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Solid Edge vs Onshape: catalog facts
Solid Edge	Onshape
Best for: Mainstream parametric CAD software with a free Community edition	Best for: Fully browser-based parametric CAD platform with real-time collaboration
Free + paid options Free Community edition available; commercial tiers are paid.	Free + paid options Free tier available; paid plans add private documents and more storage.
Windows	Web
Free Community edition lowers the barrier for students and hobbyists Backed by Siemens, giving it an integration path with NX and other Siemens tools	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
Windows-only, unlike some competitors that support macOS or Linux Full feature set is reserved for paid commercial tiers	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 Solid Edge solidedge.siemens.com/en Catalog checked September 22, 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.