Transitioning to a new CAD system is a monumental decision for any company. 

To make this decision a little easier, Onshape is launching the Discovery Program – an opportunity for qualified users to try out Onshape Professional at no cost for up to six months.

In contrast to the typical 7-or-14-day free trials, we created the Discovery Program to give teams ample time to experience the benefits of cloud-native product design. Product development doesn’t happen in a day. There’s no need to rush when you’re making a decision that will impact your roadmap for the years ahead.

Onshape is the world leader in cloud-native CAD and PDM, enabling companies to improve design collaboration while increasing productivity, agility, and efficiency amongst internal and external teams. From a budget perspective, Onshape’s zero-IT footprint results in significant software and hardware savings, in addition to reclaiming engineering hours previously lost to administrative tasks.  

Watch this video to learn more about how the Onshape Discovery Program works:

Why would we offer our software for free for up to six months? It’s because we’re confident that once you realize the benefits of Onshape, you will never want to go back to the limitations of old file-based technology. 

Dixie Iron Works, a global leader in oil flow control equipment, is a prime example of an Onshape customer not looking back in the rear-view mirror. 

“The old way of doing CAD, we had lots of engineering time spent on IT, lots of IT infrastructure, expensive software running on expensive hardware, and having these large files that sometimes you want more than one person working on,” reflects engineering manager Will Tiller in this video

“The pain was well known. We’ve been through it for well over 10 years,” he adds. “The more you look at it, the more you realize ‘Do I keep going through this pain or do I at least try something new?’”

Cloud-Native CAD and PDM are Making an Impact Right Now

To design its hydrogen-on-demand generators, GenCell uses cloud-native Onshape for its built-in version control and real-time collaboration tools.

Onshape is not some futuristic technology platform that will help you “someday.” It is radically changing how thousands of product developers get things done right now.

Here’s a quick glimpse of how some forward-thinking companies are benefiting from cloud-native CAD and PDM: 

  • GenCell, a leading developer of hydrogen fuel generators, credits Onshape for accelerating its design process by 10X.

  • Dexcom, a manufacturer of continuous glucose monitoring systems for diabetes management, measured a 15% increase in productivity using Onshape across their 300+ CAD users.

  • Military R&D firm DELTA Development reclaimed 20% of design time due to reduced IT overhead.

  • Eco-friendly beverage company Cirkul saves an estimated $50,000+ a year in engineering time due to no longer having to manage servers, CAD licenses, and other IT administrative tasks.

  • Open Bionics credits Onshape Configurations for reducing design time by more than 75% on prosthetic wrists and hands offered in multiple sizes, and for right-handed and left-handed versions.

  • Onshape’s device-agnostic platform has saved robotics developer VIKASO an estimated 50% in hardware costs. The company no longer needs dedicated high-performance workstations solely to run CAD.

With these kinds of dramatic results, why wouldn’t you want to try Onshape risk-free through the Discovery Program?

Don’t Be Fooled by Hybrid-Cloud CAD Solutions

The efficiency and productivity benefits of cloud-native software is no secret. The vast majority of business professionals – sales, marketing, HR, finance, etc. – have been taking advantage of cloud tech for years.

What’s new is that now every major CAD vendor is on the cloud bandwagon. As traditional CAD developers rush to retrofit cloud-enabled features into their existing file-based software frameworks, the buzzword “CLOUD” is splashed all over their marketing and advertising.

However, the reality is that most of these new cloud-based offerings are not delivering the full benefits of cloud-native platforms. They are partial-cloud or hybrid-cloud solutions that merely store files in the cloud instead of on local disks. They still require the customer to maintain their own complex server network.

In a blog, Onshape co-founder Dave Corcoran shared “25 Warning Signs That You Are NOT Using a Cloud-Native Platform.” Here are a few indicators that you’re not getting the real deal:

  • You can only use CAD on specific operating systems or hardware.

  • You have to install ANYTHING.

  • You worry about crashing and losing data.

  • You can’t access data when someone else is editing it.

  • You have to make a copy of a file or convert it to a different format to let someone else view or edit it.

  • You can’t restore your data to any state that ever existed in the past.


As Dave says, don’t be fooled! Onshape is the only CAD and PDM solution built from scratch using a cloud database architecture. Or in the words of Onshape co-founder Jon Hirschtick,  “The cloud is not an afterthought — it’s our primary thought.”

If you’re ready to try cloud-native CAD and PDM, reach out to the Onshape Sales team today and see if you qualify for the Discovery Program!

The Onshape
Discovery Program

Learn how qualified CAD professionals
can get Onshape Professional
for up to 6 months – at no cost!