Why Many Users Still Prefer Autodesk Over BricsCAD: Time, Licensing, and Real-World Reality

Disclaimer: This article reflects user experience and opinions based on real-world usage and publicly available information. It is not an official statement from Autodesk or Bricsys. Licensing models and policies can change, so always verify details with the vendors before making commercial decisions.

1. The Promise vs Reality: Cheaper License, Costlier Time

On paper, BricsCAD looks attractive: lower upfront cost, DWG compatibility, familiar commands, and a “drop-in” alternative to AutoCAD. Many offices try BricsCAD with one simple expectation:

“If it works like AutoCAD and costs less, we’ll switch.”

But what a lot of users report after real projects is very different:

• Licenses not activating cleanly after OS or hardware changes
• Revocation limits being hit, even on the same PC
• Time lost in activation troubleshooting and support tickets
• Subtle workflow differences that slow down experienced AutoCAD users

In short: the software might be cheaper, but the hidden cost is time. And in a production environment, time is usually more expensive than any subscription fee.

2. Licensing Philosophy: User-Based Autodesk vs Machine-Locked Bricsys

Autodesk: Sign In and Work

Autodesk’s modern licensing is built around the user:

• Your subscription is tied to your Autodesk ID, not a fixed hardware fingerprint.
• You install the software on multiple machines (e.g. office PC, home PC, laptop), and simply sign in.
• Device usage is controlled from your Autodesk account, with clear rules and a transparent limit on simultaneous use.
• Reinstall Windows? New SSD? New laptop? In most cases, you just reinstall, sign in, and keep working.

The result is simple: less drama when your IT environment changes.

Bricsys: Machine-Locked and Revocation-Limited

BricsCAD licensing takes a more traditional route:

• Single-user and volume licenses are machine-locked once activated.
• You can deactivate a license online and move it to another computer, but this requires the original system to be alive and connected.
• If the system is formatted, dead, stolen, or otherwise inaccessible, you cannot deactivate – you must revoke the license from your Bricsys account.
• Each license key typically comes with a limited number of self-service revokes (for example, two). Beyond that, you depend on Bricsys support and often an active Maintenance plan.
• For new licenses, Bricsys has also tightened activation rules, allowing only a single activation at a time on many recent single-user licenses.

On paper this is “normal” anti-piracy control. In reality, it means that a couple of Windows reinstalls or genuine hardware failures can put a fully paid license into a locked state.

3. Time Lost: How Licensing Friction Becomes a Hidden Cost

Users comparing Autodesk and BricsCAD repeatedly come back to one practical point:

“Autodesk might be more expensive, but it doesn’t waste my day with licensing.”

Here’s where Bricsys often consumes more time than it should:

• OS Reinstall on the Same PC: The user formats Windows, reinstalls BricsCAD, and tries to activate. The system sees it as a “new” activation, and eventually revocation limits are reached.
• Hardware Replacement: A dead SSD or motherboard becomes not just a hardware problem, but a licensing problem. Deactivation is impossible, so revocation is required.
• Revocation Limit Reached: After the allowed self-service revokes are used up, the user must open support tickets and possibly discuss Maintenance or upgrades before being able to work again.
• Project Downtime: While all this is happening, drawings are waiting, deadlines are coming closer, and the “cheaper” license suddenly looks very expensive in terms of lost hours.

With Autodesk’s sign-in-based system, these situations usually resolve much faster: reinstall, sign in, maybe log out from another device, and continue working. That difference in friction is exactly what many users are not happy about when they compare real usage.

4. App-to-App Comparison: Where Time Gets Burned

4.1 Getting Started Each Day

• Autodesk: Start AutoCAD, it checks your sign-in status, and you’re in. Most users are familiar with the interface, templates, and standards. It’s predictable.
• BricsCAD: Once it is activated and stable, starting the app is fine. But any licensing glitch (network change, reactivation, revoked activation) can abruptly turn a normal day into a support day.

4.2 Command Behaviour & Muscle Memory

• Autodesk: Decades of use have established a strong “muscle memory” ecosystem. Most training, YouTube content, and CAD standards are written with AutoCAD in mind.
• BricsCAD: The command set is largely compatible, but not identical. Small behavioural differences, default settings, and dialog layouts can cause micro-delays, especially for experienced AutoCAD users switching back and forth.

One or two seconds here and there seem minor, but in a heavy production shop those micro-delays accumulate across hundreds of operations per day.

4.3 Plugins, Tools, and Ecosystem

• Autodesk: Huge plugin ecosystem, industry-specific toolsets, established “CAD standards” templates, and integration with other Autodesk products (Revit, Civil 3D, etc.). There is almost always an existing workflow, tutorial, or plugin for what you want to do.
• BricsCAD: The ecosystem is improving but still smaller. Users often spend extra time searching for equivalent tools, scripting their own, or adapting existing workflows to match what BricsCAD can do out of the box.

The net result: Autodesk may cost more in subscription, but it usually costs less in trial-and-error time.

4.4 Collaboration & File Behaviour

• Both products work with DWG, but large, complex drawings made with specific AutoCAD features or verticals can sometimes behave differently in BricsCAD.
• Teams where some users are on Autodesk and some on BricsCAD may spend extra time checking for quirks in plotting, XREFs, or custom objects.

Again, this becomes another time sink that often wasn’t part of the original “we will save money” conversation.

5. Licensing & Time: Side-by-Side Snapshot

6. Why Many Users Say “We Tried BricsCAD, But We’re Staying with Autodesk”

When you listen to actual user feedback, a pattern appears:

• They like BricsCAD’s pricing and respect its technical capabilities.
• They are willing to tolerate small UI differences if the cost savings are good.
• But they are not willing to repeatedly fight activation issues, revocation limits, and maintenance-based unlock conditions.

For these users, Autodesk ends up winning not because it is perfect, but because it is predictable. They can plan their day around project work, not licensing support tickets.

7. Is BricsCAD Always a Bad Choice? Not Necessarily.

To be fair, BricsCAD still makes sense in some situations:

• Smaller teams with stable hardware and rare OS changes.
• Organizations with strong internal IT discipline that always deactivate licenses before any format or upgrade.
• Cost-conscious users doing primarily 2D drafting with simple project structures.

But if your environment involves frequent hardware changes, laptop swaps, field machines, or aggressive IT refresh cycles, the cost of managing Bricsys licensing can easily exceed the savings on the license itself.

8. Final Verdict: Time Is the Real Subscription

Autodesk is not cheap. Everyone knows that.

But when you add up the hours spent on:

• Recovering locked BricsCAD licenses
• Dealing with revocation limits
• Waiting for support to reset activations
• Working around subtle compatibility and workflow issues

…many users realise that the “cheaper” option can become more expensive in the only currency that truly matters: time.

In that sense, a lot of CAD professionals and offices end up with a simple, hard-earned conclusion:

“For our workload and deadlines, Autodesk costs more per year, but costs less per project.”

If Bricsys wants to win these users back, the path is clear: modern, user-based licensing with generous, transparent activation rules and less punishment for normal IT events. Until then, Autodesk will continue to be the safer choice for teams that cannot afford licensing surprises in the middle of a deadline.