Further refinement of SW costs: I paid about $4500 for a SW standard license (quite a few years ago, but I think that hasn't changed a lot), plus $1300 per year to keep updates coming. I use this daily in my business, and have not needed the higher versions of this.

Without the annual subscription fee, it will still work, but you cannot open newer versions of files. And, if you want to re-start the subscription, pony up the $4500 again...

The EAA/SW deal is amazing.

Fusion 360
 

No question. Plenty of tutorials on YouTube. Nothing against SolidWorks, but the integrated CAM is important for me. Once you start down the path, you won't want to change platforms. Fusion 360 also can install on Mac OS X, so no brainer for me.

Wow. This is awesome.

Solidworks & EAA
 

I have been using Solidworks for the last 24 years. I was really surprised that they made it available free of charge to members, and that it isn?t a very stripped down teaser version. I have also been involved since early on with teaching Solidworks at Airventure. EAA has posted up a few videos on installing and using the software. The CAM built in is based on CAMWorks, it is also very capable, it isn?t able to do 5 axis - but it is very capable. Please take advantage of this generous benefit!

Jason Kreidler (EAA Lifetime)
RV-10 Flying
RV-14 Construction underway

I paid $4k for SW standard, then it was $1,800/yr for service which included service pack updates and new releases. A buddy of mine got upgraded bypassing several years by just paying the service fee. Don't know if they'd do that for me (2012 seat) still but so far there's not really a reason to upgrade yet, I still use that for paid work with hsmworks express plug-in for 2.5D CAM.

EAA SW deal is a no brainier, especially if you're new to using CAD. If you have to learn something might as well learn an enterprise level tool, fusion has a long way to go.

There's two ways to do it... SW has clamped down on the people who only get a subscription one year out of every three or four by requiring that anyone who re-joins after being away for X years pays for X years worth of subscription as a re-join fee. They *will not* waive it.

Three years of being off-subscription and it's break even whether you pay the back fees or just buy a new seat. You could go 5 years before renewing again, but you'd have a hard time dealing with vendors and suppliers who have moved up in versions.

Except for the limitation about educational parts that can never be used for anything financially useful.