The best alternatives to Onshape

3 European alternatives · updated 17 October 2026 · How we select

Onshape’s annual per-user pricing can feel like a fixed cost you can’t escape—especially if your team only needs CAD sporadically or for private projects. The jump from Standard to Professional adds simulation, CAM, and rendering, but the extra cost is steep and locked in for years. If you’re based in the EU, the cloud-only setup also means your design data is processed outside the EEA, which can complicate GDPR compliance without a clear DPA. European alternatives give you the same parametric modeling without the long-term price lock or the need to negotiate custom terms just to see a quote.

European alternatives to Onshape

1

BricsCAD🇧🇪 BE

DWG-native CAD with BIM and point-cloud workflows

Replaces Onshape for DWG-native mechanical design and parametric modeling, but lacks built-in real-time collaboration.

Mechanical designParametric modelingAssemblies & BOMData managementFrom 330 €/user/yr★ 4.3 (407 reviews)

EU hostingGDPRISO 27001

BricsCAD vs Onshape →

▸ What users praise and criticise

• +Interface closely mirrors AutoCAD, enabling a smooth transition for existing users with familiar ribbon toolbars and commands
• +Fast and reliable performance, with quick loading times and smooth navigation, particularly for high-detail schematics
• +Cost-effective pricing with flexible licensing options, including perpetual licenses and annual subscriptions

• −Customer support response times can be slow, with reports of multi-day waits for ticket resolution
• −Occasional bugs, including crashes, cursor flickering on Mac devices, and performance lags with large files
• −AI tools sometimes fail to execute tasks as instructed, leading to inconsistent results

2

Graebert ARES Commander🇩🇪 DE

DWG-native CAD for 2D and 3D design with cloud and AI support

Replaces Onshape for DWG-native mechanical design with parametric modeling and cloud collaboration.

Covers all of OnshapeFrom $250/yr★ 4.7 (23 reviews)Import from Onshape: ✓ via STEP export · source

EU hosting

Graebert ARES Commander vs Onshape →

▸ What users praise and criticise

• +Familiar interface and customizable tool palettes ease transition for AutoCAD users
• +Strong 2D and 3D drafting capabilities with seamless DWG compatibility
• +Cloud collaboration via ARES Kudo and ARES Touch enables cross-device and remote work

• −Performance limitations when handling very large models or complex rendering tasks
• −Fewer built-in training modules compared to some competitors
• −Cloud and mobile features still evolving, with room for improvement

3

CATIA🇫🇷 FR

French industrial-grade CAD/PLM suite for complex 3D modeling, surface design and systems engineering.

Replaces Onshape for industrial-grade 3D modeling, parametric design and systems engineering.

Covers all of OnshapeFrom $7,560/yr

EU hosting

CATIA vs Onshape →

▸ What users praise and criticise

• +Advanced 3D modeling and parametric design capabilities for complex engineering tasks
• +Strong surfacing tools for high-precision product design, particularly in automotive and aerospace
• +Seamless integration with PLM systems like ENOVIA for end-to-end product lifecycle management

• −Steep learning curve and complex interface, making onboarding difficult for new users
• −High licensing costs and modular pricing structure that can become expensive
• −Performance issues with slow loading and saving of large files

Moving away from Onshape

Onshape exports your data as STEP, IGES, STL, DXF, DWG, PDF, Parasolid and ACIS. Via the export files: Graebert ARES Commander. Every import above links its source on the product card.