Autodesk Licensing: Named User Subscriptions Explained
How Autodesk named user subscriptions work, why usage varies widely across license holders, and how to right-size Autodesk products and collections.
By the MI Solutions SAM team8 min read2 exhibits
Autodesk products such as AutoCAD, Revit and its industry collections are now sold mainly as named user subscriptions: each license is assigned to a specific person. Autodesk moved away from multi-user network licensing toward this model in recent years. Named users bring better usage visibility, and with it a clear opportunity, because engineering and design tool usage tends to be uneven.
Usage is uneven
Exhibit 1
Engineering and design work is project-based. A structural engineer may use Revit every day for six months and then not at all while the project is in construction. That makes a 90-day window more reliable than a 30-day one, and it makes reassignment, rather than cancellation, the first lever.
Collections vs single products
Collections bundle several products for a discipline. They are excellent value for people who use several of those products regularly, and expensive for people who use one.
Exhibit 2
Optimization steps
Pull usage reports
For each named user and product, over at least 90 days.
Move single-product users to a single-product subscription.
Plan seasonal needs
Project-based users may not need a year-round subscription; check term options.
Autodesk renewal review
How MI One helps
Frequently asked questions
Can we still use network licenses?
It depends on your existing agreements and Autodesk's current policies; most new purchases are named user subscriptions.
Is a collection worth it?
For users who regularly use several products in the collection, often yes. For single-product users, rarely.
How do we handle contractors?
Assign subscriptions for the engagement and reassign them when it ends; record the end date when you assign.
See where your software budget goes
Bring your five largest vendors to a 30-minute call. Our SAM experts will show you where the savings usually hide, and how fast MI One can surface them.
