Tool 01 · License audit
CAD, PLM and simulation software license audit calculator
Enter your suite, seat count, license mix and renewal window. The calculator estimates the annual overpayment from idle named seats and unaudited uplifts, and the 3-year saving from re-allocating light users and capping renewal increases.
01How the calculator works
The tool separates two savings that are usually mixed together in a renewal conversation.
1. Re-allocation savings
Light users, people active fewer than eight days a month, rarely need a named seat. For SOLIDWORKS, Creo, NX and Ansys the calculator moves them into a floating pool sized at 2.6 engineers per seat (75% peak concurrency) and prices each floating seat at a 24% premium. For Autodesk it moves them to Flex tokens at about 60 active days a year.
2. Escalation savings
An unaudited renewal is modelled at 9.5% a year compounded; a negotiated renewal at a 3% cap. How much of that gap you can capture depends on time: 100% with 60-120 days, 75% mid-contract, 50% with under 60 days, and 60% if you are answering a compliance letter.
| Step | Arithmetic | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Current spend | 25 × $3,800 | $95,000/yr |
| Light users | 25 × 30% | 8 users |
| Floating pool | 8 ÷ 2.6 → round up | 4 seats |
| Re-allocation | 8 × $3,800 − 4 × $3,800 × 1.24 | $11,552/yr |
| Escalation cap | $95,000 × (9.5% − 3%) | $6,175/yr |
| 3-year TCO reduction | 3 × $11,552 + compounding gap | ≈ $74,900 |
02Getting the inputs right
- Seat count: licenses on the renewal quote, not people on the team.
- Light-user share: take it from license-server logs (FlexNet / lmgrd, SolidNetWork License Manager usage, Autodesk admin usage reports), 90 days minimum. Guesses run high.
- License mix: if you already float, the tool assumes the pool is over-provisioned and models a smaller saving.
- Legacy perpetual: for SOLIDWORKS the annual cost becomes maintenance ($1,295 / $1,595 / $1,995 by tier), not subscription.
Ansys and NX estates are dominated by solver and token pools. For those, read the plan line on HPC Packs: below roughly 28 solver hours a week, elastic or cloud-burst capacity usually costs less than a $12,500 HPC Pack.
03Redlines that carry the saving
The numbers only turn into money through contract language. The renewal clauses we mark first:
| Clause | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Multi-year price cap ≤3%/yr | Turns the 9.5% assumption into a ceiling |
| Right to reduce seats at renewal | Lets you act on the usage data |
| Itemized quote (license / maintenance / services / cloud) | Exposes bundled add-ons |
| Floating option at ≤ +24% | Makes the pool conversion price-certain |
| Usage-report access for the term | Keeps next year's audit cheap |
See the vendor sheets for the details of each estate: GoEngineer renewal audit, PTC Creo and Windchill uplift audit and Ansys HPC Pack audit.
Benchmarks are typical 2025-2026 market ranges compiled by Engineer Aid, an independent desk not affiliated with the vendors named. Quotes vary by region, volume and timing; nothing here is legal, tax or engineering advice. Revised 2026-11-06.
Questions buyers ask
When does an Autodesk named-user subscription stop being worth it?
When the user is active fewer days than the breakeven: named seat cost divided by daily token cost. For AutoCAD that is $1,975 ÷ (7 × $3.00) = 94 days a year; for PDMC or Revit, $3,675 ÷ (9 × $3.00) = 136 days.
How many engineers can share one floating SOLIDWORKS seat?
A well-sized pool supports about 2.6 engineers per floating seat at 75% peak concurrency. Pools running under 35% peak concurrency are over-provisioned and are the first place to cut at renewal.
What renewal increase should I accept?
Aim for a written multi-year cap of 3% a year or less. Unaudited renewals commonly compound at 8%-14% a year once bundled cloud or platform add-ons are included.
How far ahead of renewal should I start?
Sixty to 120 days. Under 60 days, ask for a short co-term extension in writing so you can benchmark the quote; most of the escalation saving needs that time.