Everyone loves to save money. But there are times that trying to save money will cost you far more in the long run. Specifically, many users buy the “Home and Student” version of CorelDRAW because it costs less than the full version. While it may be the appropriate version for a few users, it is definitely the wrong version for many.

First, let’s go over the legal reason it could be the wrong version. It is NOT licensed for commercial use. So if you are using it for any commercial purposes, you are in violation of the software license. Will you get caught? Maybe not. What is the penalty if you get caught? I am not a lawyer and have no idea. But I’m guessing it would be fairly expensive.

There is another reason why it is the wrong version for most of you. It does not include all features! Corel has a PDF that explains the differences, but it is likely few users look at it. By far the biggest omission is support for add-ons and macros. It is quite common someone contacts me and they are very frustrated that a macro isn’t working for them. It will never work because they are using the Home and Student version.

Can you upgrade Home and Student to the full version? No, you must purchase the full version separately. So now the discount you thought you were getting just got more expensive. The answer is quite simple. If you are going to use CorelDRAW in your business, use the full version!