In her recent article, Monica Schnitger takes a critical look at the widely cited economic modeling that suggests very low per-engineer software spending in the AEC and mechanical sectors. She begins with an example from Bentley’s earnings call, which referenced estimates that AEC engineers spend about $364 per year on engineering software, and mechanical engineers about $1,080. These figures, she argues, stem from market totals divided by assumed headcounts, useful for macro trends but divorced from actual prices paid.
Schnitger then compares these modeled figures to real-world subscription rates in September 2025. She notes that Autodesk’s AEC Collection costs $5,520/year, while the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection is $5,040/year; comparable offerings from Bentley, Dassault, PTC, and Siemens similarly command thousands of dollars annually. These actual prices dwarf the model’s estimated “spend per seat.” Based on this gap, she suggests that the model’s outputs likely imply either widespread use of freeware or pirated tools, or undercounting of professional CAD use.
However, she also acknowledges the value of economic models for detecting shifts over time or regional differences. Bentley’s updated slide shows per-seat spend rising from $370 to $516 in AEC from 2019 to 2023, a sign that markets evolve. Schnitger points out that engineers in developed countries may already spend $1,900 or more annually, while those in developing regions lag behind, offering growth potential for CAD vendors.
Perhaps the most provocative insight: despite high list prices, CAD tools are inexpensive relative to the value they deliver. Spread over a full work year, even a $9,000 annual subscription equates to roughly $4 per engineer hour, which is small when compared with typical hourly wages. Summed up, Schnitger argues that CAD tools are not as “cheap” as models suggest, but they may still be among the best returns in engineers’ toolkits, and differences across AEC and mechanical CAD pricing are smaller than commonly assumed.