SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD

SOLIDWORKS What's New

Each year SOLIDWORKS launch a major update packed with new features and productivity enhancements that translate into real benefits, 90% of these improvements are based on customer requests.

Get the most from your SOLIDWORKS investment by staying up to date with the latest enhancements that are included as part of your subscription package.

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View Enhancements for Each Year

What's New in SOLIDWORKS?

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What’s New in SOLIDWORKS 2026

SOLIDWORKS 2026 brings a range on enhancements from improved design commands to smarter collaboration tools, each section highlights key updates across seven core areas, giving you on-demand access to the insights that matter most to your workflow.

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What’s New in SOLIDWORKS 2025

Explore what’s new in SOLIDWORKS 2025 and see how advanced automation, improved UI, DraftSight 2025 and cloud-connected workflows can boost your productivity and design accuracy.

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SOLIDWORKS 2024 Bowhead Render
What’s New SOLIDWORKS 2024

Find out what’s new in SOLIDWORKS 2024 including a new automatic repair command, sheet metal tools, and a much-awaited new saving ability. The enhancements to help you model, visualise, and validate more easily with new cloud-based tools to aid collaboration and boost your productivity.

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What’s New SOLIDWORKS 2023

SOLIDWORKS 2023 introduces refinements to popular features such as patterning and the ‘Move/Copy Body’ command, making everyday tasks more efficient. Combined with numerous behind-the-scenes performance and stability enhancements, this release offers practical improvements for users across a wide range of workflows.

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What’s New SOLIDWORKS 2022

Supercharge your teams productivity with brand new enhancements coming in SOLIDWORKS 2022. Expect to see improved drawing capabilities, enhanced 3D texture support, a more flexible ‘Pack & Go’ feature,  upgrades to part modeling and more.

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What’s New in SOLIDWORKS 2021

SOLIDWORKS 2021 helps boost engineering productivity with new features like edge flanges on curved sheet metal and mesh diagnostics in Simulation, while GPU-accelerated graphics and streamlined assembly tools improve performance and workflow efficiency.

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Latest What's New Blog Posts

In addition to the annual major release, there are typically five updates are delivered each year that bringing new features and improvements. Browse our latest blog posts below to stay up to date with the latest changes.

Understanding SOLIDWORKS AI Blue Tokens

Understanding SOLIDWORKS AI Blue Tokens: A Practical Guide for Engineers Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming…

What’s New in the Functional Delivery 02 Update | SOLIDWORKS Design & 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

SOLIDWORKS 2026x FD02 continues the cycle of Functional Deliveries, introducing a new set of enhancements…

AI in SOLIDWORKS

Note: Some of the features and videos referenced in this article are currently released in…

What’s New in the Service Pack & Functional Delivery 01 Update | SOLIDWORKS Design & 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

SOLIDWORKS 2026x SP/FD 01 introduces a broad set of enhancements across design, modelling, assemblies, drawings,…

Top 10 Best New Features? SOLIDWORKS 2026 What’s New

As SOLIDWORKS celebrates its 30th anniversary, the 2026 release marks a milestone in CAD innovation….

8 Great New Features for SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2026

SOLIDWORKS 2026 brings enhancements across the entire SOLIDWORKS Portfolio, with new features that are sure…

What’s New? The Best Enhancements for Data Management coming to SOLIDWORKS PDM 2026

With the release of SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2026, Dassault Systèmes has introduced a suite of…

Rendering & Life After PhotoView 360 | What’s New in SOLIDWORKS Visualize 2026

Whether you’re pitching concepts to stakeholders or refining designs internally, the latest enhancements in SOLIDWORKS…

Assistive AI for Drawing Creation | What’s New in SOLIDWORKS Drawings & MBD 2026

SOLIDWORKS 2026 is the first release we’re seeing equipped with multiple AI tools as Dassault…

New Tools & Features for Part Modelling Workflows in SOLIDWORKS Design 2026

Every year, SOLIDWORKS introduces a suite of enhancements across the portfolio to upgrade the software…

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to upgrade to a new version of SOLIDWORKS?

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.

Where can I download the latest version of SOLIDWORKS?

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.

How can I request new functionality for SOLIDWORKS?

SOLIDWORKS new functionality is driven by the users of the software. To have your input you can submit an enhancement request on the SOLIDWORKS Customer Portal. It is best to search to see if the enhancement request already exists and if so vote for this enhancement as it adds weighting to the ticket.

Go to SOLIDWORKS Customer Portal -> My Support section -> Enhancement Requests

Can I get a summary of just the new features that are relevant to my team?

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.

What are the main technical considerations when updating to a new version?

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.

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