L'architecture d'Onshape laisse la CAO traditionnelle de côté

Let’s start at the foundation, pun definitely intended.

With Onshape, there’s no need to purchase expensive hardware, there are no pre-installation checklists or installation guides. You don’t need to worry about graphics card "certifications," operating system versions, or whether your machine meets the minimum system requirements.

Why? Because Onshape runs in your browser. Whether you’re on a Mac or PC, you simply log in and start designing. This frictionless foundation means faster onboarding, fewer IT bottlenecks, and more time spent on actual engineering. It also means you can work from anywhere – home, office, airport, or factory floor – without skipping a beat.

This is a stark contrast to traditional CAD systems, which are notorious for version conflicts, broken references, and file management headaches. Sharing a design often means emailing large files, managing multiple versions, and hoping nothing gets lost or corrupted.

Onshape eliminates all of that.

Thanks to its architecture, there is but a single source of truth. Every document is backed up, versioned, and accessible in real time. Multiple users can edit the same model simultaneously. Branching and merging are built in, enabling workflows that resemble agile software development methods.

Regarding Architecture? Multitenancy: The Scaling Engine

One of Onshape’s most powerful architectural decisions is its multitenant design. Instead of giving each user a separate instance of the software, Onshape users share a single, secure system. This allows for seamless updates, efficient resource usage, and robust scalability.

Every three weeks, Onshape rolls out new features and improvements, and this rapid release cycle means users always have access to the latest tools without the pain of manual upgrades or compatibility issues.

And because Onshape’s infrastructure is built on Amazon Web Services (AWS), it can scale dynamically. When demand increases, new machines are launched automatically. When demand drops, resources are scaled back. This elasticity ensures smooth performance even during peak usage.

Reliability You Can Count On

In traditional desktop CAD systems, a crash can mean lost work, corrupted files, and hours of frustration. Onshape’s architecture prevents that.

Geometry computation is handled by isolated servers, separate from the systems that write to the database. If a geometry server crashes, your data remains safe. You might see a support code or need to reload the page, but you won’t lose your work.

Edits in Onshape are stored as append-only changes. That means nothing is overwritten, so if a save fails, previous edits are still intact, and you can roll back to a previous state if something goes wrong.

FeatureScript: Customization Without Compromise

Onshape’s architecture also enables feature customization through FeatureScript, a programming language that powers all features in Onshape part studios.

FeatureScript allows users to create custom features that behave exactly like native ones. These features can be reused, shared, and integrated into complex workflows. This level of customization empowers teams to automate repetitive tasks, enforce design standards, and accelerate product development while reducing design time and errors.

Better API Integrations for Enterprise Workflows

Beyond FeatureScript, Onshape offers robust API integrations that make it easy to connect with other enterprise systems. Whether you're building custom dashboards, automating release workflows, or integrating with PLM/ERP platforms, Onshape’s APIs are designed to be flexible, secure, and developer-friendly.

This is a major advantage over traditional file-based CAD systems, which often suffer from limited or fragmented API support. In fact, some file-based platforms have recently introduced restrictive partner policies, requiring revenue sharing and detailed financial disclosures from third-party developers, without offering additional platform benefits. These changes have raised concerns across the developer community about sustainability and fairness.

By contrast, Onshape’s open and cloud-native architecture empowers teams to:

• Automate document creation and updates
• Sync metadata with external systems
• Trigger workflows based on design changes
• Build custom analytics and reporting tools

And because Onshape is cloud-native, these integrations are easier to deploy and maintain. There’s no need to manage local installations or worry about version compatibility.

Security and Performance by Design

Security is baked into every layer of Onshape’s architecture. Data is encrypted both at rest and in transit. Servers are distributed across secure data centers around the world. And because Onshape runs in the browser, there’s no risk of sensitive data being lost on a flash drive, stolen with a laptop, or emailed to the wrong person. You can share – and more importantly, unshare – at a moment's notice.

Future-Proofed for Innovation

Onshape’s architecture is about solving today’s problems and enabling tomorrow’s possibilities.

The platform is already being used as the foundation for Atlas, a cloud and data infrastructure that supports other applications. This extensibility means Onshape isn’t just a CAD tool; it’s a launchpad for innovation.

Its architecture enables faster innovation, seamless collaboration, and unmatched reliability. For teams looking to move beyond the limitations of file-based CAD, Onshape offers a future-proof foundation for modern product development.

Whether you're a startup building your first prototype or an enterprise managing a global design team, Onshape gives you the tools to move faster, work smarter, and build better.