If you've searched the Atlassian Marketplace for a way to view CAD files in Confluence, you've probably found several options. They all promise 3D viewing. Some mention 2D support. A few list specific formats. But the differences between them matter more than the similarities - especially once your team starts relying on the viewer for daily work.
We've put together a practical comparison of what's available, what each tool handles well, and where the gaps are. If you're evaluating options, this should save you a few hours of trial-and-error.
Why format support is the first thing to check
The most common mistake teams make when choosing a CAD viewer is picking one based on a demo with a single STL file, then discovering it can't open the formats they actually use.
This matters because engineering teams rarely work with just one format. A typical manufacturing company might use SolidWorks for part design (.sldprt, .sldasm), AutoCAD for 2D shop drawings (.dwg, .dxf), and exchange STEP files (.stp) with suppliers. An AEC firm might combine Revit models (.rvt) with AutoCAD civil drawings (.dwg) and IFC files (.ifc) from contractors.
If your viewer only handles mesh-based 3D formats - STL, OBJ, glTF - you're still stuck with workarounds for the 2D CAD and native 3D formats that make up the bulk of real engineering work.
The current landscape on the Atlassian Marketplace
There are four main options for viewing 3D or CAD content in Confluence Cloud:
3D Viewer Macro for Confluence
Supports approximately 20 3D formats. Focused on mesh and polygonal formats - STL, OBJ, FBX, glTF, 3DS, PLY, and similar. Good for teams working primarily with 3D graphics or visualization formats.
Limitations: No 2D CAD support. Cannot open DWG or DXF files, which are the most widely used CAD formats in the world. No native format support for SolidWorks, CATIA, Inventor, or Revit. No model catalogue or revision tracking. If your team primarily works with engineering CAD files rather than 3D graphics, this will leave significant gaps.
Online 3D Viewer for Confluence
A free, open-source option supporting approximately 15 formats. Based on the Online 3D Viewer project. Handles common mesh formats - STL, OBJ, 3DS, PLY, glTF.
Limitations: Very limited format range. No DWG/DXF support. No native CAD format support. No model management features. As a free tool it's a reasonable option for occasional use with basic 3D formats, but it won't scale to teams with diverse CAD workflows.
3D Viewer+ for Confluence / Jira
Supports approximately 19 formats. Free for teams under 10 users. Covers the standard mesh formats plus a few additional ones.
Limitations: No DWG/DXF support - a critical gap for teams that work with 2D CAD drawings. No model catalogue. No revision tracking. The free tier is attractive for small teams, but format limitations become a problem once you need to view native CAD or 2D drafting files.
CAD 2D and 3D Model Viewer for Confluence (Move Work Forward)
Supports 70+ formats spanning 2D CAD, native 3D CAD, exchange formats, and mesh formats. Full support for DWG, DXF, SolidWorks, CATIA, Inventor, Revit, Fusion 360, Creo, Siemens NX, STEP, IGES, STL, OBJ, glTF, IFC, and more.
Additional features: Model Catalogue for organizing and searching files across Confluence. Revision tracking for version control. Cross-section and measurement tools. Also available for Jira and Outlook, making it the only option that covers the full Atlassian + Microsoft collaboration stack.
Head-to-head: format comparison
| Format Category | 3D Viewer Macro | Online 3D Viewer | 3D Viewer+ | MWF CAD Viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL, OBJ, glTF (3D mesh) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FBX, 3DS (3D graphics) | Yes | Yes | Some | Yes |
| DWG, DXF (2D AutoCAD) | No | No | No | Yes |
| SolidWorks (.sldprt/.sldasm) | No | No | No | Yes |
| CATIA (.catpart) | No | No | No | Yes |
| Inventor (.ipt/.iam) | No | No | No | Yes |
| Revit (.rvt) | No | No | No | Yes |
| Fusion 360 (.f3d) | No | No | No | Yes |
| Creo / Pro-E (.prt) | No | No | No | Yes |
| Siemens NX (.prt) | No | No | No | Yes |
| STEP / IGES (exchange) | No | No | No | Yes |
| IFC (BIM) | No | No | No | Yes |
| Total formats | ~20 | ~15 | ~19 | 70+ |
The pattern is clear: the first three options cover 3D mesh/graphics formats well, but none of them handle 2D CAD or native CAD formats from the major engineering software vendors.
Beyond formats: features that matter in practice
Format support gets you in the door, but features determine whether the viewer becomes part of your team's daily workflow or stays as an occasional novelty.
Model Catalogue
Once your team starts embedding CAD files across dozens or hundreds of Confluence pages, finding a specific model becomes a real problem. A model catalogue gives you a searchable, organized library of all CAD files in your Confluence instance - rather than having to remember which page a particular part drawing lives on.
Of the four options, only MWF's CAD Viewer includes a model catalogue.
Revision tracking
CAD files go through dozens of revisions. Knowing which version of a part is embedded on which page - and being able to compare versions - is essential for teams that use Confluence for engineering documentation.
Again, only MWF's CAD Viewer includes built-in revision tracking.
Cross-platform availability
If your team uses Jira for issue tracking alongside Confluence for documentation, having the same viewer in both tools means consistent viewing experience and no format gaps between platforms. If team members also receive CAD files via email, an Outlook viewer completes the picture.
MWF's CAD Viewer is available for Confluence, Jira, and Outlook. The other options are Confluence-only or Confluence + Jira at most.
Security and compliance
If your CAD files contain proprietary design data - and they almost certainly do - the viewer's security posture matters. SOC 2 Type II certification is the standard benchmark for SaaS security.
MWF's CAD Viewer is SOC 2 Type II certified. Check the security documentation for the other options if this is a requirement.
Which viewer is right for your team?
If you only work with 3D mesh formats (STL, OBJ, glTF) and don't need 2D CAD or native vendor formats, any of the four options will work. The free options (Online 3D Viewer, 3D Viewer+ under 10 users) are reasonable starting points.
If you work with 2D CAD drawings (DWG, DXF) - and most engineering teams do - MWF's CAD Viewer is currently the only Confluence option that supports them.
If you use native CAD software (SolidWorks, Inventor, CATIA, Revit, Creo, NX) and want to view those files without conversion, MWF's CAD Viewer is the only option that handles these formats.
If you need file management at scale (catalogue, revision tracking, cross-platform viewing), MWF's CAD Viewer is the only option with these capabilities.
Getting started
All four options are available on the Atlassian Marketplace with free trials:
- CAD 2D and 3D Model Viewer for Confluence - Move Work Forward (70+ formats, catalogue, revision tracking)
- 3D Viewer Macro for Confluence (~20 mesh formats)
- Online 3D Viewer for Confluence (~15 mesh formats, free)
- 3D Viewer+ for Confluence (~19 formats, free under 10 users)
The best way to evaluate is to install a trial and test with your actual files - not generic demo models. Upload the DWG, SolidWorks, or Revit files your team uses every day and see which viewer handles them.
If you're also looking for Jira integration, Model Viewer for Jira brings the same 70+ format support to Jira issues. And CAD Model Viewer for Outlook covers email workflows.
