Bentley Licensing Explained

A Perpetual License is bought outright and owned indefinitely. You pay once, then pay an annual SELECT maintenance fee to keep your software updated and supported. It’s a shared network license, so it isn’t tied to one user.

An Annual Subscription is a 12-month subscription license you renew each year. It’s assigned to a named user and can be re-assigned every 30 days. Lower upfront cost, but access ends if you don’t renew.

In short: a Perpetual License is buying the software, while an Annual Subscription is renting access for the year.

It comes down to how long and how often you plan to use the software:

– Choose an Annual Subscription if you want a lower upfront cost and no long-term commitment.
– Choose a Perpetual License if you plan to use the software for many years. It is usually the cheapest option over the long run (around seven years or more).
– Choose a Cloud Service Subscription if your usage is occasional or short-term and you want maximum flexibility. Keep in mind that CSS is charged at a premium rate, so it is not the most cost-effective choice if you use the same software regularly.

If you are not sure, just ask us. We will look at how your team works and recommend the option that saves you the most money.

It is simple and there is no disruption. Your software, your licenses, and your data all stay exactly as they are within your Bentley Account. The only thing that changes is who looks after you. CAD Journey can act as your dedicated partner for support, licenses, training, and advice. There is no cost and nothing changes.

Every license includes access to all the latest software features and updates, along with round-the-clock technical support. As a CAD Journey client, you also have our team of Bentley experts as your first point of contact for any question. Annual Subscriptions go a step further and include free one-on-one training and mentoring hours to help your team get up to speed.

Here is what to expect after you order:

1. Within 24 hours, your licenses are fulfilled and added to your account, ready to assign.
2. Within 48 hours, one of our Customer Success Managers reaches out to make sure you are set up and everything is working as it should.

From there, the main steps are registering each team member, assigning a license to each one, and having everyone install the software and sign in. We will walk you through all of it, or we can simply take care of the setup for you.

The CONNECTION Client is a small free app that sits on each user’s computer. Users sign in to it with their account, and that sign-in is what activates the software. It is also where users download updates and check which licenses they have. There are no activation keys or serial numbers to manage anymore, so signing in is all that is needed.

It depends on the license type:

– Annual Subscriptions are assigned to a named user, so you need one for each person who uses the software.
– Perpetual Licenses work as a shared pool, so they can be used across your team without being tied to one person.
If you are not sure how many licenses you need, we are happy to work it out with you.

Once users are registered your license administrator can begin assigning licenses.

1. Sign in to your license portal at connect.bentley.com.
2. Open the License Management area.
3. Choose the product and assign it to the user you want.

The user gets a confirmation email and can start using the software right away. If you get stuck at any point, just reach out and we will jump in.

New people first need to be registered as a user on your account before they can be given a license. An administrator can add them by entering their name and work email, and then assign a license to them. If you would prefer, send us the details and we will add and assign your new starters for you.

Yes, a practitioner license can be re-assigned as many times as needed on the first day it is assigned to a user.

After the initial 24-hour assignment period, the license will be locked for 30 days. At the end of the 30 day period the license will be available for re-assignment.

Any re-assignment will restart the 24-hour assignment clock, and will be followed by the 30 day assignment lock.

No. Software now activates through a simple sign-in. As long as a user is registered, has a license assigned, and signs in to the CONNECTION Client, the software will run. There are no keys to track or share.

SELECT is Bentley’s maintenance program for perpetual license holders. It gives you access to the latest software version, technical support, and license portability across devices. Without the SELECT program you can only utilize the version you purchased and lose access to updates. For most active users, SELECT is a requirement and letting it lapse can create complications as versions evolve.

Annual subscription users will lose access at the end of the term if they do not renew. The CAD Journey team will flag your upcoming renewals well in advance so that you’re never caught off guard.