Let’s be honest: the full commercial license of SolidWorks costs thousands of dollars. That is a non-starter for a college budget. But here is the good news: Dassault Systèmes (the maker of SolidWorks) has a very generous—yet confusing—offering for students.
The student license is the legal, safe, and smart way to get the software. Yes, the watermark is annoying. Yes, it expires after 12 months. But paying $99 to learn the industry-standard tool that will get you a $70k+ starting salary is the best ROI you will ever get.
Have you successfully downloaded the student version? Drop a comment below with any installation issues you ran into
Log into your university's "My Apps," "Software Center," or ask your CAD lab TA. Option 3: The Maker (Hobbyist) Version If you aren't a student but want to learn, check out SolidWorks for Makers . For about $10/month, you get the full software. It is the same code as the student version, just branded differently for hobbyists. The "Watermark" Warning (Read this before you panic) When you download SolidWorks for students, you need to know about the Educational Watermark .
If your school participates, you can download SolidWorks for free directly from the university’s software portal or via the SolidWorks portal using your school credentials. You don't pay a dime because your tuition already covered it.
If you are an engineering or industrial design student, you have likely typed “download SolidWorks for students” into a search bar at least once.