SOLIDWORKS vs Onshape
SOLIDWORKS is locally installed mechanical CAD with the largest supplier and add-in ecosystem in the mid-market. Onshape runs only in a browser, with branching, merging and simultaneous editing built in and no local files. Manufacturers tied to a supply chain choose the first; distributed teams that want version control without a PDM project choose the second.
Niels AbrahamsenAnalyst, Security & Infrastructure
Tomasz Wierzbicki
Elena MarchettiVendors can pay for visibility on this site; it never changes what we say about a product. How that works.
Choose SOLIDWORKS ifyour suppliers and contract manufacturers expect native SOLIDWORKS files, you depend on simulation, CAM or PDM add-ins, and you want engineers who arrive needing no training.
Choose Onshape ifyour engineers are spread across locations, you want branching, merging and attributed changes without administering a PDM server, and a permanent internet connection is something you can rely on.
SOLIDWORKS and Onshape side by side
| SOLIDWORKS | Onshape | |
|---|---|---|
| Our CAD rank | #5 of 16 | #16 of 16 |
| Established in | France | United States |
| Pricing | Yearly licence per user from $2,820, published; quarterly and perpetual licences through resellers | Per-seat subscription, published: Standard $1,500 and Professional $2,500 per user per year; free plan for non-commercial use with public documents |
| List price, 30 September 2026 | $2,820 USD/year for one single-user licence of SOLIDWORKS Design Standard (USA price, excluding local taxes) | $1,500 per user per year (Standard plan, billed annually) |
| Free tier | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | Manufacturers whose suppliers, hires and add-ins already assume SOLIDWORKS files | Distributed engineering teams needing version control without a PDM project |
| Not for | Buyers wanting a licence with no ongoing obligation or cloud-deployed licensing | Sites with unreliable connectivity or data residency restrictions |
Both are reviewed in full in our CAD ranking: SOLIDWORKS and Onshape.
Where they differ
SOLIDWORKS 2 · Onshape 2 · open 1- 01
Version control and working together
Onshape builds branching, merging and simultaneous editing into the product, records every edit automatically and needs no downloads, installs or local servers. SOLIDWORKS Design now bundles cloud file and revision management plus sharing and markup through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, but it is a layer connected to an installed, file-based program. For teams wanting revision control from day one, Onshape is more direct.
Edge: Onshape
- 02
Supply chain and add-ins
SOLIDWORKS wins on network: contract manufacturers accept its native files, the add-in market covers simulation, CAM and almost every niche, and new hires already know it. Onshape imports SOLIDWORKS parts from versions 1999 to 2026, but its export list consists of neutral formats such as Parasolid, STEP, ACIS and IGES. Where machinists and suppliers set the file format, SOLIDWORKS is the safer choice.
Edge: SOLIDWORKS
- 03
Offline work and where the model lives
Onshape calls a reliable internet connection essential, and the data sits on its servers rather than on your disk, which rules it out for sites with unreliable connectivity or data residency restrictions. SOLIDWORKS installs locally; the single-user licence is deployed from the cloud and allows up to 30 consecutive days offline. SOLIDWORKS gives more control over where design data sits.
Edge: SOLIDWORKS
- 04
Price and what each tier includes
Onshape Standard is listed at $1,500 per user per year, and Professional at $2,500 adds simulation, rendering, CAM and release management. SOLIDWORKS Design Standard is listed at $2,820 USD per year, Professional at $3,456 and Premium, the first tier with linear static and motion analysis, at $4,716. On listed annual prices per user, Onshape is cheaper at each comparable level.
Edge: Onshape
- 05
Buying and leaving
Onshape has a free plan, but it is for non-commercial use and its documents are public, and leaving means exporting geometry without the parametric history. SOLIDWORKS sells yearly licences online and perpetual licences through resellers, and its files stay on your own storage. Onshape is easier to start with and harder to leave; which matters more depends on your time horizon.
Depends on the buyer
When neither fits
A small workshop wanting parametric modelling with files on its own disk and no vendor able to switch it off is better served by FreeCAD. A machine builder that mostly edits imported geometry and sheet metal should look at Solid Edge, whose synchronous technology edits models without feature history.
SOLIDWORKS or Onshape: questions
4 answersCan Onshape replace SOLIDWORKS for a manufacturing company?
It depends on your supply chain. SOLIDWORKS suits manufacturers whose suppliers, hires and add-ins already assume its files.
Onshape suits distributed teams needing built-in version control and reads SOLIDWORKS part files directly, but it needs a reliable connection and its exports are neutral formats without the parametric history.
Is Onshape cheaper than SOLIDWORKS?
On listed annual prices, yes. Onshape Standard is $1,500 per user per year and Professional $2,500; SOLIDWORKS Design Standard is $2,820 USD per year, Professional $3,456 and Premium $4,716, as USA prices before tax.
Onshape's free plan is limited to non-commercial use with public documents, so it is not an option for a business.
What happens to my models if I move from Onshape to SOLIDWORKS?
Onshape exports neutral formats such as STEP and Parasolid, so the feature tree you built does not leave with the model.
SOLIDWORKS opens STEP, IGES and ACIS files, keeps the assembly structure and body names, and runs import diagnostics to heal faulty faces and gaps, but you arrive with geometry rather than editable history.
Can Onshape open SOLIDWORKS files?
Yes. Onshape's format list includes SOLIDWORKS part files from versions 1999 to 2026, alongside Parasolid, STEP, IGES, CATIA, Inventor, Creo, NX and Solid Edge.
Imported models arrive without parametric features, so changes are made with Onshape's direct editing tools, such as moving, deleting or replacing faces.
Sources
Checked 30 September 2026- SOLIDWORKS Design plans and pricing page: SOLIDWORKS Design tier prices, included cloud file and revision management.
- SOLIDWORKS licensing page: yearly licences online, perpetual through reseller partners.
- Dassault Systemes store, SOLIDWORKS Design: SOLIDWORKS single-user licence works offline for up to 30 consecutive days.
- SOLIDWORKS help, importing STEP, IGES and ACIS files: SOLIDWORKS reads STEP, IGES and ACIS and runs import diagnostics.
- Onshape pricing page: Onshape plan prices, plan contents and free plan limits.
- Onshape data management page: branching, merging, automatic versions and no local servers in Onshape.
- Onshape help, supported file formats: Onshape import and export format lists.
- Onshape tech tip on editing imported files: imports arrive without parametric features; direct editing tools.
- Onshape system requirements article: Onshape needs a reliable internet connection.