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CAD · head to head

Creo vs Zoo

Creo logo

Creo

CAD

Award-winning 3D CAD software

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoo logo

Zoo

CAD

Cloud CAD with a scripting language and a geometry engine exposed as an API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Creo every Creo user must buy a licence of the Creo Design Essentials package as a minimum before anything else can be added; Zoo the geometry engine runs entirely in Zoo's cloud and there is no offline mode, so an aircraft, a customer site with no guest wifi or an outage stops modelling work completely.
  • They diverge on capability: Creo covers Parametric modeling, Zoo covers KCL scripting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Creo and Zoo actually diverge.

Attributes where Creo and Zoo differ
AttributeCreoZoo
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, API
Founded1985Unknown

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 Creo

  • Parametric modeling
  • Direct modeling
  • Simulation
  • Generative design
  • Additive manufacturing
  • AR integration
  • Model-based definition
  • Windchill PLM

Only in Zoo

  • KCL scripting
  • Design Studio
  • Design API
  • Zookeeper agent
  • Format conversion
  • Open source client

What people use each for

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

Creo

  • Parametric 3D mechanical CAD for product and machinery designnot Zoo
  • Mold design and mold machining workflowsnot Zoo

Zoo

  • A hardware startup that wants part models reviewed in pull requests alongside firmwarenot Creo
  • A software team generating thousands of parametric part variants programmatically rather than by handnot Creo
  • A SaaS product that needs to render and convert customer CAD files without licensing a geometry kernelnot Creo
  • An engineer who models occasional brackets and enclosures and does not want a four figure annual seatnot Creo

Where each one falls short

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

Creo

  • Every Creo user must buy a licence of the Creo Design Essentials package as a minimum before anything else can be added
  • Capabilities such as the Generative Design Extension, Creo Simulation Live, Advanced Assembly Extension and GD&T Advisor are sold as separate paid extensions
  • Published prices in the PTC Store cover only Creo Design Essentials, the Creo Suites and select extensions; the other design packages require talking to sales
  • Buying an individual extension requires contacting a sales representative rather than self service

Zoo

  • The geometry engine runs entirely in Zoo's cloud and there is no offline mode, so an aircraft, a customer site with no guest wifi or an outage stops modelling work completely.
  • STEP and SLDPRT import are still labelled experimental, which means the most common way of receiving a supplier or customer model is the least reliable path into the tool.
  • Drawing production, GD&T and tolerance annotation are far behind SolidWorks, Creo and NX, so most users still need a second package to release a manufacturing drawing.
  • Zookeeper is billed in reasoning minutes rather than per seat, so a team cannot forecast next month's bill from headcount the way it can with conventional CAD subscriptions.
  • The open source label applies only to the Design Studio client; the kernel that does the modelling is closed and hosted, so forking the repository does not give you a product you can run yourself.

Pricing, plan by plan

Creo

$29/month
  • Creo Elements/Direct$2310/month
    • Direct modeling
  • Creo Parametric$2310/month
    • Parametric modeling
    • Simulation
  • Creo+$2930/month
    • SaaS delivery
    • Real-time collaboration

Zoo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Design Studio access
    • About 20 minutes of Zookeeper reasoning per month
    • Around $10 of API calls included
  • Plus$20/month
    • Roughly 400 Zookeeper minutes per month
    • Pay as you go beyond the allowance
    • Design Studio and API access
  • Pro$99/month
    • Unlimited Zookeeper reasoning
    • Higher API allowance
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Creo if

  • You need parametric modeling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want direct modeling.
Creo review

Choose Zoo if

  • You need kcl scripting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, API.
  • You also want design studio.
Zoo review

Questions people ask

Is Creo or Zoo better?
Neither clearly leads. Creo starts at $29/month and Zoo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Creo or Zoo?
Zoo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Creo and Free for Zoo.
Does Creo or Zoo run on more platforms?
Creo runs on Windows. Zoo runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, API.
Can I use Zoo for free?
Yes. Zoo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Creo starts at $29/month.
What is Creo best used for?
Creo is most often used for parametric 3d mechanical cad for product and machinery design, mold design and mold machining workflows. Of those, parametric 3d mechanical cad for product and machinery design and mold design and mold machining workflows are not what Zoo is typically brought in for.
What can Creo do that Zoo cannot?
Creo covers Parametric modeling, Direct modeling, Simulation, Generative design. Zoo covers KCL scripting, Design Studio, Design API, Zookeeper agent.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Creo: Does Creo offer a free trial or evaluation version?

Yes, PTC offers a free trial of Creo. Users can instantly access a fully functional trial of Creo. The page also provides a 30-day free trial option for both Creo and Creo+.

Source
Zoo: Is Zoo the same company as KittyCAD?

Yes. KittyCAD renamed itself Zoo; the GitHub organisation is still KittyCAD and the scripting language KCL keeps the old initials.

Creo: What licensing options does Creo provide?

Creo supports flexible licensing options including on-premises solution and Creo+, a SaaS offering. Licensing tiers support solo designers, small teams up to 5 licenses, and growing teams with 5 or more licenses. PTC also offers a startup program with free or discounted access.

Source
Zoo: Can I use Zoo without an internet connection?

No. The geometry engine is a cloud service, so Design Studio needs a live connection to model anything.

Creo: Is Creo free for students and educators?

Yes, Creo is available for free to students and educators through PTC Education. Students and educators from grade school through university can get free access to Creo to learn advanced CAD capabilities.

Source
Zoo: Is Design Studio free?

There is a genuine free tier with a small monthly allowance of AI reasoning and API calls. Paid plans start at $20 per month.

Zoo: Can I replace SolidWorks with Zoo?

Not for drawing release, large assemblies or GD&T. Teams typically use Zoo for programmatic part generation and keep an established package for production documentation.

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