Autocad's high pricing debate.

[cupax]

Hello.

I would like to open a debate about Autocad or all other Autodesk's pricing politics.

Of course I'm aware that they are a private firm and the market decides the final price, but being a (non official) industry standard it is hard to avoid their software if you want to be taken seriously.

Personally I think their software is way way too expensive. While a huge architectural or engineering firms can afford this because of well paid big projects, small firms are completely lost. No matter what size of projects you need, you still use 95% of the software functionality.

We are a micro firm of 3 architects and in Europe a full Autocad costs 5250 Euros - that is 5668 USD. A price we can't afford so we are forced to use "fake Autocad" - Brycscad, but its functionality is way behind the original and Autocad LT would not satisfy our needs for 3D modelling. I know many others who decided to go with pirated software for the same reason.

I also think that software developement doesn't need to be as fast as it is now. Us, and probbaly 95% of other users would still be perfectly happy with the functionality of Autocad 2010. I would much more like Autocad to be way cheaper and would easily agree for updates over 3 or even 5 years.

Personally I would find it acceptable to pay not more than 1000 USD for a full Autocad program, and maybe a 100-200 Usd for the subscription.

What are your thoughts?

Dave

[Anonymous]

I tried the new 2020 monthly version of AutoCAD. I don’t like the menu version it is too small for a high-resolution screen and takes too much messing with to find a command you want; it might be good for MS Word but not for drafting. I just found it hard to use and including some of the other features and gave up on it. I think I would have problems trying to reproduce the drawings I made on the old version with the new. I am going to go with a $99 per year version of DraftSight it has all I need. I started with AutoCAD version 1.0 1982 on an 8 inch floppy running on an NEC computer and graduated up to Release 10 whose menu system I liked and have designed many machines using it. The menu system was very useful as you could construct your own menus, it had all the features I needed. Like what you said leave the program alone, but it is commercial interests wanting to make more money. This license method is wrong in the older versions you owned the program it is all about greed, well they have lost me as a customer forever. The new MS won’t work with Version 10, I get error messages I would have to go with XP.

[Anonymous]

I’m with him on this one. I just graduated from college and I can’t afford the software to fullfill enough leeway time to solidify contracts for my freelance set design work.

it totally sucks. The CAD pricing has thrown my by ears of experience with the program away to only work in a food service job.

[RobDraw]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I’m with him on this one. I just graduated from college and I can’t afford the software to fullfill enough leeway time to solidify contracts for my freelance set design work.

it totally sucks. The CAD pricing has thrown my by ears of experience with the program away to only work in a food service job.

---

Pretty sure you can't blame the pricing for that one..

[Anonymous]

Apologies Rob.

Let me Iterate; If you or anyone else for that matter would like to up and purchase me a drafting table with a generous amount of Vellum and drafting tools, then please, by all means, do. I have amazing craftsmanship in my line weights and would be overly grateful. But PLEASE dont insinuate to everyone else that you have some 'Idea' of what it's like to be far below the poverty line supporting yourself as a millenial/Z Gen.

I don't believe that your comment was constructive, and I think you aimed to shoot me down. Why? who knows

I know my truths and reality.

Appreciate your effort to contribute to the discussion, though. A for effort.

[RobDraw]

Wow, you insinuated all that from a few words? My statement means nothing more than what I said. Let me rephrase it for you and please keep in mind that there's no hidden meaning or judgement behind it. It's based only on what you have stated. I've made no assumptions beyond anything that you have said.

There is no way you can blame Autodesk's pricing for your financial situation. 

[dgorsman]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I’m with him on this one. I just graduated from college and I can’t afford the software to fullfill enough leeway time to solidify contracts for my freelance set design work.

it totally sucks. The CAD pricing has thrown my by ears of experience with the program away to only work in a food service job.

---

Not sure I understand the problem.  You should be charging enough to cover the license costs, along with professional fees and taxes, paying off start-up costs from business loans, crowd funding or other methods, and building up funds for future expenses (among other costs, like paying for your own time).  If potential clients aren't willing to pay the cost you are quoting, its as Rob said in his blunt, and occasionally ham-fisted way... Autodesk isn't involved in that.

[RobDraw]

At least I didn't insult his business practices.

[pendean]

😉

[pendean]

There are cheaper dwg-capable software offerings out there, switch: we all have to live within our means in life and in business, it's been like that since the dawn on time and business.

Let me know if you need a link to free and low cost CAD alternatives if you don't know where to look.

>>>...anyone else for that matter would like to up and purchase me...<<<
You seem to want charity, in that case, reach out to non-profits that can help you out with your needs.
Let me know your region of the world and I can get you addresses to local business charities that may be able to help you out with free hand-outs.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Yes, please to your offer for low cost dwg programs.

[Patchy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z18VZrXem4g

and many more ☺

[peterm]

Also take a look at BricsCAD.

It's not free, but it is a lot cheaper and you can get a perpetual licence rather than a subscription.

[pendean]

https://www.google.com/search?q=free+and+low+cost+cad+programs

[Anonymous]

I agree **** mym CAD isnt worth **** 

[RobDraw]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I agree **** mym CAD isnt worth **** 

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Then whym did you buym it?

[Anonymous]

Bricscad is a real alternative, even for heavily customized shops.

https://www.bricsys.com/en-us/store/bricscad/

[Anonymous]

Yes. We are heavily into BricsCad and Bim as an alternative that we are
trying with great success. BRICSCAD actually opens our DWG files much
faster than AutoCAD which is interesting.

[Anonymous]

There are some things that need attention, like plotting "Legacy Hidden", but all in all we are happy with the change and we save a bundle of money on maintenance every year.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Randy. I would like to keep in touch as we traverse into BRICSCAD.
Are you willing to connect via email?

[Anonymous]

Not a problem.  Keep in contact with your reseller and be sure to get an account over at https://www.bricsys.com/en-intl/

Our experience with Bricscad support has been great.