Sadly the current sales model no longer fits for me...

[Smn842]

This is not really a specific sales question, more of a comment of why the current CA pricing no longer works for me after 10 years of use and SSA:

 

After a long career in software development from developer to more senior roles I fully appreciate the need for the subscription model for mature software. However the implementation has to be fair on existing perpetual license users and as a DIYer this is where I have an issue after 10 years of using CA software and 9 of those with Chief Premier and SSA. 

 

I use Chief for planning the numerous renovation updates to my homes which I mostly complete myself. Until the subscription model was introduced 2.5 years I could justify SSA cost and the fact I could sell the license for a significant sum kept me in the game.  However with official license transfers banned when subscription was introduced and the sharp increase in SSA every other year which appears to be moving towards the level or subscriptions, I have to draw the line somewhere.   

 

I use many other software packages that have also made the switch to subscription, but these other products have been fair with existing perpetual license users giving them various options and commonly significant perpetual discounts if they switch to subscription.  In contrast, CA will not make any statements about the future of costs for SSA relative to subscription and as I expect the next jump in SSA will be next year, it is now time for me to stop my legacy SSA renewals. I will remain using X16/X17 and can even run them in a virtualised environment to avoid future OS compatibility issues (VMs work fine with 3D graphics features these days) with the only internet access being for activation. Hence I can ensure I will be able to use X16/X17 for as long as CA is around for its activation server.  I won't be going elsewhere, just not spending any more with CA.

 

I am far from the target user type and the loss of customers like me is probably worth it for CA if they can increase revenue from target customer types, but I would have continued to pay if there was a clear plan such as perpetual discount to subscription rates for legacy SSA users, instead of the stealth SSA increases which are moving towards subscription and far beyond inflation. As I started with HD Pro I can say that's not an option and with about 40 hours use a year spread over at least 6 months the monthly rental option is similarly not viable.  

 

It's been great using a professional level application for my DIY renovation projects, but sadly its the end of the line for legacy SSA upgrades for me. 

[basketballman]

  I feel your pain.

SSA now almost $700.00

and the value of X17 to me right now is $0.00 

  It is sitting in my digital locker until it becomes bug free and safe to upgrade ..

[mthd97]

I think Chief Architect are being very fair by keeping legacy SSA perpetual going for existing users who continue to pay the yearly fee. Not so with many other major CAD software vendors who have changed to subscription only now. If you have perpetual licensing with others, many of them can no longer be upgraded. If I was living in the US, I would be seriously considering keeping legacy SSA perpetual active so I don’t miss the boat with newer versions. We all get near retirement so it is understandable if we need to stop for those reasons.

[Smn842]

28 minutes ago, mthd97 said:

If I was living in the US, I would be seriously considering keeping legacy SSA perpetual active so I don’t miss the boat with newer versions

 

If I was using Chief as a revenue earning tool I would agree, although their handling of existing perpetual licenses isn't ideal considering my experience across many areas of software, although I appreciate CAD vendors may be different.   I've never earned or saved any money using Chief so my case is different. 

 

In my line of work in software development I've paid more per year than Chief want subscription for various tools in a professional capacity, but most of those have a cost effective model for non professional use as well.  However with their lesser Home Designer products CA probably considers it has enough offerings, they just no longer have on that works for my use case as a DIYer.

[mthd97]

3 minutes ago, Smn842 said:

 

If I was using Chief as a revenue earning tool I would agree, although their handling of existing perpetual licenses isn't ideal considering my experience across many areas of software, although I appreciate CAD vendors may be different.   I've never earned or saved any money using Chief so my case is different. 

 

In my line of work in software development I've paid more per year than Chief want subscription for various tools in a professional capacity, but most of those have a cost effective model for non professional use as well.  However with their lesser Home Designer products CA probably considers it has enough offerings, they just no longer have on that works for my use case as a DIYer.

To be sure, professional users and DIYers have very different needs and earning potential and so do software developers. So I can see where you are coming from. The DIYers have a plethora of Home Design Software to choose from these days. So we will basically end up with a 2D DXF/DWG file to work from, that is if it is actually accurate enough too. Even many of them are becoming subscription only.

[Renerabbitt]

On 7/19/2025 at 3:49 PM, basketballman said:

  I feel your pain.

SSA now almost $700.00

and the value of X17 to me right now is $0.00 

  It is sitting in my digital locker until it becomes bug free and safe to upgrade ..

Paid for itself 3 times over already with roof and framing defaults giving me automatic annotations and vent calcs...to each their own.

[Renerabbitt]

On 7/19/2025 at 8:18 AM, Smn842 said:

40

40 hours? Just rent the software for one or two months instead of spanning it over 6. Or if you're just solving a problem on your own house use the trial version with no saving option and print the screen ..hope that helps

[Smn842]

2 hours ago, Renerabbitt said:

40 hours? Just rent the software for one or two months instead of spanning it over 6. Or if you're just solving a problem on your own house use the trial version with no saving option and print the screen ..hope that helps

 

Thanks for the suggestion, but I cannot reduce the months back as I use it when the need arises and its at least 6 months a year (can be more).  As I am not an architect my use isn't short term projects.  I've got perceptual X16 and X17 licenses there's no need to keep paying any more for legacy SSA with more potential increases, or pay for rental to get newer releases. 

 

I will keep using X16 as I won't get bug fixes for X17 and my SSA ends soon, plus I can use it in a locked down VM on one of my Proxmox/XCP-ng home servers for as long as I need if OS compatibility issues ever become a problem (already tested and works fine).