Browser based = dumb idea.

BiZZ

I have a lot of security and privacy settings in my browser. That also means the build in privacy is set to maximum, there are additional script blocker/manager, and ad blockers, and other privacy tools. Honestly, some pages are a pain to make them work. But even if I "turn" them off for a site, there are global settings, background settings, global configurations, and similar.
All can potentially, fully or partially break a site.
On top, my current browser of choice, Vivaldi, has a JavaScript memory leak. Do too many operations, over a long enough time, and the tab goes tits up. Which doesn't even fully flush the browser memory.
And every browser, does things differently, and might be based on different versions of chromium. So you can't guarantee how a browser will handle it.

So, now that I have given a long list of how things can go wrong, let me tell the story of how it does for me:
On an empty document, everything is fine.
If my part count increases, so do the FPS issues. And I'm talking simple geometry, few parts, and few operations. Like: 4 sketches, 6 extrudes, 3 thickens, 4 fillets, and 4 holes, for 4 parts in total. It is laughably simple.
Then I have down to seconds per frame. But only if I use the mouse. Kinda. When I use the View Cube's predefined views (left, right, bottom, corners, and so on) I have no issues and it moves buttery smooth. If I use the arrow buttons, I have a barely noticeable stutter (might also be how the buttons work, tho). If I zoom, or translate using the mouse, I have a slight stutter. If I rotate using the mouse, it soon turns from FPS to SPF. And with soon, I mean the beginning of the movement is smooth, then it stutters, and then it ends with SPF, in cases so bad I thought it crashed.

So, it might be a fringe freak error, based on my browser settings. It might be my browser (as in that browser will do that, even on a clean install). It might be neither, nobody will ever find out.
And that is why it should come in a dedicated app instead, even if said app is just a limited chromium browser.

NeilCooke

Have you tried using a supported browser?

robert_johnston

This isn't an issue, use a supported browser. It's one of the best features of onshape is totally browser based without any software installation! Sometimes you need to show someone offsite away from your own computer a part, you just login and show them without hesitation, no one will allow you to go install software on their computer.

bryan_lagrange

There is a dedicated Onshape App for mobile devices.

_anton

Our help page says Vivaldi should work. Perhaps that needs updating.

To diagnose your performance issues, the obvious first step is to try a supported browser. If they persist, then try our check page. Even if you have a GPU, you may need to convince your browser to use it. It would certainly help if the browser doesn't have a JS memory leak.

jnewth_onshape

Building on what @_anton said: Our help page says Vivaldi should work if you disable Mouse Gestures. With Gestures off, it's no different than my chrome experience. With Gestures on, it's unusable.

@BiZZ might be worth
1. checking your Mouse > Enable Gestures setting in Vivaldi preferences.
2. running the compatibility check.
3. make sure your browser is using your GPU (a common source of slowdown judging by the number of forum threads on this). 
4. using a browser without a memory leak. I understand security and privacy are vitally important to you (as they are to us) but that will inevitably degrade your experience and it's not a problem we can truly fix from our end. 

fst

Browser based apps aren't bad per se. I am personally skeptical about rental models where you and your data are at mercy of potentially changing pricing and profitability-dependent long term availability. Selling a standalone version or a simple-to-install variant of the server for a fixed perpetual fee with optional, paid upgrades would make the application attractive to people who don't want to or cannot buy into the current annual service subscription scheme!

The server based variant would still have a maintenance advantage over local installations. One server to maintain, thin clients for the actual CAD users, still full local control over the data, having certainty to be able to provide the service as long as needed. That would sound pretty optimal in my book!

NeilCooke

fst said:

Browser based apps aren't bad per se. I am personally skeptical about rental models where you and your data are at mercy of potentially changing pricing and profitability-dependent long term availability. Selling a standalone version or a simple-to-install variant of the server for a fixed perpetual fee with optional, paid upgrades would make the application attractive to people who don't want to or cannot buy into the current annual service subscription scheme!

The server based variant would still have a maintenance advantage over local installations. One server to maintain, thin clients for the actual CAD users, still full local control over the data, having certainty to be able to provide the service as long as needed. That would sound pretty optimal in my book!

That's called SolidWorks

NeilCooke

@_anton @jnewth_onshape I think the difference is that the help says "Vivaldi will work" but it is not on the "tested and approved" list which are the browsers to use if you are experiencing problems.