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Compare Onshape and PADS Professional 
At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (79.1% of reviews)
Small-Business (56.3% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
$1,500.00 1 User Per Year
Starting at $249.00 Per Month
Onshape
Star Rating
(693)4.7 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (79.1% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
$1,500.00 1 User Per Year
Free Trial is available
Browse all 4 pricing plansPADS Professional
Star Rating
(65)4.1 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (56.3% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $249.00 Per Month
Browse all 2 pricing plansSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- G2 reviewers report that Onshape excels in user experience, with a clear interface and high accessibility. Users appreciate that it operates entirely within the browser, allowing them to access their work from any device without the need for heavy installations.
- According to verified reviews, PADS Professional is recognized for its robust features tailored for PCB design, simulation, and analysis. Users highlight its comprehensive toolset, particularly praising its sketch routing capacity, which is ideal for high-speed designs.
- Users say that Onshape's implementation process is notably quick and intuitive, with many mentioning the ease of setup and the helpful onboarding resources. This is a significant advantage for small businesses looking to get started without extensive training.
- Reviewers mention that while PADS Professional offers a wide range of useful tools, some users find it less user-friendly compared to Onshape. The interface, although powerful, can be overwhelming for new users, which may hinder quick adoption.
- G2 reviewers highlight Onshape's exceptional support quality, noting that the help center is responsive and effective. Users report receiving timely assistance, which enhances their overall experience and satisfaction with the software.
- According to recent feedback, PADS Professional is particularly well-suited for individual engineers and small teams, but it may not be as accessible for those who prefer a more streamlined, cloud-based solution like Onshape, which allows for seamless collaboration across devices.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Onshape
Onshape Standard
$1,500.00
1 User Per Year
For the individual user or small team who only needs basic data management.
- Part & Assembly Modeling
- Drawings
- Runs on Web & Mobile
PADS Professional
PADS Professional Term-Based
Starting at $249.00
Per Month
- Additional features and license options may affect price.
Free Trial
Onshape
Free Trial is available
PADS Professional
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
8.4
595
8.3
60
Ease of Use
9.0
599
7.9
64
Ease of Setup
9.3
177
7.7
28
Ease of Admin
9.1
127
8.2
15
Quality of Support
9.3
585
8.7
60
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
9.3
126
9.1
15
Product Direction (% positive)
9.5
576
8.6
59
Features by Category
Design
8.8
233
Not enough data
9.3
236
Not enough data
9.0
231
Not enough data
7.4
194
Not enough data
Edit
8.6
230
Not enough data
8.1
195
Not enough data
8.9
225
Not enough data
7.9
198
Not enough data
Collaboration
8.2
211
Not enough data
8.3
221
Not enough data
8.1
204
Not enough data
File Support - Additive Manufacturing
8.6
160
Not enough data
7.9
78
Not enough data
7.9
100
Not enough data
File Editing - Additive Manufacturing
6.0
84
Not enough data
8.4
125
Not enough data
Software Integrations - Additive Manufacturing
5.7
83
Not enough data
8.8
130
Not enough data
Software Type - Additive Manufacturing
9.6
160
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Generative AI - Additive Manufacturing
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Building Preparation - Additive Manufacturing
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Metadata
9.2
40
Not enough data
7.8
37
Not enough data
8.4
37
Not enough data
Data Management
9.2
47
Not enough data
8.3
40
Not enough data
8.3
43
Not enough data
8.0
41
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
File Options
8.9
146
Not enough data
9.1
147
Not enough data
8.1
135
Not enough data
9.3
145
Not enough data
7.8
98
Not enough data
8.5
133
Not enough data
Tools
8.8
149
Not enough data
9.1
142
Not enough data
9.1
145
Not enough data
Design
8.7
150
Not enough data
Design
Not enough data
8.3
56
Not enough data
8.2
55
Tools
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
8.5
55
Library
Not enough data
8.1
56
Platform
Not enough data
8.3
56
Not enough data
8.6
56
Customization
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
7.5
55
Design
9.0
22
Not enough data
8.7
23
Not enough data
8.6
23
Not enough data
7.7
22
Not enough data
Tools
3.7
22
Not enough data
5.8
22
Not enough data
5.6
20
Not enough data
Work
5.3
20
Not enough data
4.4
20
Not enough data
6.0
19
Not enough data
4.8
20
Not enough data
6.8
19
Not enough data
Environment
8.0
18
Not enough data
8.1
17
Not enough data
8.3
17
Not enough data
8.4
18
Not enough data
New Product Introduction
8.0
17
Not enough data
8.0
17
Not enough data
6.9
16
Not enough data
8.2
15
Not enough data
CAD
9.3
17
Not enough data
8.0
17
Not enough data
8.3
16
Not enough data
Collaboration
7.9
17
Not enough data
8.3
17
Not enough data
8.5
17
Not enough data
8.5
17
Not enough data
Product Data Management
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
8.2
15
Not enough data
8.5
16
Not enough data
Bill of Materials
8.8
16
Not enough data
8.8
15
Not enough data
8.5
14
Not enough data
8.1
15
Not enough data
Engineering Change Management
8.5
14
Not enough data
8.5
16
Not enough data
8.0
14
Not enough data
Simulation
6.3
14
Not enough data
6.4
13
Not enough data
6.8
14
Not enough data
Analytics
7.0
14
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
7.1
14
Not enough data
Quality management
6.8
13
Not enough data
6.7
13
Not enough data
6.9
13
Not enough data
Integration
6.9
13
Not enough data
6.1
12
Not enough data
6.7
11
Not enough data
7.4
12
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Tools - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.8
37
Not enough data
7.5
35
Not enough data
8.2
36
Not enough data
8.9
36
Not enough data
7.1
36
Not enough data
File Options - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
9.1
36
Not enough data
8.6
36
Not enough data
8.6
36
Not enough data
8.9
35
Not enough data
8.8
36
Not enough data
Customization - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.6
35
Not enough data
8.6
34
Not enough data
8.1
36
Not enough data
8.2
33
Not enough data
Environment - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.9
34
Not enough data
8.5
31
Not enough data
8.6
32
Not enough data
9.1
33
Not enough data
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Onshape and PADS Professional are categorized as PCB Design
Unique Categories
PADS Professional has no unique categories
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Onshape
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
PADS Professional
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
19.7%
Design
10.2%
Medical Devices
6.5%
Machinery
6.2%
Industrial Automation
5.7%
Other
51.7%
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
17.2%
Design
7.8%
Computer Software
7.8%
Automotive
7.8%
Medical Devices
6.3%
Other
53.1%
Alternatives
Discussions
What is Onshape?
1 Comment
PB
Onshape is the google docs of CAD - Solid and Surface modelling, Boolean operations, and editing of parts without a history is especially useful for imported...Read more
How is Onshape different from other "cloud" CAD products?
1 Comment
PB
ONSHAPE was designed from the ground up to be a cloud CAD system - I am not sure the others can claim this!Read more
How does version control work in Onshape?
1 Comment
PB
Essentially there is one file used in a similar way to google docs - you can branch new ideas similar to software development and merge these branches if you...Read more
What is PADS PROFESSIONAL used for?
2 Comments
Official Response from PADS Professional
PADS Professional is the ideal choice for individual engineers working on the design of complex hardware-based electronic products. It is a fully integrated...Read more
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