Description of Business and Basis of Presentation Reclassification (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($) revenue_category	Sep. 30, 2013 USD ($)
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Immaterial Error Correction	6.4
Number of revenue categories \| revenue_category		3
License and subscription	$ 347,999	$ 389,739	$ 354,282
Cost of license and subscription revenue	$ 53,163	45,005	39,037
Restatement Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
License and subscription		20,000	10,000
Cost of license and subscription revenue		13,300	6,000
From Services to L&S \| Restatement Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
License and subscription		16,300	10,000
Cost of license and subscription revenue		12,900	6,000
From Support to L&S \| Restatement Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
License and subscription		3,700	0
Cost of license and subscription revenue		$ 400	$ 0

Number of Revenue Categories

No definition available.

Name:	pmtc_NumberofRevenueCategories
Namespace Prefix:	pmtc_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ErrorCorrectionsAndPriorPeriodAdjustmentsRestatementLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Describes nature and related effect on financial statements related to corrections of prior year errors in the current year financial statements when the effect of the prior year error was immaterial to the prior year financial statements and the current year correction is immaterial to the current year financial statements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 250

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 1.M)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26874127&loc=d3e30365-122693

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 250

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 7

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56949863&loc=d3e22644-107794

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 1

-Section N

-Paragraph Question 2

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 1

-Section M

-Subsection 1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImmaterialErrorCorrection
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Costs incurred and are directly related to generating license revenue. Licensing arrangements include, but are not limited to, rights to use a patent, copyright, technology, manufacturing process, software or trademark.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.2(e))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LicenseCosts
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Revenue earned during the period relating to consideration received from another party for the right to use, but not own, certain of the entity's intangible assets. Licensing arrangements include, but are not limited to, rights to use a patent, copyright, technology, manufacturing process, software or trademark. Licensing fees are generally, but not always, fixed as to amount and not dependent upon the revenue generated by the licensing party. An entity may receive licensing fees for licenses that also generate royalty payments to the entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1(e))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LicensesRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis=us-gaap_RestatementAdjustmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=pmtc_FromServicestoLicenseandSubscriptionSolutionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=pmtc_FromSupporttoLicenseandSubscriptionSolutionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: