environment with a high degree of usability. The git style version control and remote access are easily the most valuable features. The tool goes well beyond a basic feature set and dives into a number of more complex areas. The ever growing feature capability. Cons The cost model still lacks a dedicated "startup" level where IP is protected but service (file count or size?) is limited. This pricing tier is critical to startup companies who cannot afford to spend most of their operating budget on even the Onshape business plan. The lack of windows touch and pen support (specifically the Microsoft surface) at this stage is startling. I've read the forums where it is said to be a limitation of the operating system it self but I'm having a hard time understanding that. Google Maps has figured this out so the capability is there. Review Source MD Max D. CEO Aviation & Aerospace Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Overall it has been excellent!" August 18, 2017 5.0 Portability Rapid development time No capital expense for software, able to lump cost into monthly overhead (not good long term solution, but good for startups) Pros Portability Ease of creation Equation driven parts and open source code Excellent rendering The data compression has improved immensely over the past year, much less hangups and lag in the upload/download. Cons No "offline mode" application. That would be hugely helpful when the internet connection bogs down or goes out. It grinds production to a halt. This is a major deterrent to continuing to use Onshape as my major cad program as my company scales. Importing other cad models depending on file type can be difficult. Review Source NC Nick C. Director Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The future of CAD" August 15, 2017 5.0 More agile development cycle, ability to access work from multiple locations without worrying about file access / management. Pros No version management hassles, Rapid feature release schedule, mobile apps, pricing are all strong points of Onshape. Nothing beats being in a remote office or factory without your laptop, asking to use a computer and pulling up your entire CAD environment. It's only going to get better. Cons The current feature set is a little limiting, but is being rapidly addressed. Being cloud based (the other side of the cloud-benefit coin) means no access on a plane or in very low-bandwidth/high-latency applications. But honestly that doesn't factor much. Review Source LS Liza S. Associate Engineer Machinery Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "OnShape is easy to use. Easy to make the move from another CAD system." August 15, 2017 4.0 Accessible anywhere internet is accesible Pros I love that I can hop onto any computer and access all my documents that I may need. I love that I am able to do full editing from any computer as well. I love that customer support always answers so quickly and will help you with your problem. They even help with work arounds, if what you want is not now accessible. I love that they have updates every few weeks and notify us about them. They come in handy! When mating assemblies, fewer mates are needed when compared to other CAD systems. Love that I can "follow" someone and view their screen. OnShape is improving every weekly and I'm loving it more and more. Cons Dislike when I want to share only one specific version with a certain person, they still have the option to view "Main", which is work in process. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.