Hexagon VISI vs Onshape

Hexagon VISI is paid CAD/CAE/CAM software for designing, analysing and validating moulds and dies, especially plastic injection tooling. Its suite covers complex 3D modelling, electrode design, progressive die development, 3D data repair and sheet-metal unfolding. VISI Mold creates 3D moulds with parametric controls and standard libraries, while VISI Flow analyses injection-moulding flow. VISI Machining creates toolpaths for complex 3D parts and generates NC code using high-speed milling and smoothing algorithms. The software uses hybrid modelling and includes assembly design, sheet-metal tools, surface modelling, multiresolution and voxel sculpting, and texture painting. It runs on 64-bit Windows 11 Professional and specifies 4 GB RAM minimum. Imports include ACIS, CATIA, STL, DXF/DWG, IGES, STEP, Inventor, NX, SolidWorks, Parasolid and Creo; exports include 3D PDF, ACIS, CATIA V5, STL, IGES, JT Open, Parasolid, STEP and VDA. Pricing is on request.

Onshape is a browser-accessible 3D CAD platform for parametric modeling of solids, surfaces and sheet metal, with iOS and Android apps also available. It supports assembly design, rendering, simulation, CAM and 3D-print export. Simulation covers linear static and modal analysis for stress, deformation and natural frequencies; CAM supports machining from 2.5-axis through 5-axis machines. Collaboration includes multi-user editing, instant sharing, real-time communication and access controls. Built-in product data management includes edit history, version control, release management, search and design-data sharing. The Free Plan is for non-commercial use, with publicly accessible documents and unlimited public storage. Standard costs $1,500/user/yr; Professional costs $2,500 per year. Qualified professionals may be eligible for a Professional trial of up to six months without a credit card. Enterprise uses custom pricing. Onshape says updates arrive every three weeks without installations or downtime. Listed integrations include Slack, Arena PLM, Altium Designer, FeatureScript, REST API and the App Store.