Transition from Perpetual to Term Licensing FAQs

Autodesk, in addition to Adobe and many other software companies, has transitioned to subscription or "Term-based" licensing.

Q:  Why did Autodesk change their licensing model?
A:  The way you design and build is changing rapidly, which also changes the tools you use and the ways companies and individuals buy and access software.  By subscribing, you receive a simplified customer experience, enjoy lower upfront cost, and have the ability to pay for Autodesk products and cloud services for the amount of time that is right for you: monthly, quarterly, annually, or by multi-year term lengths.

Q:  Will I be forced into "Term-based licensing" on the perpetual licenses I own?
A:  No.  You will receive software updates and corresponding benefits for as long as you continue to renew.  You can renew your maintenance for as long as you want.

Q:  Will I be able to purchase a network activation for existing perpetual licenses now that Autodesk is no longer selling perpetual licenses?
A:  No, you will no longer be able to convert a standalone perpetual license to a shared network license for any perpetual licenses that are no longer being sold.  If you need new or additional shared network licenses, you can purchase a subscription with multi-user access.  This can be done for individual products or a collection of products

The following changes were made to subscription terminology:

• Desktop Subscription or Cloud Service Subscription is now referred as: a subscription with single-user access

• "network subscription" is now a subscription with multi-user access

• Perpetual Licensing "Maintenance Subscription" is now referred to as a maintenance plan

More information can be found on Autodesk's website here.