Siemens distributes STARTER as a free tool (registration required). This makes it accessible for students, small integrators, and maintenance staff without expensive TIA Portal licenses.
Downloading is still a necessary task for thousands of automation professionals worldwide. While the official download process requires a free Siemens account and some navigation through the support portal, it remains the safest and most reliable method.
STARTER 5.4 is not compatible with Windows 10 versions 1709 or later without compatibility patches. Use a virtual machine (VMware/Hyper-V) with Win7 if needed.
The software can be installed as a Standalone application or Integrated within STEP 7 V5.x (minimum version V5.6 required for integration).