ShareCAD alternative for client review: ShareCAD vs MeshMarkup
ShareCAD is a free online viewer for DWG, STEP and other CAD files. MeshMarkup is for sending a 3D model to a client and getting their notes back. When to use which.
ShareCAD (sharecad.org) is a free online viewer for CAD files. You upload a drawing or a model and look at it in the browser, with no installation, and it covers a wide range of formats, including 2D DWG and DXF drawings. MeshMarkup is built for a different job: sending a 3D model to a client, getting their notes pinned on it, answering them, and moving on to the next version until they approve it.
This comparison uses ShareCAD's public website as of October 2026. Check sharecad.org for the current details.
At a glance
| ShareCAD | MeshMarkup | |
|---|---|---|
| What it's for | Viewing CAD files online | Client review rounds on 3D models |
| Price | Free | Free plan; paid plans from €29/month |
| 2D drawings (DWG, DXF, PLT) | Yes | No, 3D only |
| 3D formats | STEP, IGES, STL, SAT, Parasolid, SolidWorks parts and more | GLB, glTF, FBX, OBJ, STL, PLY, DAE, STEP, IGES, 3DM, 3MF, 3DS |
| File size | Up to 50 MB per file | Free viewer: files up to 1 GB. Account storage depends on the plan |
| Notes pinned to the model by the client | — | Yes, no account needed |
| Replies and note statuses | — | Yes |
| Versions, with open notes carried over | — | Yes |
| Client sign-off on a version | — | Yes (Solo plan and up) |
| Section cut and exploded view, saved for the client | — | Yes |
— means we didn't find it described on ShareCAD's website, not that it can't exist.
When ShareCAD is the better choice
- You need to open a 2D drawing: DWG, DXF or a plot file. MeshMarkup is 3D only.
- You have a SolidWorks part or a Parasolid file and no way to export it. MeshMarkup needs a STEP, IGES or mesh export from most CAD programs.
- You only want to look at a file yourself, once.
When MeshMarkup is the better choice
- You're sending the model to a client and they need to tell you what to change. They click the spot on the model and type; you see the note on that spot, from the angle they were looking at.
- The job runs over several rounds. Upload v2 to the same model and the open notes come with it, so the conversation carries on where it stopped.
- You want the client to see the model the way you set it up: your lighting, a section cut, or an exploded view along one axis.
- You need a record of what was asked, what you answered and which version was approved. See client sign-off.
Moving a review to MeshMarkup
Export STEP from your CAD program
SolidWorks: . Other programs: see how to export STEP.
Check it in the free viewer
Drop it on the free STEP viewer. No account needed.
Send it for review
Click Share in the viewer to send it to your client. See share a CAD model with a client.
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Get feedback on the model, not on a screenshot
Upload a model, send one link, and your client clicks the exact spot. Free to start — no card.