Is Fictiv or Shapr3D better?

Neither clearly leads. Fictiv starts at On request and Shapr3D at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Fictiv or Shapr3D?

Shapr3D has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Fictiv and Free for Shapr3D.

Does Fictiv or Shapr3D run on more platforms?

Fictiv runs on Web, Cloud. Shapr3D runs on IPadOS, MacOS, Windows.

Can I use Shapr3D for free?

Yes. Shapr3D has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fictiv starts at On request.

What is Fictiv best used for?

Fictiv is most often used for an engineering team needing machined prototypes in days without qualifying a machine shop first, moving a part between regions to change landed cost or tariff exposure without re-sourcing a supplier, bridge production between prototype tooling and a committed high-volume supplier, getting design-for-manufacturing feedback on a part before committing to injection mould tooling. Of those, an engineering team needing machined prototypes in days without qualifying a machine shop first and moving a part between regions to change landed cost or tariff exposure without re-sourcing a supplier are not what Shapr3D is typically brought in for.

What can Fictiv do that Shapr3D cannot?

Fictiv covers Instant CAD quoting, Design for manufacturing feedback, Multi-region network, Multiple processes. Shapr3D covers Direct modeling, Parametric history, Visualization, 2D drawings.

Manufacturing · head to head

Fictiv vs Shapr3D

Fictiv

Manufacturing

On-demand custom manufacturing with instant CAD quoting, now owned by MISUMI

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

Shapr3D

CAD

CAD software for iPad and Mac

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Shapr3D has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Fictiv this is a manufacturing service, not software you licence, so there is nothing to deploy or own and switching means re-sourcing parts rather than exporting data.; Shapr3D the free Basic plan is limited to 2 projects
They diverge on capability: Fictiv covers Instant CAD quoting, Shapr3D covers Direct modeling.
Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fictiv and Shapr3D actually diverge.

Attributes where Fictiv and Shapr3D differ
Attribute	Fictiv	Shapr3D
Starting price	On request	Free
Pricing model	quote	freemium
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Web, Cloud	IPadOS, MacOS, Windows
Category	Manufacturing	CAD
Founded	Unknown	2015

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

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 Fictiv

Instant CAD quoting
Design for manufacturing feedback
Multi-region network
Multiple processes
Quality documentation
Order and revision tracking
Bridge to production

Only in Shapr3D

Direct modeling
Parametric history
Visualization
2D drawings
Apple Pencil support
Import/export
Annotations
Fusion 360

What people use each for

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

Fictiv

An engineering team needing machined prototypes in days without qualifying a machine shop firstnot Shapr3D
Moving a part between regions to change landed cost or tariff exposure without re-sourcing a suppliernot Shapr3D
Bridge production between prototype tooling and a committed high-volume suppliernot Shapr3D
Getting design-for-manufacturing feedback on a part before committing to injection mould toolingnot Shapr3D

Shapr3D

Direct modelling CAD on iPad with Apple Pencilnot Fictiv
Producing manufacturable solid models and technical drawingsnot Fictiv
Sharing CAD projects with collaborators on desktop and tabletnot Fictiv

Where each one falls short

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

Fictiv

This is a manufacturing service, not software you licence, so there is nothing to deploy or own and switching means re-sourcing parts rather than exporting data.
A broker sits between you and the shop cutting your part, so at stable production volumes direct sourcing usually beats the platform price and the platform knows it.
You do not choose or generally know the specific supplier, which makes process control, supplier audits and traceability harder in regulated or aerospace work.
MISUMI completed a $350 million acquisition in June 2025, so roadmap and pricing now answer to a Japanese industrial components group rather than to an independent platform strategy.
Instant quotes are geometry-driven and complex or tightly toleranced parts drop into engineer review, so the speed advantage that justified the choice disappears exactly on the parts that are hardest to source.

Shapr3D

The free Basic plan is limited to 2 projects
Free plan exports only basic resolution 3MF and STL, so no STEP or IGES output
Free plan caps generative renders at 3 per day; Pro raises this to 50 per day and only Enterprise is unlimited
Importing SLDPRT and SLDASM SolidWorks files requires Pro
Importing NX, JT, CREO, Solid Edge and Rhino files requires Enterprise
Exporting ACIS, FBX, Parasolid and PRC requires Enterprise
On premises and single tenant data storage is Enterprise only
Enterprise pricing is by quote with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Fictiv

On request

Per-part quoting$undefined/month
- No subscription or platform fee
- Priced per part by geometry, material, process and quantity
- Instant quotes for many processes, engineer review for complex parts

Shapr3D

Free

BasicFree
- 2 projects
- cloud storage
- basic import/export (XT, STEP, IGES, DWG, STL)
Pro$299/year
- unlimited shared team projects
- up to 2 contributors
- high-resolution exports
Enterprise$null/custom
- granular access control
- flexible data storage (single tenant/private cloud/on-premises)
- unlimited renders

Which should you pick?

Choose Fictiv if

You need instant cad quoting.
You work on Web, Cloud.
You also want design for manufacturing feedback.

Fictiv review

Choose Shapr3D if

You need direct modeling.
You want to start without paying.
You work on IPadOS, MacOS, Windows.
You also want parametric history.

Shapr3D review

Questions people ask

Is Fictiv or Shapr3D better?: Neither clearly leads. Fictiv starts at On request and Shapr3D at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fictiv or Shapr3D?: Shapr3D has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Fictiv and Free for Shapr3D.
Does Fictiv or Shapr3D run on more platforms?: Fictiv runs on Web, Cloud. Shapr3D runs on IPadOS, MacOS, Windows.
Can I use Shapr3D for free?: Yes. Shapr3D has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fictiv starts at On request.
What is Fictiv best used for?: Fictiv is most often used for an engineering team needing machined prototypes in days without qualifying a machine shop first, moving a part between regions to change landed cost or tariff exposure without re-sourcing a supplier, bridge production between prototype tooling and a committed high-volume supplier, getting design-for-manufacturing feedback on a part before committing to injection mould tooling. Of those, an engineering team needing machined prototypes in days without qualifying a machine shop first and moving a part between regions to change landed cost or tariff exposure without re-sourcing a supplier are not what Shapr3D is typically brought in for.
What can Fictiv do that Shapr3D cannot?: Fictiv covers Instant CAD quoting, Design for manufacturing feedback, Multi-region network, Multiple processes. Shapr3D covers Direct modeling, Parametric history, Visualization, 2D drawings.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fictiv: Is Fictiv software I can buy?

No. It is an on-demand manufacturing service with a quoting and order management platform. You pay for parts, not for the software.

Shapr3D: How much does Shapr3D cost?

Shapr3D Basic tier is free. Pro tier is $299 per year or available monthly with price not specified on the pricing page. Enterprise pricing is custom and requires contacting sales.

Source

Fictiv: Is Fictiv still independent?

No. MISUMI Group completed its acquisition, valued at $350 million, in June 2025. Fictiv continues to trade under its own name.

Shapr3D: Is there a free trial for Shapr3D Pro?

Yes, Shapr3D offers a 14-day free trial for Pro tier that requires a credit card, plus a 14-day money-back guarantee on purchases.

Source

Fictiv: Do I know which factory makes my part?

Generally not. Fictiv manages a vetted network and allocates work within it, which is a limitation if your quality system requires named and audited suppliers.

Shapr3D: What is the difference between Shapr3D Pro and Enterprise?

Pro tier includes up to 2 contributors on unlimited shared team projects, 50 renders daily, technical drawings, and AR on iPad. Enterprise provides granular access control, flexible data storage options (single tenant, private cloud, on-premises, or cloud off), unlimited renders, extended import/export formats, and dedicated account management.

Source

Fictiv: Is it cheaper than sourcing directly?

For prototypes and low volumes, usually yes once you count the cost of finding and qualifying a supplier. At stable production volumes, direct sourcing is normally cheaper.

Shapr3D: Does Shapr3D offer educational pricing?

Yes, Shapr3D is free for students and educators with annual license renewal through an in-app application form.

Source

Fictiv vs Shapr3D

Fictiv

Shapr3D

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Fictiv

Only in Shapr3D

What people use each for

Fictiv

Shapr3D

Where each one falls short

Fictiv

Shapr3D

Pricing, plan by plan

Fictiv

Shapr3D

Which should you pick?

Choose Fictiv if

Choose Shapr3D if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Fictiv

More on Shapr3D

Keep looking

Other head to heads