Last week, Autodesk announced that they will no longer sell perpetual licenses for some products. They will only offer desktop subscription for new seats beyond that date.
This could be a good news. Now with desktop subscription, you can use latest software with relatively small price. Much cheaper than perpetual license + maintenance subscription.
It could be ideal for small and medium companies, as you can also pay for monthly, quarterly or annually to use the license. You could get more licenses near project deadline with a low price.
If you already owned perpetual license, you can keep using it. And also renew your subscription (now they call it maintenance subscription). An interesting point for me in desktop subscription is: Autodesk hasn’t offered the ability to use previous version. In the FAQ, it did say that Autodesk will support it in the future for desktop subscription. I hope this will be available before February 1, 2016.
There are probably many questions about it, you can read the detail in Autodesk website about perpetual license here. There is also a FAQ about this changes here (PDF).
In 2016, not all products are available as desktop subscription. It will apply to standalone product first. For Autodesk Suites, you will still need to purchase perpetual licenses. No news about network license on desktop subscription either. It could be because this is still in transition period.
What do you think about this change? What are your concern? Do you think this will be good for your business?
UNBELIEVABLE!! Autocad have dropped the ball bigtime by doing this!!
Time to change software and I come back to this crap!! I will continue to use my Autocad 2015 stand alone licence and Autodesk can SHOVE their bloody subscription!! What a crock!!
I just retired and thinking of doing acad. It looks like the last response was 2016. Is a perpetual license not available?
Autodesk doesn’t sell perpetual license anymore. You only can rent their software on a term base (or they prefer to say: subscribe).
If you don’t want to pay them annually, you can try an AutoCAD clone like BricsCAD.
I’ve been using Auto Desk products for years and use it everyday. But now it is time to shop around for new cad software!
Auto Desk has taken the greedy path instead of caring for its customers. It is clear that they don’t care about the small business or the independent business people.
These new policies are unfair and will cause many to jump ship.
anyone have solid works number?
I use Acad maybe 6-10 times a year.
Wanted to buy a copy for Mac.
This sucks big time.
Looking for a completely different program now.
THANKS Autodesk.
What a ripoff.
As some long time comments above – it will be a money loss for small companies or self employed architects / designers. If you work that full time – you do not think of getting this software for week or two. You need it every day 24/7. Any time you get new idea, or you get a call from client or building contractor about changes needed.
Lets say you rent it for 3 months, make a house project and get you money. The client then comes after 2 months and asks you to make some window changes in fasace. How much will you charge a client for this? Whole months Revit rent price + yout hour’ly job rate? you’ll get out of business quite fast.
So if you are architect – you need this rent full time.
And that corrent – the stand alone copy you get, you can use 3-5 years. But autodesk does not allow to open new revit files in 1 year older version of Revit. So if you are working with engineers, which have at least a 1 year newer versions of Revit – you wont be able to work on their edited files.
This as allways lead to more ant more cracked illegal programs each day.
Or getting to more friendly platforms.
This new model effectively holds new users ransom in use of any content they create. I can currently open the copy of AutoCAD I hold a license to, create some content and continue to access/modify that content forever. New users next year can no longer do this and will be forced to rent a copy of AutoCAD in order to view, print, modify the content they created. This new system is immoral and Autodesk should be ashamed of themselves.
This is just a money grab by Autodesk. I use AutoCAD Light, and have two licenses. For the last 15 years I have only had to upgrade to the latest version every 5 years or so, and I was always able to do this at an upgrade price, and not the full price of the latest version. Over 5 years the subscription will cost me $2650 per license, if I purchase the full perpetual license it is $1870 – and in the past an upgrade (which is no longer available!) would likely have cost $1200.
I have two licenses so the subscription will cost me $5300, and if I was able to upgrade the cost would be only $2400 – rip off if ever I saw one!!
I think this is very sad sad sad! Just a way to obligate you to buy new version after new version!!
it’s wrong in every way!!! Pure economy bussiness!!
Matias, you are understanding it wrongly. You are NOW not obligated to buy a new version because you will NOT BUY at all. You will simply RENT the software. RENT / USE when needed. If you do not need, you do not have to pay.
You pay a monthly fee, so whether you use Autodesk products everyday or once a month you will have to pay the monthly fee. As a subscription user after the one big hit it was a relatively small annual fee to stay up to date if you wanted to, or you could spend years using one version. Now it will be a monthly fee, every month, I anticipate a lot of small business’ and freelancers gradually ditching Autodesk products as the costs will far outweigh the benefits.