“Which SOLIDWORKS option should we buy?” is the question most South African engineering teams start with. It’s the wrong place to begin.

SOLIDWORKS South Africa decisions involve more than picking a tier and paying. Dassault Systèmes reports that millions of users worldwide rely on SOLIDWORKS to take products from concept to production. Over 55,000 companies across engineering and manufacturing use it globally. 

That growth means more local teams are evaluating SOLIDWORKS for the first time, or rethinking how they’ve set it up. The decisions that shape whether the investment pays off come down to six areas: which products fit the workflow, which package level you need, which licence route makes sense, what Cloud Services add, how file management should work, and what training and support look like after purchase.

This guide covers each of those decisions so you can choose the right SOLIDWORKS setup for your team, your workflow and your budget.

Why Should You Start With the Workflow, Not the Software?

The right SOLIDWORKS setup begins with what your users need to do every week, not which package looks best on paper. Map user tasks first, then match software to the work.

It’s tempting to jump straight into comparing packages. But that skips the most important step. Before you look at features lists, you need to understand what your team actually does day to day.

A mechanical design workflow typically starts with part modelling, assembly design and drawing creation. That points to SOLIDWORKS Design as the foundation. If your team needs to test designs before building prototypes, SOLIDWORKS Simulation may form part of the setup. Manufacturing teams may need SOLIDWORKS CAM to connect design and machining preparation. Electrical teams may need SOLIDWORKS Electrical for schematic and wiring workflows.

You don’t need to buy everything at once. The goal is to choose a setup that fits your current work and doesn’t limit your next step. Explore the full SOLIDWORKS product range to see what’s available beyond core CAD.

What’s the Difference Between SOLIDWORKS Standard, Professional and Premium?

SOLIDWORKS Standard covers core 3D CAD for parts, assemblies and drawings. Professional adds productivity, documentation and design checking tools. Premium adds routing, simulation and design validation for more advanced engineering workflows.

Each tier builds on the one below it. Professional includes everything in Standard. Premium includes everything in Professional.

According to Dassault Systèmes, Standard provides core mechanical design tools including part modelling, assemblies, drawings, sheet metal, weldments and manufacturing documentation. This is usually the right starting point for users focused on core CAD work.

Professional adds integrated cost estimation tools, photorealistic rendering, a broader component library, tolerance analysis and design checking capabilities. It’s a stronger fit when your workflow involves standard components, visual communication, CAD checks or cost-related design decisions. For a small team, Professional can also help create more consistent output because everyone works with better checking and documentation tools.

Premium adds Motion Analysis and Routing capabilities for piping, tubing and electrical cabling. Organisations requiring more advanced structural, thermal or nonlinear analysis typically evaluate dedicated SOLIDWORKS Simulation products. The official SOLIDWORKS Design page outlines how these capabilities support complex product development from concept through manufacturing.

Many companies initially assume they need Premium because it sounds like the safest option. In practice, most teams are better served by selecting the package that matches their current workflow and expanding only when additional capabilities are needed.

Which SOLIDWORKS Licence Route Is Right for Your Business?

MECAD offers term licences (3-month or 1-year) and perpetual licences. Term suits project-based or flexible needs. Perpetual suits teams that will use SOLIDWORKS as part of their everyday design environment.

A term licence gives you access for a fixed period. It’s a practical route for contract projects, temporary design capacity, first-time adoption or teams that want flexibility before committing long term. When the term ends, you simply renew or let it lapse.

A perpetual licence requires a larger upfront investment, but it gives the business long-term ownership of the software. The first year of subscription is mandatory and includes updates and support. From year two onwards, the subscription is optional, though letting it lapse means losing access to new versions and technical support.

There’s also the access model to consider. A standalone licence suits a dedicated user or workstation. A network licence can make more sense when a team needs shared access across multiple users. Our SOLIDWORKS licensing guide breaks down all four combinations (perpetual standalone, perpetual network, term standalone and term network) in detail.

A simple way to think about it: choose term when the work is temporary or uncertain, and choose perpetual when SOLIDWORKS will support ongoing design work.

Should You Buy Directly or Through a Local Reseller? 

For many companies, the software itself is only part of the decision. The real challenge is choosing the right products, licensing structure, implementation approach, and user adoption plan.

Buying directly may work if you already know exactly which products you need and have the internal expertise to manage deployment, training, and ongoing support. However, most engineering teams benefit from working with a local Solidworks reseller that understands the local market and can provide guidance beyond the software purchase itselfes 

A local reseller can help with:

• Identifying the right Soldiwroks products and package levels for your workflow.
• Advising on term, perpetual, standalone, and network licensing options.
• Assisting with installation, activation, and deployment.
• Providing certified training for new and experienced users.
• Supporting users when technical or licensing issues arise.
• Escalating complex cases directly to Dassault Systemes when required.
• Advising on future expansion into areas such as Simulation, PDM, CAM, Electrical or the 3DExpereince platform.

For South African businesses, local support can be particularly valuable. Working with a reseller in the same time zone makes it easier to access training, technical assistance and implementation guidance when needed.

At MECAD, our role extends beyond supplying software licences. We work with engineering and manufacturing teams to ensure their Soldworks environment aligns with their design processes, business objectives and future growth plans.

A good reseller doesn’t simply help you buy Solidworks. They help you get value from it long after the software is installed.

Cloud Services and What They Add to Your Licence

New SOLIDWORKS Design licences now include Cloud Services as part of the subscription. This connects your SOLIDWORKS CAD data to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and opens up tools for collaboration, storage and design review.

Cloud Services for SOLIDWORKS provides three core capabilities. Share and Markup lets you send a link to anyone so they can view and comment on your 3D design in a browser, with no extra software needed. Store and Revise gives you CAD-aware cloud storage that understands file relationships and tracks revisions automatically. Manage and Control provides tools for formal change actions, approvals and project tracking.

For a single user, Cloud Services simplifies sharing work with clients and suppliers. For a team, it keeps design reviews, markups and file versions connected, especially when multiple people contribute to the same project.

CAD work rarely ends with a finished model. Designs need to be reviewed, updated, shared and prepared for the next stage of the process. Cloud Services helps handle that without relying on email chains, shared network folders or separate file-sharing tools.

Cloud Services are included with active subscription-based SOLIDWORKS licences and provide integration with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Plan for File Management Before It Becomes a Problem

Many teams only think about file control once the workflow becomes messy. By then, people are already wasting time looking for the latest version, checking who changed what, or confirming whether the drawing being reviewed is still current.

The scale of this problem is well documented. Research from IDC and McKinsey shows that workers spend 20 to 30 percent of their time searching for the right information. A Tech-Clarity survey on CAD data management found that 79 percent of small companies report wasted engineering time spent searching for data and fixing file problems.

For one user, basic file storage and Cloud Services may be enough. For a team, the risk is different. Design files move between engineers, managers, suppliers, clients and manufacturing teams. Without structure, that becomes difficult to manage quickly.

This is where SOLIDWORKS PDM becomes important. It helps teams manage files, revisions and access more clearly, especially when design data is shared across multiple users or departments. Dassault Systèmes describes SOLIDWORKS PDM as a solution that centralises product data, controls changes, and manages revisions and bills of materials, available both on-premise and as a cloud-based SaaS option.

Planning for file management early is much easier than trying to fix a messy file structure after the team is already working at full speed.

How Important Are Training and Support After You Buy?

Training and support are what separate a productive SOLIDWORKS setup from an expensive one. New users build the right habits faster, and experienced users work more efficiently with structured upskilling.

For new users, SOLIDWORKS training courses help build proper modelling, assembly and drawing workflows from the start. It’s much easier to learn the right approach early than to fix inconsistent methods later.

For experienced users, training can go deeper. Advanced courses cover assemblies, simulation, surfacing, data management, manufacturing preparation and more specialised tools. This is useful when a team already knows the basics but wants to work faster, cleaner and more consistently.

MECAD’s Enhanced Subscription adds structured value around the licence. It includes on-demand training through SolidProfessor, a R3 000 instructor-led training credit per subscription, and a two-hour Ask-an-Expert session with a MECAD specialist. The Expert session is especially useful when a user or team is stuck on a specific technical issue, whether that’s model corrections, simulation setup, rendering support or CAD standards guidance.

Support matters just as much. It gives users a clear place to go when they need help with installation, licensing, technical issues or workflow questions that slow the team down. You’re not only buying software access. You’re working with a SOLIDWORKS reseller that helps your users get more value from the software after the licence is active.

How to Choose SOLIDWORKS for an Engineering Team

Buying SOLIDWORKS for one person is usually straightforward. You can buy SOLIDWORKS individually through our online shop, choose a term, and get started. Buying for a team needs more thought because the decision affects how people work together.

You need to look at the type of work being done, how many users need access, how drawings should be standardised, how files will be managed, and what support the team will need once the software is active.

We’ve seen organisations overspend on capabilities that never get used. The objective should be to match the software to the workflow rather than buying the highest package available.

Next Steps

The best SOLIDWORKS South Africa setup is the one that fits your workflow, your team and your growth plans.

Start by mapping what your users need to do. Compare Standard, Professional and Premium based on actual work, not features you might use one day. Choose a licence route that matches how your business operates. And plan for training, support and file management from the start.

If you already know what you need, compare current options on the SOLIDWORKS Shop. If you’re still deciding, or if you’re buying for a team, speak to our team. We’ll help you choose the right package, licence route and support setup before you commit.

MECAD Systems has partnered with South African engineering and manufacturing teams for almost four decades. We’re here to help you get this decision right.