Onshape Free review

Onshape Free puts a professional parametric CAD system in a browser tab at no cost. Onshape describes the free plan as fully featured CAD and PDM for open-source projects, makers, hobbyists and people learning modern CAD, with tools for parts, assemblies, drawings, sheet metal and weldments. Because it runs in the cloud, the same account works on PC, Mac, Linux and Chromebooks, and there are apps for iPad, iPhone and Android. Every change is tracked by built-in data management, and sharing works like a shared document, which helps when a club or class works on one design. The catch is clear in the plan terms: the free plan is for non-commercial use only and every document is public. If you want private files or plan to sell what you design, the Standard plan costs $1,500 per user per year. Students and educators can use a separate no-cost Education plan instead.

Who it is for

Makers and students who want professional parametric CAD on any device and are fine with public designs.

Price

Free plan for non-commercial, public projects; Standard $1,500 per user per year.

Standard: $1,500 per user, per year
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Parts, assemblies, drawings, sheet metal and weldments
• Runs in a browser on PC, Mac, Linux and Chrome, plus iPad, iPhone and Android apps
• Built-in PDM that tracks every design change
• Real-time collaboration and sharing similar to Google Docs
• Self-paced courses in the Onshape Learning Center

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Full parametric CAD toolset on the free plan
• Strength: No install, so it works on Chromebooks and school laptops
• Strength: Version history and branching come built in
• Weakness: Free plan is for non-commercial use only
• Weakness: All documents on the free plan are public
• Weakness: Paid Standard plan is $1,500 per user per year

Key facts

• Free plan: Yes, non-commercial and public documents only
• Modeling type: Parametric solid CAD
• Platforms: Browser on PC, Mac, Linux, Chrome; iPad, iPhone, Android
• Education: Free plan for students and educators

Where it ranks

Onshape Free is No. 4 in our Best Free 3D Modeling Software verdict.