This is a list of notable software packages that implement the finite element method for solving partial differential equations.
Software | Features | Developer | Version | Released | License | Price | Platform |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agros2D | Multiplatform open source application for the solution of physical problems based on the Hermes library | University of West Bohemia | 3.2 | 2014-03-03 | GNU GPL | Free | Linux, Windows |
CalculiX | It is an Open Source FEA project. The solver uses a partially compatible ABAQUS file format. The pre/post-processor generates input data for many FEA and CFD applications | Guido Dhondt, Klaus Wittig | 2.20 | 2022-08-01 | GNU GPL | Free | Linux, Windows |
DIANA FEA | General purpose finite element package utilised by civil, structural and geotechnical engineers. | DIANA FEA BV, The Netherlands | 10.1 | 2016-11-14 | Proprietary commercial software | Paid | Windows, Linux |
deal.II | Comprehensive set of tools for finite element codes, scaling from laptops to clusters with 100,000+ cores. Written in C++, it supports all widely used finite element types, serial and parallel meshes, and h and hp adaptivity. | Wolfgang Bangerth, Timo Heister, Guido Kanschat, Matthias Maier et al. | 9.6 | 2024-08-11 | LGPL | Free | Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, Windows |
DUNE | Distributed and Unified Numerics Environment, written in C++ | DUNE Developer team | 2.4.1 | 2016-02-29 | GPL Version 2 with Run-Time Exception | Free | Linux, Unix, Mac OS X |
Elmer FEM | Open source multiphysical simulation software developed by Finnish Ministry of Education's CSC, written primarily in Fortran (written in Fortran90, C and C++) | CSC | 8.2 | 2021-03-04 | GPL | Free | Linux, Mac OS X, Windows |
FEBio | Finite Elements for Biomechanics | University of Utah (MRL), Columbia University (MBL) | 3.7 | June, 2022 | MIT | Free | Linux, Mac OS X, Windows |
FEniCS Project | Software package developed by American and European researchers with the goal to enable automated solution of differential equations | FEniCS Team | 1.6.0 | 2015-07-29 | LGPL (Core) & GPL/LGPL (Non-Core)[1] | Free | Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, Windows |
FEATool Multiphysics | MATLAB FEM and PDE multiphysics simulation toolbox | Precise Simulation | 1.10 | 2019-05-17 | Proprietary EULA | Free for personal use[2] | Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Unix |
FreeFEM[3] | FreeFEM is a free and open-source parallel FEA software for multiphysics simulations. The problems are defined in terms of their variational formulation and can be easily implemented using FreeFEM language. Written in C++. | Sorbonne University[4] and Jacques-Louis Lions Laboratory[5] | 4.2.1 | 2019-06-06 | LGPL | Free | Linux, MacOS, Windows, Solaris |
GOMA | GOMA is an open-source, parallel, and scalable multiphysics software package for modeling and simulation of real-life physical processes, with a basis in computational fluid dynamics for problems with evolving geometry. | Sandia National Laboratories, University of New Mexico | 6.1 | Aug 28, 2015 | GPL Version 2 | Free | Linux |
GetFEM++ | A generic finite element library written in C++ with interfaces for Python, Matlab and Scilab. It focuses on modeling of contact mechanics and discontinuities (e.g. cracks). | Yves Renard, Julien Pommier | 5.4.2 | 2022-07 | LGPL | Free | Unix, Mac OS X, Windows |
Hermes Project | Modular C/C++ library for rapid development of space- and space-time adaptive hp-FEM solvers | hp-FEM group | 3.0 | 2014-03-01 | LGPL | Free | Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, Windows |
Mathematica[6] | General purpose computation software. | Wolfram Research | 14.1.0 (July 31, 2024[±][7] | )Regularly | Proprietary | Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, Raspbian, Online service. | |
MATLAB Partial Differential Equation Toolbox | MATLAB Toolbox for solving structural, thermal, electromagnetics, and other general PDEs | MathWorks | 3.3 (R2019b) | 2019-09-11 | Proprietary commercial software | Linux, Mac OS X, Windows | |
MFEM | MFEM is a free, lightweight, scalable C++ library for finite element methods that features arbitrary high-order finite element meshes and spaces, support for a wide variety of discretizations, and emphasis on usability, generality, and high-performance computing efficiency. | MFEM team | 4.7 | 2024-05-07 | BSD | Free | Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, Windows |
MoFEM JosePH | Mesh Oriented hp-FE code, written in C++ | University of Glasgow | 0.6.8 | 2017-11-16 | LGPL | Free | Unix, Mac OS X |
MOOSE | Object Oriented FE framework, written in C++ | Idaho National Laboratory | regularly | LGPL | Free | Unix, Mac OS X | |
OOFEM | Object Oriented Finite EleMent solver, written in C++ | Bořek Patzák | 2.5 | 2017-12-30 | GPL Version 2 | Free | Unix, Windows |
OpenSees | Open System for Earthquake Engineering Simulation | 3.3.0 | 2021-05-24 | Non Commercial | Free | Unix, Linux, Windows | |
SESAM (FEM) | Software suite for structural and hydrodynamic analysis of ships and offshore structures | DNV GL | regularly | Proprietary, SaaS | Windows, Web browser | ||
Z88/Z88Aurora | Freeware finite element package; The present version Z88Aurora V5 offers, in addition to static strength analysis modules such as non-linear strength calculations (large displacements), simulations with non-linear materials, natural frequency, static thermal analysis and a contact module. | Frank Rieg | Z88 V15, Z88Aurora V5 | 2017-07-17, 2019-04-01 | GNU GPL, Custom | Free | Linux, Windows, Mac OS X |
Abaqus | Advanced Franco-USA software from SIMULIA, owned by Dassault Systemes | Abaqus Inc. | 2023 | 2022-11 | Proprietary commercial software | Free learning edition available, up to 1000 nodes[8] | Linux, Windows |
CONSELF | CAE simulation from your browser | CONSELF SRL | 2.9 | 2015-10 | SaaS | Freemium | Web browser |
FreeCAD | Parametric 3D modeler with a FEM workbench allowing it to use external solvers like CalculiX, Z88, Elmer, and OpenFOAM | FreeCAD Team | 0.20.1 | 10 August 2022 | LGPL 2 | Free | Linux, Windows, Mac OS X |
ADINA | Finite element software for structural, fluid, heat transfer, electromagnetic, and multiphysics problems, including fluid-structure interaction and thermo-mechanical coupling | Adina R&D | Proprietary commercial software | ||||
Autodesk Simulation | Finite Element software of Autodesk | Autodesk | Proprietary commercial software | Windows | |||
ANSYS | US-based and -developed full CAE software package | Ansys Inc. | 2022 R2 | 2022-07-28 | Proprietary commercial software | Free student version available, up to 32,000 nodes/elements[9] | Windows, Linux |
COMSOL Multiphysics | COMSOL Multiphysics Finite Element Analysis Software (formerly FEMLAB) | COMSOL Inc. | 6.1 | 2022-11-01 | Proprietary EULA | Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, Web browser | |
CosmosWorks | Part of SolidWorks | Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. | Proprietary commercial software | Windows | |||
Quickfield | EM, Heat Transfer and Stress Analysis [10] | Tera Analysis Ltd | 6.4 [11] | 2020-04-17 | Proprietary EULA | Free Student Edition available[12] | Windows |
Pam Crash | Best used for explicit dynamics / crash analysis | ESI | 15.5.1 | 2020-03-05 | Proprietary commercial software | Linux, Windows | |
LS-DYNA | Best known for explicit dynamics / crash analysis | LSTC - Livermore Software Technology Corporation | R10.1 | 2020 | Proprietary commercial software | Linux, Windows | |
Mecway | Structural, heat transfer, electrostatic, acoustic | Mecway Limited | 20.0 | 2023-07 | Proprietary commercial software | Free edition available, up to 1000 nodes[13] | Windows |
Nastran | Originally developed for NASA, now available commercially from several software companies | MSC NASTRAN, Siemens PLM NX Nastran[14] | 2014 | 2014 | Proprietary EULA | Linux, Mac OS X, Windows | |
RFEM | 3D finite element analysis software | Dlubal Software | 6.04.0005 | 2023-10-30 | Proprietary commercial software | Free student license available[15] | Windows |
SimScale | German 100% web-based CAE platform | SimScale GmbH | 14 | 2013-07 | SaaS | Free community version available[16] | Web browser |
VisualFEA | Finite element software for structural, geotechnical, heat transfer and seepage analysis | Intuition Software | 5.11 | 2016-01 | Proprietary software | Free educational version available[17] | Mac OS X, Windows |
JCMsuite | Finite element software for the analysis of electromagnetic waves, elasticity and heat conduction | JCMwave GmbH | 5.4.3 | 2023-03-09 | Proprietary EULA | Linux, Windows | |
Radioss | Best known for explicit dynamics simulations | Altair Engineering | Proprietary commercial software; OpenRadioss: AGPL-3.0 | Open-source version (OpenRadioss) available | Linux, Windows | ||
JMAG | 2D and 3D finite element analysis software for electromagnetic field, thermal, structural | JSOL | 18.1 | 2019-06 | Proprietary commercial software | Education pack available | Linux, Windows, Web browser |
SDC Verifier | An extension for Ansys Mechanical, Femap and Simcenter with out of the box predefined standards on fatigue, stiffener and plate buckling, beam member checks, joint checks and weld. Such as AISC 360-10, API 2A RP, ISO 19902, Norsok N004, DIN15018, Eurocode 3, FEM 1.001, ABS 2004, ABS 2014, DNV RP-C201 2010, DNV CN30/1995, FKM etc. | SDC Verifier | 2021 R.2 | 2021-11 | Proprietary commercial software | Student version available | Windows |