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Paid plans start at $2/mo.
SOLIDWORKS starts at $2 per user/month equivalent only with the promotional annual Makers offer: $24 for the year. The regular Makers annual price is $48 ($4/month equivalent), while monthly billing is listed at $15. Commercial Design offers are listed at $235, $288 or $393 per user/month with yearly billing; device licenses carry the same prices per device. The published pricing details do not list a free trial. Makers is limited to non-commercial projects generating under $2,000 in annual revenue.
01Every plan, line by line
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOLIDWORKS Design Standard Offer (Single-User License) | $235 | — | Individual SOLIDWORKS users |
| SOLIDWORKS Design Professional Offer (Single-User License) | $288 | — | Individual SOLIDWORKS users |
| SOLIDWORKS Design Premium Offer (Single-User License) | $393 | — | Individual SOLIDWORKS users |
| SOLIDWORKS Design Standard with Cloud Services (Device License) | $235 | — | Teams sharing one workstation |
| SOLIDWORKS Design Professional with Cloud Services (Device License) | $288 | — | Teams sharing one workstation |
| SOLIDWORKS Design Premium with Cloud Services (Device License) | $393 | — | Teams sharing one workstation |
| 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers | $2 | $15 | Personal, non-commercial makers |
| SOLIDWORKS xDesign for Makers | $2 | $15 | Personal, non-commercial makers |
What a team pays per month
| Plan | 1 seat | 5 seats | 10 seats | 25 seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOLIDWORKS Design Standard Offer (Single-User License) | $235 | $1,175 | $2,350 | $5,875 |
| SOLIDWORKS Design Professional Offer (Single-User License) | $288 | $1,440 | $2,880 | $7,200 |
| SOLIDWORKS Design Premium Offer (Single-User License) | $393 | $1,965 | $3,930 | $9,825 |
| 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers | $2 | $10 | $20 | $50 |
| SOLIDWORKS xDesign for Makers | $2 | $10 | $20 | $50 |
02What the plan grid doesn't tell you
Annual billing commitment
The pricing details say annual plans are billed yearly. Monthly prices are listed for Makers, but no monthly billing option is shown for the commercial Design offers.
Maker revenue restriction
Both Makers plans are for personal, non-commercial use, and projects must generate under $2,000 in annual revenue.
Device license lock-in
Device licenses are machine-locked and limited to one device. They suit a shared workstation, not users moving between multiple machines.
Maker login friction
The review notes some friction around Maker logins. The published pricing details do not explain the issue or its extent.
03Which plan should you buy?
| If you are… | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Individual commercial designer | SOLIDWORKS Design Standard Offer (Single-User License) | It is the entry Design offer listed for an individual, with access on multiple devices and up to 30 consecutive days of offline work. |
| Shared-workstation team | SOLIDWORKS Design Standard with Cloud Services (Device License) | Any user can access the machine-locked license on its single device, matching the listed shared-workstation use case. |
| Personal non-commercial maker | 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers | It has the same listed Makers prices as xDesign and includes a Windows PC local installation, but projects must stay under the revenue cap. |
04Is SOLIDWORKS worth the money?
SOLIDWORKS bundles 3D design with tools for simulation, collaboration, data management and manufacturing workflows. That breadth may justify the price for teams that need those capabilities, but the published pricing details do not map specific features to Standard, Professional and Premium, making the upgrade case hard to judge from price alone. Makers is much cheaper, but its non-commercial revenue cap narrows its use. We would verify license terms before switching, and factor in the reported Maker login friction.
SOLIDWORKS pricing FAQ
What are the key differences between SOLIDWORKS Standard, Professional and Premium?
The published pricing details list the offers at $235, $288 and $393 per user/month, respectively, with yearly billing. They do not specify which features each tier adds. SOLIDWORKS promotes capabilities including simulation and data management, but the available details do not assign those capabilities to a particular tier.
What SOLIDWORKS packages are available?
The listed options are Standard, Professional and Premium offers for single users, plus matching Cloud Services device licenses. There are also 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS for Makers and SOLIDWORKS xDesign for Makers. The published prices are $235, $288 or $393 per user or device/month for Design offers, and $15 monthly or $2 promotional annual monthly-equivalent for Makers.
Is SOLIDWORKS free or paid?
The listed plans are paid, and the published pricing details say there is no free plan. Makers starts at a promotional $24 per year, equivalent to $2 per month, but that offer is for personal, non-commercial projects under $2,000 in annual revenue. The pricing information does not list a free trial.
Can you buy SOLIDWORKS permanently?
The published pricing details show single-user and device offers with annual billing, plus monthly and annual Makers pricing. They do not list a perpetual or permanent license option. If a perpetual license is essential, confirm availability and terms directly with SOLIDWORKS before choosing a plan.