Autodesk says HSMWorks retires March 25, 2028, and stopped selling new subscriptions on March 25, 2025. If your shop programs CAM inside SOLIDWORKS with it, that clock is already running. The next step is not to pick a replacement from a feature list. It is to document the work your shop must reproduce, then prove the new workflow on representative parts.
Which HSMWorks replacement should a SOLIDWORKS shop choose?
CAM toolpaths and machining setups generally do not move between different CAM systems as a direct, production-ready handoff. Plan to rebuild and validate representative programs, posts, libraries, and machine behavior. The real question is not only "what is closest to HSMWorks?" It is "which workflow can our shop validate, support, and improve over the next five years?"
Start with the question you are actually trying to answer
- Can we still buy or renew HSMWorks? See the current subscription, Flex, pricing, and retirement status.
- What can we bring into the next system? Separate geometry, libraries, posts, templates, project data, and production evidence.
- How do we prove a replacement? Use one representative part to validate the full workflow before rollout.
- How do we phase the change? Run the old and new workflows in parallel while repeat work is rebuilt.
Start with the work, not the product
A useful first pass is to map each kind of production work to the capability it requires. These are starting points, not universal recommendations:
- Basic milling and 3+2 indexed work: evaluate NC Shop Floor Programmer.
- Turning and live-tool work: evaluate SOLIDWORKS Turning Professional.
- Simultaneous five-axis milling: evaluate SOLIDWORKS Milling Professional.
- Multi-channel, Swiss, or done-in-one machines: evaluate SOLIDWORKS Milling + Turning Premium.
A shop with mixed equipment may need more than one role or a different platform entirely. Confirm the fit with representative parts and the exact machine and postprocessor requirements before making a commercial decision.
Your SOLIDWORKS manufacturing options
For a shop already designing in SOLIDWORKS, this is also a data and revision question. Every export, translated model, duplicate setup file, and manual handoff creates a translation tax: extra work to determine which revision is current and whether the manufacturing data still matches the design. The 3DEXPERIENCE manufacturing roles can keep design and manufacturing information in a managed environment, including parts, stock, tools, machines, programs, and output. That does not mean every item updates automatically. It means the team has a controlled place to manage revisions, relationships, access, and approvals instead of relying on disconnected copies.
| NC Shop Floor ProgrammerEntryRecommended start | SOLIDWORKS Turning ProfessionalMilling + turning | SOLIDWORKS Milling ProfessionalSimultaneous 5-axis | SOLIDWORKS Milling + Turning PremiumEverything | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | 3-axis VMC work | Lathes & mill-turn | 5-axis, mold & die | Multi-tasking, Swiss |
| Milling | 2.5 to 3-axis, plus 3+2 | 2.5-axis | 3 to 5-axis simultaneous | Up to 5-axis simultaneous |
| Turning | None | Prismatic + mill-turn | None | Multi-axis + live tooling |
| Simultaneous 5-axis | ||||
| Automation & know-how templates | ||||
| Robot machine tending | ||||
| How you get it | Confirm entitlement | Get a quote | Get a quote | Get a quote |
What to validate before you choose
Use a small but representative set of work. Include the difficult jobs, not only the easy demo part.
- Representative parts and machining strategies
- Machines, controllers, and kinematics
- Postprocessors and resulting NC code
- Tool, holder, fixture, and stock libraries
- Historical jobs that must be repeated
- Setup sheets and shop-floor documentation
- Programmer and operator training needs
- Revision, approval, and data-access requirements
- ITAR, CUI, CMMC, and customer data-handling rules
Controlled data belongs in the CAM decision
If your work involves ITAR-controlled technical data, CUI, CMMC requirements, or customer-specific data-handling rules, include those constraints in the transition plan before selecting or configuring a platform. Hosting location and platform security matter, but they are only part of the answer. Suitability depends on the exact product offering, hosting environment, configuration, users, data, support workflow, and contract requirements.
Neither cloud hosting nor on-premises storage makes an operation compliant by itself. Review the candidate platform's current security documentation, such as the Autodesk Trust Center or the applicable Dassault Systèmes materials, then confirm the workflow with your security, export-control, and legal stakeholders. The U.S. Directorate of Defense Trade Controls remains the authoritative starting point for ITAR obligations.
Book a free consultation with a CAM expert who runs this software on real parts, and get a straight recommendation for your machines and your work.
NC Shop Floor Programmer
| Qualifying factor | This role |
|---|---|
| Best for | 3-axis VMC work: plates, brackets, housings, fab cutting |
| Milling | 2.5 to 3-axis, plus 3+2 |
| Turning | None |
| Simultaneous 5-axis | |
| Automation & know-how templates | |
| Robot machine tending | |
| How you get it | Confirm your Cloud Services entitlement |
This is the entry role to evaluate for prismatic parts, 2.5- and 3-axis milling, and 3+2 indexed positioning. Current SOLIDWORKS materials also list laser, waterjet, plasma, nesting, wire EDM, and machine simulation capabilities. Some active SOLIDWORKS subscriptions include access through Cloud Services, but packaging varies. Confirm the entitlement on the specific customer account rather than assuming it is included. This role does not cover turning or simultaneous five-axis milling.
Learn more about NC Shop Floor Programmer →
SOLIDWORKS Turning Professional
| Qualifying factor | This role |
|---|---|
| Best for | Lathes & mill-turn: OD/ID plus driven-tool features |
| Milling | 2.5-axis |
| Turning | Prismatic + mill-turn |
| Simultaneous 5-axis | |
| Automation & know-how templates | |
| Robot machine tending | |
| How you get it | Get a quote |
Evaluate this role when the transition scope includes turning, driven tools, or mill-turn work. It combines turning and 2.5-axis milling in one environment and supports reusable manufacturing know-how. The presence of a lathe alone does not decide the answer. Qualify the machine configuration, axes, channels, part mix, and postprocessor before selecting the role.
Learn more about SOLIDWORKS Turning Professional →
SOLIDWORKS Milling Professional
| Qualifying factor | This role |
|---|---|
| Best for | 5-axis mills: mold, die, complex surfaces |
| Milling | 3-axis to simultaneous 5-axis |
| Turning | None |
| Simultaneous 5-axis | |
| Automation & know-how templates | |
| Robot machine tending | |
| How you get it | Get a quote |
Evaluate this role when representative work requires simultaneous four- or five-axis motion, complex surfaces, mold and die strategies, or reusable machining know-how. Test the difficult geometry, machine limits, tool reach, collision behavior, postprocessor, and finished code on the actual machine configuration before committing.
Learn more about SOLIDWORKS Milling Professional →
SOLIDWORKS Milling + Turning Premium
| Qualifying factor | This role |
|---|---|
| Best for | Multi-tasking, Swiss, done-in-one machines |
| Milling | Up to simultaneous 5-axis |
| Turning | Multi-axis, sub-spindle, live tooling, Y-axis |
| Simultaneous 5-axis | |
| Automation & know-how templates | |
| Robot machine tending | |
| How you get it | Get a quote |
Evaluate the Premium role for multi-channel mill-turn, Swiss, sub-spindle, simultaneous five-axis, or done-in-one work. These environments are configuration-sensitive, so confirm the exact machine model, channels, axes, postprocessor, simulation setup, and any robot-tending requirements with a representative production test.
Learn more about SOLIDWORKS Milling + Turning Premium →
Other paths outside the platform roles
The roles above manage design and manufacturing data through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The options below use different integration and data-management approaches. Compare how each one handles SOLIDWORKS revisions, file ownership, associativity, setup data, collaboration, and repeat work, not only its toolpath feature list.
SOLIDWORKS CAM (CAMWorks)
Runs as an add-in inside SOLIDWORKS. Check the capabilities included with your specific SOLIDWORKS license and CAMWorks tier, especially if you need turning or simultaneous multi-axis work.
View product page →SolidCAM
A separate CAM product designed to integrate with SOLIDWORKS. Evaluate its machine, postprocessor, toolpath, data-management, and training fit against representative work.
Not sold by Morphos 3D. Included for completeness.
Autodesk Fusion
Autodesk's recommended transition path, combining CAD, CAM, and simulation. For a SOLIDWORKS-centered shop, evaluate how imported design data and later revisions will be managed across the two systems.
Read the HSMWorks end-of-life details and asset-transfer matrix before assuming the project will move intact.
Mastercam
A widely used CAD/CAM platform with its own SOLIDWORKS integration options. Evaluate how your team will manage design revisions, posts, libraries, machine simulation, and historical jobs.
Not sold by Morphos 3D. Included for completeness.
Not sure which one fits your shop?
Morphos 3D sells and supports the SOLIDWORKS manufacturing lineup and has actually run Autodesk CAM too, so the recommendation is based on your shop, not the logo. Talk to Support for a straight answer, or see the full HSMWorks end-of-life timeline for what Autodesk says and when.
Current sources behind this guide
This page separates vendor facts from Morphos 3D implementation guidance. The lifecycle and Autodesk migration claims were reviewed against the following current primary sources on August 13, 2026:
- Autodesk's HSMWorks product FAQ for the March 25, 2025 end-of-sale change, qualifying existing access, Flex, and the March 25, 2028 retirement.
- Autodesk's HSMWorks to Fusion transition guide for geometry, tool-library, postprocessor, and template steps.
- Autodesk Support's direct-project-import limitation for HSMWorks CAM data in SOLIDWORKS files.
The product-fit and validation recommendations are Morphos 3D guidance. Confirm the exact license, machine, controller, post, and data-management behavior before purchase or cutover.