There are a lot of different editions of Creo available. This gives our customers the ability to customize Creo to perfectly fit the needs of their team without paying for extra features or functionality they don’t need.
However, we know it can get a little confusing.
Here’s a primer on the different Creo editions:
What’s the Difference between Creo Direct vs. Creo Parametric?
Creo Parametric is what most people think of when they think of “Creo”. It’s the standard solution for scalable 3D CAD design and is the direct descendent of Pro/Engineer Wildfire.
Creo Direct is a separate application that allows users to make edits to 2D and 3D parametric designs in a direct modeling environment.
The direct modeling approach is about speed and flexibility. It’s great for casual users or designers exploring “what-if” scenarios. The parametric approach, on the other hand, is better suited for more complex design tasks with strict criteria on design aesthetics, performance and manufacturing.
See a comparison between Direct and Parametric.
What’s the difference between Creo vs. Creo Essentials?
The biggest difference is that Creo Essentials takes the base Creo Parametric application and adds Flexible Modeling. Flexible Modeling basically gives you the same functionality of Creo Direct but integrated within the Creo Parametric application.
What’s the difference between Creo Essentials vs. Other Essential Packages?
The various Essentials packages each have their own set of functionality added to Creo Parametric. We find that the most popular packages are either Creo Essentials or Creo Essentials Team but all the various flavors are available if you so choose.
Creo Essentials Plus:
- Flexible Modeling
- PDM (either PDM essentials OR PDMLink)
Creo Essentials Premium
- Flexible Modeling
- PDM (either PDM essentials OR PDMLink)
- Piping and Cabling
- Simulation
- Mechanism Dynamics
Creo Essentials Team
- Flexible Modeling
- Advanced Assembly
- and an option to add PDM (either PDM essentials OR PDMLink)
See the Essentials datasheet for more.
What about Subscription Pricing vs. Perpetual Licensing?
Both subscription pricing and perpetual licenses are available for all versions of Creo. For businesses that have significant up and down cycles, subscription pricing not only lowers your upfront costs but adds critical flexibility to your software license cost structure. The products themselves are the same.
Got more questions?
Give us a call at 408-986-0200, and we’d be happy to discuss specs, set up a demo, and figure which edition is right for you. Or drop us an email here.
