Best Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) Software

Compare the Top Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) Software as of January 2026

What is Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) Software?

Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) software is used by engineers to analyze and simulate the performance, behavior, and characteristics of designs in a virtual environment. CAE software enables engineers to perform various types of analysis, including structural, thermal, fluid dynamics, and electromagnetics, helping to ensure that products are optimized for functionality, safety, and cost-effectiveness before physical prototypes are created. It includes tools for finite element analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), multibody dynamics (MBD), and optimization studies. CAE software is widely used in industries such as automotive, aerospace, energy, and manufacturing to improve product designs, reduce material usage, and shorten development cycles. Compare and read user reviews of the best Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) software currently available using the table below. This list is updated regularly.

  • 1
    SkyCiv Structural 3D

    SkyCiv Structural 3D

    SkyCiv Engineering

    SkyCiv Structural 3D is a cloud-based Structural Analysis software that allows users to model, analyze and design complex 3D structures. It is completely online; requiring no installation to use. SkyCiv Structural 3D offers the very best in online structural analysis. It includes the following: - Powerful Analysis: Linear, P-Delta, Cables, Buckling, Plates, Frequency, RS - Integrated Design checks for steel, wood, connections, foundations, wind (AISC, NSD, AISI, EN, AS, CSA, BS plus more...)
    Starting Price: $79/month/user
  • 2
    MATLAB

    MATLAB

    The MathWorks

    MATLAB® combines a desktop environment tuned for iterative analysis and design processes with a programming language that expresses matrix and array mathematics directly. It includes the Live Editor for creating scripts that combine code, output, and formatted text in an executable notebook. MATLAB toolboxes are professionally developed, rigorously tested, and fully documented. MATLAB apps let you see how different algorithms work with your data. Iterate until you’ve got the results you want, then automatically generate a MATLAB program to reproduce or automate your work. Scale your analyses to run on clusters, GPUs, and clouds with only minor code changes. There’s no need to rewrite your code or learn big data programming and out-of-memory techniques. Automatically convert MATLAB algorithms to C/C++, HDL, and CUDA code to run on your embedded processor or FPGA/ASIC. MATLAB works with Simulink to support Model-Based Design.
  • 3
    MicroStation

    MicroStation

    Bentley Systems

    MicroStation by Bentley Systems is the trusted computer-aided design (CAD) software built specifically for infrastructure design. It enables architects, engineers, and designers to create precise 2D and 3D drawings that bring complex projects to life—from bridges and highways to utilities and smart cities. With powerful tools for design, documentation, and visualization, MicroStation helps professionals deliver projects faster, more accurately, and with greater confidence. The software natively supports DGN, DWG, and point-cloud data, eliminating file conversion hassles and improving collaboration across teams. Its robust environment connects applications, data, and users to ensure seamless project delivery at any scale. MicroStation is the foundation of modern infrastructure design—reliable, interoperable, and built for professionals who build the world.
    Starting Price: $250 per month
  • 4
    Solid Edge

    Solid Edge

    Siemens

    Solid Edge is a portfolio of affordable, easy to deploy, maintain, and use software tools that advance all aspects of the product development process – mechanical and electrical design, simulation, manufacturing, technical documentation, data management, and cloud-based collaboration. Developed on Siemens industry leading technologies, Solid Edge provides the most innovative and comprehensive approach to product development for the mainstream market.
    Starting Price: $75/month/user
  • 5
    Creo Parametric
    Creo Parametric has the core 3D modeling software strengths you’d expect from the industry leader, along with breakthrough capabilities in additive manufacturing, model based definition (MBD) , generative design, augmented reality, and smart connected design. Streamlined workflows and an intuitive user interface complete the picture. PTC’s developers created Creo Parametric as a sound foundation software that allows users the ability to expand deeper functionality with each component. As your products become more complex in its engineering, Creo offers expanded capabilities to meet your requirements. Every product isn’t made equal and your 3D CAD solution shouldn’t be either. Creo Parametric provides the broadest range of powerful yet flexible CAD 3D modeling software capabilities to accelerate the design of parts and assemblies.
  • 6
    Autodesk Fusion 360
    Fusion 360 unifies design, engineering, electronics, and manufacturing into a single software platform. Get integrated CAD, CAM, CAE & PCB on a single development platform. Also includes EAGLE Premium, HSMWorks, Team Participant, and access to consumptive services, such as generative design, cloud simulation, and cloud rendering. Engineer products with a comprehensive set of modeling tools. Ensure form, fit, and function of your products with various analysis methods. Create and edit sketches with sketch constraints, dimensions, and a powerful suite of sketch tools. Edit or repair imported geometry from non-native file formats. Make design changes without worrying about time-based features. Create and edit complex parametric surfaces for repairing, patching or designing geometry. Create history-based features, including extrude, revolve, loft, sweep, etc., that update with design changes.
    Starting Price: $495 per year
  • 7
    HydroCAD

    HydroCAD

    HydroCAD Software Solutions

    HydroCAD Stormwater Modeling provides easy TR-20, TR-55, SBUH, and Rational hydrology, plus TC calculations, pond storage, outlet hydraulics, pump routing, underground storage, pollutant loading, and more. Special features include direct CAD import, dam breach routing, skimmers, tubes, siphons, local rainfall data import, and a constantly expanding chamber library. Interactive graphical environment is fast and intuitive, producing better results in less time on every project.
    Starting Price: $295.00
  • 8
    ClearCalcs

    ClearCalcs

    ClearCalcs

    ClearCalcs is a cloud structural engineering software that enables engineers and designers to streamline their repetitive calculations with easy-to-use calculators for beams, columns, foundations, and more. With calculators available for the US standards, Eurocode, Australian standards, New Zealand standards, and Canadian standards, ClearCalcs is a one-stop shop for improving your productivity and design capability. Calculations can be linked together with one click, saving on time and errors, copy-pasting loads, and reports print to a simple, one-page PDF for easy checking.
    Starting Price: $79.00 USD / month
  • 9
    PTC Mathcad
    Engineering calculations are at the heart of product design. They are essential to every step of the design process. To achieve excellence in engineering, teams need a comprehensive yet intuitive application that performs calculations with accuracy and precision, enables traceability, protects intellectual property, and shows their work. PTC Mathcad has all your engineering notebook’s ease-of-use and familiarity with live mathematical notation and units intelligence. Most importantly, the calculation capabilities produce far more accurate results than a spreadsheet can provide. Using PTC Mathcad’s rich array of mathematical functionality, you can document your most critical engineering calculations as easily as you can write them. Show your work using rich formatting options alongside plots, text, and images in a single, professionally formatted document. Nobody needs specialized skills to create or consume PTC Mathcad data.
    Starting Price: $230
  • 10
    Ansys Motor-CAD
    Ansys Motor-CAD is a dedicated electric machine design tool for fast multiphysics simulation across the full torque-speed operating range. Motor-CAD enables design engineers to evaluate motor topologies and concepts across the full operating range, to produce designs that are optimized for performance, efficiency and size. Motor-CAD software’s four integrated modules—EMag, Therm, Lab, Mech—enable multiphysics calculations to be performed quickly and iteratively, so users can get from concept to final design in less time. Fast calculations and streamlined data input processes leave time for Motor-CAD users to explore more motor topologies and fully assess the impact of advanced loss effects in the initial stages of an electromechanical design. The release includes powerful new features for design optimization, multi-physics analysis and system modelling for electric motors. Fast multiphysics simulation across a full torque-speed operating range.
  • 11
    CypNest

    CypNest

    Friendess

    CypNest is a nesting software designed for CypCut/HypCut sheet laser cutting system. It integrates advanced functions of drawing modification, quick nesting, toolpath generation, analysis report and more to meet your production needs.
  • 12
    ENCY

    ENCY

    ENCY Software

    ENCY is a CAD/CAM for a new generation that combines advanced CAM technology with an intuitive user interface and natural workflow. It supports multi-axis machining, G-code generation, and 2D and 3D CAD modeling, with applications in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing. Core Features: - Advanced Toolpath Calculation: Customized toolpaths maximize machine capabilities and safety - High-Resolution Simulation: Realistic solid and voxel simulations for material removal, collision checking, additive, and painting processes - Seamless integration with ENCY Tuner and ENCY Clouds Highlights: - Modern interface with a dark theme - Extensive technological capabilities - Powerful Multiaxis Milling, Mill-Turn and Swiss Turning - Additive and Hybrid manufacturing - Machine-Aware Technology: toolpath calculation considering the digital twin of the machine - Direct toolpath editing - State-of-the-art simulation - Postprocessor generator
  • 13
    Simpleware

    Simpleware

    Synopsys

    Unlock the power of Simpleware software to seamlessly process 3D & 4D image data from MRI, CT, and micro-CT. Dive into your data with advanced visualization, detailed analysis, and accurate quantification. Create precise models ready for design, simulation, and 3D printing workflows. The Simpleware W-2024.12 release advances Simpleware software's further adoption of AI-assisted segmentation tools and streamlined design features to accelerate all your 3D image processing and analysis workflows. Our industry-leading 3D image processing and model generation platform allows you to create products and workflows from 3D & 4D image data and integrate seamlessly with design and simulation tools. Intuitive interface with quick-and-easy access to all tools and features. Comprehensive analysis of even the most complex 3D image data. Generate design and simulation-ready models of the highest quality.
  • 14
    Creo

    Creo

    PTC

    Imagine, design, create, and innovate your products better with Creo, 3D CAD/CAM/CAE software, and solutions for product design and development. Now, more than ever, product design and manufacturing teams are expected to create products more efficiently and cost effectively, without sacrificing innovation or quality. Fortunately, Creo delivers the most scalable range of 3D CAD product development packages and tools in today’s market. Creo 7.0 has breakthrough innovations in the areas of generative design, real-time simulation, multibody design, additive manufacturing, and others! Take your products from concept to digital prototype efficiently, precisely, and intuitively with Creo—on the cutting edge of CAD for more than 30 years. With Creo 7.0, PTC amply demonstrates its skill at adding compelling new features to an already robust tool-set using smart partnerships to extend its capabilities even further.
  • 15
    HEEDS

    HEEDS

    Siemens

    HEEDS is a powerful design space exploration and optimization software package that interfaces with all commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools to drive product innovation. HEEDS accelerates the product development process by automating analysis workflows (Process Automation), maximizing the available computational hardware and software resources (Distributed Execution), and efficiently exploring the design space for innovative solutions (Efficient Search), while assessing the new concepts to ensure performance requirements are met (Insight & Discovery). HEEDS enables automated workflows for the ease of driving product development processes. With an extensive list of developed interfaces to commercial CAD and CAE tools, HEEDS quickly and easily integrates many technologies without the need for custom scripting. The data is automatically shared between different modeling and simulation products to evaluate performance trade-offs.
  • 16
    Ansys Gateway powered by AWS
    Ansys Gateway powered by AWS is the solution for developers, designers, and engineers who want to manage their complete Ansys Simulation & CAD/CAE developments in the cloud. Access cloud computing resources from anywhere on virtually any device via your web browser. You can create, customize, and connect cloud applications with minimal technical skills. Simply install your 3rd party applications alongside Ansys applications. Accelerate innovation by removing on-premises hardware barrier for High Performance Computing (HPC) using the power of AWS cloud. Leverage Ansys expertise in configuration and deployment of Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI) and High Performance Computing (HPC). Manage & control your CAD/CAE cloud consumption and costs directly within your AWS subscription.
  • 17
    Bechtle PLM

    Bechtle PLM

    Bechtle PLM

    Bechtle PLM is a comprehensive product-lifecycle-management solution and service concept that helps businesses accelerate their time-to-market by strengthening the network of individual business segments and optimizing how they work together. It goes beyond core PLM components of design, production, and replacement parts management by offering a holistic approach that considers the entire IT landscape, including hardware, infrastructure, software, business applications such as BI, CRM, ERP, CAD, PDM, CAM, DMS/ECM, and AI, to create an integrated, turnkey PLM environment. The solution supports all lifecycle phases from beginning-of­-life (product and design development), through middle-of­-life (supplier collaboration, warranty, and product information management), to end-of­-life (recycling, disposal, remarketing) and enables parallel development stages, improved information quality, reduced reliance on physical prototypes, and faster response times.
  • 18
    nTop Platform

    nTop Platform

    nTopology

    Engineering software built for digital manufacturing The way we build parts has changed. Your engineering software needs to change too. A unifying technique for design, simulation, and manufacturing data. The nTop Platform approach removes geometry bottlenecks in design by achieving more efficient workflows, dramatically improving team collaboration with faster iteration, enabling smarter, more complex designs to meet performance demands. By utilizing nTop Platform’s breakthrough computational modeling techniques, design teams can process and evaluate more design concepts than ever before. Find the most optimal solution in a shorter amount of time. At nTopology we know that your engineering know-how is the most valuable asset in your organization. nTop Platform makes that know-how accessible, shareable and, most importantly, secure across your entire organization.
  • 19
    Inventor Nastran
    CAD-embedded finite element analysis software. Use a wider variety of study types and materials in your analysis. Inventor® Nastran® delivers finite element analysis (FEA) tools for engineers and analysts. Simulation covers multiple analysis types, such as linear and nonlinear stress, dynamics, and heat transfer. Inventor Nastran is available only in the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection. The Product Design & Manufacturing Collection delivers tools that work right inside Inventor—including advanced simulation, 5-axis CAM, and nesting, plus AutoCAD and Fusion 360.
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