Compare software

Alibre Design vs Onshape: catalog facts
Alibre Design	Onshape
Best for: Small businesses and engineers who need mechanical CAD at a lower cost	Best for: Fully browser-based parametric CAD platform with real-time collaboration
Paid Paid licences with a free trial; add-ons are sold separately.	Free + paid options Free tier available; paid plans add private documents and more storage.
Windows	Web
Parametric part and assembly modeling Weldments module for structural assemblies in the Expert edition All 4 strengths for Alibre Design Parametric part and assembly modeling Weldments module for structural assemblies in the Expert edition Optional CAM, FEA and motion add-ons Free trial available	No desktop install needed since the entire CAD environment runs in the browser Real-time collaboration and built-in version history simplify team design work
Paid software; advanced features require higher editions or add-ons Smaller user community than the largest CAD suites	Requires a stable internet connection since there is no offline desktop mode Free tier makes projects publicly viewable, which is not suitable for private work
Downloadable app	Web application
Not open source	Not open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Alibre Design alibre.com Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Onshape onshape.com Catalog checked September 22, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.