CAD in 2025: Why Smart Companies Are Going Cloud-Native

Engineering teams are stuck. They're wrestling with desktop CAD systems that crash when handling large files, waiting hours for IT to resolve licensing issues, and struggling to collaborate across global teams.

Meanwhile, forward-thinking companies have discovered something better: online CAD platforms that work how modern teams need them to.

The results speak for themselves. Companies switching to online 3D CAD solutions are seeing million-dollar productivity gains, faster development cycles, and engineering teams that can finally focus on designing instead of managing files.

Here's the thing – this isn't just about accessing design software through a browser. While Onshape is browser-based CAD, it's fundamentally different from other solutions.

Most "cloud" CAD systems are really just desktop software that you access through a web interface. PTC's Onshape is the first and only truly cloud-native CAD and PDM system – built from the ground up on cloud architecture, not desktop software retrofitted for the web.

Companies making this switch to Onshape – from Alternative Engineering and Sonos to nDraft Adaptiv, Norden Mfg, Exxentric, and Energyminer – are pulling ahead while their competitors remain stuck with complex desktop installations and endless version control headaches.

Million-Dollar Productivity Transformations

Finished palletizing turntable design on the AEInc. factory floor.

Alternative Engineering, Inc., a custom manufacturing equipment company, provides a compelling example of what becomes possible when organizations embrace modern design platforms. The company was losing extraordinary amounts of engineering time to software-related inefficiencies and large file performance issues.

After switching to Onshape, AEInc. saw the following benefits:

• Recovered $1.25 million annually in productivity gains
• Reduced typical project design time from 100 hours to 40 hours
• Automated repetitive design work with custom features
• Eliminated delays from large file management problems

"You try to open a file, then close the thing and go work on another job and come back in an hour, and the file is still loading," said Lead Engineer John McClary. With cloud-native platforms, those same massive assemblies open instantly because processing happens on powerful remote servers rather than local workstations.

The company also leveraged cloud-native programming capabilities to completely automate their spiral chute design process. What previously required hundreds of hours of manual modeling now takes minutes, freeing engineers for higher-value innovation work.

"I click a button and it basically builds a whole chute for me," McClary said.

Real-Time Collaboration That Actually Works

Sonos, the global audio technology leader, needed their transducer engineering team to iterate rapidly while maintaining tight coordination between members across different locations. Traditional CAD workflows were creating bottlenecks that slowed their innovation cycles.

After implementing Onshape's cloud-native platform, Sonos achieved these results:

• Reduced design optimization time by 30% through seamless collaboration
• Tripled design capacity without adding engineering headcount
• Enabled rapid prototyping cycles with overnight development
• Streamlined complex assemblies with automatic version management

"We were designing in the afternoon and would run the 3D printers overnight," said Senior Hardware Development Engineer Lars Wouterse. "We would collect the parts in the morning, build the prototypes, do measurements, learn from those prototypes, and implement the learnings in the next design cycle."

This rapid iteration became possible because cloud-native platforms allow multiple engineers to work on the same design simultaneously, with changes appearing instantly for all team members. Traditional check-in/check-out procedures that create conflicts simply don't exist in cloud environments.

Cost Advantages That Transform Business Models

nDraft’s CAD assembly of an industrial crane design in Onshape.

For growing companies, the financial benefits often prove more significant than productivity gains alone. nDraft Adaptiv, an industrial automation engineering firm, found that cloud-native design platforms eliminated barriers that would have prevented their startup from accessing professional-grade tools.

With Onshape, nDraft Adaptiv realized these cost advantages:

• Saved $60,000–$100,000 over five years in infrastructure costs
• Achieved 50–70% faster design cycles for standard and custom products
• Eliminated expensive workstation and physical servers entirely
• Enabled seamless remote collaboration across distributed teams

"Getting started with traditional CAD would have cost us $30,000–$80,000 upfront," said CEO Greg Kondracki. "With Onshape, we needed just two average laptops and a browser."

The cost advantages stem from eliminating IT infrastructure requirements entirely. With online CAD programs, there are no expensive workstations, no specialized graphics cards, no servers to maintain, and no dedicated staff to manage installations and updates.

IT Simplification That Transforms Operations

The AlfaTed fluffing tedder is one of Norden Mfg’s newest products.

Glendon Kuhns from Norden Mfg, an agricultural equipment manufacturer, handles IT responsibilities for his company and experienced this operational transformation directly.

"I don't need to manage servers, buy special graphics cards, or babysit installs," he said. "I just assign a user, send an invite, and they're good to go. It saves us an IT guy, honestly."

By moving to Onshape, Norden Mfg gained these operational efficiencies:

• Reduced new user onboarding from weeks to minutes
• Eliminated all server and graphics infrastructure requirements
• Enabled shop floor workers to transition into design roles
• Simplified team expansion without hardware procurement delays

The IT simplification creates strategic advantages beyond cost savings. When technical barriers disappear, companies can involve more people in product development processes. Norden successfully transitioned welders and machine operators into design contributors, expanding their engineering capacity without traditional hiring constraints.

Universal Access and Flexibility

Cloud-native platforms remove device limitations that constrain traditional workflows. Since processing happens on remote infrastructure, any device with internet connectivity becomes a capable design workstation. This accessibility makes online CAD design software particularly valuable for distributed teams and remote collaboration scenarios.

Exxentric's kPulley Pro system design in Onshape showcases how document structure helps teams keep their data organized.

At Exxentric, a fitness equipment manufacturer, this accessibility extends design participation beyond engineering teams.

"Other people can also log into our CAD system without having it on their computer or without having any knowledge of how to use it," said CAD designer Albin Arvidsson. "If our CEO, for instance, would like to see the parts or the assembly, he can go into Onshape and check it out."

"I can be onsite commissioning a machine, hop on a call, look at the design, make changes live, and then get back to the work in front of me," said Przemyslaw Krupiarz from nDraft Adaptiv. "We don't waste time exporting, waiting, or dealing with file issues."

Enhanced Innovation Through Automation

Cloud-native platforms enable automation and customization possibilities that traditional systems cannot support. The architecture allows for sophisticated programming interfaces and real-time integration that transforms repetitive design work.

a rendered concept of Energyminer's Energyfish generating hydrokinetic energy. Copyright: Energyminer GmbH

"One unique aspect we have noticed is how enjoyable it is for our team to work with Onshape," said Dr. Chantel Niebuhr from Energyminer, a renewable energy startup developing hydrokinetic systems. "I see our engineers genuinely having fun using it, something rare in this field, likely due to its intuitive and well-designed interface."

Since adopting Onshape, Energyminer has experienced these improvements:

• Eliminated version control conflicts through seamless collaboration
• Accelerated innovation by removing traditional design bottlenecks
• Enhanced stakeholder engagement with live 3D model reviews
• Improved team productivity through intuitive, responsive interfaces

The Competitive Landscape is Shifting

Early adopters of cloud-native design platforms are establishing competitive advantages that traditional desktop users will struggle to overcome. These modern systems receive continuous updates and improvements while desktop software remains constrained by periodic, disruptive version releases.

The evidence from companies across industries demonstrates that online CAD software delivers measurable improvements in cost, speed, collaboration, and innovation capacity. Organizations that recognize this shift and act decisively are building capabilities that will define competitive advantage in an increasingly connected, fast-moving marketplace.

The transformation represents more than a software upgrade, but preparation for the future of product development. Companies embracing CAD online solutions today are positioning themselves to lead their industries tomorrow.