🔧 DIY, making, 3D and electronics · 🏫 Classroom tools
Onshape Education
By PTC. Visit Onshape Education
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
Professional computer-aided design (CAD) that runs in a browser, with free plans for students and educators. Teens design parts and assemblies, make engineering drawings, and share designs with teammates who can edit at the same time. It is widely used by robotics teams such as FIRST and Science Olympiad, and has free courses. Education documents are private, unlike the public free plan.
Our take: A strong free choice for teens on robotics teams or in engineering classes; younger kids should start with Tinkercad.
| Ages it suits | about 12+ (middle school to college) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | 13 or older (16 in the EU without parent consent). Under-13s may use it for school only if a school, educator or parent creates or approves the account; they should not sign up alone. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Student and Educator plans free (Oct 2026); Education Enterprise for schools and districts is custom-priced. |
| Works on | Web, iPhone and iPad, Android |
| Account | The child's own account |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI features described on the education pages. |
What's good
- Real engineering CAD for free
- Works in a browser, nothing to install
- Live team editing, great for robotics clubs
- Education files are private
Watch for
- Steep learning curve for younger kids
- Needs a steady internet connection
- General free plan (not education) makes all files public
Data and privacy
Not stated on the education pages beyond keeping education documents private and visible only to people they are shared with; personal data falls under PTC's privacy policy, which blocked our tools, so its child-data terms are unchecked. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No studies found; the maker cites no research.
Alternatives to Onshape Education
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Blender
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Crayola crafts
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DLTK's Crafts for Kids
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Where these facts come from
- https://www.onshape.com/en/education/
- https://www.onshape.com/en/education/plans
- https://www.onshape.com/en/legal/
- https://www.onshape.com/en/legal/terms-of-use
- https://www.onshape.com/en/privacy-center/
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.