Onshape vs. PTC Mathcad

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Onshape
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Onshape is a cloud-native product development platform with integrated CAD, data management and analytics. Onshape aims to accelerate time to market and improve innovation by: 1) Access: Unlike file-based CAD which is on-premise only, Onshape enables remote access for designers and engineers from anywhere, and on any internet-connected device -including tablets and smart phones. 2) Collaboration: Onshape aims to eliminate the version control problems and blocking of file-based…
$1,500
per year per user
PTC Mathcad
Score 8.6 out of 10
N/A
PTC offers Mathcad, the company's engineering analytics engine including Mathcad Prime, for managing complex mathematical calculations inherent in solving engineering problems. Additionally the software includes Area Protection and Locking, which limits access to information based on role so that work can be shared without fear of losing proprietary information.
$230
per month
Pricing
OnshapePTC Mathcad
Editions & Modules
Standard
1,500
per year per user
Professional
2,500
per year per user
Enterprise
Contact sales team
per year per user
Worksheet Library - Applied Math
$230.00
per month
Worksheet Library - Civil & Structural
$230.00
per month
PTC Mathcad Prime 6.0 Subscription
$600.00
per month
Worksheet Library Volume 1
$600.00
per month
Worksheet Library Volume 2
$600.00
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
OnshapePTC Mathcad
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsNo dedicated hardware is required. Works on all web-connected devices including tablet, Chromebook, iPhone, Android.
More Pricing Information
Best Alternatives
OnshapePTC Mathcad
Small Businesses
Rhino
Rhino
Score 9.1 out of 10
Onshape
Onshape
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Rhino
Rhino
Score 9.1 out of 10
Onshape
Onshape
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Rhino
Rhino
Score 9.1 out of 10
Rhino
Rhino
Score 9.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
OnshapePTC Mathcad
Likelihood to Recommend
9.2
(61 ratings)
9.1
(5 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.9
(4 ratings)
6.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
8.8
(38 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.2
(34 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
OnshapePTC Mathcad
Likelihood to Recommend
PTC
Onshape shall be used by organizations where cost is a major factor as the license is relatively competitive than the competition. Where Onshape , excels the most is the ability to be operational on any device with internet connection and webbrowser. Onshape doesn't require your hardware to be beefed with Graphic cards (if added better). Where onshape can be better. If they are able to include simulation packages bundled like SOLIDWORKS.
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PTC
It is great for any manual calculation. You can lay it out as you would on paper, but the math is calculated instantly, similar to how it is in excel. It is superior to either method for most engineering calculations. Being able to copy-and-paste is very helpful for considering multiple scenarios. In some situations where you need to do the same calculation on an array of numbers, Excel is still faster.
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Pros
PTC
  • Cloud-based infrastructure and collaboration is a primary benefit.
  • The available documentation is extremely thorough.
  • The ability to integrate with other software for simulation, renderings, etc. is fantastic.
  • Not having to save and being able to clearly see versions and change history is excellent.
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PTC
  • Conversion of measurement units (Imperial and Metric)
  • Easy to use for writing detailed engineering worksheets
  • Formulas can be written in the expanded form which facilitates verification
  • Spell Checker feature is life saver.
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Cons
PTC
  • Dimensioning a hole feature in a drawing when there are multiple holes, the hole count does not parametrically update. For example, when there are 3x of the same hole, Onshape forces you to manually type in 3x instead of parametrically populating the hole count. This gets very dangerous if say, one of the 3x holes changes but you forget to update the 3x to 2x. Other CAD software does provide this.
  • I know Onshape provides guidance on performance considerations and how to structure a project through their literature, however, a dedicated video from Onshape that directly addresses the guidelines on how to minimize file load and reload times would be beneficial to all future and current Onshape users. I think they should incorporate this directly in their training. Poindexter by Design went through the growing pains of this issue but through the Onshape literature and our own experiences we've developed guidelines on how to keep our Onshape performance maximized!
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PTC
  • Some of the math and text formatting aspects are a little cumbersome.
  • Converting from older Matchcad versions to the newer Mathcad Prime platform could be made easier. It should be a direct import function.
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Likelihood to Renew
PTC
Familiarity and ability to work from any location. Also easy to cooperate with potential customers, existing customers, systems users, and fabricating shops. Most of the standard designs are now in On Shape and I would like to continue using it. It is easier to run versions to clarify imrovements to the previous designs
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PTC
No answers on this topic
Usability
PTC
Onshape is great software and I have no trouble recommending it to CAD users and companies that need to do design work
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PTC
Higher-order math, despite symbolics, become tedious and variable nomenclature isn't as forgiving as other programs. Due to it's sheet-like nature, the greater the complexity the more bothersome the screen usage becomes. But it's a trade-off between a sketchpad-like interface or lines and lines of code. Pick your poison but MathCad was our choice.
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Support Rating
PTC
Been fairly standard experience with support team. Issues have always been addressed, but is understandably focused on business side applications which typically has different issues than education applications. I have very few IT issues with the design side of the software, my issues are more often with the control of users and access
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PTC
No answers on this topic
Online Training
PTC
I might be biased by coming from using three different CAD softwares in the past, so I already understood many modeling concepts, but the training OS offers is really good. Videos are clear, they explain operations in good detail and besides that OS has a really good help system that explains even more how every tool works.
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PTC
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
PTC
Onshape is revolutionary. Its advantage is that it can be used without having to download it. You are free to work wherever you want. This means that even if you take a vacation or attend a family event, your work will not be interrupted. You can still bring your work and complete it quickly.
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PTC
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
PTC
I have used SOLIDWORKS for over four years, and the vault system is time intensive for control of design history, and revision management. I have used Pro-E for over four years, and this has the capability but is not user-friendly. Not needing high-end computers is another great reason to choose Onshape
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PTC
MathCAD is easier to learn and faster to start with. It has more user-friendly interface and conventional style toolbox and GUI. It is really good for the beginners and those who are afraid of complex math.
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Return on Investment
PTC
  • Super fast idea to concept parts and prototypes
  • So easy to share things with co-workers or higher management that I do it all the time
  • No, IT support is needed so no IT cost and no hassle working with in-house IT and their way of doing things
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PTC
  • Speeds up calculations (especially when corrections need to be made near the beginning).
  • Ability to re-use old calculations as a template can save significant time.
  • You can use consistent formatting for all calculations, allowing for more organized, clear calculations.
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ScreenShots