Onshape vs OpenSCAD:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Onshape had more branded searches than OpenSCAD among CAD software worldwide. Onshape had about 1.2 million branded searches, while OpenSCAD had 110,000. Onshape made up 10% of all CAD software searches we track, and OpenSCAD accounted for 0.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about CAD software, Onshape appeared in four of the five answers and OpenSCAD in two. Onshape was mentioned before OpenSCAD in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Onshape, about 11 searches for every 1 for OpenSCAD
Who does AI mention more?
Onshape, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, OpenSCAD in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Onshape, named ahead of OpenSCAD in 3 of 4 answers
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Top CAD software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Onshape was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. OpenSCAD was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Onshape was listed before OpenSCAD in three out of four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Fusion 3601st- AutoCAD2nd
SolidWorks3rd
FreeCAD4th
Tinkercad5th
Shapr3D6th- Inventor7th
- Onshape8th
OpenSCAD9th
Creo–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- SolidWorks5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- FreeCAD5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Fusion 3605 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- AutoCAD4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Onshape4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Tinkercad2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Inventor2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- OpenSCAD2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Shapr3D2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Creo0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about CAD software
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which CAD software should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best CAD software options?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best CAD software for engineering drawings?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cad software”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“3d cad software”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Onshape or OpenSCAD more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Onshape and OpenSCAD by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten CAD software we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Onshape, OpenSCAD. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Tinkercad | AutoCAD | Onshape | SolidWorks | FreeCAD | Fusion 360 | Creo | Inventor | OpenSCAD | Shapr3D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 66% | 10.8% | 8.8% | 4% | 3.2% | 4% | 1.2% | 0.97% | 0.53% | 0.53% |
| Nov 2025 | 62.4% | 12.5% | 8.3% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 4.6% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.62% | 0.75% |
| Dec 2025 | 60.7% | 12.1% | 8.2% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 5.5% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.9% |
| Jan 2026 | 57.9% | 11.5% | 9.5% | 5.2% | 4.3% | 6.4% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.86% |
| Feb 2026 | 63.7% | 10.4% | 8.5% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 4.7% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.94% | 0.77% |
| Mar 2026 | 61.1% | 12.2% | 10% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.9% | 0.74% |
| Apr 2026 | 64.1% | 10.4% | 8.6% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 4.7% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.78% |
| May 2026 | 65.2% | 10.6% | 8.7% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 3.9% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.96% | 0.79% |
| Jun 2026 | 63% | 12.6% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 4.6% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 0.93% | 0.76% |
| Jul 2026 | 56% | 13.7% | 7.5% | 6.2% | 5% | 6.2% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1% |
| Aug 2026 | 58% | 14.2% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 4.3% | 5.2% | 2.3% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.86% |
| Sep 2026 | 61.2% | 12.3% | 10% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2% | 1.1% | 0.9% | 0.61% |
How has the Onshape and OpenSCAD comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Onshape was ahead of OpenSCAD in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Onshape’s share of searches among CAD software worldwide moved from 8.8% to 10%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.2M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenSCAD’s share of searches among CAD software worldwide moved from 0.53% to 0.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 74K to 110K.
How did search popularity change for CAD software worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Onshape gained share of searches among CAD software worldwide, from 7.8% to 10%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for OpenSCAD worldwide rose 48.6% over 12 measured months, from 74K to 110K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Onshape’s and OpenSCAD’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among CAD software
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