When is a new version free, do I have to upgrade, and does waiting make the upgrade cost more?

The policy, from the official FAQ

The software is bought outright, and upgrades are optional. The official FAQ sets out these rules:

• Minor updates are always free to anyone who owns the same major version. The FAQ's own example: 12.5 is free to all owners of version 12.
• A new major version is free if it is released within 12 months of your purchase of a brand new product. It appears in your V&Co account.
• Moving up a product (for example VCarve Pro to Aspire) restarts that 12 month window from the date of the product upgrade.
• Paying for a version upgrade (for example version 9 to version 12 of the same product) gives a shorter safety net: a free upgrade to any new version released within 3 months of that upgrade purchase.
• The upgrade price does not grow with age. The cost to reach the latest version of the same product is the same no matter which older version you are on.
• You are never forced to upgrade. Older versions keep working, and you can download the free trial of the new version to judge it first.

The FAQ does not publish a price list. Your personal upgrade options and prices are shown in your V&Co account.

How to decide

1. Check your purchase date against the release date of the version you want. Inside 12 months of a new purchase, the upgrade should already be waiting in your account at no charge.
2. If you are outside the window, read the What's New page for the version and try the trial before paying.
3. Because the price is the same from any older version, there is no penalty for skipping a version you do not need.

Pro tips

• Thinking of buying an upgrade close to an expected new release? The 3 month safety net only covers version upgrades, and the 12 month window only covers new product purchases and product upgrades. Time it with that in mind.
• The FAQ notes that upgrading a product trades in the old license. After moving from VCarve Pro to Aspire you no longer hold a separate VCarve Pro license.
• See the entry on upgrading from VCarve Pro to Aspire for what carries over.