CADViewer by Orua vs ShareCAD

CADViewer by Orua is a free, open-source browser viewer for large engineering drawings and read-only previews. It opens DWG, DXF, STL, STEP/STP, IGES/IGS, and BREP/BRP files through one entry point and toolbar. DWG and DXF files are parsed in a Web Worker with LibreDWG WebAssembly and rendered progressively using Canvas 2D and Path2D. Three-dimensional formats use OpenCascade WebAssembly and WebGL, with selectable metal surface finishes. Controls include pan, wheel zoom, fit-to-view, zoom window, drawing-list visibility, and light or dark backgrounds. Fonts can load on demand, and deployment configuration supports Simplified Chinese and English. The viewer runs on a static web server without an application server or database, with offline or private-network options. Locally selected files stay in browser processing without an account or upload API. It is read-only and lacks editing, property panels, selection workflows, and plugins.

ShareCAD is a cloud platform for storing, sharing, and viewing CAD and BIM files. It renders supported technical files in a browser, so recipients can view shared links without CAD software or an account. Supported formats include DWG, DXF, Revit, IFC, DGN, STEP, IGES, STL, SolidWorks, Navisworks, and PDF. The product supports viewing and sharing, but not creating or editing files.

Sharing options include link expiration, passwords, single-recipient email restrictions, and controls that prevent downloads. Project workspaces, folder sharing, and file request links help organize and collect files. Autodesk Platform Services processes supported formats for browser viewing; subscriptions include Autodesk conversions subject to a monthly limit. The free browser viewer allows files up to 50 MB. Standard costs $49 a month for two users, Team costs $149 a month for 10 users and 3 TB of storage, and Enterprise starts at $2,890 a year. ShareCAD states that files are stored in AWS in the United States (Ohio), connections use HTTPS, and files are encrypted at rest with AES-256.