3D-Tool
3D-Tool is a German software company that develops a Windows-based CAD viewer and converter supporting 30+ 3D and 2D file formats. It serves engineering, procurement, manufacturing, quality assurance, and sales departments needing to inspect and share CAD data without purchasing full CAD licenses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersWeinheim, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What 3D-Tool does
3D-Tool GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held German software company headquartered in Weinheim, Germany, that develops a standalone Windows desktop CAD viewer and converter. The company's flagship product enables organizations to open, inspect, measure, analyze, and convert 3D models and 2D drawings from more than 30 native and exchange CAD formats — including CATIA, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, Autodesk Inventor, Solid Edge, Rhino, JT, STEP, IGES, Parasolid, and SAT — without requiring users to own CAD software or possess CAD expertise. The underlying technology relies on Tech Soft 3D's HOOPS Exchange SDK for CAD file reading/writing, with proprietary visualization data conversion that allows large assemblies to be opened on standard PCs, and an OpenCL-accelerated analysis toolset covering wall thickness, draft angles, undercut detection, collision analysis, and PMI display. The 3D-NativeCAD Converter add-on (Premium tier) converts native CAD models into BREP exchange formats and visualization formats such as 3D-PDF, 3D-HTML, FBX, and glTF.
The company monetizes through a perpetual one-time license model with three paid tiers (Basic €200, Advanced €400, Premium €800) and a free viewer tier that acts as a top-of-funnel acquisition channel. Revenue mechanics rely on version upgrades, volume licensing (50+ seats), and server licenses for enterprise deployments. Go-to-market is product-led: direct website download and purchase via 3d-tool.de, supplemented by reseller/Paddle payment channels. The product serves horizontal enterprise functions — engineering/development, procurement, tool and mold making, quality assurance, production planning, and sales/distribution — at customers including Cubex AG, G. Mertgens + Co. GmbH, and Siemens AG Industry Sector, with "several tens of thousands" of users worldwide.
3D-Tool is structured as a GmbH & Co. KG with managing director Ingo Wulf at the helm. There is no disclosed external venture or private equity investment; the company is independently owned and operates without subsidiaries or a parent entity. The company has demonstrated continuous product evolution, with Version 16.00 (2023) introducing BOM and custom reports and Version 17.00 (2024) adding OpenCL acceleration and collision analysis, and most recently Version 17.20 (March 2026) supporting Siemens NX 2512 and SolidWorks 2026 — keeping pace with annual CAD vendor releases.
3D-Tool firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 3D-Tool
- Legal name
- 3D-Tool GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://3d-tool.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- 3D-Tool is a German software company that develops a Windows-based CAD viewer and converter supporting 30+ 3D and 2D file formats. It serves engineering, procurement, manufacturing, quality assurance, and sales departments needing to inspect and share CAD data without purchasing full CAD licenses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
3D-Tool industry classification
Industry- Product category
- CAD Viewer and Converter Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (51321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- 3D Design & CAD for Additive Manufacturing (IMAAACAA)
Keywords
Where 3D-Tool is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Weinheim
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
3D-Tool business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Software Licenses: One-time perpetual license sales with tiered pricing (Basic €200, Advanced €400, Premium €800). No recurring maintenance fees. Free updates within major version. Optional server licenses for enterprise deployments with volume pricing at 50+ seats.
- Version Upgrades: Paid upgrades to new major versions available. Minor updates within major version are free.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Viewer - Free CAD viewer for STL, 3MF, and DDD files with basic measurement and analysis tools |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Basic Edition - €200 per single-seat license |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Advanced Edition - €400 per single-seat license |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Edition - €800 per single-seat license |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
3D-Tool product offering
Product offeringCore offering
3D-Tool is a Windows desktop CAD viewer and converter software that enables enterprises to open, inspect, measure, analyze, and convert 3D models and 2D drawings from more than 30 CAD formats (including CATIA, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, Inventor, Solid Edge, Rhino, STEP, IGES, JT, Parasolid, DWG/DXF, and STL/3MF) without requiring any native CAD software or CAD expertise. It offers a free viewer tier, paid perpetual licenses at three price points (Basic, Advanced, Premium), and a Premium-exclusive 3D-NativeCAD Converter for BREP-based and visualization format conversion.
Product overview
3D-Tool is a standalone Windows desktop CAD viewer and converter software. The product portfolio consists of the 3D-Tool CAD-Viewer und Konverter (core product) with version 17, available in three paid licensing tiers: Basic (€200), Advanced (€400), and Premium (€800), all offering the same viewing, measurement, and analysis capabilities but differing in supported import interfaces. A free tier (3D-Tool Free Viewer) provides limited file support for non-licensed users. The 3D-NativeCAD Converter is a Premium-exclusive add-on enabling conversion of native CAD formats to BREP exchange formats and visualization formats. The software supports more than 30 3D and 2D CAD formats including CATIA, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, Inventor, and STEP, targeting enterprises in development, procurement, manufacturing, and quality assurance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 3D-Tool Free Viewer: Free CAD viewer version supporting DDD, STL, and 3MF file formats with core viewing, measurement, and analysis functions.
- 3D-Tool Basic
- 3D-Tool Advanced
- 3D-Tool Premium
- 3D-NativeCAD Converter
Products and services
- 3D-Tool CAD Viewer and Converter (Version 17) Windows desktop CAD viewer and converter that enables enterprises to open, inspect, measure, analyze, and convert 3D models and 2D drawings from more than 30 CAD formats (CATIA, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, Inventor, Solid Edge, Rhino, STEP, IGES, JT, Parasolid, DWG/DXF, STL/3MF, etc.) without requiring the source CAD software or CAD expertise. Sold in Basic, Advanced, and Premium licensing tiers.
- 3D-Tool Free Viewer Free CAD viewer for 3D-Tool EXE/DDD, STL, and 3MF files that provides core viewing, measurement, cross-section, explode, and analysis tools so that recipients of CAD data shared by 3D-Tool customers can open files without purchasing a license.
- 3D-NativeCAD Converter Premium-exclusive converter that transforms native CAD models from CATIA, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, Inventor and others into exact BREP geometries (STEP, IGES, JT, X_T, SAT) and triangulated visualization formats (3D-PDF, 3D-HTML, FBX, Collada, 3MF, glTF) for downstream CAD/CAM, visualization, and collaboration use cases.
- 3D-Tool Basic Entry-level single-seat perpetual license (€200) of the 3D-Tool CAD viewer with full viewer, measurement, and analysis functionality, Basic 3D interfaces (STL, VRML, 3MF, OBJ, PLY, 3DS, etc.), 2D interfaces (DXF, DWG, HPGL/HPGL2), and export to standard visualization formats.
- 3D-Tool Advanced Mid-tier single-seat perpetual license (€400) of the 3D-Tool CAD viewer that includes all Basic features plus Advanced 3D interfaces (STEP, IGES, VDA, SAT, Parasolid) and additional export, comparison, reporting, animation, and repair capabilities.
- 3D-Tool Premium Full-featured single-seat perpetual license (€800) of the 3D-Tool CAD viewer that includes all Advanced features plus Premium native CAD interfaces (CATIA V4/V5/V6, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, Autodesk Inventor, Solid Edge, Rhino, JT, Navisworks and more), PMI display, and the 3D-NativeCAD Converter for BREP and visualization format conversion.
Companies that use 3D-Tool
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
3D-Tool technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
3D-Tool partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- HOOPS Exchange SDK (Tech Soft 3D)coreUses Tech Soft 3D's HOOPS Exchange SDK for reading and writing CAD files. This is a core technology component enabling 3D-Tool's multi-format CAD interoperability.
- PaddleminorPayment processing reseller for order invoicing. Customers can choose to have their orders processed through Paddle.com Market Ltd.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
3D-Tool competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Datakit: CAD data exchange tools and SDKs for reading and writing major 3D formats. Comparable to 3D-Tool in cross-format CAD interoperability for manufacturing customers.
- Okino PolyTrans: CAD/3D translation and viewing software with deep multi-format import/export. Closely comparable in target customers (engineering, manufacturing, asset conversion) and breadth of CAD format coverage.
- TransMagic: CAD viewer, repair, and translator software supporting many native and neutral 3D formats. Targets the same engineering, manufacturing, and procurement departments as 3D-Tool.
- SimLab Composer: 3D viewer, technical publishing, and CAD import software with similar presentation, documentation, and analysis use cases for engineering and manufacturing teams.
- Kisters 3DViewStation: Professional 3D CAD viewer with very large assembly handling, analysis tools, and broad format support. Competes with 3D-Tool Premium in enterprise engineering and manufacturing visualization.
- CAD Exchanger: Commercial CAD viewer, converter, and SDK with multi-format coverage including CATIA, NX, SolidWorks, Creo, STEP, JT. Closely comparable product offering and pricing model to 3D-Tool Premium.
- Siemens JT2Go: Free JT format viewer from Siemens for PLM collaboration and visual markup. Competes directly with 3D-Tool's viewing and collaboration use cases, especially for JT-centric supply chains.
- SolidWorks eDrawings: Free/premium CAD viewer and converter from Dassault Systèmes for SolidWorks and many neutral formats. It is the closest direct competitor in the universal CAD viewing and lightweight collaboration category.
- CrossManager (by CADEX): Standalone CAD format conversion product from the same vendor as CAD Exchanger. Directly competes with 3D-Tool's Premium 3D-NativeCAD Converter on multi-format BREP and mesh conversion.
Broad incumbents
- Autodesk Viewer: Free browser-based viewer from Autodesk supporting 30+ 2D and 3D file formats. As part of Autodesk's broad CAD/PLM portfolio, it competes with 3D-Tool's free viewer tier and conversion use cases.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses6 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
3D-Tool financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
3D-Tool leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
3D-Tool funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
3D-Tool M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 3D-Tool
What does 3D-Tool do?
3D-Tool is a Windows desktop CAD viewer and converter software that enables enterprises to open, inspect, measure, analyze, and convert 3D models and 2D drawings from more than 30 CAD formats (including CATIA, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, Inventor, Solid Edge, Rhino, STEP, IGES, JT, Parasolid, DWG/DXF, and STL/3MF) without requiring any native CAD software or CAD expertise. It offers a free viewer tier, paid perpetual licenses at three price points (Basic, Advanced, Premium), and a Premium-exclusive 3D-NativeCAD Converter for BREP-based and visualization format conversion.
Is 3D-Tool a public or private company?
3D-Tool is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 3D-Tool founded?
3D-Tool was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is 3D-Tool based?
3D-Tool is headquartered in Weinheim, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does 3D-Tool make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Software Licenses are the primary driver. The others are version Upgrades.
Who are 3D-Tool's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Datakit, Okino PolyTrans, TransMagic, SimLab Composer, Kisters 3DViewStation, CAD Exchanger, Siemens JT2Go, SolidWorks eDrawings and CrossManager (by CADEX). Autodesk Viewer is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does 3D-Tool have an API?
No public API is recorded for 3D-Tool.
What industry is 3D-Tool in?
3D-Tool's product category is CAD Viewer and Converter Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAAACAA, 3D Design & CAD for Additive Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 51321.