Source: Autodesk Platform Services official announcement, December 7, 2025. Full details at aps.autodesk.com/blog/aps-business-model-evolution. Verify current requirements directly with Autodesk before making procurement or development decisions.
Autodesk launched a new business model for its Platform Services (APS) cloud APIs in December 2025 — a change that affects every firm, developer, and technology partner using APS APIs to build custom integrations with BIM 360, Autodesk Construction Cloud, Revit, and other Autodesk products.
The new model is built around two tiers of access — Free and Paid — and requires all existing users to enroll in an offering and migrate their apps to a developer hub. Firms that did not complete this migration by January 16, 2026 had their API access suspended until they enrolled.
If your firm has custom integrations with Autodesk products and has not yet addressed this transition, this article is for you.
What Autodesk Platform Services is and who uses it
Autodesk Platform Services — formerly known as Forge API — is Autodesk’s developer platform for programmatically accessing BIM 360, Autodesk Construction Cloud, Revit Cloud Work-sharing, and other Autodesk services. Common use cases in AEC firms include:
Extracting project data (drawings, models, RFIs, submittals) into business intelligence dashboards. Synchronizing with ERP systems (pushing budget and cost data between Autodesk and Sage, Foundation, or SAP). Automating workflows (creating projects, assigning permissions, generating reports programmatically). Building custom integrations between Autodesk and proprietary internal systems.
If your firm has any of these in place, the APS business model change directly affects your ongoing API access and costs.
What changed: the new two-tier model
APS APIs moved to a two-tier structure: Free and Paid.
The Free tier provides monthly access to cloud APIs and is suitable for developers testing and building proofs of concept, and for customers with product subscriptions accessing their product APIs. Four APIs — Automation API, Model Derivative API, Flow Graph Engine API, and Reality Capture API — are rated, meaning they have limited monthly usage caps in the Free tier. Exceeding those caps requires moving to a Paid tier.
The Paid tier offers two options: Prepay (purchasing Flex tokens in advance, similar to how Flex worked previously) and Pay as You Go (billed monthly based on actual usage, with no upfront commitment — availability varies by region).
In addition to the tier structure, pricing for the Model Derivative API and Automation API for Revit, AutoCAD, and Inventor increased to better reflect the value they provide, and some activities that were previously free are now billed.
What this means in practice for AEC firms
The business model change has three practical implications that AEC technology teams need to address.
Access continuity. Firms that did not enroll in an offering and migrate their apps to a developer hub by January 16, 2026 had API access suspended. If your integrations stopped working around that date, this is the likely cause. Resolution requires completing enrollment and hub migration on the APS developer portal.
Cost changes. Integrations that previously ran on Flex tokens or free access may now incur different costs depending on which APIs they use and at what volume. Firms with high-frequency integrations — particularly those using Model Derivative API or Automation API for batch processing — should audit their usage against the new pricing structure before the next billing cycle.
Developer hub migration. All apps must be migrated to a developer hub so that usage is tracked correctly and billing applies to the right team. This is an administrative requirement separate from any code changes, but it is a prerequisite for continued access.
Impact by integration type
| Integration type | Likely impact |
| ERP sync (Sage, SAP, Foundation → Autodesk) | Cost review required; hub migration mandatory |
| BI dashboards (Power BI, Tableau pulling Autodesk data) | Cost review required; hub migration mandatory |
| Workflow automation scripts (Python, JavaScript) | Hub migration mandatory; test access continuity |
| Third-party apps in Autodesk App Store | Vendor responsibility — confirm with your vendor |
| Revit/AutoCAD plugins accessing cloud data | Vendor or internal developer responsibility |
| Users of Autodesk web/desktop apps only | Not affected — no action required |
What you should do now
These are editorial observations from AECO.digital based on Autodesk’s published guidance. They are not professional technical or procurement advice. Engage your development team or an Autodesk partner for specific implementation guidance.
If you have not yet migrated: Go to aps.autodesk.com and complete enrollment and developer hub migration. If your API access has been suspended, this is the resolution path. Autodesk’s support resources are at aps.autodesk.com/get-help.
If you have migrated: Audit your current API usage against the new pricing structure, particularly if you use Model Derivative API or Automation API at volume. Some previously free activities are now billed — understand your new cost baseline before it appears on an invoice.
If you use third-party tools that integrate with Autodesk: Contact your vendor and ask specifically whether their integration uses APS APIs, whether they have completed the developer hub migration, and whether their pricing to you is affected by the new APS billing model.
For firms planning new Autodesk integrations: The new two-tier model is now the baseline for all APS development. Build your cost assumptions around the new pricing structure from the outset rather than assuming legacy free access.
A note on authentication v1 deprecation
Separately from the business model change, Autodesk deprecated its authentication (OAuth) v1 endpoints. This deprecation was extended to April 30, 2024— meaning it has already occurred. If any of your integrations are still using v1 authentication endpoints, they have been non-functional since mid-2024. This is a separate issue from the December 2025 business model change and requires a code update to migrate to OAuth v2 authentication. Check your codebase for references to /authentication/v1/ — if found, that integration needs developer attention.
Where to get confirmed information
All specific details about the APS business model, pricing, and migration requirements should be verified directly from Autodesk’s official sources before taking action:
- Business model overview: aps.autodesk.com/blog/aps-business-model-evolution
- Current pricing: aps.autodesk.com/pricing
- Developer hub migration guide: aps.autodesk.com/blog/how-create-developer-hub-and-migrate-your-applications
- Support: aps.autodesk.com/get-help
