Comparison

PolyWorks|Talisman vs Onshape 3D CAD

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PolyWorks|Talisman

Operate PolyWorks|Inspector measurement software remotely from your mobile device. Control probing and scanning operations directly next to the inspected part, receiving live feedback and guidance cues. Ensures confidential and secure operation without internet connection.

Highlights
  • Remote control of PolyWorks|Inspector
  • Operate from mobile devices
  • Connect to probing/scanning devices
  • Configure measurement modes
  • Live 3D Scene display
  • Real-time guidance cues
  • Encrypted communications
Features
Read full description

The free PolyWorks|Talisman™ app is a smart remote control solution that allows measurement specialists to operate PolyWorks|Inspector™ from mobile computing devices, through a secure Wi-Fi connection. Work more efficiently by eliminating those back-and-forth trips to the computer. Just take your smart phone or tablet and your 3D measurement device to the parts to be inspected, and control your measurement session from beginning to end. Control PolyWorks® remotely Connect to your probing or laser-scanning device, configure measurement modes and parameters, and launch probing and scanning operations, while staying next to the inspected part. Get live feedback anywhere See the 3D Scene display during your scanning and probing measurement session and hear guidance cues in real time, while reading messages and answering questions directly. Enjoy peace of mind Experience total confidentiality thanks to encrypted communications, no connection to Internet or any other computer, and no proprietary information stored on the mobile device.

About

Onshape 3D CAD

This professional CAD platform enables real-time collaboration on product design from any device. It offers parametric modeling tools, secure cloud storage, and version control, streamlining the design process for teams and individuals. Supports students and educators with free access for non-commercial projects.

Highlights
  • Parametric modeling tools
  • Real-time team collaboration
  • Cloud-based data management
  • Cross-device access
  • Version control and history
  • Commenting and feedback tools
Read full description

Onshape is a full mechanical CAD platform designed for professional users and extended teams. Create, edit, collaborate, and comment in real time with others from any computer or mobile device with an internet connection (free sign-up required). With Onshape’s secure cloud workspace teams can work together from anywhere on any device without the hassles of file management, IT overhead, and license key distribution, helping engineers focus more on doing their best work. Parametric CAD: • Design parts together in Part Studios with a full suite of parametric modeling tools • Create mechanical Assemblies to capture complex motion Ease of Access: • Create, edit, and view from any computer or mobile device (internet connection required) • Begin a project from one device and seamlessly continue from another Collaboration: • Instantly share your CAD data with your teams and partners. Monitor, change, and revoke permissions at any time • Work together with other users and view changes in real-time as they are made • Use Follow mode to see exactly what your teammate sees and add suggestions using Onshape’s built-in commenting tools Data Management: • Maintain a single source of truth for your data, no more sending around or checking in and out of files • Never worry about losing your work, all of your changes are saved automatically • Explore multiple design ideas in parallel and create professional release and approval processes for your designs Onshape for iOS also features Apple Pencil support for more intuitive sketching, navigation, and precise selection. Onshape proudly supports students and educators free of charge and is available free for non-commercial projects in an open-source public work space. Since Onshape is updated every few weeks with dozens of new features and user-requested enhancements, keep an eye out for update notifications from the Apple App Store.

Screenshots

PolyWorks|Talisman4 screens
Onshape 3D CAD4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PolyWorks|Talisman at 100% against Onshape 3D CAD's 47%. PolyWorks|Talisman also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.0). Onshape 3D CAD's advantage is rating (3.5 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Onshape 3D CAD holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Onshape 3D CAD has 412 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of PolyWorks|Talisman's written reviews are positive against 47% of Onshape 3D CAD's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PolyWorks|Talisman ships an update every 3 months, Onshape 3D CAD every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
PolyWorks|Talisman versus Onshape 3D CAD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPolyWorks|TalismanOnshape 3D CAD
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (7 ratings)3.5 (412 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better47.3% of reviews
Number of ratings7412 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB77 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInnovMetric Software IncPTC Inc.

Customer experience

PolyWorks|Talisman

All ratings7 ratings
Positive42.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative42.9%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Onshape 3D CAD

All ratings412 ratings
Positive61.7%
Neutral5.8%
Negative32.5%
Written reviews425 reviews
Positive47.3%
Neutral6.4%
Negative46.4%

Bugs and requests

PolyWorks|Talisman

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Onshape 3D CAD

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Dimensions not visible/editable
  • Rotation/view controls unreliable
  • Unable to create account
  • Incompatible with older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add keyboard shortcuts
  • Improve dimensioning tools
  • Allow private file storage
  • Optimize for iPad/Apple Pencil
  • Provide better documentation/tutorials

In-app purchases

None

PolyWorks|Talisman

No in-app purchases

None

Onshape 3D CAD

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PolyWorks|Talisman free?
PolyWorks|Talisman is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Onshape 3D CAD free?
Onshape 3D CAD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PolyWorks|Talisman or Onshape 3D CAD?
Onshape 3D CAD is rated higher. PolyWorks|Talisman averages 3.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Onshape 3D CAD averages 3.5 from 412 ratings.
Do PolyWorks|Talisman or Onshape 3D CAD have ads?
Neither PolyWorks|Talisman nor Onshape 3D CAD shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PolyWorks|Talisman or Onshape 3D CAD?
PolyWorks|Talisman ships an update every 3 months, and Onshape 3D CAD every 3 weeks. Most recently, PolyWorks|Talisman was updated on October 5, 2026 and Onshape 3D CAD on October 20, 2026.

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