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CAD · head to head

Altium 365 vs OnShape

Altium 365 logo

Altium 365

CAD

Cloud workspace for Altium Designer PCB projects, now inside Renesas

From
$1990/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OnShape logo

OnShape

CAD

Full-cloud 3D CAD platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OnShape has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Altium 365 the 1,990 US dollar Altium Develop entry price is capped at five authors in total, so a growing team hits a forced migration to Agile Teams with unpublished pricing exactly when headcount is rising.; OnShape the free plan is non commercial only and makes every document publicly accessible, so nothing designed on it can be kept private
  • They diverge on capability: Altium 365 covers Shared workspace, OnShape covers Cloud-native CAD.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Altium 365 and OnShape actually diverge.

Attributes where Altium 365 and OnShape differ
AttributeAltium 365OnShape
Starting price$1990/yearFree
Pricing modelPer user per yearsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Cloud, On-premiseWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2012

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (CAD).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Altium 365

  • Shared workspace
  • Managed components
  • Browser review
  • Unlimited workspace users
  • MCAD CoDesigner
  • Manufacturing portal
  • Requirements Portal
  • BOM Portal

Only in OnShape

  • Cloud-native CAD
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Version control
  • Part studios
  • Assemblies
  • Drawings
  • FeatureScript
  • Mobile access

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Altium 365

  • A hardware startup where two engineers draw boards but eight people need to review them, avoiding eight CAD seatsnot OnShape
  • A team handing fabrication and assembly data to a contract manufacturer as a versioned release rather than a zip of Gerbersnot OnShape
  • A company running board and enclosure design in parallel and needing bidirectional geometry exchange with mechanical CADnot OnShape
  • A buyer checking component lifecycle and availability against the live BOM before a design is frozennot OnShape

OnShape

  • Cloud based parametric CAD without local workstation installsnot Altium 365
  • Collaborative mechanical design with version history and shared documentsnot Altium 365

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Altium 365

  • The 1,990 US dollar Altium Develop entry price is capped at five authors in total, so a growing team hits a forced migration to Agile Teams with unpublished pricing exactly when headcount is rising.
  • Add-on portals are expensive per seat; BOM Portal has been quoted at around 1,999 US dollars per user per year and MCAD CoDesigner at around 499, so the real cost of a working configuration is well above the headline.
  • It is tied to Altium Designer; there is no meaningful use of the platform for teams designing in KiCad, OrCAD or Allegro, which makes it a lock-in decision rather than a tooling one.
  • Renesas acquired Altium in 2024, and a semiconductor manufacturer owning the design tool used to select competing semiconductors is a conflict some buyers will want addressed in writing before uploading a library.
  • Repeated repackaging, from Altium 365 Standard and Pro tiers to Altium Develop and Agile Teams, has made renewal comparisons difficult and customers have found their previous tier no longer maps to anything on the price list.

OnShape

  • The free plan is non commercial only and makes every document publicly accessible, so nothing designed on it can be kept private
  • The Standard plan is $1,500 per user per year and Professional $2,500
  • Simulation, rendering, CAM and advanced PDM all require the Professional plan
  • SSO, analytics and advanced administration are Enterprise only with no published price

Pricing, plan by plan

Altium 365

$1990/year
  • Altium Develop$1990/year
    • One Altium Designer author licence
    • One workspace for shared projects and libraries
    • Unlimited workspace users for review, comment, tasks and BOM access
  • Altium Agile Teams$undefined/year
    • For teams beyond five ECAD authors
    • Extended workspace governance and administration
    • Quoted, no published price
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • On-premise or private cloud workspace server
    • Formal ECO and lifecycle governance
    • Quoted, no published price

OnShape

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited features
    • Public documents
  • Standard$1500/month
    • Private documents
    • Full features
  • Professional$2100/month
    • Advanced simulation
    • Enterprise features

Which should you pick?

Choose Altium 365 if

  • You need shared workspace.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Cloud, On-premise.
  • You also want managed components.
Altium 365 review

Choose OnShape if

  • You need cloud-native cad.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
OnShape review

Questions people ask

Is Altium 365 or OnShape better?
Neither clearly leads. Altium 365 starts at $1990/year and OnShape at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Altium 365 or OnShape?
OnShape has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1990/year for Altium 365 and Free for OnShape.
Does Altium 365 or OnShape run on more platforms?
Altium 365 runs on Web, Windows, Cloud, On-premise. OnShape runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use OnShape for free?
Yes. OnShape has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Altium 365 starts at $1990/year.
What is Altium 365 best used for?
Altium 365 is most often used for a hardware startup where two engineers draw boards but eight people need to review them, avoiding eight cad seats, a team handing fabrication and assembly data to a contract manufacturer as a versioned release rather than a zip of gerbers, a company running board and enclosure design in parallel and needing bidirectional geometry exchange with mechanical cad, a buyer checking component lifecycle and availability against the live bom before a design is frozen. Of those, a hardware startup where two engineers draw boards but eight people need to review them, avoiding eight cad seats and a team handing fabrication and assembly data to a contract manufacturer as a versioned release rather than a zip of gerbers are not what OnShape is typically brought in for.
What can Altium 365 do that OnShape cannot?
Altium 365 covers Shared workspace, Managed components, Browser review, Unlimited workspace users. OnShape covers Cloud-native CAD, Real-time collaboration, Version control, Part studios.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Altium 365: Is Altium 365 free with Altium Designer?

A workspace is included with a current subscription, but the higher tiers, extra authors and the add-on portals are chargeable. The unlimited non-author users are genuinely included.

OnShape: How much does Onshape cost?

Onshape Standard is $1,500 per user per year and Professional is $2,500 per user per year, both billed annually. Enterprise is quoted by sales. A free plan exists for non-commercial use.

Source
Altium 365: What does it cost?

Altium Develop starts at about 1,990 US dollars a year for one author plus a workspace, with extra authors at 995 US dollars each up to four more. Larger teams are quoted.

OnShape: Is the free version of Onshape usable for commercial work?

No. Onshape states the free plan is for non-commercial use only, and every document created on it is publicly accessible. Private storage requires the Standard plan at $1,500 per user per year.

Source
Altium 365: Who owns Altium now?

Renesas Electronics completed its acquisition of Altium in 2024. Altium 365 is therefore a Renesas-owned platform.

OnShape: What does Onshape Professional add over Standard?

Professional adds company managed data, release management, advanced PDM, simulation, rendering, ECAD to MCAD exchange and CAM, for $2,500 per user per year against $1,500 for Standard.

Source
Altium 365: Can I keep design data on my own servers?

Yes, through the Enterprise on-premise workspace server, but that is a quoted product and most of the newer portal features assume the hosted platform.

OnShape: Can I try Onshape Professional for free?

Onshape states that qualified professionals can try Onshape Professional free for up to 6 months through its Discovery Program, with no credit card required.

Source
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