Migration Guide · Updated August 2026
GrabCAD Workbench Alternative
GrabCAD Workbench shut down on June 1, 2023. If you're here because your team used it for file version control and a basic BOM view, and you're now looking for something that also handles real BOM management and change control, here's what happened and what to look for next.
Workbench shutdown
Jun 2023
per GrabCAD's own announcement
Data retained after shutdown
None
all files and data were deleted
oroForge Team plan
$50
per month for 10 seats
What happened to GrabCAD Workbench
Stratasys, which acquired GrabCAD in 2014, shut down Workbench on June 1, 2023. GrabCAD's own farewell post confirmed that all files and data stored in the service were deleted, and that the web and desktop applications stopped functioning. Remaining users were pointed to GrabCAD Shop, a tool built for additive-manufacturing shop-floor workflows, not a PDM or BOM replacement.
GrabCAD itself is still an active brand: Stratasys continues to invest in GrabCAD Print and related additive-manufacturing tools. It's specifically Workbench, the file-collaboration and version-control product, that was discontinued.
What Workbench offered, and what to look for instead
| Capability | oroForge | GrabCAD Workbench (2014-2023) |
|---|---|---|
| File version control | Workbench, when live: native SolidWorks + STEP/STL | |
| Multi-level, managed BOM | Workbench offered a flat, assembly-derived parts list only | |
| ECO / change-order workflow | Workbench had lightweight forking, not formal approvals | |
| Electrical BOM support | Coming soon | Workbench never supported ECAD tools |
| Currently available to sign up for | Discontinued June 1, 2023 |
Workbench columns describe the product as it existed before its June 2023 shutdown, based on GrabCAD's own historical documentation. It is not a currently available product to compare against.
What to look for in a replacement
Workbench covered file version control well, but it was never a full PLM. Its BOM view was assembly-derived and flat: a parts list with quantity and revision, exportable to Excel, not a managed multi-level BOM with release states. Its change tracking was a lightweight fork/branch model, not a formal ECO workflow with approval routing. And it never supported electrical CAD tools at all.
If your team is evaluating a replacement, the three gaps worth checking for are: a real multi-level BOM (not just a parts list), a formal change-order process with approval states, and, if your product spans mechanical and electrical design, a single place both disciplines can land their BOM data.
How oroForge fits
oroForge covers the gaps Workbench left: multiple managed BOMs per project with full revision history, an ECO-based change-order workflow you can turn on when your team is ready for it, and file import for both mechanical and electrical BOM data, spreadsheets, datasheets, and STEP files, with an AI review step that nests subassemblies into their own sub-BOMs automatically. Live CAD sync is coming soon; import works today. The free plan is permanent: 1 user, up to 3 BOMs, no time limit.
Frequently asked questions
Is GrabCAD Workbench still available?
No. GrabCAD shut down Workbench on June 1, 2023. Per GrabCAD's own announcement, all files and data stored in Workbench were deleted, and the web and desktop apps no longer function. Stratasys, which owns GrabCAD, redirected remaining users to GrabCAD Shop, a tool built for additive-manufacturing shop workflows rather than PDM or BOM management.
Why did GrabCAD shut down Workbench?
Stratasys refocused GrabCAD software development on additive manufacturing, specifically GrabCAD Print and related tools, rather than the file-collaboration and version-control product Workbench had been. GrabCAD itself remains an active brand under Stratasys; it is specifically Workbench that was discontinued.
What did GrabCAD Workbench actually do?
Workbench was primarily a PDM tool: cloud file storage and version control for CAD files, native SolidWorks support plus neutral formats like STEP and STL, and a lightweight assembly-derived BOM view (a component list with quantity and revision, exportable to Excel). Its change-tracking was a simple fork/branch model, not a formal ECO workflow with approval routing and release states.
What should I look for in a GrabCAD Workbench replacement?
Beyond file version control, look for a real multi-level BOM (not just a flat, assembly-derived parts list), a formal ECO or change-order workflow with approval states, and support for both mechanical and electrical BOM data if your product spans both. Workbench never covered any of the last three.
Does oroForge import data from an old GrabCAD Workbench export?
Workbench's own data was deleted when the service shut down, so there's nothing left on GrabCAD's side to migrate from directly. If you kept local exports (spreadsheets, STEP files, or datasheets), oroForge imports those formats directly, and an AI review step nests subassemblies into sub-BOMs rather than leaving everything as flat line items.
Also compare:
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