- A full enterprise PDM like Vault is almost never needed by a small team.
- But the problems PDM solves hit everyone: revisions, numbers, status, export.
- "PDM light" covers that 80 % — local, affordable, ready in minutes.
- CadRev Pro costs 9 €/month instead of a Vault setup with server and admin.
"Do I need PDM?" — many people designing in Fusion 360 ask themselves this. The honest answer: as a solo designer or small office you almost never need a full enterprise PDM like Autodesk Vault. But you still have the problems it solves. This guide sorts out what you really need.
What PDM actually solves
PDM (Product Data Management) keeps design data unambiguous, traceable and controlled: which state is valid? Which revision is released? Which part number belongs to which part? These questions hit even the smallest team — at the latest with the first wrong state sent out.
File names vs. PDM light vs. Vault
| File names | PDM light (CadRev) | Vault | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revisions & status | manual | structured | structured |
| Part numbers | spreadsheet | automatic | automatic |
| Setup | none | minutes | server + admin |
| Cost | 0 € | 9 €/month | enterprise |
| Local / no cloud | yes | yes | server |
| Audience | — | solo & small offices | large teams |
What small teams really need
80 % of the PDM value sits in a few functions:
CadRev as PDM light for Fusion 360
CadRev brings exactly this layer right into Fusion 360 — local, no server, no cloud requirement. The Free plan covers up to 10 active parts forever; CadRev Pro costs 9 €/month (or 84 €/year) and removes the limit, including batch export and unlimited time travel.
Honestly: if you need server-side check-in/check-out, multi-stage approvals across many roles or deep ERP integration, classic PDM is right. For solo & small offices, PDM light fully covers daily work.
Conclusion
You don't have to choose between "file chaos" and "expensive enterprise PDM". For most Fusion users, a lean, local PDM-light solution is exactly the right middle ground — it solves the real problems without overwhelming you with a server and license costs.
PDM light for Fusion 360 — revisions, part numbers, status and export, local and without the Vault price.
Download CadRev