DraftSight Flexible Licensing Options – You Have a Choice!

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Subscription or perpetual? Network or Standalone? With DraftSight, it’s your choice.

Having freedom of choice is important for CAD users – a “one size fits all” approach doesn’t always work for the wide range of use cases and situations of a large and expanding community of users worldwide. You may have noticed some recent news in the CAD community about the open letter written by leading AEC firms to Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost expressing frustration around changes in software licensing arrangements and continual price increases without perceived value from product development.

Not only has DraftSight built its software based on user feedback for over ten years, they offer licensing solutions for any scenario, whether you are an individual who prefers to purchase and manage your own subscriptions, or an organization with several users that would benefit from network licensing and deployment. Plus, you can choose between levels of functionality to suit your projects, all for the best prices on the market.

“For those of you who like that feel-good feeling of actually owning a product, you can buy a perpetual version of DraftSight Enterprise.” – Lynn Allen, Technology Evangelist, Dassault Systèmes

That’s right. Unlike AutoCAD, you can still purchase a perpetual version of DraftSight instead of an annual subscription. Let’s break down each DraftSight offering available today:

DraftSight Standard

  • What is it? Fully-featured 2D design and drafting for DWG files. You can easily create new projects with all the tools you need like layers, blocks, dimensions, annotations and the like, and can export and print your files in many formats. Plus, all DraftSight versions can open any AutoCAD file dating back to AutoCAD 2008 to translate and manage your legacy data.
  • Who is it for? Those looking for a professional-level 2D CAD solution for quick and efficient design without the bloat of unnecessary functionality and the high price tag. Compare to AutoCAD LT ($420/year).
  • What are the purchase and licensing options? Direct online purchase at $99/year, subscription only. That’s a about the price of one large takeaway coffee every fortnight.
  • Where can I learn more? Visit DraftSight.com/Standard.

 

DraftSight Professional

  • What is it? A more powerful 2D design package with all the features in DraftSight Standard, plus access to APIs to run your LISP (including AutoLISP) routines and customize your experience. There are loads of features that can really shorten your design time, like Image Tracer, Batch Printing, Power Trim, Mechanical Toolbox, G-Code Generator, and Drawing Compare, plus support for Dynamic Blocks, DGN, PDF, SVG, BAK files, and much more.
  • Who is it for? CAD users needing a 2D DWG file solution with easy-to-use features and customization that can help get the job done quicker at an extremely fair price. Compare to AutoCAD without the 3D ($1,690/year).
  • What are the purchase and licensing options? Direct online purchase at $199/year, subscription only. That’s a about the price of one large takeaway coffee every week.
  • Where can I learn more? Visit DraftSight.com/Professional.

 

DraftSight Premium

  • What is it? Everything in the Standard and Professional packages, plus 2D constraints for parametric design and the added ability to create 3D models and solid objects, which can be used with rapid prototyping machines such as 3D printers or can be sent directly to the factory for manufacturing. You can also take advantage of integrations for sending your projects downstream for rendering, simulation/analysis, PDM, laser cutting, or other processes.
  • Who is it for? Users who need a cost-effective, all-in-one 2D and 3D CAD solution, whether you’re looking to transform 2D objects into 3D models, create new 3D designs that can be 3D printed or manufactured, or enter 3D design with an approachable and familiar 2D CAD tool. Compare to AutoCAD ($1,690/year).
  • What are the purchase and licensing options? Direct online purchase at $499/year, subscription only. That’s substantially less than half the cost of some other 3D CAD packages. Or in coffee terms, a little less than three large takeaway coffees a week.
  • Where can I learn more? Visit DraftSight.com/Premium, PLUS there is a free 30-day trial available.

 

DraftSight Enterprise

  • What is it? All of the features in DraftSight Professional plus network licensing, deployment and enhanced support.
  • Who is it for? Organizations with multiple users, as they are designed for easy installation in a Network Environment, so are suitable for large scale deployment.
  • What are the purchase and licensing options? Perpetual and subscription options are available, purchased through your local SOLIDWORKS reseller. Price depends on the size of your installation and other factors, so I can’t break it down in terms of takeaway coffees, but if you would like a quote you may request one here, or you may find your local reseller by visiting the VAR locator.
  • Where can I learn more? Visit DraftSight.com/Enterprise. A product demo may be requested by your reseller.

 

DraftSight Enterprise Plus

  • What is it? All of the features in DraftSight Premium plus network licensing, deployment and enhanced support.
  • Who is it for? Organizations with multiple users needing efficient license management, plus the full 3D capabilities and added functionality of DraftSight Premium.
  • What are the purchase and licensing options? Same as Enterprise, perpetual and subscription options are available through your local SOLIDWORKS reseller. Request a quote here, or find your local reseller by visiting the VAR locator.
  • Where can I learn more? Visit DraftSight.com/Enterprise. A product demo may be requested by your reseller.

And last but not least…


3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight

  • New to the DraftSight offerings this year, now you can connect DraftSight to the cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE platform to experience real-time collaboration and seamless data management. Visit here to learn more and to request a demo.

 

So, which version is best for you? With all the different options available, I think there is a DraftSight option available for all users.

 

Learn more about DraftSight and how to start a free 30-day trial here.

 

MJ Smyth

MJ Smyth

The first time I used CAD, it was on a DOS PC with an 8088 processor, 640K of memory and a Hercules Mono Graphics Card... That, well that was a long long time ago. I switched to DraftSight the day it was released and haven't looked back!
MJ Smyth

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