CDE CAD vs SonoranCAD
SonoranCAD is the longest-running CAD in FiveM roleplay and the one people most often ask about. It sells five tiers; CDE CAD sells one. This page sets out what each publishes, with a link to where it says it.
Checked against Sonoran Software Systems's own documentation on 2026-09-08.
What each one publishes
| CDE CAD | SonoranCAD | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest way in | $24.99 a month. There is no smaller plan. | Free, capped at 35 user accounts and one server. Starter is $3.99/month for 50 accounts. |
| Unlimited users and servers | Included at $14.58 a month on a two-year term, or $24.99 month to month. | Pro, at $29.99/month, or $22.50/month billed quarterly. |
| What a tier limits | Nothing. Users, departments, connected FiveM and Discord servers and record templates are uncapped on the only plan there is. | User accounts, servers, custom record templates and bodycam upload minutes, each rising with the tier. |
| If you stop paying | The community keeps its data. There is no inactivity sweep. | The CAD "will automatically be downgraded to the free version", and "communities with no active logins for 30 days will be automatically removed". |
| Billing terms | 1, 3, 6, 12 or 24 months. The longer the term, the lower the monthly rate - down to $14.58. | Monthly or quarterly, with a stated 25% discount on quarterly. |
Sources: SonoranCAD pricing, SonoranCAD pricing FAQ.
Looking for a SonoranCAD alternative?
The honest answer is that it depends on your size. Under 35 users on one server, their free tier costs nothing and CDE CAD costs $24.99 a month - take the free one. The comparison gets interesting at the point where a tier stops you: their caps are user accounts and servers, and clearing them means Pro at $29.99 a month, which is more than CDE CAD charges for a plan that never caps anything.
SonoranCAD's tiers, as they publish them
Monthly price first, quarterly in brackets - Sonoran discounts quarterly by 25%.
| Plan | Price | User accounts | Servers | Record templates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0.00 | 35 | 1 | 10 |
| Starter | $3.99 ($3.00) | 50 | 1 | 10 |
| Standard | $9.99 ($7.60) | 100 | 1 | 10 |
| Plus | $17.99 ($13.50) | 250 | 2 | 15 |
| Pro | $29.99 ($22.50) | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Questions worth asking any CAD vendor
What happens to our data if we stop paying?
CDE CAD keeps it. There is no inactivity sweep and no deletion clock - if you come back in six months, your departments, records and civilians are where you left them.
Which features are not in the price?
None. Every plan has every feature, unlimited users, unlimited departments and unlimited connected FiveM and Discord servers. There is no seat count to grow into.
What does the cheapest plan stop you doing?
There is one plan, so nothing. Ask this of any tiered vendor before you pick a tier - the caps that matter are usually members and records, and you meet them mid-season.
Who does the hosting, and what happens when it breaks?
We do. It is a managed platform, not a resource you run: no VPS, no database to back up, and updates land without a migration weekend.
What does it do with the framework we already run?
ESX, QBCore, Qbox and vRP each have a native bridge that maps your existing identifiers, jobs, characters and vehicles. Standalone and custom frameworks go through the same REST API and WebSocket events.
Can we get our data back out?
Yes - the REST API reads everything the CAD holds, and it is the same API the in-game resource uses.
CDE CAD
From $14.58 a month per community, every feature in every plan, hosted by us. See the full feature comparison or what communities say.
Also compared: CDE CAD vs ImperialCAD.