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How to Choose a SOLIDWORKS Reseller (VAR) in 2026: Support, ITAR and Enterprise Agreements | SolidWorks | Register and Certify IP of CAD design

2026-10-15 17:00 Guides

TL;DR: Choose a SOLIDWORKS reseller on support, services and terms, not on the licence price

SOLIDWORKS is sold and supported through a network of independent reseller partners (VARs). The licence is the same wherever you buy it, so the difference is the people behind it: how fast and how well they answer support questions, what training and PDM services they offer, and what your renewal and enterprise agreement say. Shortlist three, send each a real support question, and compare quotes over three years.

There is no official ranking of the "top SOLIDWORKS VARs". Every reseller calls itself the best, and the awards Dassault Systèmes gives at 3DEXPERIENCE World change every year. This guide gives you a neutral way to compare them, including the questions that matter for ITAR work, enterprise agreements and training.

What Does a SOLIDWORKS Reseller (VAR) Do?

SOLIDWORKS Reseller Partners, also called value-added resellers, are independent companies that sell and support SOLIDWORKS in a region. Dassault Systèmes lists their standard services as solution advice, onboarding, training, technical support and health checks. In practice that means:

Licences and renewals: quotes for new seats, subscription renewals, and upgrades from Standard to Professional or Premium.
First-line technical support: your support calls go to the reseller first, and it escalates to Dassault when needed.
Training: official SOLIDWORKS courses online or in a classroom, plus certification exams such as CSWA, CSWP and CSWE.
Services: PDM installation and workflow design, data migration, automation and custom add-ins, hardware advice.

If you buy SOLIDWORKS online, a reseller is usually assigned to you for support. Choosing one yourself is better, because support quality is the biggest difference between them.

How to Choose a SOLIDWORKS Reseller: The Criteria That Matter

Criterion	What to ask	Red flag
Support response	What are your response times for critical and normal tickets? Can I see them in writing?	Only "best effort" with no times
Support skills	How many CSWP or CSWE certified engineers answer tickets? Do you cover PDM and simulation?	Support handled by sales staff
Hours and language	Which hours and languages do you cover? What happens outside office hours?	Hours that miss your shifts or time zone
Training	Which official courses do you run, online and on site? What is the price per seat-day?	Training only through a third party
PDM and services	Who has installed SOLIDWORKS PDM for a company our size? Can we talk to a reference?	No reference customers
Industry fit	Which customers in our industry do you support?	No experience with your regulations
Renewals	What will renewals cost over the next three years?	Refuses to discuss future pricing
Exit	If we move to another reseller, what do we need to do?	Vague answers about switching

How to Choose a SOLIDWORKS Reseller in Five Steps

List your needs: number of seats, Standard, Professional or Premium, PDM, simulation, ITAR or other regulations, and training for new hires.
Shortlist three resellers with a local office and customers in your industry. The reseller locator on solidworks.com lists partners by region.
Test support before you sign. Send each one a real technical question and time the answer and its quality.
Compare quotes on the same scope and over three years, including subscription renewals, training and services.
Negotiate the agreement: renewal price caps, named contacts and what happens when they change, and how licence transfers work.

Choosing a SOLIDWORKS Reseller for ITAR and Defense Work

For U.S. defense and aerospace teams, the reseller handles your technical data when you send files with a support ticket. Ask these questions before you share anything:

Are the support engineers who will see our files U.S. persons, and can you guarantee that in writing?
Where are uploaded support files stored, and who outside the U.S. can access the ticket system?
Can we send reduced or defeatured test files instead of production models?
Have you supported SOLIDWORKS PDM in an ITAR or CMMC environment before?

Our guide to ITAR compliance in CAD file management covers the controls on your side, and export control regulations for CAD files explains why sending a model to the wrong person can count as an export.

Enterprise SOLIDWORKS Agreements: What to Negotiate at Signing

Multi-year and enterprise agreements lock in price and service for several years, so the details matter more than the first-year discount:

Renewal caps: a maximum yearly increase for subscription renewals.
Licence flexibility: whether you can swap seats between products or add seats at the same price during the term.
Named contacts: who your account manager and technical lead are, and a clause on how quickly a replacement is assigned if they leave.
Service credits: training days, health checks or PDM consulting hours included each year.
Licence transfers: what happens to licences in a merger, a carve-out or a move between legal entities. Transfers usually need Dassault's approval, so get the rules in writing.

How SOLIDWORKS Resellers Price Training and Services

Training is usually priced per seat per course day for public classes, or per day for a private class at your site. Services such as PDM setup are quoted as a fixed project or by the day. Ask for a training plan that covers new hires for a year, and compare the total, not the daily rate. Training is also where you build good file habits, so include SOLIDWORKS file management and PDM security in the plan.

Can You Switch SOLIDWORKS Resellers?

Yes. You own your licences, not the reseller, and you can usually move to another reseller at renewal time. Ask the new reseller to handle the move, check that your serial numbers and subscription dates carry over, and make sure PDM and any custom add-ins are documented before you change support partner.

Protect Your Designs Whoever Supports You

Every support ticket and training exercise can mean sending real models outside your company. Send the smallest file that shows the problem, use the same sharing rules you use for suppliers, and remember that an NDA has limits. Recording authorship before files leave your hands gives you evidence if a design turns up somewhere it should not.

Register your SOLIDWORKS designs before you share them

BORIS for SOLIDWORKS creates a dated, blockchain-based certificate of ownership for your parts and assemblies, right inside SOLIDWORKS.

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Conclusion

The best SOLIDWORKS reseller is the one whose support engineers solve your problems quickly, whose training fits your team, and whose agreement you can live with for three years. Test support with a real question, compare quotes on the same scope, and put renewal terms, named contacts and transfer rules in writing.

FAQ on Choosing a SOLIDWORKS Reseller

What is a SOLIDWORKS VAR?

A VAR (value-added reseller) is an independent company authorised by Dassault Systèmes to sell SOLIDWORKS licences and provide support, training and services in a region.

Is there an official list of the top SOLIDWORKS resellers?

No independent ranking exists. Dassault Systèmes gives partner awards each year, and resellers advertise their own tier, but the best test is how a reseller handles your own support questions.

Does the SOLIDWORKS price depend on the reseller?

The licence is the same product everywhere. Quotes differ in discounts, bundled training and services, and renewal terms, so compare the total over three years.

Can I buy SOLIDWORKS directly from Dassault Systèmes?

Some products can be bought online, but support is still provided through a reseller partner. Choosing your reseller yourself gives you more control over support quality.

How do I choose a SOLIDWORKS reseller for an ITAR project?

Ask for written confirmation that U.S. persons handle your support files, where uploaded files are stored, and whether the reseller has supported PDM in ITAR or CMMC environments.

Can I change my SOLIDWORKS reseller?

Yes. Licences belong to your company, so you can usually move to another reseller at renewal. Plan the move so your subscription dates, PDM setup and add-ins carry over.

What should an enterprise SOLIDWORKS agreement include?

Renewal price caps, rules for adding or swapping seats, named contacts with a replacement clause, included training or service days, and licence transfer rules for mergers and reorganisations.

Violetta Bonenkamp, CADChain co-founder