Scalable Cloud PDM Storage for Growing Teams

Q: Can teams add extra storage without changing PDM platforms?

Often yes, but terms vary by vendor. Confirm how additional capacity is sold, when it becomes available, and whether hitting a limit affects active uploads or release work. In CAD ROOMS, extra storage can be added separately when the included allowance is no longer enough.

How do cloud PDM platforms scale with your team? A look at storage solutions for growing companies.

Christina Rebel

Sep 7, 2026

Cloud PDM

Most teams do not start looking at PDM because they ran out of space. They start after a release mistake. One engineer opens an assembly with missing references because a part was saved locally. A supplier receives a STEP file and has to ask whether it is approved for manufacture or just the latest export.

Storage is usually not the first thing that breaks. Confidence is. Teams need to know the references still resolve, the released package is clearly separate from work in progress, and a supplier cannot wander into the rest of the project.

Teams usually get there gradually. More revisions have to be kept. More ECOs wait for approval. More external reviewers need access to one package instead of the whole folder. A hosted PDM system becomes worth evaluating when those tasks are routine enough that naming conventions and manual checklists stop keeping up.

For growing mechanical and hardware engineering teams, scalable cloud PDM storage means more than additional file capacity. It means keeping multi-CAD files, assembly references, versions, and released packages controlled as projects, users, and external collaboration expand.

Comparison of cloud PDM storage models for growing engineering teams, including capacity, upload limits, and expansion options.

Start with the data you expect to keep

Start with the files you intend to migrate, including inactive projects that still need to remain accessible. Then measure how much data recent projects have added through design revisions, drawings and neutral-format exports. Ask each vendor how those files are counted. Do not assume that every saved version consumes a complete extra copy, or that old versions are excluded from the allowance.

Keep three limits separate: total storage, individual-file upload limits and any record-based charges. A system can offer unlimited storage while charging for the number of managed records. An upload limit can also prevent a file from entering a workspace that has plenty of capacity remaining.

The quotation should state whether storage is allocated per editor or per workspace, how extra capacity is sold, and what happens at the limit. That last point matters during an active release: an unexpected restriction on new uploads is different from a warning followed by an overage charge.

How the storage models differ

Putting Fusion and Vault in the same bucket would hide the main difference between them. Fusion keeps storage inside Autodesk’s cloud workflow. Vault turns it back into an infrastructure question: who runs the server, who backs it up and who supports users in each location. That is why the table below treats the storage numbers as context, not as a ranking.

Product	Product and deployment model	Published storage basis	What to check in the evaluation
CAD ROOMS	Cloud-native PDM & PLM for engineering teams	Team: 100 GB per editor; Business: 1 TB; Enterprise: custom. Additional storage can be scoped with CAD ROOMS.[1]	Which plan includes the release and approval workflow you need; additional capacity terms
OpenBOM	Cloud product-data platform with BOM, PDM and change-management offerings	Storage size is described as unlimited. Data-record charges are separate from user and role-based licenses.[2]	Managed-record count, editor licenses and required CAD add-ins
Autodesk Fusion	CAD with cloud-connected data management	Autodesk documents unlimited storage for native Fusion files, 500 GB per user for non-Fusion data, and a 2 GB upload limit.[3][4]	Whether your files are native Fusion data; whether required uploads fit the documented limit
Autodesk Vault	Client–server PDM using Windows server infrastructure	Capacity planning depends on the deployed server and storage rather than a SaaS storage allowance.[5]	Server administration, backups and access from each engineering location
Duro	Cloud PLM, with PDM connections and a separately described Duro Drive offering	Team: 25 GB; Business: 50 GB; Enterprise: 100 GB.[6]	Which PDM product or integration is included and available now
Arena	Cloud PLM and QMS	Obtain the applicable storage allowance and expansion terms in the quotation.[8]	Where working CAD files will be managed alongside product and quality records
PTC Windchill / Windchill+	Enterprise PLM; on-premises/cloud deployment options and Windchill+ SaaS	Windchill+ has role-based storage entitlements and purchasable 1 TB increments. On-premises capacity depends on the deployment.[9]	Separate vault-content and database allowances; allocation across production and non-production environments

Official vendor pricing and product documentation reviewed September 6, 2026. Confirm the terms that apply to the subscription being quoted.

OpenBOM needs a different cost estimate from a gigabyte-based plan. Its pricing page counts unique part numbers, BOM part records and managed CAD/PDM files. Revisions, versions and derivative files do not add to that record count. A folder-size report therefore cannot establish the subscription cost on its own; the estimate also needs the managed records, paid roles and any CAD add-ins.[2]

PTC publishes more detail than simply “contact sales” for Windchill+. Its service description distinguishes vault-content storage from database storage and shares entitlements across subscribed environments. A migration estimate should account for test environments as well as the production dataset.[9]

Duro’s public pages require a specific availability check. Its plans page lists PDM connections, while the Duro Drive page says “Coming Q4 of 2026.” Do not treat a planned Duro Drive capability as an included, currently available feature of a Duro PLM subscription.[6][7]

When CAD ROOMS is the right fit

CAD ROOMS is a cloud-native PDM & PLM platform for mechanical and hardware engineering teams working across multi-CAD environments. It supports controlled CAD data management, versions and revisions, design review, engineering change workflows, and external collaboration without adding server or VPN infrastructure.

The CAD ROOMS Desktop App lets engineers synchronize authorized projects locally, edit files in their existing CAD software, and contribute controlled changes back to the shared cloud workspace.

Whether the included storage is sufficient depends on the size of the current dataset, revision growth, retained projects, and expected number of editors. Confirm the applicable plan, workflow requirements, and additional-capacity terms in the quotation. Support for the team’s actual formats, references, and release process should still be tested in a live trial rather than inferred from a storage allowance alone.

Some organizations will still run a broader PLM evaluation because the purchase also covers quality processes, manufacturing-system integration or enterprise-wide product governance. In those cases, storage is only one part of the decision.

Test the assembly, not just the plan

A useful trial follows one assembly through a change. Include its referenced parts, drawings and a neutral-format deliverable, then use the workflow your team would follow in production:

Open the assembly from a second workstation. Check for missing references and unintended links to local files. Record the time needed to make the working data available and open the assembly.
Change a component while another engineer is using the project. Inspect the check-out or conflict behavior and how the updated component becomes available to the other engineer.
Approve and release the change. Confirm that manufacturing can distinguish the released package from the next work-in-progress version. An upload timestamp is not a substitute for approval status.
Review as an external user. Use a supplier account to check which revision is visible, whether unrelated projects remain inaccessible, and what happens when access is withdrawn.

For related reading on multi-user performance, see Cloud PDM for Multi-User Access Without Lag.

Repeat the operations that matter from a remote user’s actual connection. Record results for the tested assembly and network; do not generalize one successful trial into a guarantee for every assembly size or location.

Deployment and exit terms still matter

Some teams do not really get to choose between hosted and on-premises PDM. A customer contract may require internal hosting. An existing integration may already depend on local infrastructure. A company may also have fixed data-residency rules. In those cases, the deployment model starts as a constraint, not a preference. Cloud is not automatically ruled out, but it has to be evaluated against those constraints in writing.

Exit terms deserve the same scrutiny as storage limits. Ask to see what an export actually looks like at the end of the subscription: files, metadata, assembly relationships and revision history. Files alone are not enough if the next system cannot reconstruct what was released, when it changed or how the assembly was linked. If the vendor has to help with that export, settle the scope, timing and cost before the contract is signed.

What scalable cloud PDM should look like

Scalable PDM storage should let a team add projects, revisions and collaborators without losing control of assembly references, released data or access permissions. Capacity matters, but the more important test is whether the workflow remains understandable as the engineering organization grows.

For multi-CAD hardware teams, CAD ROOMS combines cloud-hosted data management with desktop file synchronization, version and release control, browser-based review and external collaboration. Teams can evaluate these workflows using their own files through a trial or discuss storage and deployment requirements with CAD ROOMS.

Frequently asked questions

How much PDM storage does a growing engineering team need?

Headcount alone does not determine the right storage allowance. Start by measuring the active CAD files, drawings, release packages, neutral-format exports, retained projects, and expected revision growth in a representative project. Then compare that demand with the applicable CAD ROOMS plan and storage terms, including the options for additional capacity.

How do cloud PDM vendors count storage?

Cloud PDM vendors do not all count storage the same way. Some allocate storage by total gigabytes, some by editor or workspace, and some combine storage rules with upload limits or record-based pricing. Teams should compare total capacity, file-size limits and any record-based charges before choosing a platform.

Is cloud PDM storage usually allocated per user or per workspace?

It depends on the vendor. Some platforms allocate storage per editor, while others allocate it per workspace or across subscribed environments. Teams should confirm how storage is assigned, how it scales as users are added, and whether test or non-production environments share the same entitlement.

Should engineering teams check file upload limits as well as total storage?

Yes. A platform can have enough total storage and still be a poor fit if large CAD files cannot be uploaded reliably. Engineering teams should evaluate both the total storage allowance and any single-file upload limits during a live trial with representative assemblies and exports.

Does unlimited version history mean unlimited storage?

No. History retention and storage capacity are separate terms. CAD ROOMS provides unlimited version history, while storage remains allocated by plan. If a project library grows beyond the included allowance, confirm the available additional-capacity terms before purchase.

Can teams add extra storage without changing PDM platforms?

Often yes, but the terms vary by vendor. Teams should confirm how additional capacity is sold, when it becomes available, and whether hitting a limit affects active uploads or release work. In CAD ROOMS, extra storage can be added separately when the included allowance is no longer enough.

Can suppliers review CAD ROOMS files without paid editor seats?

Yes. CAD ROOMS includes unlimited free viewers, so suppliers, manufacturers and other stakeholders can review shared designs without using paid editor seats. Editor access is intended for users who need to modify files or manage engineering workflows; viewer access is sufficient for review.

References

[1] CAD ROOMS. CAD ROOMS Pricing: Cloud PDM & PLM Software Plans.

[2] OpenBOM. OpenBOM Pricing: PLM, PDM & BOM Plans.

[3] Autodesk Support. What is the maximum storage limit for native Fusion files.

[4] Autodesk Support. Unable to upload files larger than 2 GB in Fusion 360.

[5] Autodesk. Autodesk Vault Software | Get Prices & Buy Vault 2027.

[6] Duro Labs. Plans and features.

[7] Duro Labs. Out-of-the-box PDM for hardware engineers.

[8] Arena. Top Rated Cloud PLM & QMS Software Solutions.

[9] PTC. Windchill+ and Navigate for Windchill+ Service Description.

About the author

✍️

Christina Rebel

CEO of CAD ROOMS | Co-founder of Wikifactory

I’m Christina Rebel, CEO of CAD ROOMS. For over a decade, I’ve worked at the intersection of cloud engineering collaboration, digital manufacturing, and distributed product development.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked closely with engineers, designers, and manufacturing teams to improve CAD data management, version control, supplier collaboration, and browser-based design review. My focus is on making modern engineering workflows more accessible, secure, and efficient, particularly for SMEs and startups. I also write about engineering collaboration, with contributed articles published by Design News and DEVELOP3D.

Follow the author: LinkedIn

Cloud PDM Without CAD Plugins: A Practical Guide for Multi-CAD Teams CAD ROOMS in The Engineer: Why Engineering Collaboration Needs a Cloud-Native Reset