Onshape proved browser-based CAD works. BasicCAD takes the same idea — parametric modeling with zero install — and makes it accessible to individuals and small teams instead of enterprise budgets.
Try BasicCAD Free — 1 Month Trial| Differentiator | BasicCAD | Onshape |
|---|---|---|
| Price (full features) | $5/month · $45/year | ~$1,500/year per seat |
| Private files on free/trial tier | Always private — even during trial | Free tier = all documents are public |
| File storage | Local — your device, your control | Onshape cloud only |
| Works offline after first load | Yes — WASM cached locally | No — server-side geometry engine |
| Target user | Individuals, students, small teams, makers | Enterprise engineering teams |
This is the biggest gotcha with Onshape's free plan: every document you create is publicly visible to any Onshape user. Your custom enclosure, your client's prototype, your side-project — all searchable and viewable by anyone. This isn't a bug; it's Onshape's deliberate business model to drive upgrades to the paid tier.
BasicCAD keeps your files private from day one. Your designs are stored locally in your browser — not on anyone's cloud, not visible to anyone else. This is true during the free trial and after.
Onshape Professional — which you need for private documents and full export — costs roughly $1,500/year per seat. That pricing makes sense for product companies with engineering teams. For a freelancer, a student, or a solo maker, it's prohibitive.
BasicCAD is $45/year. All features, private files, full STEP/STL export. One Onshape seat pays for over 30 years of BasicCAD.
Onshape runs its geometry engine on their servers — your browser is just a display. This is what enables real-time multi-user collaboration, but it also means you need a constant internet connection and your geometry data lives on Onshape's infrastructure.
BasicCAD runs the full OCCT kernel client-side via WebAssembly. After the first load, the WASM binary is cached and the app works offline. Every boolean, fillet, and loft executes in your browser. No geometry data leaves your device. For designers who value privacy or work in environments with unreliable connectivity, this is a fundamental advantage.
Onshape's server-side architecture enables something BasicCAD can't do: real-time collaborative editing where multiple engineers work on the same assembly simultaneously, with Git-like version branching and enterprise PDM. If your team needs that, Onshape is purpose-built for it.
Both tools are browser-based parametric CAD with zero install. Onshape is built for enterprise teams who need real-time collaboration and can afford $1,500/seat. BasicCAD is built for everyone else — private files, local processing, and the same core modeling workflow at 30x less.
1-month free trial. Private files from day one. No credit card required.
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