Autodesk Subscription Licenses — AutoCAD, Revit & More

Autodesk Subscription Licenses — AutoCAD, Revit, Civil 3D & More

How much does an Autodesk subscription cost?

Autodesk's list prices put professional tools out of reach for many freelancers and small firms. The chart below shows Zoftis pricing against list price for the full commercial seats, so you can see where the savings are largest before you choose.

The autocad prices and other figures above are for the full commercial single-user seats. At the lighter single-product tier the numbers are very different: the revit price starts at $79/year, the 3ds max price and Maya both start at $59/year, and autodesk inventor price also begins at $59/year. Those lower-tier annual subscriptions are covered next.

Two tiers explained: single-product subscriptions vs full commercial seats

You'll notice two very different price points for the same product name — for example, an AutoCAD listing near $59/year and a commercial AutoCAD seat at $1,499. These are not the same license, and the difference matters.

If you need an audit-ready, business-compliant seat with a business invoice and team assignment, use our Autodesk commercial license category. Everything on this page is the standard subscription route.

Which version years do these licenses cover?

A common worry with resold licenses is being stuck on an old release. That isn't the case here — these subscriptions cover the current release cycle, roughly the 2024 through 2027 version years depending on the product, and include access to earlier versions through your Autodesk account.

That version access matters on collaborative projects. When you exchange DWG or RVT files with clients and consultants, an outdated version quickly becomes a bottleneck, because newer file formats don't always open cleanly in older software. Staying on a current subscription keeps you compatible with whatever the rest of the project team is running.

Version coverage varies by product, so confirm the exact release years on the product page before ordering if a specific version is a requirement for your team.

A closer look at the core tools

Beyond the one-line summaries, here's what actually separates the main products, so you can commit to one with confidence.

AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT

AutoCAD is the general-purpose drafting and design tool used across nearly every design field. The full version adds 3D and the industry toolsets; LT stays 2D. Civil 3D, notably, includes full AutoCAD inside it, so infrastructure engineers don't need to buy AutoCAD separately.

Revit and the AEC stack

Revit is a true BIM authoring tool, producing coordinated models where plans, sections, schedules, and quantities all update together. For firms running Revit alongside AutoCAD and Civil 3D, the AEC Collection bundles all three plus supporting tools, and pairs with BIM Collaborate Pro for multi-firm cloud coordination.

Fusion 360, Inventor, and manufacturing

Fusion 360 unifies CAD, CAM, CAE, and PCB design in one cloud-connected subscription, which makes it popular with startups and machine shops. Inventor is the heavier desktop package for large mechanical assemblies and detailed engineering drawings. The PDMC Collection combines both with AutoCAD for full product-design-to-manufacturing coverage.

3ds Max, Maya, and ReCap Pro

3ds Max and Maya cover the media and entertainment side — rendering and modeling versus animation and VFX. ReCap Pro sits alongside them and the AEC tools, converting laser scans and photos into point clouds that feed into AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and Revit.

AutoCAD vs AutoCAD LT: which drafting tool?

Full AutoCAD includes 3D modeling, automation, and the discipline toolsets — Architecture, Mechanical, Electrical and more. AutoCAD LT is 2D only: the same drafting engine and DWG precision, without 3D or the toolsets.

Inventor vs Fusion 360: which for mechanical design?

Both handle 3D mechanical design, but they suit different setups. Inventor is the deeper desktop tool for large assemblies, sheet metal, and drawing-heavy documentation. Fusion 360 is cloud-native and bundles CAD, CAM, CAE, and PCB in one subscription.

Choose Inventor when assemblies grow complex and drawings drive your workflow. Choose Fusion 360 if you machine your own parts or collaborate across locations. Many shops start on Fusion and add Inventor as complexity grows.

3ds Max vs Maya: modeling or animation?

This is the classic studio question. 3ds Max leads in architectural visualization, product rendering, and game-asset modeling, with a huge plugin ecosystem. Maya is the standard for character rigging, animation, and VFX pipelines in film and television.

Model-heavy work points to 3ds Max; animation-heavy work points to Maya. The autodesk maya subscription and the autodesk 3ds max subscription are priced the same at the single-product tier, so the choice is purely about the work, not the cost.

Individual tools vs industry Collections

If your workflow spans several products, a Collection is almost always cheaper than buying two or three subscriptions separately. Autodesk bundles its tools by industry.

• AEC Collection — Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D and supporting infrastructure tools for architecture, engineering, and construction. The standard choice for design firms covering the full project lifecycle.
• PDMC Collection — Inventor, AutoCAD, and Fusion 360 for manufacturers and mechanical design offices.
• BIM Collaborate Pro — cloud worksharing for teams coordinating a single model across firms.

A quick rule: if you regularly open more than one Autodesk product, price the matching Collection first.

Autodesk on Mac: what runs natively

Not every Autodesk tool has a Mac build. AutoCAD, Fusion 360, and Maya ship as native macOS versions with Apple Silicon support; Revit, Civil 3D, Inventor, and 3ds Max are Windows-only.

If you are on a Mac and need a Windows-only tool, you would run it through Boot Camp on Intel Macs or a virtual machine — buy the Windows subscription in that case, not a Mac one.

Who each license is for

Matching yourself to a buyer type is the fastest way to the right product. Use whichever line fits your work.

• Freelance drafters and CAD designers: AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT, depending on whether you need 3D. Common for freelance CAD work billed per project.
• Architects and building engineers: Revit, or the AEC Collection if you also touch AutoCAD and Civil 3D.
• Civil and infrastructure engineers: Civil 3D, which includes full AutoCAD.
• Mechanical and product designers: Inventor or Fusion 360, or the PDMC Collection for both.
• 3D artists and studios: 3ds Max for visualization, Maya for animation.
• Reality-capture and survey teams: ReCap Pro, which turns scans and photos into point clouds for AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and Revit.

Running paid work for a firm, a client, or a tender? You'll want a compliant business seat instead — see the commercial license page.

1-year vs 3-year terms

Several products offer both a 1-year and a 3-year subscription. The right term depends on how permanent the tool is to your work.

A 1-year term suits project-based needs: license for a contract's duration and reassess at renewal. A 3-year term gives the lowest effective cost per year and locks in your rate against price increases — the better choice for a tool that's core to your business, the way AutoCAD or Revit usually is. Check each product page for its available terms.

System requirements at a glance

All current Autodesk software runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11; AutoCAD, Fusion 360, and Maya also run on macOS. As a baseline, plan for 16 GB of RAM and a dedicated GPU for AutoCAD workflows, and 32 GB with a certified graphics card for Revit, Civil 3D, 3ds Max, and Maya on large models.

Fusion 360 is the lightest of the group thanks to its cloud architecture and runs comfortably on a mid-range laptop. Exact requirements vary by version, so check the product page for the current specification before ordering.

From checkout to first launch

The whole process runs through Autodesk's official platform — no physical shipping and no third-party installers.

1. Order and complete checkout with Visa, Mastercard, or PayPal; Wise and Payoneer are available on request.
2. Receive your license details and activation instructions by email, usually within an hour and up to 24 hours at most.
3. Download the installer directly from Autodesk's official servers.
4. Sign in with your Autodesk account, and the license activates automatically.
5. Start working — you're fully licensed from first launch.

Frequently asked questions

Compare and choose

• AutoCAD — the all-round 2D and 3D CAD standard for any discipline.
• Revit — choose this for building information modeling.
• Civil 3D — infrastructure and land development, with AutoCAD included.
• Fusion 360 — cloud CAD/CAM/CAE for product development.
• AEC Collection — the multi-tool bundle for design firms.
• Autodesk commercial licenses — audit-ready business seats with a company invoice.