Chief Architect Software Licensing Changes Beginning January 10, 2023

[ChiefArchitect]

Chief Architect is updating the way we sell our software.  Beginning January 10, 2023, all new software will be subscription-based.  Perpetual (lifetime) software licenses will no longer be sold after this date.  This change will not affect your existing software or active Support & Software Assurance (SSA).  If your SSA expires, your software will continue to function; however, the SSA will no longer be renewable.  To learn more, please see our software licensing FAQ.

 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions. We look forward to providing you with the very best products and service in the coming year!

 

Chief Architect Software

208.292.3400 | sales@chiefarchtiect.com

[Renerabbitt]

Is there a way to make sure there is a backup payment option to our accounts?

[Joe_Carrick]

What is the SSA price per year compared to the annual subscription price?

Is there an advantage of one vs the other?

[ChiefArchitect]

Rene, we don't have a way to store backup payment information.  If there is a payment failure, we will send an email to you with a link to retry the payment or update payment details to a different card,

 

Joe, the SSA price will not change on Jan. 10.  New subscription pricing details can be found on the license change FAQ page. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/licensing/

 

Kind regards,

 

Chief Architect Sales

 

[DRAWZILLA]

I think our existing license has no change as long as you pay the ssa on time, but once you don't pay on time, you cannot pay later, and you must switch to another account. that's the way I read it.

[MarkMc]

Quote

If I keep SSA active on my perpetual legacy license, are the free SSA upgrades going to be to a perpetual license?

Yes, free upgrades that you receive as a part of your legacy license SSA will continue as a perpetual license.

Does this mean that as long as I keep SSA active, new version upgrades will be available as a part of SSA? IOW I have X14 with SSA active would then get X15, then keep SSA active would bet X16, etc...?

OR does that just mean upgrades to versions that were active as of Jan 10-X14 upgrades only, not X15 upgrades?

[ChiefArchitect]

Mark,

 

Yes, as long as you keep SSA active, your SSA services will continue as they do today (including upgrades to new versions), and the upgrade you receive will be a perpetual license.

 

Kind regards,

 

Chief Architect Sales

[DeLayDesign]

From what I understand, and please correct me if I'm wrong.

The Change in January will ultimately put us in the same payment system as other software like Adobe and AutoCAD, where one must continue to pay a subscription fee yearly in order to use the software.  If the account goes unpaid/ delinquent - the software is locked and can't be accessed.

---- Question ----

With our current SSA subscription the terms stated we would have access to any upgrades while in our SSA for the year, i.e. when X15 is released I can upgrade 'for free' because my SSA is current.  My SSA doesn't expire until September of 2023.  If X15 comes out in that timeframe will this be a permanent upgrade for me (like it has been for pervious versions) or will I be forced into the new yearly payment system?

[ChiefArchitect]

DeLay,

 

What you have stated is correct for new license purchases beginning Jan. 10, 2023.  If you already own a legacy perpetual license with active SSA (a perpetual license purchased on or before Jan. 9, 2023),  your existing software and any free SSA upgrades you receive will be perpetual (lifetime license).  SSA will remain renewable as long is it kept current.

 

Kind regards,

 

Chief Architect Sales

[DeLayDesign]

13 minutes ago, ChiefArchitect said:

DeLay,

 

What you have stated is correct for new license purchases beginning Jan. 10, 2023.  If you already own a legacy perpetual license with active SSA (a perpetual license purchased on or before Jan. 9, 2023),  your existing software and any free SSA upgrades you receive will be perpetual (lifetime license).  SSA will remain renewable as long is it kept current.

 

Kind regards,

 

Chief Architect Sales

 

 

-----

 

That's great news - Thank you.

[mwarch]

If the perpetual (legacy) license with current SSA is sold will the purchaser be able to continue to pay the SSA prior to expiry date, or will they be forced onto the yearly subscription model?

[Kiwideziner]

at $1995 per year that makes CA dearer than Revit LT bundled with acad LT.

I just yesterday paid US$424 for a yearly licence of the above. I am yet to make a judgement as to which is better.

[scottharris]

1 hour ago, mwarch said:

If the perpetual (legacy) license with current SSA is sold will the purchaser be able to continue to pay the SSA prior to expiry date, or will they be forced onto the yearly subscription model?

@mwarch, if you own a perpetual license, you can continue to pay for SSA prior to the expiry date.

[Kbird1]

22 minutes ago, scottharris said:

@mwarch, if you own a perpetual license, you can continue to pay for SSA prior to the expiry date.

 

That's not what I think he is asking Scott, He is asking if he sells his Perpetual License, how it is handled since SSA is not Transferable currently, ie will it be Transferable going Forward for the new Owner?

 

M.

[Smn842]

The question about selling a Perpetual License that current has SSA is important because without a way to continue in that mode existing licenses lose their re-sale value.

 

Another key question is are there plans to change the SSA renewal cost to drive people towards the subscription model?

 

As one of the rare DIY users of CA Premier (previously HDPro) I can justify the annual SSA to help with my ongoing house updates, but the subscription price is too much.  My day job is software and with that hat on subscription can be a good model for users and the vendor, but only if the price is set correctly and it allows the company to update the software more often and reduces the need for annual releases with headline features to drive sales/upgrades (i.e. more focus on the smaller long term productivity issues)

[DavidJames]

New license subscription:

• Monthly subscription: $199
• Annual subscription: $1,995 (save 16%)

When that promotional discount of 16% comes to an end ($2,375), it puts CA in the same ballpark as Revit Architecture ($2,675). 

[elgreco]

I too made the switch from HDPro to CA Premier a couple of years ago. I have a current SSA (barely affordable as it stands) and I hope I will continue to receive new perpetual licence versions of the software (as long as I continue to have a current SSA).

 

Having evaluated Revit and ArchiCAD for 18 months I chose to remain with CA software mainly because of their perpetual licence model. For the same reason I also switched from AutoCAD LT to progeCAD. 

At the proposed subscription pricing, new licences for X?? will not be competitively priced and potential new users will surely look at alternatives.

I would urge CA to maintain a flexible subscription model (ala ArchiCAD ?). A rigid subscription price that does not reflect the intensity of use (of the software) eg. 3 hours a day or 14 hrs a day, cannot always be justified.

 

Simon, if you like, go to the UK User Group page and leave your details. We will shortly be starting Zoom calls to link up with all UK and Ireland CA users.

 

[SHCanada2]

If I understand this correctly, one can no longer by a used, say X12 license and then pay to upgrade it to X14, after January. Is this correct?

[Alaskan_Son]

I too would like to know what the policy moving forward is with regard to transferring existing perpetual licenses and whether or not those legacy license features will remain in force for the new owner.  And what about additional seats for existing perpetual license holders?  What are the transfer/sale options for those?

 

The answers to the questions above not only affect the value of existing licenses but may also encourage or discourage the purchase of additional perpetual licenses between now and January 10.  

[joey_martin]

Sooo.....what will the SSA program cost annually going forward?

[Alaskan_Son]

4 minutes ago, joey_martin said:

Sooo.....what will the SSA program cost annually going forward?

Yes.  This is a pretty big deal as well.  I feel like a policy needs to be adopted right up front that ties SSA to a fair and equitable percentage of the subscription license cost to ensure a consistent, measurable, and reasonably predictable value of our legacy licenses as they compare to the subscription licenses.  Outside of this approach, I think it’s going to be far too easy to ostracize legacy users and make us feel like we’re not being treated fairly or that we’re getting hard armed into the subscription based system.  

[para-CAD]

 

It's a bit confusing......what is chief's long-term goal here?

If you need more money to get more talented programmers, that's cool.

 

Currently I pay $595 per year to maintain SSA.

This includes the upgrade to the next version....no additional cost.

So essentially a $595 per year "subscription".  

(I have only used tech support maybe 8 times since X7 so I don't see SSA as anything more than a discounted next version requirement.)

 

Now new chief users will face $2k per year subscription?

When does that rate transition to everyone else paying $2K/year in subscription?

I assume that's on the horizon to streamline revenue at some point.

 

For now, are you "grandfathering" the SSA rate as long as people stay current?  

I better calendar that SSA payment....and NEVER miss it.  

$600 per year works much better for me than $2000 per year in this housing cool off.

 

For $2K a year.......................................chief would really need to bring that amount of value to my business.

Now you're in the range of other apps with broader industry usage.  

You'll be about $700 shy per year of Revit (which both of my preferred engineers keep pushing me to adopt)

 

I wish y'all every success with the direction you take chief.

Great team.  Great software.  

I look forward to seeing where this all leads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ChiefArchitect]

On the question about reselling or transferring your software license and that entity being able to renew the SSA prior to its expiration......

The current Chief Architect End User License Agreement does not allow selling or transferring a license to another party. However, there are some special situations where a license transfer can occur if it is approved by Chief Architect.  An example might include an employee that purchases the software on behalf of a company and that license should be in that company’s name or a principle of that company.  If a license transfer is approved, and the SSA is current, then it can be renewed.

[DeLayDesign]

1 hour ago, para-CAD said:

 

It's a bit confusing......what is chief's long-term goal here?

If you need more money to get more talented programmers, that's cool.

 

Currently I pay $595 per year to maintain SSA.

This includes the upgrade to the next version....no additional cost.

So essentially a $595 per year "subscription".  

(I have only used tech support maybe 8 times since X7 so I don't see SSA as anything more than a discounted next version requirement.)

 

Now new chief users will face $2k per year subscription?

When does that rate transition to everyone else paying $2K/year in subscription?

I assume that's on the horizon to streamline revenue at some point.

 

For now, are you "grandfathering" the SSA rate as long as people stay current?  

I better calendar that SSA payment....and NEVER miss it.  

$600 per year works much better for me than $2000 per year in this housing cool off.

 

For $2K a year.......................................chief would really need to bring that amount of value to my business.

Now you're in the range of other apps with broader industry usage.  

You'll be about $700 shy per year of Revit (which both of my preferred engineers keep pushing me to adopt)

 

I wish y'all every success with the direction you take chief.

Great team.  Great software.  

I look forward to seeing where this all leads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---------------

 

 

Hey @para-CAD; when I first heard of the move I was thinking the same thing you are, but Chief seems to have explained that as long as we keep our SSA active things will continue to operate as they always have.  We'll still be entitled to upgrades and support and receive perpetual license (permanently yours).

It only changes if you don't continue your SSA.  If your SSA goes delinquent/ you stop paying it, you'll have to sign up for Chief's new payment system which would be a yearly subscription.  That license would NOT be yours permanently.  The only other question is - will SSA stay the same as it has been or will there also be an increase to that cost.

So - basically we'll need to keep our SSAs current which ultimately make its a 'subscription', just one with less consequences.  I for one don't mind 'having to pay' the SSA as long as I get a permanent license out of it.  Subscription software's seem unethical to me.

@DavidJames - These subscriptions have been around for a while, and I can't say I've seen the 'discounts' ever really expire; but yes it could get tricky if they do.

[KristjanM]

I think this is a terrible change from Chief. This does nothing for the user and only benefits Chief. I left Revit exactly due to the implementation of the subscription model. With Softplan, if you own a version and pay their version of the SSA, you get the updates as they come out. However you don't own the new version and if you quit the SSA, you only have rights to your original version. So, a possible scenario. You create a project in Version 16 (you own Version 14) and decide that you no longer need the  SSA updates. You can no longer use Version 16 and can't open any projects created with it. This is exactly what happens with Softplan. I would like to hear Chief's explanation about what version of the software one is actually going to own.