How Does Online CAD Usually Charge?
Start with the conclusion: cadAI pricing is to be confirmed, and this page writes no price number at all, and no tier or free allowance either. What can be explained is how charging is usually divided: a free basic version, a subscription, pay by use, and pay by seat. Those are divisions at the category level, not pricing for any specific product. Before choosing, look at the price shown on the page, and treat the page price as the authority. What the page does not state should not be inferred from the title.
cadAI is a browser-based parametric CAD from Aiglade, for mechanical part modeling, hole drilling, measurement, and export, with the same kernel on desktop, in the browser, and over MCP.
- SolidCraft — kernel (an independent community project, not an ArtCraft product line)
- S-01 primitives, S-02 holes, S-03 conversion, S-04 measurement, S-05 preview — connected intents
- Desktop, browser, and MCP — three forms, one kernel
- To be confirmed — pricing
What cadAI is made of
cadAI is not a single standalone program. It is three forms plus one assistant. The web version does parametric modeling in the browser: open cad.aiglade.cn and work with nothing to install, using primitives, holes, conversion, measurement, and preview. The desktop version does local modeling with the same Rust kernel, for users who need local files. The MCP interface is for AI agents, and an agent drives modeling directly through it, used by developers. The AI assistant does one-sentence modeling, calling the five intents, S-01 through S-05: tell it one sentence, such as building a flanged plate disc first, drilling a ring of holes, and then measuring the hole spacing, and it runs those steps in order. What it produces is a draft, and delivery needs a preview and a confirmation first.
Charging is not divided by these four parts, and facts.md states that pricing is to be confirmed.
Four charging models
Online CAD charging usually falls into four models. Only the division is explained here, with no numbers attached to any of them.
- Free basic version: basic features cost nothing, and the model fits light needs and users who want to try first. How far the free version goes, and which features need payment, depends on the price shown on the page.
- Subscription: pay by month or by year, and use the full features while the subscription lasts, which fits users who work with the tool for a long time. What a subscription includes depends on the price shown on the page.
- Pay by use: pay for how much is used, which fits users who open the tool only now and then. What is counted as use depends on the price shown on the page.
- Pay by seat: a team pays per person, which fits small teams. How seats are counted depends on the price shown on the page.
These four models are divisions at the category level, not cadAI pricing. cadAI pricing is to be confirmed, and facts.md gives no tiers, no free allowance, and no statement of what a subscription includes, so none of that is written here.
Six steps to check before choosing
Work through six steps in order before deciding.
- Look at the boundary first. Simple parts, flanged plates, and brackets are inside the scope, while complex curved surfaces, assemblies, and CAM are outside it.
- Look at the price shown on the page. cadAI pricing is to be confirmed, and tiers, free allowances, and what a subscription includes should be read on the page first.
- Try a light need first. Open cad.aiglade.cn, build a flanged plate in six steps: set the parameters first, build the rough shape, drill the holes, measure, preview, and export.
- Look at the export limits next. Export goes through S-03 conversion, and the formats depend on what the page itself offers, so confirm first whether the format you need is there.
- Look at whether a team needs seats. One person using the tool and a team using it are two different things, and how seats are counted depends on the price shown on the page.
- Decide last. Decide only when the boundary matches, the price is clear, and export is enough for the need. When the boundary does not match, paying does not make it work.
Comparison: three kinds of choices
| Aspect | cadAI (web) | Desktop CAD | General online tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install | Opens in the browser, nothing to install | Install several GB of local software | Opens in the browser |
| Parametric modeling | Yes, a changed parameter moves the part with it | Yes | Mostly simple edits, not parametric |
| Holes and measurement | S-02 holes and S-04 measurement connected | Yes | Depends on the tool, often incomplete |
| Pricing | To be confirmed, follow the price shown on the page | Follow the official page | Follow each tool page |
| AI agent drive | MCP interface, an agent can drive modeling directly | Usually not offered | Usually not offered |
| Fits | Simple parts, flanged plates, brackets; size checks before 3D printing | Complex curved surfaces, assemblies, CAM | Light viewing and small edits |
| Main limit | Complex curved surfaces, assembly motion simulation, and CAM are outside its scope | Large size, steep learning curve | Shallow features, no parametric parts |
The table compares categories only, with no version numbers, prices, or scores for any specific product. Charging models differ from product to product, so the table states where to look for the price, instead of writing a number that facts.md does not give.
cadAI in numbers
- 5 intents — S-01 primitives, S-02 holes, S-03 conversion, S-04 measurement, S-05 preview. Source: wiring-layer record, 2026-11-11. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 3 forms — desktop, browser, and MCP, one kernel across all three. Source: official repository notes, 2026-11-11. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 3 audience groups — mechanical engineers, makers, and 3D printing users. Source: facts.md. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 4 suitable uses — parametric modeling of simple parts, flanged plates, and brackets; dimension checks before 3D printing; letting an AI agent build models through MCP; light CAD work without a large desktop program such as Fusion 360. Source: facts.md. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 2 unsuitable uses — complex curved surfaces, assembly motion simulation, and CAM toolpaths; work needing vendor certification and production-grade accuracy sign-off. Source: facts.md. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 4 charging models — free basic version, subscription, pay by use, and pay by seat, described at the category level only. Source: this page, counted from the charging section. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 6 steps — the check sequence in this page, from looking at the boundary to deciding last. Source: this page, counted from the steps section. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 7 table rows — the comparison table in this page, covering install, parametric modeling, holes and measurement, pricing, AI agent drive, fits, and main limit. Source: this page, counted from the table. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- Kernel: SolidCraft, an independent community project, not an ArtCraft product line. Source: deployment record, 2026-11-11. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- Pricing: to be confirmed. Source: facts.md. Verified: 2026-11-12.
Evidence
cadAI is a browser-based parametric CAD from Aiglade, for mechanical part modeling, hole drilling, measurement, and export, with the same kernel on desktop, in the browser, and over MCP. Its kernel is SolidCraft, an independent community project, not an ArtCraft product line. Its AI assistant takes five intents — S-01 primitives, S-02 holes, S-03 conversion, S-04 measurement, and S-05 preview — and it fits simple mechanical parts, flanged plates, and brackets, plus dimension checks before 3D printing. Complex curved surfaces, assembly motion simulation, and CAM toolpaths are outside its scope, and every export needs a hand check of dimensions and tolerances. Pricing is to be confirmed, not published, and this page writes no price, tier, or free allowance at all, because charging models are described at the category level only.
FAQ
Q: How does online CAD usually charge?
Usually in four models, with only the division explained and no numbers written: a free basic version, a subscription, pay by use, and pay by seat. How far the free version goes, what a subscription includes, what counts as use, and how seats are counted all depend on the price shown on each product page. cadAI pricing is to be confirmed, and this page writes no price number at all.
Q: Does cadAI charge?
Pricing is to be confirmed, not published. Tiers, free allowances, and what a subscription includes are not given in facts.md, and none of them are written here. Before choosing, look at the price shown on the page, and do not infer what the page does not state.
Q: Is a free version enough?
It depends on the need. For light needs, such as simple parts, flanged plates, and brackets, the basic features may be enough. Complex curved surfaces, assemblies, and CAM are outside the scope of cadAI, and paying does not make them possible. Before choosing, look at the boundary of what fits, and only then look at the price.
Not written / to verify
- Pricing is to be confirmed; no price, tier, or free allowance is written in this page. Charging models are described at the category level only, not as pricing for any specific product.
- Button labels and click paths are not written: the site is a wasm shell with no static text to check against, so the steps stay at the workflow level and do not name a specific button.
- Whether chamfering is supported is unconfirmed: chamfering is not among the five connected intents in facts.md, and whether it is supported depends on what the page itself offers.
- Export formats are not listed in facts.md; no format list is written as fact in this page, and formats depend on what the page itself offers.
- File size limits and browser performance with complex models are not given in facts.md.