Compared: S3 PDM Vault 1.0.3 and SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard 2025/2026. September 2026.
SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard is a real product data management system: reference-aware check-in and check-out inside SOLIDWORKS, a searchable database, workflows and revision control. The cost of that capability is infrastructure. It needs a Windows server running SQL Server Express on a fast local network, it's administered as a server product, and it's only included with the higher SOLIDWORKS license tiers.
S3 PDM Vault is a small, deliberately simple tool for one person, or a few who coordinate, who want the core benefit of a PDM: a safe, versioned, commented history of every file, stored off the machine. It needs no server at all. Storage is a cloud bucket or a folder, and the app runs on Windows and macOS.
In short: PDM Standard manages SOLIDWORKS data. S3 PDM Vault manages files. For a solo designer whose main need is "never lose work, know what changed, get any version back," S3 PDM Vault covers that without a server. Once a team needs reference-aware check-in, approvals or controlled revisions, PDM Standard (or PDM Professional) is the right tool.
| Feature | S3 PDM Vault | SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Intended for | 1 user, or a few who coordinate | Small teams, fewer than ~10 users, in one location |
| Server required | No | Yes: archive server, database server and SQL Server Express |
| Server OS | None | Windows Server (desktop Windows possible but not recommended for production) |
| Database | None: history is plain JSON files in storage | Microsoft SQL Server Express |
| Storage | Any S3-compatible bucket (Backblaze B2, Wasabi, AWS, self-hosted Garage) or a folder / network drive / NAS / synced folder | Local disks on the archive server (network storage not supported) |
| Client OS | Windows and macOS | Windows only |
| Works away from the office | Yes, anywhere with internet (S3) or access to the share (folder) | Designed for LAN use; remote sites need replication, which is PDM Professional only |
| SOLIDWORKS integration | None (works on files) | Add-in inside SOLIDWORKS, plus Windows Explorer integration |
| Reference awareness | No | Yes: checks in assemblies with their parts and drawings, tracks where-used |
| Licensing | Free, open source code you own | Included with SOLIDWORKS Professional, Premium and Ultimate |
| Running cost | Storage only, typically a few dollars per TB per month | Server hardware, a Windows Server license, power, backups and admin time |
| Setup time | Minutes | Hours to days, often with reseller help |
A PDM installation has three server components, per GoEngineer's system resources guide:
GoEngineer's starting-point recommendations for a small, combined archive and SQL server are 32 GB of RAM and at least 500 GB of disk, with the archive on fast, locally attached SSDs. Network storage such as a SAN isn't supported for the archive. They also recommend that the server be dedicated to PDM and not host other applications.
PDM Standard uses SQL Server Express, which brings hard limits regardless of the hardware:
These limits are why PDM Standard is aimed at small environments of fewer than about 10 users with modest activity.
Network: clients are expected to be on the same LAN as the archive server, over gigabit connections, with latency under roughly 100 ms. Remote sites need replication, which requires PDM Professional. The server must be a full machine with an installed OS. Hosted SQL services such as AWS or Azure SQL aren't supported.
Operating system: SOLIDWORKS supports Windows Server (2022 or 2025 for the 2026 release) for PDM server components. Installing them on desktop Windows 11 is technically possible but strongly discouraged for production. Clients are Windows only.
Version lock-step: PDM Standard is only supported with the same SOLIDWORKS release, so the server has to be upgraded alongside SOLIDWORKS every year.
current/.| Capability | S3 PDM Vault | PDM Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Versioned history of every file | ✔ | ✔ |
| Required comment on check-in | ✔ | ✔ (configurable) |
| Restore or save any old version | ✔ | ✔ |
| Check out / exclusive locking | ✘ | ✔ |
| Reference-aware check-in (assembly with its parts and drawings) | ✘ | ✔ |
| Where-used / contains | ✘ | ✔ |
| Rename or move without breaking assembly references | ✘ Rename in SOLIDWORKS first, then link the history | ✔ |
| Revision scheme (A, B, C…) separate from versions | ✘ | ✔ |
| Workflow states and approvals (e.g. WIP → Released) | ✘ | ✔ (simplified compared with PDM Professional) |
| Data cards, custom properties, searchable metadata | ✘ | ✔ |
| Search across the vault | ✘ Folder tree with status only | ✔ |
| Users, groups and permissions | ✘ Whoever has the storage key has full access | ✔ |
| Integration inside SOLIDWORKS | ✘ | ✔ |
| Windows Explorer integration | ✘ Separate app window | ✔ |
| macOS | ✔ | ✘ |
| Use from anywhere | ✔ | ✘ LAN only without Professional replication |
| Multiple projects on different storage | ✔ Profiles | ✔ Multiple vaults on the server |
| Non-SOLIDWORKS files (Office, PDF, scans, images) | ✔ Any file | ✔ |
| Latest files readable without the app | ✔ current/ with real names |
✘ Files are stored in the archive's own format |
| Deduplication of identical content | ✔ | Depends on configuration |
| Offline work | Work on local files; check in when connected | Work on local cache; check in when connected |
This is the heart of a CAD PDM. Checking in an assembly with all its changed parts, renaming a part and having every assembly and drawing follow, and seeing where a part is used can't be matched by any file-level tool.
Workflow states and revisions let a team separate work in progress from released drawings and control who can release them.
Two people can't overwrite each other's work.
Data cards and SOLIDWORKS custom properties become searchable across the vault.
It's supported by SOLIDWORKS and resellers, with training and documentation.
No server, SQL, Windows Server license or dedicated hardware, and no yearly server upgrade tied to the SOLIDWORKS release.
Every check-in goes straight to cloud storage or another machine, so the history survives the loss of the workstation or the office.
Home, office or on the road, on Windows or macOS.
Low-cost cloud storage, a self-hosted cluster, a NAS or an end-to-end-encrypted sync service, chosen per project through profiles.
Plain files and JSON, with the latest version of every file under its real name, so there's no lock-in and the vault can be recovered without the app.
Storage only.
Check in, add a comment, done. Nothing to administer.
current/ copy uses a single request, which limits it to files up to 5 GB.if you work alone or with one or two collaborators who coordinate, don't want to run a server, want off-site history by default, work on both Windows and macOS or away from the office, or have a SOLIDWORKS license that doesn't include PDM Standard.
if several people edit the same files, you need locking, released revisions or approvals, you rely on renaming and reusing parts across assemblies, you have (or want) a dedicated Windows server on a fast local network, and your SOLIDWORKS license already includes it.
if the team is spread across locations, needs web access, or will outgrow SQL Server Express.
PDM details are summarized from the sources above and may change with new SOLIDWORKS releases. Check the current SOLIDWORKS system requirements before planning an installation.