The Latest SOLIDWORKS Product Names
If you're struggling to understand the latest names of the various SOLIDWORKS products, you are not alone. This article will attempt to clarify the changes as they currently stand in Q1 of 2026.
If you missed it, 2025 saw some very interesting name changes to the SOLIDWORKS product line. Fortunately, we did not have to endure explaining what SOLIDWORKS Augmented was to many people before that was dropped and the names changed again. Let's move past that debacle and dive into the reasons why the names are what they are. Everything makes more sense with a little background.
Machine-based Licensing
To understand the name changes, it first helps to understand the way the products are licensed. Most long time SOLIDWORKS users will be familiar with the process of license activation. Activating a license is typically done over the internet, and locks the license to a computer. The process is quick and easy and can be reversed.
The process of activating and deactivating a license gives the user the ability to move a license should they choose to. It grants them the power to transfer a license to a different computer without the need to explain themselves or get a 3rd party involved.
Standalone Versus Network
Activation is used by both standalone and network license types. A standalone license is meant to be used by a single individual. A network license can "float" between multiple users. Network licenses can represent one or more seats of software. In the case of a network license, it is the license server that must be activated. Even though a network license can represent multiple seats of software used my multiple users simultaneously, the network license server, which doles out licenses as they are needed, is the computer the license is locked to.
User-based Licensing
When a new form of licensing arose, a new name was needed. This new licensing was user-based. The license was no longer locked to a computer. Instead, it was locked to a user via their login credentials. A SOLIDWORKS user would log in through the 3DEXPERIENCE web-based platform in order to gain access to their software.
With the emergence of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and user-based licensing, SOLIDWORKS users were no longer constrained to a specific computer. Now they could use SOLIDWORKS anywhere, at any time. All they had to do was log in.
Rebranding
SOLIDWORKS Corporation was trying to rebrand itself. They wanted more consistency. a single name that described a product category, regardless of license type. That new name is SOLIDWORKS Design. We will return to talk about this again shortly.
A New Sales Model
An important aspect of the new branding is SOLIDWORKS Corporations' strong desire to promote their "software as a service" sales structure, otherwise known as the SaaS model (pronounced like "sass"). SOLIDWORKS Corp would very much like to have their customers locked into an annual subscription to use the software, instead of letting them buy it once, use it indefinitely, and maybe subscribing to upgrades (otherwise known as maintenance or subscription services).
When purchasing software which costs many thousands of dollars, it makes sense to also purchase some sort of maintenance plan. Paying for subscription includes upgrades and technical support, which is a very good thing to have. Nonetheless, not everyone likes to buy support, or cares about upgrades. They buy a license and then use it for as long as they can. This is the way most software was sold for many years, and still is, in many cases.
Old Versus New
The original machine locked license was known simply as SolidWorks. They went to all caps in 2015, so technically it is SOLIDWORKS now. I can't get past the idea it seems like yelling. Maybe that's the point. I don't know.
When web based products started emerging, it was sometimes necessary to refer to the original machine locked license as SOLIDWORKS Desktop. A few years back, all desktop licenses of SOLIDWORKS were sold with the ability to access the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. This was also known as "Cloud Services". Whether the cloud connectivity is used is completely optional to the SOLIDWORKS user. If they want to use it, it's there. If they want to ignore it, they can.
Meanwhile, there was the more recent user locked version of the SOLIDWORKS license, which was known as 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS. Cloud services were not (and are not) optional with this product. Cloud services are baked in, and are required. 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS eventually became known as SOLIDWORKS Connected.
SOLIDWORKS Connected is installed differently and has some functional differences from desktop SOLIDWORKS. Even though SOLIDWORKS Connected is installed from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform accessed via a web browser, and is usually started from the users 3DEXPERIENCE dashboard, the software still resides on the users computer.
It is this version of the software which is named SOLIDWORKS Design. This is worth repeating. The software previously known as 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS, and then SOLIDWORKS Connected, has adopted SOLIDWORKS Corporations' flagship product name of SOLIDWORKS Design.
It is the desktop version of the software, previously known as SOLIDWORKS Desktop, and then SOLIDWORKS with Cloud Services, which has been granted the product name of SOLIDWORKS Design with Cloud Services.
Why So Confusing?
SOLIDWORKS Design requires cloud services, must be installed from the cloud, and is fully integrated with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. It cannot survive without it. To access files saved to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, internet access is mandatory.
SOLIDWORKS Design with Cloud Services does not require cloud services. Yes, you read that correctly. The installation files for SOLIDWORKS Design with Cloud Services can be downloaded the "old fashioned" way, by logging in to your account and downloading the files, then installing the software.
After downloading the installation files, and aside from the product activation, no internet connectivity is required. Internet access is only needed should you choose to utilize the cloud services aspect of the software. (It should be noted the installation files can be downloaded from any computer. Even the activation can be done remotely and does not require internet access on the computer being licensed.)
It does make one wonder, why the intentional obfuscation? It certainly wasn't an accident. But alas, you'll have to ponder that question on your own. I'm only here to relay the facts.
Happy Modeling!