You must generate less than $1,000 USD in annual revenue from your projects.
For years, the maker movement, 3D printing hobbyists, and solo entrepreneurs faced a harsh reality: professional-grade CAD software was expensive. Autodesk changed the game when it introduced a free tier of its powerful Fusion 360 platform. Today, the license (often called the "Start-up" or "Hobbyist" license) remains one of the most debated topics in the design community.
Your cloud hub can hold unlimited files, but you can only flag 10 documents as "editable" at a time. To make an 11th editable, you must turn a previous one to "read-only." fusion 360 personal
Note: "Start-up" licenses (free for 3 years) used to exist, but Autodesk has largely migrated small businesses toward the low-cost "Fusion 360 for Business" tier.
If you use a CNC router, you lose the "probing" functions. You must manually set your Z-zero, which is tedious but not impossible. You must generate less than $1,000 USD in
Keep in mind that Autodesk reserves the right to change or modify the terms and conditions of Fusion 360 Personal at any time. If you're interested in using Fusion 360 for commercial purposes, you'll need to upgrade to a paid subscription.
However, if you are serious about moving into product design or sending files to machine shops, the lack of and multi-sheet drawings will eventually force you to pay. Autodesk is betting that you will fall in love with the workflow and upgrade. Today, the license (often called the "Start-up" or
Fusion 360 Personal is a free, renewable 1-year license offered by Autodesk to non-commercial users. It is not a "trial" or a "lite" version; it is the full-fat Fusion 360 executable—meaning you get access to the same modeling kernel, rendering engine, and manufacturing workspace as paying subscribers.
To get started with Fusion 360 Personal, simply sign up for an Autodesk account and download the software. You'll need to agree to the terms and conditions, which include using the software only for personal, non-commercial projects.