eDrawings requires installation and is SolidWorks-centric. Here are 6 alternatives to share 3D files without a .exe or Dassault license.
eDrawings remains the go-to SolidWorks viewer for native files (.SLDPRT, .SLDASM), but two frictions rule it out the moment you share outside the company: you have to install a .exe, and the file travels badly over email. Gmail caps attachments at 25 MB and most corporate mail servers are stricter still, so an eDrawings assembly is often rejected or silently blocked. The six alternatives below open the model directly in the browser, with no install and no attachment.
OmniView 3D opens STEP, IGES, FBX, GLB and OBJ directly in the browser, desktop, mobile and tablet. Your recipient clicks the link and sees the interactive 3D model without downloading anything; they can annotate and comment without creating an account. Models are private by default and the link is revocable. EU hosted (AWS eu-west-1, Ireland), GDPR-compliant, free Starter plan (3 models, 100 MB).
viewer.autodesk.com opens STEP, DWG and RVT for free in the browser. A good option if your files are STEP-based and you don't need SolidWorks-specific features. Full breakdown in our Autodesk Viewer alternatives.
3DViewerOnline supports STEP, IGES, STL and OBJ in the browser, no installation. Free plan (very limited) or paid from $15/month, US hosting.
Fusion 360 generates review links accessible without an account on the recipient's side. A ~$545-680/year subscription is required for a simple sharing need.
JT2Go is free but Siemens-centric (JT format). The web app only offers basic pan/zoom/rotate; the desktop app is needed for PMI and sections.
FreeCAD opens STEP and IGES files for free, cross-platform. Good for local inspection, but it's a full application to install, not designed for sharing a link with a non-technical client.
| Tool | Installation | Formats | Link sharing | Hosting | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OmniView 3D | None (browser) | STEP, IGES, GLB, FBX, OBJ + | Yes, private and revocable | EU (eu-west-1) | Sharing with clients who lack SolidWorks |
| eDrawings | Yes (.exe) | SolidWorks + STEP/IGES | Local export | Local | Native SolidWorks files |
| Autodesk Viewer | None (browser) | STEP, DWG, RVT | Link access | US | Autodesk-format files |
| 3DViewerOnline | None (browser) | STEP, IGES, STL, OBJ | Paid plans | US | Low-cost viewing |
| JT2Go | Basic web / desktop | JT (Siemens) | No | Local | Siemens NX ecosystem |
| FreeCAD | Yes (software) | STEP, IGES | No | Local | Local open-source inspection |
What the friction-free alternatives have in common is a neutral format instead of the native Dassault one. Staying locked to a proprietary format carries a cost, a study for NIST put imperfect format interoperability at over $1 billion a year in the US automotive supply chain alone. Export a STEP from SolidWorks (File → Save As → STEP) and open it in a free STEP file viewer, or use our online SolidWorks viewer directly. Need to hand off a STEP with no CAD license? See share a STEP file without SolidWorks.
Ask the sender for a STEP, IGES or FBX export (SolidWorks produces these via File → Save As), then upload it to OmniView 3D. You get an interactive 3D viewer in the browser, with no .exe to install.
OmniView 3D: no installation, no account on the recipient's side, a private and revocable link that opens in any browser including mobile, with annotations and comments and no sign-up.
Two reasons: the .exe and executable attachments are filtered by most mail gateways, and an assembly often exceeds the attachment size limit (Gmail caps at 25 MB, many servers are stricter). A viewer link sidesteps both problems.
The basic eDrawings viewer is free, but publishing and the advanced sharing features go through eDrawings Professional, which comes with a paid SolidWorks license. For simple sharing, a free browser viewer avoids that dependency.
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