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IronCAD vs DesignSpark Mechanical: catalog facts
IronCAD	DesignSpark Mechanical
Best for: Mechanical engineers designing machinery and parts who want fast, flexible modelling	Best for: Engineers and makers who need quick 3D models and edits without a full parametric CAD package
Paid Commercial licences, with a trial and a student version.	Free + paid options A free Explorer plan is available, with paid Creator and Engineer plans adding more tools.
Windows	Windows
Drag-and-drop design from catalogs Hybrid direct and feature-based modelling All 4 strengths for IronCAD Drag-and-drop design from catalogs Hybrid direct and feature-based modelling Covers sheet metal, tooling and machinery design Student version and trial available	Push-pull direct modelling that suits non-specialists Imports and exports STEP, IGES, STL and DXF All 3 strengths for DesignSpark Mechanical Push-pull direct modelling that suits non-specialists Imports and exports STEP, IGES, STL and DXF Free plan with no project limit
Commercial pricing through sales and resellers Several product tiers to choose between	Assembly tools require the paid Engineer plan Some import and export features depend on the plan
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
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 IronCAD ironcad.com Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for DesignSpark Mechanical rs-online.com/designspark/mechanical-software Catalog checked September 24, 2026

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