Understand Autodesk subscriptions and licenses

As a primary admin, it is your responsibility to be familiar with the Autodesk software and how it benefits your team, as well as the subscription models and software costs for your Autodesk products. Autodesk provides two different subscription models: Flex and single-user subscriptions. These subscription models can be used concurrently or separately. When a user is assigned to both a single-user subscription and Flex, the subscription will be used before tokens. For example, if Priscilla is assigned to a subscription of AutoCAD and to Flex, Priscilla will use her subscription when she uses AutoCAD and will not use any tokens for this product.

Single-User Subscriptions

All single-user licenses to Autodesk software are offered on a subscription plan and provide term-based access to software for named users. You will be entitled to the subscriber benefits that Autodesk makes generally available to users with the same subscription as you (including level, geography, and other attributes). Subscriber benefits may include:

  • Access to new software versions when released
  • Rights to use eligible older versions of your subscription software
  • Ability to use your software at home and when traveling globally
  • Assistance from technical support specialists
  • Online tools to manage user permissions and software downloads
  • Flexible terms ranging from monthly renewal to 3-year subscriptions
  • Access to cloud and software services, allowing faster computing-intensive tasks and more efficient collaboration
  • Access to forums, learning events, newsletters, webinars, galleries, and other educational resources
  • Access to trial versions and APIs
  • Rights to updates, upgrades, and other additional software

Autodesk Flex

Autodesk Flex allows your occasional users to use Flex tokens to access any product available with your Flex subscription for 24 hours at a time. After you purchase Flex tokens, you can assign users to the Flex subscription either through By Product or By User. For an overview, refer to Autodesk Flex. To view a list of all Autodesk products and services available with Flex, refer to Autodesk Flex Rate Sheet.

Compare the Benefits of Flex and Single-User Subscriptions

How Many Licenses Can Be Used?

  • Single-user subscriptions:Allows one or more named users to access Autodesk products. A user is a person who has been assigned to a product or service by an administrator. The number of users you can assign per product is determined by the total number of seats purchased for that product. Each user is assigned a license, which can’t be shared with another user. When you purchase additional subscriptions, you are purchasing access to additional software licenses for users you manage. Users can download and install the software assigned to them on up to three devices but can use only one instance of the software at a time.
  • Flex: When a user opens and signs into an Autodesk product included with Flex, they will be charged a daily rate per product once every 24 hours. Users will not be charged for using multiple versions or reopening the product within the 24-hour period. If your team does not have enough tokens, users will lose access to Flex and will be unable to open the product. Flex is a pay as you go model, so users will be able to use products once more tokens are purchased.
    • Important: To avoid being charged for idle time, your users should close products when not in use.

Getting Support for Subscription Management

If you have any issues or questions about your subscription, you can click the icon in the lower-right corner to access the Get Help menu. Select Post-purchase support > Subscription Management > Subscription benefits & set up. You can review the Knowledge Network articles or click Contact a support agent for further help.