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CAD · head to head

OnShape vs Terra

OnShape logo

OnShape

CAD

Full-cloud 3D CAD platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Terra logo

Terra

Research

Open biomedical research platform for genomic analysis, priced only by the cloud you consume

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: OnShape the free plan is non commercial only and makes every document publicly accessible, so nothing designed on it can be kept private; Terra the absence of a licence fee hides the real cost driver: an idle notebook virtual machine left running overnight, or a workspace bucket full of intermediate workflow outputs, quietly consumes grant money with no vendor invoice to prompt a review.
  • They diverge on capability: OnShape covers Cloud-native CAD, Terra covers No platform licence fee.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OnShape and Terra actually diverge.

Attributes where OnShape and Terra differ
AttributeOnShapeTerra
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure
CategoryCADResearch
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 OnShape

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

Only in Terra

  • No platform licence fee
  • Cloud pass-through billing
  • WDL workflow execution
  • Notebook environments
  • Controlled-access data
  • Workspace sharing
  • Compliance posture
  • Multi-cloud

What people use each for

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

OnShape

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

Terra

  • A genomics lab running whole-genome alignment and variant calling pipelines without provisioning or maintaining a local clusternot OnShape
  • A consortium sharing controlled-access human data across institutions where the data cannot be copied to each sitenot OnShape
  • A health system analysing patient genomic data under a HIPAA business associate agreementnot OnShape
  • A federal or federally funded project needing FedRAMP Moderate authorisation for its analysis environmentnot OnShape

Where each one falls short

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

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

Terra

  • The absence of a licence fee hides the real cost driver: an idle notebook virtual machine left running overnight, or a workspace bucket full of intermediate workflow outputs, quietly consumes grant money with no vendor invoice to prompt a review.
  • Cost governance is entirely the customer responsibility, and grant-funded groups without a cloud engineer routinely overspend before anyone reads the Google or Azure bill in enough detail to find the cause.
  • It assumes genuine bioinformatics competence: writing or adapting WDL workflows, managing data tables and debugging failed tasks are all on you, so a wet lab without computational staff cannot use it productively.
  • Feature parity between the Google Cloud and Azure deployments is not identical, so a decision on cloud provider constrains which capabilities and datasets you can reach and is expensive to reverse later.
  • It is a research platform rather than a regulated clinical system: it is not a validated GxP environment and does not carry the qualification package a diagnostic or submission workflow would require, so clinical use needs additional infrastructure and validation you provide yourself.

Pricing, plan by plan

OnShape

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

Terra

Free
  • Terra platformFree
    • No charge for the platform, administration, security controls or frontline support
    • Workspaces, workflow execution and notebook environments included
    • Available on Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure
  • Cloud consumption$undefined/month
    • Google Cloud or Azure charges passed through at cost with no markup
    • Running notebook virtual machines around 0.22 USD per hour, roughly 0.027 USD per hour when paused
    • Storage billed continuously on workspace buckets and intermediate workflow outputs

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Terra if

  • You need no platform licence fee.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure.
  • You also want cloud pass-through billing.
Terra review

Questions people ask

Is OnShape or Terra better?
Neither clearly leads. OnShape starts at Free and Terra at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OnShape or Terra?
OnShape starts at Free and Terra at Free.
Does OnShape or Terra run on more platforms?
OnShape runs on Web, IOS, Android. Terra runs on Web, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure.
Can I use OnShape for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is OnShape best used for?
OnShape is most often used for cloud based parametric cad without local workstation installs, collaborative mechanical design with version history and shared documents. Of those, cloud based parametric cad without local workstation installs and collaborative mechanical design with version history and shared documents are not what Terra is typically brought in for.
What can OnShape do that Terra cannot?
OnShape covers Cloud-native CAD, Real-time collaboration, Version control, Part studios. Terra covers No platform licence fee, Cloud pass-through billing, WDL workflow execution, Notebook environments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Terra: Is Terra really free?

The platform is. There is no licence fee. Everything you pay is Google Cloud or Azure compute, storage and egress, passed through at cost.

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
Terra: What actually drives the bill?

Running virtual machines and stored data. Pausing notebooks drops a virtual machine from about 0.22 to about 0.027 dollars an hour, and deleting intermediate workflow outputs is the other main saving.

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
Terra: Can I use it with protected health information?

Yes. Terra signs HIPAA business associate agreements and GDPR data processing agreements, and the Azure deployment holds FedRAMP Moderate authorisation.

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
Terra: Is it validated for clinical or GxP use?

No. It is a research platform. Regulated clinical or submission workflows need validation and controls you build yourself.

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