Starting with SOLIDWORKS 2017, expected to start shipping on October 10 of this year, the world’s most popular 3D CAD software will be available for rent. Since its inception in 1995, SOLIDWORKS has been available as a “perpetual license” for about $4K. While it will continue to offer the application with a one-time up-front purchase cost, Dassault Systèmes, SOLIDWORKS’ parent, is adding an option to rent the software for three-month or one-year periods.
The pricing change is offered in response to a growing trend in software towards less big-ticket upfront prices
