Overview

Cascadia PLM brings product requirements, parts, bills of materials, engineering changes, and work orders into a connected product lifecycle management record. Its core combines structured product data with documents, revision schemes, workflows, file storage, search, import and export, APIs, and a browser-based 3D viewer.

Teams can self-host Cascadia or use its managed cloud service. The maker describes it as software for engineering and manufacturing teams, including organizations moving from spreadsheets and defense or maritime engineering groups. For category browsing, see our Product Lifecycle Management Software and Bill of Materials Software lists.

Key features

Product records and revisions

The core includes parts, documents, requirements, and multi-level BOMs, supported by workflows, lifecycles, and revision schemes. Search and import/export tools support working with those records, while revision control, requirements management, BOM management, and workflow automation are listed capabilities.

Engineering change workspaces

Each engineering change order can be developed in an isolated workspace. Teams can review the proposed work and merge it when ready, keeping a change separate from the main record until that point.

Configurable workflows and access

Item types, workflows, lifecycles, and permissions can be set in TypeScript configuration files and reviewed through pull requests. Security documentation describes role-based and program-based access controls, session security, CSRF checks, and same-origin CORS by default.

CAD, integrations, and AI

Cascadia documents conversion of STEP and IGES files to STL and GLB, with browser-based 3D viewing. Optional Solid Edge and SolidWorks add-ins are listed on the pricing page. Configurable ERP, MES, and CRM connectors are also available, including connectors for Epicor, Global Shop, and Odoo.

The documentation says AI features work with OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and Ollama. The free core includes REST and SysML v2 APIs; managed-cloud API access is an optional paid add-on.

Deployment and support

Self-hosting documentation covers Docker Compose, single-server, distributed high-availability, and Kubernetes deployments. The maker describes Cascadia as ITAR-ready and says deployment within a customer's own boundary supports its ITAR approach. Support materials include installation and quick-start guides, troubleshooting, FAQs, GitHub Discussions, and GitHub Issues.

Pricing

Cascadia has a free self-hosted core and paid commercial and managed-cloud plans. The free plan includes unlimited editors and viewers, with core PLM under AGPL-3.0. Managed-cloud API access is a separate paid add-on.

Plan	Price	Listed details
Self-Hosted Core	0.00 USD per free	Unlimited editors and viewers; core PLM under AGPL-3.0
Managed Cloud — up to 20 editors	850.00 USD per month	Billed $10,200/yr, billed annually; up to 20 editor seats and unlimited viewers
Managed Cloud — up to 50 editors	1750.00 USD per month	Up to 50 editor seats and unlimited viewers
Commercial License — Pilot	2090.00 USD per once	90-day pilot, credited toward year one on conversion
Managed Cloud — up to 100 editors	3000.00 USD per month	Up to 100 editor seats and unlimited viewers
Commercial License — Growth	3050.00 USD per year	Billed Annual; teams up to 50; self-hosted or managed hosting on customer hardware
Commercial License — Enterprise	60120.00 USD per year	Billed Annual; unlimited editors and viewers; CAD, enterprise connectors, and SSO included; ITAR / AWS GovCloud add-on: +$30–50K/yr
Managed Cloud — 100+ editors	Price not listed	100+ editor seats and unlimited viewers

A free trial is not listed.

Platforms

Cascadia lists API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows platforms. Its deployment options range from single-server installations to distributed high-availability and Kubernetes setups.

Who it's for

Cascadia is aimed at engineering and manufacturing teams that need to manage product records, revisions, requirements, and bills of materials together. Its configurable workflows and change workspaces may suit teams formalizing processes previously handled in spreadsheets. The maker also identifies defense and maritime engineering teams as intended users; its ITAR positioning is tied to self-hosting within the customer's own boundary.

Pros and cons

Pros: The free self-hosted core includes unlimited editors and viewers, with REST and SysML v2 APIs.
Pros: Product records, requirements, multi-level BOMs, revision control, workflows, and change workspaces sit within one PLM system.
Pros: Self-hosting and several documented deployment patterns give teams deployment choices.
Cons: Managed-cloud API access is an optional paid add-on.
Cons: The Managed Cloud — 100+ editors price is not listed.
Cons: The Enterprise plan's ITAR / AWS GovCloud add-on is listed at +$30–50K/yr.

Alternatives

For other PLM and engineering options, consider NETVIBES, Dokuly, Autodesk Fusion, Oracle Fusion Cloud PLM, Aras Innovator, Centric PLM, and Creo. For a manufacturing ERP option, see Aptean Industrial Manufacturing ERP Traverse Edition.

Verdict

Cascadia PLM brings product records, requirements, BOMs, revisions, and engineering change workflows into a shared system, with both self-hosted and managed-cloud deployment. Its free core offers a way to start with self-hosting, while the paid plans add commercial licensing or managed hosting at listed seat tiers. Teams should weigh the self-hosting and configuration options against their deployment and integration needs, and note that cloud API access costs extra and the largest cloud tier has no listed price.

	Cascadia PLM	PTC Windchill
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	$254.17/mo	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	api, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, Web, Windows	Web
Free plan	Yes	—
Revision control	Yes	Yes
Deployment	cloud	—

Cascadia PLM vs PTC Windchill

Cascadia PLM

PTC Windchill