<h1>If you use the private license: there was supposed to be a cutoff date.</h1>
<p>As long as you use the &quot;private&quot; license, you will get some restrictions. Originally, including the lock off of <code>.step</code> and similar files as well as limiting you to 10 active projects. This means, that you will need to deactivate some to make room for new ones, but unless you have many interlocking parts, 10 can be quite a lot for a hobbyist.</p>
<p>They also lock off features that are pretty much only useful for small companies - and if you are in the shoes missing those features, you are on the wrong free license anyway.</p>
<p>In late (<a href="https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/changes-to-fusion-360-for-personal-use/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">25<sup>th</sup></a>.) September 2020, the lock of <code>.step</code> was reversed, but other formats will still no longer be available.</p>
<h1>This does not apply to all free licenses</h1>
<p>Note that this does not apply to the free education license for teachers and students or the free business license for sub 100,000 \$ companies. You might want to consider swapping to either of these two plans if you qualify.</p>
<h1>Last words</h1>
<p>I agree with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4CqWWQXaPE&amp;t=0s" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Thomas Sanladerer:</a> Autodesk is under no obligation to offer a free version at all and even a somewhat restricted, locked into the Autodesk-world version is much better than nothing. I will keep using it, but I am also in the education space and thus not directly affected.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-25T19:36:51.343Z
They're under no obligation to offer a free version, but it is arguably unethical to retroactively break a free version that users have already obtained and locked their data into.
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-22T08:01:17.057Z
2020-09-28T17:40:09.143Z
2020-09-28T17:40:09.143Z
Trish
<p>Most of my answer is based off of what Autodesk has said and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlnEThQ4HR8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this video</a> from Maker's Muse, which explains this topic in much more detail.</p>
<p>In summary, Autodesk is planning on restricting your ability to export any parametric file formats like .STEP or .IGES, leaving no useful CAD-specific files available for users with personal licenses.</p>
<p>I would recommend exporting everything you want to keep as .STEP right now just in case you do decide to switch programs later on, because you won't be able to switch after the changes go into effect.</p>
<p>I hope that helps.</p>
<p>EDIT: As Oscar has pointed out, .STEP exporting is now also part of the general consumer's license, and you can export to other CAD packages at any time. As far as I can tell, other parametric formats, notably .IGES, is still not available for consumers. This shouldn't pose too much of a problem.</p>
<p>I'm going to leave my original post intact for now.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-28T14:01:31.757Z
This answer is s̶l̶i̶g̶h̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶i̶n̶c̶o̶r̶r̶e̶c̶t̶ now corrected. As of 25th September 2020, [STEP export will remain available for Fusion 360 for personal use.](https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/changes-to-fusion-360-for-personal-use/).
0scar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-22T00:30:08.657Z
2020-09-28T15:59:33.080Z
2020-09-28T15:59:33.080Z
Diatom
<p>On 16 September 2020, Autodesk announced changes in the way that Fusion 360 can be used for non-commercial use with their Personal license. As a hobbyist, most of these changes will not affect me very much, since I do not use Fusion 360's advanced features. The most irksome will be only being allowed to have up to ten &quot;documents&quot; active at any one time, the rest having to be archived.</p>
<p>However, Autodesk are also restricting the number of file formats that you can export to. For example, the STEP file format will no longer be available with the Personal license. Will this mean that I will not be able to move my models to another CAD package, such as FreeCAD, once the changes come into effect (without first buying a commercial license)?</p>
<p><a href="https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/fusion-360/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Fusion-360-Free-License-Changes.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Autodesk: Changes to Fusion 360 for personal use</a></p>
<p><strong>Edit: Good news. Autodesk have announced, on 25 September 2020,  that the facility to export models to STEP files will be retained for the free-to-use, personal license.</strong></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-17T01:38:47.707Z
As I understand it, you're correct, but I'll wait for people who know the situation better and who can provide more detail to post a real answer.
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-17T12:53:57.807Z
I also noticed the loss of STEP format export and that's the only change I really regret, since it was a very good way to get platform independent (and editable) models. OBJ and similar are trinagle-based, unsuited to further modification.
FarO
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-17T12:55:35.873Z
If I cannot export editable models, I may consider switching to other packages, but FreeCAD is way behind in UI so it would be a blood bath
FarO
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-22T08:32:58.167Z
@FarO you might consider swapping to either educator or startup licenses
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-22T08:57:06.203Z
@Trish I have to check, but I think I don't fulfil the requirements. Even startups need to prove they are such.
FarO
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-28T12:42:43.833Z
@Trish I found out that there are clubs and organisations which, as part of the yearly subscription, offer yearly licenses for Solidworks - Education version to the members, and the yearly subscription is even lower than the education price. Still, too late, I'm checking what FreeCAD has to offer before discarding it
FarO
<fusion360>
Will I still be able to export my Fusion 360 models to other CAD packages after Autodesk's recent license changes come into effect?
Mick
# Will I still be able to export my Fusion 360 models to other CAD packages after Autodesk's recent license changes come into effect?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-09-17)

On 16 September 2020, Autodesk announced changes in the way that Fusion 360 can be used for non-commercial use with their Personal license. As a hobbyist, most of these changes will not affect me very much, since I do not use Fusion 360's advanced features. The most irksome will be only being allowed to have up to ten "documents" active at any one time, the rest having to be archived.

However, Autodesk are also restricting the number of file formats that you can export to. For example, the STEP file format will no longer be available with the Personal license. Will this mean that I will not be able to move my models to another CAD package, such as FreeCAD, once the changes come into effect (without first buying a commercial license)?

[Autodesk: Changes to Fusion 360 for personal use](https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/fusion-360/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Fusion-360-Free-License-Changes.html)

**Edit: Good news. Autodesk have announced, on 25 September 2020, that the facility to export models to STEP files will be retained for the free-to-use, personal license.**

**Tags:** fusion360

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: As I understand it, you're correct, but I'll wait for people who know the situation better and who can provide more detail to post a real answer.  
> **username_2**: I also noticed the loss of STEP format export and that's the only change I really regret, since it was a very good way to get platform independent (and editable) models. OBJ and similar are trinagle-based, unsuited to further modification.  
> **username_2**: If I cannot export editable models, I may consider switching to other packages, but FreeCAD is way behind in UI so it would be a blood bath  
> **username_3**: @username_2 you might consider swapping to either educator or startup licenses  
> **username_2**: @username_3 I have to check, but I think I don't fulfil the requirements. Even startups need to prove they are such.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 I found out that there are clubs and organisations which, as part of the yearly subscription, offer yearly licenses for Solidworks - Education version to the members, and the yearly subscription is even lower than the education price. Still, too late, I'm checking what FreeCAD has to offer before discarding it  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-09-22. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Most of my answer is based off of what Autodesk has said and [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlnEThQ4HR8) from Maker's Muse, which explains this topic in much more detail.

In summary, Autodesk is planning on restricting your ability to export any parametric file formats like .STEP or .IGES, leaving no useful CAD-specific files available for users with personal licenses.

I would recommend exporting everything you want to keep as .STEP right now just in case you do decide to switch programs later on, because you won't be able to switch after the changes go into effect.

I hope that helps.

EDIT: As Oscar has pointed out, .STEP exporting is now also part of the general consumer's license, and you can export to other CAD packages at any time. As far as I can tell, other parametric formats, notably .IGES, is still not available for consumers. This shouldn't pose too much of a problem.

I'm going to leave my original post intact for now.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: This answer is s̶l̶i̶g̶h̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶i̶n̶c̶o̶r̶r̶e̶c̶t̶ now corrected. As of 25th September 2020, [STEP export will remain available for Fusion 360 for personal use.](https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/changes-to-fusion-360-for-personal-use/).  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-09-22. Score: 1

# If you use the private license: there was supposed to be a cutoff date.

As long as you use the "private" license, you will get some restrictions. Originally, including the lock off of `.step` and similar files as well as limiting you to 10 active projects. This means, that you will need to deactivate some to make room for new ones, but unless you have many interlocking parts, 10 can be quite a lot for a hobbyist.

They also lock off features that are pretty much only useful for small companies - and if you are in the shoes missing those features, you are on the wrong free license anyway.

In late ([25th](https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/changes-to-fusion-360-for-personal-use/).) September 2020, the lock of `.step` was reversed, but other formats will still no longer be available.

# This does not apply to all free licenses

Note that this does not apply to the free education license for teachers and students or the free business license for sub 100,000 \$ companies. You might want to consider swapping to either of these two plans if you qualify.

# Last words

I agree with [Thomas Sanladerer:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4CqWWQXaPE&t=0s) Autodesk is under no obligation to offer a free version at all and even a somewhat restricted, locked into the Autodesk-world version is much better than nothing. I will keep using it, but I am also in the education space and thus not directly affected.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: They're under no obligation to offer a free version, but it is arguably unethical to retroactively break a free version that users have already obtained and locked their data into.  

---

