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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Onshape

    Score6.4 out of 10
    N/AOnshape 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

    SOLIDWORKS

    Score8.7 out of 10
    N/ADassault Systemes offers SOLIDWORKS, a computer-aided design (CAD) system for education and manufacturing supporting 2D or 3D design, electrical design, simulations, and product development with collaboration tools.

    $1,295

    per year

    ZBrush

    Score9.5 out of 10
    N/APixologic in Los Angeles offers ZBrush, a digital sculpting and painting program for the 3D industry. Built within its interface, ZBrush offers tools for digital artists with an arsenal of features that have been developed with usability in mind, to create a user experience designed to feel natural while simultaneously inspiring the artist. With the ability to sculpt up to a billion polygons, ZBrush allows users to create almost limitless models.

    $39.95

    per month

    Pricing
    OnshapeSOLIDWORKSZBrush
    Editions & Modules
    Standard
    1,500
    per year per user
    Professional
    2,500
    per year per user
    Enterprise
    Contact sales team
    per year per user
    Solidworks Annual Subscription
    1,295
    per year
    Solidworks Standard
    3,996
    per standalone license
    Individual
    $39.95
    per month
    Individual
    $179.95
    per 6 months
    Individual
    $895.00
    perpetual license
    Companies & Students
    price varies
    floating perpetual license
    Companies & Students
    price varies
    academic perpetual license
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    OnshapeSOLIDWORKSZBrush
    Free Trial
    YesNoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo 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
    Community Pulse
    OnshapeSOLIDWORKSZBrush
    Considered Multiple Products
    PTC
    Chose Onshape
    Onshape does not have complete feature parity with SOLIDWORKS. But neither does SOLIDWORKS have all the features Onshape has. The reasons we went with Onshape was the ability to collaborate and the lack of need for file management. There is also no need for an initial purchase. …
    Incentivized
    Chose Onshape
    Onshape is quickly becoming the CAD software I recommend over any other. SOLIDWORKS and Inventor are feature rich and leaders in the industry, however, Onshape is beginning to match them with constant updates and is already as feature rich as the two mentioned.
    Incentivized
    Chose Onshape
    For us, we made the permanent switch from SOLIDWORKS to Onshape. SOLIDWORKS is a great product that we used for many years, but the file management and the transfer of large files were often hampering our progress. Onshape is just a little more agile for us!
    Incentivized
    Chose Onshape
    Onshape is better than SOLIDWORKS for online / collaboration. SOLIDWORKS is better for the feature set and integration with other tools.
    Rhino3D is better at surfacing and workflow with my optical design programs.
    I have not used Fusion360 except for evaluating in general so I …
    Incentivized
    Chose Onshape
    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 …
    Incentivized
    Chose Onshape
    OnShape was lower cost, with a reasonably comparable set of tools to Inventor and SOLIDWORKS. The cost and ease of assimilation (ability to change mouse and keyboard shortcuts to SOLIDWORKS or Inventor controls) made the choice easier.
    Incentivized
    Chose Onshape
    When we started the business we knew we wanted to use Macs for our day to day computer as we do a lot of programming both robot software as well as mobile apps and embedded firmware. This choice limited the number of selections we could look at as companies such as SOLIDWORKS
    Incentivized
    Chose Onshape
    Onshape currently has more value for our size of business.
    Incentivized
    Chose Onshape
    While a fair likeness in features and use, OnShape has stronger cloud options and baked-in PDM.
    Incentivized
    Chose Onshape
    Better: Similar user interface and control scheme. Much better multi-body modeling. Real-time flattened sheet metal views. Faster to create robust models due to features like mate connectors and allowing fillets to work on multiple bodies. Doesn't need an expensive …
    Incentivized
    Chose Onshape
    We chose Onshape for a couple of reasons - the first is pricing. We were looking for a light-weight program that packs a heavyweight punch. The ability to access from any computer (Mac or PC) from anywhere is ultimately what sealed the deal for us. For our needs, there wasn't …
    Incentivized
    Dassault Systemes
    Chose SOLIDWORKS
    Onshape is a direct competitor. It has great entry level pricing and it is easy to access with no installation required. Being a web based app there is sometime some lag being based in NZ. Management also have concerns over where the data is stored on the cloud. With SW we can …
    Incentivized
    Chose SOLIDWORKS
    In many scenarios, SolidWorks and Inventor actually compare fairly evenly to each other. However, I believe that where SolidWorks really stands out is the fact that it was designed from the start as a 3D parametric solid modeling application whereas Inventor comes from a …
    Incentivized
    Chose SOLIDWORKS
    Originally my company was using Onshape for CAD but many of our engineers were not familiar with the program and found it more difficult and less intuitive to use. SOLIDWORKS PDM vault works well so the cloud-based aspect of Onshape wasn't that unique.
    Incentivized
    Chose SOLIDWORKS
    Solidworks is easier to use than Creo, but not as usable as Inventor. It is superior to Onshape and Fusion, however, Onshape is better for collaboration.
    Incentivized
    Chose SOLIDWORKS
    Let's face it: SOLIDWORKS has shaped the direction and look of CAD for more than two decades. Even well-established 3D brands such as PTC and Siemens have, over the course of the years, modified their products to behave and look more like SOLIDWORKS. And newer entries in to the …
    Incentivized
    Chose SOLIDWORKS
    SOLIDWORKS has all of the features and functionality needed for nearly any engineering and design task. Onshape is catching up and will work for many tasks, but SOLIDWORKS still has the edge. SOLIDWORKS is easy to pick up and use and, with a wide reach and large install base, …
    Incentivized
    Chose SOLIDWORKS
    AutoCAD is great for 2D detailing, but I like having the additional features of SOLIDWORKS.
    Incentivized
    Pixologic
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    41 Answers
    97%
    Would buy again
    32 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    41 Answers
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    30 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    41 Answers
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    32 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    37 Answers
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    19 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    37 Answers
    96%
    Implementation went as expected
    24 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    OnshapeSOLIDWORKSZBrush
    Computer-Aided Design Software
    Comparison of Computer-Aided Design Software features of Onshape and SOLIDWORKS and ZBrush
    Feature
    Onshape
    -
    Ratings
    SOLIDWORKS
    8.8
    3 Ratings
    16% above category average
    ZBrush
    -
    Ratings
    3D Modeling00 Ratings9.83 Ratings00 Ratings
    2D Drafting00 Ratings9.43 Ratings00 Ratings
    Rendering and Visualization00 Ratings7.93 Ratings00 Ratings
    Parametric Design00 Ratings7.62 Ratings00 Ratings
    Collaboration and Sharing00 Ratings9.62 Ratings00 Ratings
    Compatibility with other software and formats00 Ratings9.83 Ratings00 Ratings
    Assembly Design00 Ratings9.23 Ratings00 Ratings
    Simulation and Analysis00 Ratings6.22 Ratings00 Ratings
    Documentation and Annotation00 Ratings9.42 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customization and Extensions00 Ratings9.43 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    OnshapeSOLIDWORKSZBrush
    Small Businesses
    Autodesk Inventor
    Score8.2 out of 10
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    Autodesk Maya
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    DraftSight
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    Navisworks
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Enterprises
    PTC Creo
    Score7.6 out of 10
    PTC Creo
    Score7.6 out of 10
    Navisworks
    Score9.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    OnshapeSOLIDWORKSZBrush
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.3
    (61 ratings)
    9.7
    (58 ratings)
    8.4
    (3 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    9.0
    (4 ratings)
    8.9
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.6
    (38 ratings)
    5.2
    (16 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.3
    (34 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    OnshapeSOLIDWORKSZBrush
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    As a mechanical engineer, it is one of the best tools to just start modeling and engineering with. The UI tools are intuitive and engineering analysis such Mold Analysis, FEA, are great! Other 3D CAD modeling tools have a longer learning curve to master. All in all, if you're not planning to design an entire airplane with large assembly files, then Solidworks is your tool!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pixologic
    Blender is still behind Zbrush when it comes to production quality. But ZBrush is a bit on the expensive side. But again, I've used it for 20 years. So the $100s of spent back then have paid off many times over by now. Just something to consider when purchasing, though.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    • The collaborative work environment is a cool and useful feature where groups of people can work on the same model at the same time, and SOLIDWORKS ensures that you don't overwrite each other's work.
    • The ease and amount of customization options are very useful for creating a personalized and intuitive user interface, whether SOLIDWORKS is your native CAD package or not.
    • It is very easy to quickly edit a model you have already created. The software allows sketch and feature editing without having to take the time to actually enter the sketch/feature environment.
    • The use of configurations and configurations-specific dimensions in the same sketch is very useful for creating different forms of the same part
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pixologic
    • Intuitive UI design.
    • Advanced sculpting capabilities.
    • Integration with other 3D software.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    • Save DWG 2D files in inches or metric easily, defaults to metric and has to be manually converted to inches
    • When using the sketch feature, the ability to disable ALL references. If I don't know the exact shape and I want to draw/adapt my design, it harshly interprets the references which have no value to me. The easiest exact is to think about when you have a Microsoft Word document that has a lot of formatting, photos, tabs, etc. If you accidentally hit the "enter" key, you can explode the formatting and everything goes crazy. SW does this to me, I just want to "doodle" my sketches, edit/delete/etc and not be bound by arbitrary references.
    • For the sketch feature, ability to use a DraftSight plugin of some sort. I'm super fast in DS, if I could draw using the commands in SW then I would probably never open DS again and convert to SW full time. Currently, I only use SW as a way to convert 3D files so I can build everything in DraftSight.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pixologic
    • Difficult and messy UI
    • Not well-suited for renders
    • Not suitable for animation and rigging
    • Expensive
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    We have absolutely no reasons to not keep with SolidWorks for the foreseeable future.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pixologic
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    I have been using SOLIDWORKS for around 12 years as of writing this review, so have learned where most things are and how they work. When first starting out it was quite daunting, but the interface is well laid out with like functions near each other which made finding new functions relatively easy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pixologic
    No answers on this topic
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    We have an unusual arrangement. We don’t pay for support, but we’re partnered with a VAR for second-tier support.
    I work with other users if I have questions but when we’ve had to ask the VAR, they always have answers. It appears that all of the VARs have access to a support platform from DS SOLIDWORKS that helps them answer most questions.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pixologic
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    No answers on this topic
    Pixologic
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    No answers on this topic
    Pixologic
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    Onshape is a direct competitor. It has great entry level pricing and it is easy to access with no installation required. Being a web based app there is sometime some lag being based in NZ. Management also have concerns over where the data is stored on the cloud. With SW we can control where it is stored
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pixologic
    Even though it's 4x as old, ZBrush is still better in my opinion. Plus, I'm just so used to it by now after 20 years. Blender will indeed become better over time and the leading industry standard soon, but for now, ZBrush is still better for me for sure. Love it!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Dassault Systemes
    • Creation of small 3D pieces to generate cash flow.
    • Not being able to create 3D sculptures with this tool, and not being able to fulfill the client's requirements.
    • To be able to sell high visual quality simulations for companies that hire the service.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pixologic
    • a single tool to quickly and effectively create 3D objects.
    • Highly detailed 3D models allow us to create a range of highly detailed NFT 3D art collections for our clients.
    • Setting up licenses across an entire team can become costly.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots