I don’t use it and I’ve honestly not looked into it much… Is it actually the commercial software with forced updates, or is it really an entirely different piece of software? Like, is Dassault just using the Maker users as alpha testers who are paying for the privilege? The only thing I know about Maker is that it breaks every time they roll out a mandatory update…
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i have to see about a refund because it wont run on windows 10. Dassault guys told me it was the same thing as SolidWorks. I don’t think they know anything about MAKERS or SolidWorks. Even the file types are incompatible.
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I used to be part of the Partner Program. And then they kicked me off of that because I didn’t fit nicely into any single category. And then they started attacking the rest of the partners and I started to understand. Anyway, as a partner, you get a free license. As not-a-partner, they suggested that I get the Maker version, for which I had to pay.
Once I got done feeling indignant, I actually paid for a Maker license. And you know what? It’s not bad. There are a couple things missing, and a couple things put back in, but for ~$50 a year, it’s not a bad thing.
I did a write up a while back about what the Maker version really is, but then I torched my website so I’m not sure if that survived somewhere (maybe here). Anyway, it’s Solidworks Connected. You can save your data locally or on the cloud. There are only a couple of functions missing that I found - one was the ability to reload an assembly to the last saved version if you have made changes. That function doesn’t make any sense if you use cloud data. That was something I actually used now and then, but there are other ways to handle it.
I had to be careful. A lot of the data on my computer is in a specific version, and updating it may cause it to fail. Of course, a lot of the data also just belongs to the customers, so I shouldn’t give it away. Uploading data to the cloud is essentially giving it away. I never used the cloud storage except as a test with brand new giveaway data. Once it’s on the cloud, you lose control.
The stuff they added was some file management tools that come with the cloud. I never really used that part since I never really embraced the cloud part. Once you take your data to the cloud, you can’t remove it, and you can’t take it back.
Of course there’s this whole mess of licensing and versions that come with the Connected/Maker version, which I have more or less stumbled through. You have to sign in now and then and keep your version up to date. The software will choose inconvenient times to update, and the whole things just seems very 1990s to me.
So I don’t think it’s an alpha test aside from the fact that they are forcing you into SW Connected. They probably just get to claim those numbers as people accepting the Connected lifestyle - at ~$50 instead of ~$5000. The stats they give at shareholder meetings I’m sure don’t parse out how many of each price level are included in those numbers.
To me, the ~$50 has been worth it. I don’t worry if I go months without using it.
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i have a maker license. i haven’t seen it break on updates, but the hobby stuff i do at home is not terribly challenging 
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I would liken it to the student version - it has most all of the functionality but the files get watermarked because you aren’t supposed to be making money with the license. (i suspect the student version also now has the cloud/connected functionality). it does include Xshape and Xdesign for cloud based modeling - though have not really dug into either much.
Thanks for the info, guys. I was trying to imagine what reasons they would have to force regular updates out to all users of (what seems to be?) very poorly tested code? The only benefit I could think of for SW in doing that was to have a bunch of free alpha testing done.
I thought recently they gave the option to not do the forced upgrades on “their” schedule. I see this from a user on reddit
Beginning with SW2025 HF4, the mandatory updates are no longer required for the SOLIDWORKS software, ONLY the 3DEXPERIENCE Launcher. If you didn’t read the notification dialogs closely (or just instinctively clicked thru them, you probably missed the messaging.
I imagine the reason for doing it is to get some feedback from non commercial customers. Better to risk makers users with potential breaking bugs than commercial users.
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let’s look at it for what it is, a $50 SW to “F” around with for home and hobby crap!
beats having to pay $680\yr for CON-FUSION 360, thought it has working post for CNC machines, lasers, 3D printers and routers, that’s where SWCAM is lacking.
I pay more a week for lunch these days 
I’m definitely not complaining about what you get for the price. It’s completely a steal. Again, just wondering if the forced updates were a way to get basically free testing from a large pool of users who didn’t pay thousands of dollars for a commercial license, as J-Cap said above.
who really care’s $50 bucks …. bigger fish out there to worry about
Again… Not complaining or worrying. It’s a curiosity question. I’ma be curious whether it’s $500, $50, $5, or $0.50. 
I thought that was the beauty of “agile” programming. You let the users find the bugs because you can fix them quickly.
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Just to clear some Conf-Fusion.
Fusion Personal is free:
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…as well as the community version of Solid Edge…
https://resources.sw.siemens.com/en-US/download-solid-edge-community-edition/
Not that there’s anything wrong with $50/yr for a decent performing CAD system.
I think the point was forced updates, not the cost.
Everyone want to make programs like an app.
And most forgot they can’t patch correctly yearly and tried failed patch in a few month.
And believe they can do weekly, monthly patch.
The monthly blackout is the only working feature.
Maybe they hired someone in game development. Need weekly/monthly update to keep player engaged.
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