What's New in SOLIDWORKS 2026

The cost to upgrade SOLIDWORKS to the latest version is included in the subscription cost for the support of the software.

If subscription has lapsed, please contact your regional sales manager for the best option to proceed. If you do not know who your regional sales manager is, please use the enquiry form.

To ensure you have the latest version of SOLIDWORKS installed, you can accesses the SOLIDWORKS Customer Portal and download the latest major version and subsequent service packs.

Our CAD Management services has a team development section, that is designed to upskill your team ensuring they have the knowledge and skills required to stay at their best. Here we offer a What’s New presentation with a certified application engineer who will deliver bespoke content relevant to your industry.

Here are a few key points.

• Hardware – Check your computer meets the system requirements.
• Standardisation – Ensure the whole company is installing the same version and all customised materials are in unique file structure outside the default SOLIDWORKS installation locations.
• Back up – SOLIDWORKS files are not backwards compatible, so newer files cannot be edited in previous major versions.
• Download – Have the download/source files downloaded before starting, this will minimise down time. You can perform a full download so the media can be shared regardless of package and add-ins.
• Standalone – If moving machine, ensure you deactivate the licenses before installing on a new system.
• SolidNetwork License Manager – Both the individual machine and the license manager on the server need upgrading. Upgrade server first to minimise downtime.
• SOLIDWORKS PDM – If SOLIDWORKS PDM is being used this needs to be upgraded first. We recommend contacting our support team for assistance.
• Graphic driver – Once installed it is important to match your graphics driver to the new version of the software for better performance. Check graphics card driver
• Ask – If you are not sure about any part of the process please Contact Us and we can assist.