Home Designer 2026 and beyond will be subscription based

[Renerabbitt]

34 minutes ago, mthd97 said:

very last version of the software perpetually

I get to keep X15.. The last non subscription version

[jwbassgarl]

7 hours ago, Renerabbitt said:

"I'm not sure why you don't want to wish me well, generally a good natured fellow that tries to help the community".

 

My comment was meant for the company, not you as an individual. I thought my wording made that clear, if not, then my apologies to you. The rant was strictly for CA.

 

 

[mthd97]

12 hours ago, Renerabbitt said:

I get to keep X15.. The last non subscription version

I wasn’t aware of this change. I appreciate you sharing this with us as I now better understand the licensing policy of Chief Architect in going forward.

[DW-1-6]

This is too bad!

I purchased this software for personal use 3 years ago upgrading every year and last year going from Home Architect to Home Designer Pro 2025. The only reason I went with this software was that they had purchasable versions for a reasonable price and loyalty upgrade pricing every year. I was just looking now to see about upgrading to Home Designer Pro 2026 and discovered they went to subscription.

Sad that they want to keep their hand in your pocket forcefully instead of making good software and updates you want to purchase. So I will not be making any further purchases of Chief Architect software.

 

They had their subscription base professional version for people who use it for business.

[BalutFX]

On 12/2/2025 at 4:28 AM, Renerabbitt said:

I get to keep X15.. The last non subscription version

 

Did something change for Premier SSA subscribers?  I thought CA was allowing SSA upgrades and perpetual licenses as long as the SSA was kept current.

 

[Renerabbitt]

1 hour ago, BalutFX said:

 

Did something change for Premier SSA subscribers?  I thought CA was allowing SSA upgrades and perpetual licenses as long as the SSA was kept current.

 

I have never asked chief this as I have never planned on stopping my subscription. They should update their terms because that info is counter to the terms on the website

 

[mthd97]

From at least January 2025 Legacy SAA auto renews for perpetual license holders who are paying the fee each year. Please see this post in ChiefTalk.

 

https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/topic/44788-legacy-software-licenses-ssa-renewal/

 

CAX15 was the last perpetual version you could buy and after that it is subscription only. But some Chief Architect users still have renewable perpetual licenses as long as they keep paying the yearly fee. When they stop paying the yearly fee they are left with version that they stop paying at. Whatever that maybe at the time.

 

I am not aware that this arrangement has changed as yet.

 

I think that is a very fair arrangement at present for longtime users.

[BalutFX]

4 hours ago, mthd97 said:

I think that is a very fair arrangement at present for longtime users.

Yeah, I think that’s what bugged me the most about the switch to subscription for the Home Designer line. No ability to grandfather in to the perpetual license (at least for the 2026 version) and no substantial discount, other than the limited Black Friday upgrade (which I did decide, for now, to use).