SOLIDWORKS PDM License Comparison

SOLIDWORKS Product Data Management (PDM) is available in two license versions: PDM Standard and PDM Professional. Each version includes three license types: PDM CAD Editor, PDM Contributor, and PDM Viewer.
The capabilities of each license type are summarised in the table below.

License Type	License Versions
License Type	PDM Standard	PDM Professional
CAD Editor	Comes with SOLIDWORKS Professional & Premium CAD licenses. For SOLIDWORKS users. Full read/write access to files via Windows Explorer and within SOLIDWORKS via the PDM add-in (depending on assigned permissions).	Separate license. For SOLIDWORKS users. Full read/write access to files via Windows Explorer and within SOLIDWORKS via the PDM add-in (depending on assigned permissions).
Contributor	Separate license. For non-SOLIDWORKS users — typically managers or reviewers who need to approve drawings and documents. Has all the same functionality as CAD Editor without the SOLIDWORKS PDM add-in. Full read/write access. (Depending on assigned permissions) Not upgradable to PDM Professional version.	Separate license. For non-SOLIDWORKS users — typically managers or reviewers who need to approve drawings and documents. Has all the same functionality as CAD Editor without the SOLIDWORKS PDM add-in. Full read/write access. (Depending on assigned permissions).
Viewer	Separate license. For users who only require read-only access to the vault, e.g., Procurement, Finance, or Manufacturing. Bundle pack of 5 licenses. Not upgradable to PDM Professional version.	Separate license. For users who only require read-only access to the vault, e.g., Procurement, Finance, or Manufacturing. Bundle pack of 5 licenses.

Last reviewed: 07/02/2023