# Alternatives to Onshape

Full cloud parametric CAD.

Onshape ranks #8 of 13 in 3D modeling software, with an Alt Score of 60. It is proprietary, freemium from $1,500/year and available on the web. 8 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/onshape/
Category: 3D modeling software

## Where Onshape stands out

- **Parametric modeling** — 4 of 11 apps with a verified answer have this
- **CAD formats (STEP, IGES)** — 6 of 12 apps with a verified answer have this

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Mechanical engineers, product design teams, and hardware startups who need to design and collaborate on CAD models without desktop software or IT-managed installs; also used by students and educators.
- **What you get**: A full parametric 3D CAD modeler that runs entirely in the browser, with built-in PDM so every edit is automatically saved with a complete, non-destructive version history. Multiple people can work in the same document simultaneously, with branching and merging to manage parallel design work. Owned by PTC, it also includes CAM, simulation, and rendering extensions on the same platform.
- **How it works**: You create or open a document in the browser, model parts and assemblies with standard parametric CAD tools, and every change is versioned automatically in the built-in history graph. Teammates can join the same document at once, branch off a version to work independently, and merge changes back in.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Pricing model**: Freemium (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Starts at**: $1,500/year (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Platforms**: Web
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Blender](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/blender.md) | 73 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 2 | [3ds Max](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/3ds-max.md) | 64 | Proprietary | Windows |
| 3 | [Fusion 360](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/fusion-360.md) | 64 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Web |
| 4 | [Rhino](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/rhino.md) | 64 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS |
| 5 | [Cinema 4D](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/cinema-4d.md) | 60 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS |
| 6 | [Maya](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/maya.md) | 60 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 7 | [ZBrush](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/zbrush.md) | 60 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS |
| 8 | [FreeCAD](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/freecad.md) | 50 | LGPL-2.1 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 9 | [Shapr3D](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/shapr3d.md) | 46 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Web |
| 10 | [SketchUp](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/sketchup.md) | 42 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Web, iOS |
| 11 | [OpenSCAD](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/openscad.md) | 32 | GPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 12 | [Plasticity](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/plasticity.md) | 32 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| 3D modeling software checklist | Onshape | Blender | 3ds Max | Fusion 360 | Rhino | Cinema 4D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free | Subscription | Subscription | One-time | Subscription |
| Starts at | $1,500/year | ? | ? | $680/year | €995 one-time | ? |
| License | Proprietary | GPL-3.0 | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Platforms | Web | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows | Windows, macOS, Web | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Parametric modeling | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | Partial | No |
| Sculpting | ? | Yes | Partial | ? | ? | Yes |
| Rendering engine included | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Animation & rigging | ? | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | Yes |
| CAD formats (STEP, IGES) | Yes | No | Partial | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| One-time purchase option | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Free for hobby use | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Plugins ecosystem | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| GPU rendering | Partial | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Simulation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for Onshape. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **Pricing model**: Freemium — <https://www.onshape.com/en/pricing> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Free Plan”
- **Starts at**: $1,500/year — <https://www.onshape.com/en/pricing> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “$1,500 per user per year”
- **License**: Proprietary — <https://www.onshape.com/en/legal/terms-of-use> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “the Service, Software, and Documentation are protected by the copyright laws of the United States and international treaties”
- **Platforms**: Web — <https://www.onshape.com/en/pricing> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Onshape runs in a web browser. There is no software to download, install, update or license”
- **Status**: active — <https://www.onshape.com/en/changelog/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “1.217 - released 2026-06-26”
- **Parametric modeling**: Yes — <https://www.onshape.com/en/features/parts-modeling> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Parametric design is a process that enables the expression of parameters and rule-defining relationships among design elements.”
- **Rendering engine included**: Partial — <https://www.onshape.com/en/features/render-studio> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Render Studio brings photorealistic rendering to the Onshape platform. This allows users to create renders of their CAD models without the need for a high-end graphics processing unit (GPU) or dedicat”
- **CAD formats (STEP, IGES)**: Yes — <https://www.onshape.com/en/features/parts-modeling> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Parts may be exported to standard formats like Parasolid, ACIS, STEP, STEP AP242, IGES, SOLIDWORKS, Collada, Rhino, JT, PVZ, and GLTF.”
- **One-time purchase option**: No — <https://www.onshape.com/en/pricing> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “$1,500 per user per year”
- **Free for hobby use**: Yes — <https://www.onshape.com/en/pricing> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “For non-commercial use only. All Onshape Documents are accessible to the public.”
- **Plugins ecosystem**: Partial — <https://cad.onshape.com/help/Content/app_store.htm> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “The App Store allows you to access third-party applications for use with Onshape.”
- **GPU rendering**: Partial — <https://www.onshape.com/en/features/render-studio> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “cloud-based NVIDIA Iray technology”
- **Simulation**: Yes — <https://cad.onshape.com/help/Content/simulation.htm> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Simulation currently supports structural linear static finite element analysis, outlined below, and Modal analysis, or more specifically, natural frequency analysis”

---
Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/