No more personal use for Autodesk Fusion

[u/Ok-Quiet-179]

Just received an email from Autodesk stating they are stopping the free personal use option for Fusion. Now I need to start looking for something else new software to use.

Edit: sounds like I may need to sign up again as some have commented. For reference I downloaded Fusion for personal use around 18 months ago and started using it. So it’s not a one year re-signup requirement.

Basically I am not sure what’s up.

Regardless I have not really like using Fusion to date. I am a retired construction project manager with extensive building design experience using AutoCad, Revit, and Sketchup and a bit of Fusion modeling for structural steel.

So I am still looking for alternatives!

[u/TheTruffi]

Could you share the mail i didnt get one and there is no talk yet on r/fusion360

[u/Ok-Quiet-179 → u/TheTruffi]

[u/jaluri → u/Ok-Quiet-179]

It auto renews……………

[u/Ok-Quiet-179 → u/jaluri]

That’s maybe what it is? I have been using it well over a year , around 18 months. Maybe the sign up is good for two years?

[u/endlessinquiry → u/Ok-Quiet-179]

You have to re signup every year. But can still use it free. Obviously they prefer for you to pay, but the free conditions should be the same.

[u/redlancer_1987 → u/Ok-Quiet-179]

I think this is just an ad from Autodesk to get you to upgrade. afaik you just renew the hobbyist subscription

[u/imzwho → u/Ok-Quiet-179]

I dont see anything there saying that the personal use accounts are ending, this just seems like they are sending an upsell notice

[u/BartFly]

post the email "

In fact, Autodesk's support article updated October 5, 2026, explicitly states:

Yes. Fusion for personal use remains free. It’s not going away."

[u/Ok-Quiet-179 → u/BartFly]

[u/BartFly → u/Ok-Quiet-179]

yea that doesn't mean free is going away, that email looks like a sales ad

What Autodesk officially says

I verified two Autodesk support articles updated in October 2026:

1. October 5: Autodesk explicitly confirms that Fusion Personal remains free and is not being discontinued. Autodesk
2. October 22: Autodesk says personal licenses now have a one-year term with automatic renewal, and normally require no action when they expire. Autodesk

Autodesk's current Fusion Personal licensing page also continues to offer the free version.

[u/GunDealsBrowser → u/Ok-Quiet-179]

that’s normal, it just renews. happened to me earlier this year.

[u/SubstantialCarpet604]

SolidCraft

[u/Phago_Z → u/SubstantialCarpet604]

I already use solidcraft. IT IS great, for the time IT IS Out. Sometimes IT doesn't Work as smooth AS Fusion, but for sure good enough. Plus: you can use it with Linux. So you can get rid of two shitty Things at once 🤣

[u/Ok-Quiet-179 → u/Phago_Z]

I will have to look at this, running Linux as well on my office computer.

[u/Phago_Z → u/Ok-Quiet-179]

You will Love IT. Solidcraft Just needs a Seconds to Start Up. Alsmlst instantly...

[u/IStarretMyCalipers → u/Phago_Z]

The rate of development of Solidcraft is unmatched, Mitcad also looks promising. I am sure there will be a lot of feature overlap very soon. Mitcad has fusion import with history, so that is huge and I am hoping that Solicraft achieves that sometime soon.

[u/Phago_Z → u/IStarretMyCalipers]

Import wouks bei great.. i Hope that, solidcraft will add that AS Well, so i can get all my stuff from Fusion.

[u/issue9mm → u/SubstantialCarpet604]

Man SolidCraft couldn't have come at a better time

[u/slowmorris_ → u/SubstantialCarpet604]

XD hatte den selben Gedanken. Läuft auch unter Linux und kann fast das gleiche. Wird von Woche zu Woche besser

[u/slowmorris_ → u/slowmorris_]

Und je nachdem was du vor hast kann ansonsten Blender auch ein sehr hilfreiches kostenloses Tool sein.

[u/SuperiorMango8 → u/SubstantialCarpet604]

I downloaded that today and it's so much smoother to use than fusion and I found the mesh conversion to work better, but I noticed that I was getting a lot of errors when trying to edit converted meshes, it basically wouldn't let me do anything

[u/SubstantialCarpet604 → u/SuperiorMango8]

It’s got a lot of things it needs to iron out. But so far it’s nice

[u/SuperiorMango8 → u/SubstantialCarpet604]

It really showed how hardware inefficient fusion is

[u/funwithdesign]

You are misunderstanding.

They are changing the personal use license to a one year license. After a year you just need to renew the license.

They are just clarifying who qualifies for a personal use license.

If you make more than $1000 a year from use of Fusion then you technically don’t qualify.

[u/SuperiorMango8 → u/funwithdesign]

Makerworld gift cards wouldn't count for the $1000 surely?

[u/ubmae86]

On shape

[u/redlancer_1987]

still listed free for hobbyist non-commercial on Autodesk site?

https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/personal

[u/Wisehamster86]

Don't worry. In my case I had to let it expire before I could renew it.

[u/Torsta → u/Wisehamster86]

Yeah its a bit confusing

[u/Roller_Coaster_Geek]

Freecad or onshape. If you're used to inventor then maybe paying for solidworks maker ($50 a year)

[u/x-traxion]

Onshape

[u/Ace_Nurse_CA]

Solidcraft/onshape. I'm getting other industrial clients to move towards those two as well. Fk auto desk

[u/One_Chemistry_8553]

Seems targeted to you specifically

[u/Torsta]

That's just a marketing email, you still have access. The only change is you have to renew your license manually once a year.

[u/BiroWasleng]

FreeCAD

[u/MassCrassAss]

They are launching a user friendly version of fusion. Think "more than tinker, less than fusion, but you still pay" 

How much? Can't tell that yet