Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

GrabCAD VS Instructables

Compare GrabCAD VS Instructables and see what are their differences

GrabCAD logo GrabCAD

Helping mechanical engineers build great products faster

Instructables logo Instructables

DIY How To Make Instructions
  • GrabCAD Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-06-14
  • Instructables Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-09

GrabCAD features and specs

  • Large Library of CAD Models
    GrabCAD offers a vast library of CAD models, making it easier for engineers and designers to find and download models that fit their needs or inspire their projects.
  • Collaboration and Sharing
    The platform allows for collaboration among engineers and designers by enabling them to share models, comment on designs, and give feedback. This fosters a community-driven environment ideal for teamwork and learning.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    GrabCAD's interface is designed to be intuitive, making it easy for users to navigate, search for models, and manage their own design files without a steep learning curve.
  • Visibility and Exposure
    By uploading designs to GrabCAD, users can gain visibility and showcase their work to a larger audience, which can be beneficial for professional networking and building a portfolio.
  • Integration with CAD Software
    The platform integrates well with popular CAD software, improving workflow efficiency by allowing seamless import and export of design files.

Possible disadvantages of GrabCAD

  • Quality Variance
    The quality of models on GrabCAD can vary significantly because they are user-uploaded. This variability can sometimes lead to models that do not meet professional or industry standards.
  • Limited Intellectual Property Protection
    Sharing designs on GrabCAD can pose risks to intellectual property protection since once a design is uploaded, it becomes publicly accessible, potentially leading to unauthorized use.
  • Potential for Inaccurate Models
    Some models may lack necessary details or may not be accurate, requiring users to double-check and verify the integrity of the designs before use.
  • Dependence on Internet Connection
    Accessing and downloading models from GrabCAD requires a stable internet connection, which could be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity.
  • Limited Customization Options on Free Version
    Some features, such as advanced customization options, may be limited or unavailable in the free version, which might affect users who need specific functionalities without purchasing premium services.

Instructables features and specs

  • Diverse Range of Projects
    Instructables offers a wide variety of projects across multiple categories, including technology, crafts, cooking, and more, catering to diverse interests and skill levels.
  • Community Engagement
    The platform fosters a strong sense of community with user-generated content, allowing individuals to share their projects, comment on others, and collaborate with like-minded hobbyists.
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
    Most projects come with detailed step-by-step guides and pictures, making it easier for users to follow along and successfully complete projects.
  • Educational Resource
    Instructables serves as a valuable educational tool, providing tutorials that can help users learn new skills and gain knowledge in various fields.
  • Free Access
    A significant portion of the content on Instructables is accessible for free, allowing users to explore and create without any financial commitment.

Possible disadvantages of Instructables

  • Quality Variation
    The quality of projects can vary greatly, as the content is user-generated. Some instructions may lack clarity or be incomplete, leading to potential frustration.
  • Ad Distractions
    The free version of the site includes advertisements, which can be distracting and hinder the user experience while browsing or following instructions.
  • Premium Membership
    Access to some of the more advanced features or ad-free browsing requires a premium membership, which can be a downside for users looking for a completely free experience.
  • Overwhelming Choices
    With a vast number of projects available, users might find it overwhelming to locate the most suitable or high-quality instructions for their needs.
  • Inconsistent Updates
    Not all categories or projects are consistently updated, which might lead to outdated information or limited new project inspirations in certain areas.

GrabCAD videos

Grabcad Workbench Beta Review

More videos:

  • Review - GrabCAD Review : Best Website for Engineers | Biggest Community of Designers
  • Review - GrabCAD Platform

Instructables videos

Instructables Electronics Class: Project Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GrabCAD and Instructables)
3D Modeling
100 100%
0% 0
Additive Manufacturing
0 0%
100% 100
Digital Fabrication
45 45%
55% 55
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GrabCAD and Instructables

GrabCAD Reviews

Top 10 3D Model Databases: The Best Sites to Download 3D Models for 3D Printing
GrabCAD is different than the databases we have looked at so far. Firstly, GrabCad provides you with technical, engineering, and scale models only. Secondly, it lets you filter its database based on the 3D modeling software that the designs were created in. It’s the place to be for anyone looking for more than 27,000 technical 3D files. However, take into account that this...

Instructables Reviews

We have no reviews of Instructables yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Instructables should be more popular than GrabCAD. It has been mentiond 37 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

GrabCAD mentions (22)

  • Found a beat up Cosmos 1000 in a charity shop, and turned it into my first home server build.
    I used grabcad to get the models for those - I'm definitely not that good at modelling myself yet. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Best ways to learn Fusion?
    You can also go to grabcad.com and download some sample files and try to recreate them. Source: about 2 years ago
  • DIY Musgrave 9Para with Glock 17 magazine
    So I would like to share and discuss the idea with you - and further improve and simplify the model with your suggestions. The 3d model can be found in grabcad.com with "musgrave resurrection". Source: over 2 years ago
  • Does anyone knows where to get iPhone14 Pro max STL?
    You can try grabcad.com they tend to carry similar files for people to use. Phones, cameras, 3d printers, general machinery and the like. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Grandpa’s reaction to grandsons 3D printer
    Bro I got a 3d printer last week, literally never touched one before. I'm using Fusion 360 to model stuff, which is free for personal use, and there's a bunch of tutorials on Youtube. There's a huge library of 3d-printable stuff on https://grabcad.com. Source: almost 3 years ago
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Instructables mentions (37)

  • Broken Samsung charger
    Note that I could not find much documentation on references written on these components and that I am pretty new to electronics but it's something I'm interested in and I love to experiment (I have already went through hackster.io and instructables.com tutorials). Source: about 2 years ago
  • A compilation of bragging about how much money Beggy claims she has taken (read: scammed) her followers for. All of these have been posted in the past 3 DAYS. Her smug desperation is positively RANCID. Poor little Audrey-Prop is just dangling there.
    This person would have better luck participating in contests run by Instructables. Write a tutorial, submit it to one of the contests that are run every 6 weeks(themes and subjects vary from cooking, computer themed, design) for a chance to win an Amazon gift card worth $100-500 depending on the contest. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Over 11 hrs since she posted this and not a single 🔥 in the comments - I really do love that for her. She's now offering to help you figure out what you are passionate about/want to sell courses on 🙄
    Want to know how to make a tutorial? Go to Instructables. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Help me validate my idea for StrideDoc - an all-in-one solution for creating interactive demos, step-by-step tutorials, and product documentation!
    From your comment, I would say that we will work in a completely different niche than the one instructables.com tried to work. Source: about 2 years ago
  • looking for good free plans to build a shed/barn
    Instructables.com is a good place to start. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GrabCAD and Instructables, you can also consider the following products

Wikifactory - Engineer the future with Wikifactory. Wikifactory unifies teams in real-time, enabling efficient communication, streamlined workflows, and accelerated time-to-market.

edX - Best Courses. Top Institutions. Learn anytime, anywhere.

Trustudies - Trustudies provide top-class home tuition along with non-paid membership from IITian.

Treehouse - Treehouse is an award-winning online platform that teaches people how to code.

Thingiverse - Thingiverse.com is the place to share digital designs for fabricating real, physical objects.

Pantheon - The professional website platform for Drupal & WordPress sites.