Side by side comparison chart of 78 mechanical Finite Element Analysis (FEA) programs. We welcome suggestions and additional information. Click any row for more details.

  Price
Graphical geometry modeler
Graphical manual meshing
CAD import
Units aware
Linear static
Nonlinear - large displacements
Nonlinear - contact
Transient linear
Transient nonlinear
Natural frequency
Linear buckling
Acoustic
Heat transfer
Electric/magnetic
Fluid flow
Fluid structure interaction
Solid elements
Shell elements
Beam/rod/tie
Anisotropic materials
Composites
Hyperelastic/rubber
Plasticity
Viscoplastic/creep
Piezoelectric
2D Frame Analysis Dynamic Edition $270 tick tick tick cross cross tick cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross

www.engissol.com

OS: Windows

License/options:

Support:

Abaqus/CAE no tick tick tick cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.3ds.com

OS:

License/options:

Support:

ADINA no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.adina.com

OS: Windows, Linux, AIX

License/options: Free 900 node student version available

Support: Email, phone for full version

AMPS no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick
Fully coupled multiphysics

www.ampstech.com

OS: Windows

License/options:

Support:

Analysis for Windows Free cross cross tick tick tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross camera
Beams and trusses

cuylaerts.net

OS: Windows

License/options:

Support:

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ANSYS Mechanical no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick
Part of a suite of simulation products

www.ansys.com

OS:

License/options:

Support:

Autodesk Simulation Mechanical no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick tick cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick
Formerly ALGOR

www.autodesk.com

OS:

License/options:

Support:

AutoFEM Analysis $1495 - $4995 tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick cross cross cross tick tick
Integrated with AutoCAD

www.autofemsoft.com

OS:

License/options: Free AutoFEM Lite available

Support:

CADRE Pro $370 tick tick tick tick tick tick cross cross cross cross cross cross tick tick

www.cadreanalytic.com

OS: Windows

License/options:

Support:

CAEFEM no tick cross tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick tick cross tick cross cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross

www.caefem.com

OS: Windows

License/options: 30 day free trial

Support: For support program customers: phone, fax, email

CAEplex $0-$50 / month cross cross tick tick tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross
Cloud based service

www.seamplex.com

OS: Web browser

License/options: Models made with the free plan are public. Price includes a limited amount of CPU and RAM time.

Support:

CalculiX Free cross cross cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick tick tick cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross camera

www.calculix.de

OS: Linux. Windows ports also available

License/options: GPL

Support:

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Cast3M no cross cross cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick tick cross

www-cast3m.cea.fr

OS: Windows, Linux, Mac

License/options: Free for education and research use

Support:

Code_Aster Free cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.code-aster.org

OS: Linux, FreeBSD. Windows and MacOS X ports available from 3rd parties

License/options: GPL

Support: Online training courses

COMSOL Multiphysics no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.comsol.com

OS:

License/options:

Support: Workshops in many countries, web form and forum

CONSELF $0-$12,000 / year cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

conself.com

OS: Web browser

License/options:

Support: Online

Creo Elements/Direct FEA no tick tick cross cross cross tick tick cross tick cross cross cross tick tick cross cross cross
Integrated with PTC Creo Elements/Direct Modeling

www.ptc.com

OS: Windows

License/options:

Support:

ED-Elas2D $110 cross tick cross tick tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross camera
2D educational program

www.cimne.com

OS: Windows 95 or later

License/options:

Support:

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Elmer Free cross cross cross tick tick cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick cross cross cross
General purpose PDE solver

www.csc.fi/english/pages/elmer/

OS: Linux, Windows

License/options: GPL

Support: Forum

EngiLab Beam.2D $180 tick tick cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross

www.engilab.com

OS: Windows

License/options: Free version with 10 node limit

Support:

FEAP $1500 cross cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick cross cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross
For research and educational use. Source code available

www.ce.berkeley.edu/projects/feap

OS: UNIX, Linux, Mac, Windows

License/options:

Support:

FEATool no tick cross cross tick tick tick tick cross cross
A FEM toolbox for Matlab and Octave

www.precisesimulation.com

OS:

License/options: Free license for students or trial use. Paid license for teaching or research

Support:

FEBio with PreView Free tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick
For biomechanics and biophysics

febio.org

OS: Linux, Mac OS X, Windows

License/options:

Support:

Fedem Mechanical no tick tick tick tick tick tick
Multibody nonlinear dynamics. Also sold as NEi Motion

www.fedem.com

OS: Windows, HP-UX, SGI-IRIX

License/options:

Support:

FELIPE Free cross tick cross tick cross cross tick tick camera
Educational program which displays the element assembly process. Old fashioned, partially text-based interface.

www.felipe.co.uk

OS: Windows

License/options:

Support:

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FElt Free cross cross cross cross tick cross cross tick cross tick cross cross tick cross cross cross tick cross tick cross cross cross cross cross camera
Appears to be abandoned. Meant for teaching.

felt.sourceforge.net

OS: Linux, Windows

License/options: GPL

Support:

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FEMdesigner $300 - $900 cross tick tick cross tick cross tick tick cross tick cross cross cross tick tick tick tick cross

www.femdesigner.com

OS: Windows

License/options: $299/$899 plus $79/$199 annual maintenance

Support:

FEMTA Free cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross camera
Very simple truss program. Define just nodes, constraints, elements, area and Young's modulus and node forces.

sourceforge.net/projects/femta

OS:

License/options: GPL

Support:

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FEniCS Free cross cross tick tick tick tick
General purpose PDE library

fenicsproject.org

OS:

License/options: LGPL

Support:

FesaWin $35 - $200 tick tick tick tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick tick cross cross cross cross cross
Suitable for very old computers

www.fesawin.com

OS: Windows

License/options: Free with 100 node limit. €75 with 1000 node limit.

Support:

FlexPDE $495 - $1,995 tick tick tick tick tick tick tick
General purpose PDE solver that can solve elasticity problems in 1D, 2D or 3D

www.pdesolutions.com

OS:

License/options:

Support:

Frame3DD Free cross cross cross cross tick cross cross tick cross tick tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross
Static and dynamic analysis of beams and trusses

frame3dd.sourceforge.net/

OS: Linux, Windows and OS X

License/options: GPL

Support:

FreeFEM Free tick tick tick

www.freefem.org

OS: Windows, MacOS X, Linux

License/options:

Support:

Grape GBW32 $190 cross tick tick cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross camera
For beams and trusses

www.grapesoftware.mb.ca

OS: Windows

License/options: Shareware. Bulk and academic discounts

Support:

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Impact Free cross cross cross cross tick tick cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick tick tick cross cross cross tick cross

www.impact-fem.org

OS: Linux, Windows

License/options: GPL

Support:

KeyCreator Analysis no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick tick cross cross tick tick tick
Integrated with KeyCreator Direct CAD

kubotek3d.com

OS: Windows

License/options:

Support:

LapFEA $99 - $1,999 tick tick cross tick cross cross tick cross tick cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross
Limited to 30,000 nodes but can export to NASTRAN format.

www.lapcad.com

OS: Mac OS 9, Windows

License/options:

Support:

LS-DYNA no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.lstc.com

OS: Windows, Linux, AIX, HP-UX, Super-UX, IRIX

License/options: Per core

Support:

LUSAS Analyst no tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.lusas.com

OS: Windows

License/options: $700 academic version available

Support:

M3d Free tick tick cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick tick tick tick cross cross cross cross camera
A base program intended to be customised for bespoke solutions.

m3d.org.uk

OS: Windows

License/options: Free use

Support:

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MATruss $150 cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross camera

www.masoftware.se

OS: Windows

License/options: Demo with 30 day limit

Support:

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MEANS $1,700-$5,500 tick cross tick tick cross cross cross tick tick cross tick cross cross cross tick tick tick cross cross cross

www.fem-infos.com

OS: Windows

License/options:

Support:

Mecway $100 - $350 cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick camera

mecway.com

OS: Windows

License/options: Free version with 1000 node limit. $350 for full version with over 1,000,000 nodes. $100 non-commercial option.

Support: Email and forum

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midasNFX no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.midasnfx.com

OS:

License/options:

Support: Training courses available

MSC Marc no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.mscsoftware.com

OS:

License/options:

Support:

MSC Nastran no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.mscsoftware.com

OS:

License/options:

Support: Phone, forum, training courses, webinars, conferences

NISA Mechanical no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

nisasoftware.com

OS:

License/options:

Support:

NX Nastran no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

siemens.com

OS:

License/options:

Support:

NX Simcenter 3D no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick
Formerly NX CAE

siemens.com

OS:

License/options:

Support:

OptiStruct no tick tick tick tick cross tick tick tick tick cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick camera
Part of the Altair HyperWorks suite

www.altairhyperworks.com

OS:

License/options:

Support:

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PAFEC-FE no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.vibroacoustics.co.uk

OS:

License/options:

Support: Phone/fax for 6 months

PAK-S no tick tick tick tick cross cross cross cross cross tick tick tick tick tick

fempak.fink.rs

OS:

License/options:

Support:

ParaFEM Free cross cross cross cross tick cross tick tick cross cross cross cross tick cross cross tick cross cross
Fortran library for parallel computing with MPI. Additional features are described in the book "Programming the Finite Element Method" ISBN: 978-1-119-97334-8.

parafem.org.uk

OS: Linux

License/options: MIT-like

Support:

PERMAS no cross tick tick tick tick cross tick tick tick tick tick cross tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.intes.de

OS: Linux, Windows, AIX

License/options:

Support: Training courses in Germany

PZFlex no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.pzflex.com

OS: Windows, Linux

License/options:

Support:

RADIOSS no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick
Part of the Altair HyperWorks suite

www.altairhyperworks.com

OS: Windows, Linux

License/options:

Support: Online training courses

RamSeries no tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.compassis.com

OS: Windows, Linux

License/options:

Support:

Range $60 - $500 / year tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.range-software.com

OS: Windows, Linux

License/options:

Support:

Roshaz FEA $595 - $695 tick tick tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross
Mainly a pre/post-processor. More solver capabilities are available by interfacing with Calculix, Abaqus, Lusas, Nastran or Mystran.

www.roshaz.com

OS:

License/options: Demo version with 5000 node limit

Support:

Samcef no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick camera

siemens.com

OS:

License/options:

Support:

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SC03 no tick tick tick tick camera
Rolls Royce in-house code

OS:

License/options:

Support:

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Sesam GeniE no tick tick tick tick tick tick
For offshore structures

www.dnv.com

OS:

License/options:

Support:

SfePy Free cross cross cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick
General purpose PDE solver

sfepy.org

OS:

License/options: BSD

Support:

SimForDesign $3-$10 / compute hour cross cross tick tick tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross
Cloud based service. Simplified process aimed at designers, not engineers.

www.sim4design.com

OS: Web browser

License/options:

Support:

SimScale $3000-$12000 / year cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick cross tick tick tick
Cloud based service

www.simscale.de

OS: Web browser

License/options: Minimum period of 6 months. Includes a free option for linear static analysis

Support: Their employees may assist creating a simulation

SimWise FEA $3,500-$5,000 tick tick cross cross cross cross tick tick cross tick cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross
Also available combined with SimWise Motion for coupled motion and FEA. Has adaptive mesh refinement.

www.design-simulation.com

OS: Windows 7 or 8

License/options: Commercial or Educational licenses. Annual maintenance fees exist.

Support:

SLFFEA Free cross tick tick cross cross cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross tick tick tick tick cross cross cross cross

slffea.sourceforge.net

OS:

License/options: LGPL

Support:

Solid Edge Simulation no tick cross tick tick tick cross cross cross cross tick tick cross tick cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross camera
NX NASTRAN integrated with Solid Edge. The functionality exposed through Solid Edge is limited to simple loads and analyses.

www.plm.automation.siemens.com

OS:

License/options:

Support:

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SolidWorks Simulation no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick cross cross tick tick tick tick tick tick
Integrated with SolidWorks

www.solidworks.com

OS:

License/options:

Support:

Solvia no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick cross tick cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.solvia.com/

OS: Windows, Linux, Unix

License/options:

Support:

Strand7 $4,500 - $11,000 cross tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick camera

www.strand7.com

OS: Windows

License/options: Free version limited to 20 beams, 100 plates and 100 solid elements. Base Package: $4500 and $500-$1300 each for options like nonlinear and moving loads.

Support: 12 months with initial purchase. Renewable annually.

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StressCheck no tick tick tick cross tick tick tick cross cross tick tick cross tick cross cross cross tick tick tick tick tick cross tick cross camera

www.esrd.com

OS: Windows

License/options: Free student version available

Support: Training workshops

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Tochnog Free cross cross cross cross tick tick tick tick cross cross cross tick cross tick cross tick cross tick tick cross tick tick tick

tochnog.sourceforge.net

OS: Linux, Windows, MacOS X

License/options: GPL

Support: Through a third party

VisualFEA $1,800 tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

www.visualfea.com

OS: Mac OS, Windows

License/options:

Support:

W-Trite Free cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross cross camera
For beams and trusses

wtrite.net

OS: Windows

License/options: Freeware

Support:

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WELSIM $6.98-$1000 cross tick cross tick tick tick tick tick tick cross cross cross cross cross cross tick cross cross cross cross tick tick tick cross

welsim.com

OS: Windows

License/options: Free for academic use. $1000 license gives feature request priority.

Support:

Z88 Aurora Free cross tick tick cross tick tick cross cross cross tick cross cross tick cross cross cross tick tick tick cross cross tick cross

www.z88.de

OS: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X

License/options: Free use

Support: Forum

Zebulon no tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

OS:

License/options:

Support:

Suggestions or corrections: info@feacompare.com. Last updated: 2017-07-20