Vivado, AMD Excludes Linux from Support for Free Version: '70% of Users Use Windows'

AMD has once again come under criticism following the announced changes to the licensing system of Vivado, the proprietary platform used for FPGA design and programming. With the arrival of the Vivado 2026.1 release, the company will introduce a new division of software editions that will drastically change access for Linux users.

Vivado is one of the most widely used tools in the FPGA sector thanks to its features dedicated to hardware simulation, circuit validation, and the development of advanced solutions for artificial intelligence, aerospace, and professional electronics. FPGAs allow for hardware reconfiguration via software and are essential for testing and prototyping.

The controversy arises from AMD's decision to eliminate support for Linux from the free version of the software. Until now, the free "Standard" variant was available for both Windows and Linux. However, this new release introduces the "Basic" edition, which will be exclusively limited to Windows.

Users who wish to continue using Vivado natively on Linux will have to switch to the "Core" plan, accessible via an annual subscription costing between $1,200 and $1,800. This price has immediately sparked protests from the community, particularly among university students, researchers, and open-source enthusiasts who use Linux as their main development environment.

AMD defended the decision within the official forums, explaining that about 70% of Vivado users use Windows. However, this response has not convinced much of the technical community, which considers Linux an essential operating system in many academic and professional contexts.

According to a representative from AMD, users will still be able to use the versions prior to 2026.1 for free without specific restrictions. However, these releases will gradually lose official support, which may create compatibility and security issues in the medium term.

Among the objections raised online, strong concerns are also emerging regarding the educational sector and independent developers. Several users argue that the new policy risks driving hobbyists and makers away from the AMD FPGA ecosystem and favors competing platforms such as Lattice and Altera. AMD has confirmed that it has collected feedback from the community and forwarded it to the relevant internal teams. However, at this time, no official changes have been reported for the new licensing structure set for Vivado 2026.1.