List of finite element software packages

This is a list of software packages that implement the finite element method for solving partial differential equations.
 Software Features Developer Version Released License Price Platform
Multiplatform open source application for the solution of physical University of 2014-03- Linux,
Agros2D 3.2 GNU GPL Free
problems based on the Hermes library West Bohemia 03 Windows
Proprietary Free educational
Powerful but easy to use FEM software for structural engineering Cuylaerts Linux,
Analysis3D [1] 2.05 2018 commercial version available
of 2D and 3D frames and trusses Engineering Windows
software [2]
It is an Open Source FEA project. The solver uses a partially
Guido Dhondt, 2017-10- Linux,
CalculiX compatible ABAQUS file format. The pre/post-processor 2.13 GNU GPL Free
Klaus Wittig 08 Windows
generates input data for many FEA and CFD applications

2017-08- Linux,
Code_Aster Open source software for structural mechanics EDF 14.0 GNU GPL Free
29 Windows[1]
DIANA FEA
General purpose finite element package utilised by civil, structural 2016-11- Windows,
DIANA FEA BV, The 10.1 Commercial Paid
and geotechnical engineers. 14 Linux
Netherlands
Wolfgang
Bangerth, Timo Linux,
Comprehensive set of tools for finite element codes, scaling from Heister, Guido 2018-05- Unix, Mac
deal.II 9.0 LGPL Free
laptops to clusters with 10,000+ cores. Written in C++. Kanschat, 12 OS X,
Matthias Maier Windows
et al.
GPL
DUNE Version 2 Linux,
2016-02-
DUNE Distributed and Unified Numerics Environment, written in C++ Developer 2.4.1 with Run- Free Unix, Mac
29
team Time OS X
Exception
Open source multiphysical simulation software developed by Linux, Mac
2016-03-
Elmer Finnish Ministry of Education's CSC, written primarily in Fortran CSC 8.2 GPL Free OS X,
15
(written in Fortran90, C and C++) Windows
University of
Utah (MRL), Linux, Mac
April,
FEBio Finite Elements for Biomechanics Columbia 2.7 Custom Free OS X,
2018
University Windows
(MBL)
LGPL
Linux,
Software package developed by American and European (Core) &
2015-07- Unix, Mac
FEniCS Project researchers with the goal to enable automated solution of FEniCS Team 1.6.0 GPL/LGPL Free
29 OS X,
differential equations (Non-
Windows
Core)[2]
Free for personal
Windows,
FEATool Precise 2018-05- Proprietary use, up to 2,000
Matlab and GNU Octave FEM PDE simulation toolbox 1.8 Mac OS X,
Multiphysics Simulation 17 EULA nodes/6,000
Linux, Unix
unknowns[3]
Proprietary
Siemens PLM 2016-09-
Femap Finite element pre- and post-processor 11.4.0 commercial Windows
Software 16
software
Université
Pierre et Marie Linux, Mac
Software written in C++ for rapid testing and finite element
Curie and 2016-03- OS X,
FreeFem++ simulations. The problem is defined in terms of its variational 3.45 GPL Free
Laboratoire 11 Windows,
formulation
Jacques-Louis Solaris
Lions
Linux, Mac
Open-Source Large-Scale ParallelFinite element method FrontISTR 2018-02- MIT
FrontISTR 5.0a Free OS X,
program for nonlinear structural analysis. Commons 01 License
Windows
GiD is a universal, adaptive and user-friendly pre+post processor
for numerical simulations in science and engineering. 550€ for
Windows,
CIMNE – UPC / Proprietary academical /
GiD It can work with Kratos Multiphysics, Calculix, OpenFOAM, and 13 Linux, Mac
BarcelonaTech EULA 1600€ for
OS X
many other (commercial and open source) solvers. commercial use

A generic finite element library written inC++ with interfaces for Unix, Mac
Yves Renard,
GetFEM++ Python, Matlab and Scilab. It focuses on modeling of contact 5.0 2015-07 LGPL Free OS X,
Julien Pommier
mechanics and discontinuities (e.g. cracks). Windows
Linux,
Hermes Modular C/C++ library for rapid development of space- and 2014-03- Unix, Mac
hp-FEM group 3.0 LGPL Free
Project space-time adaptive hp-FEM solvers 01 OS X,
Windows

HiFlow3 is a multi-purpose finite element software providing

powerful tools for efficient and accurate solution of a wide range Linux,
of problems modeled by partial differential equations (PDEs).
HiFlow3 HiFlow3 Team 1.5 2015 LGPL Free Unix, Mac
Based on object-oriented concepts and the full capabilities of C++ OS X
the HiFlow³ project follows a modular and generic approach for
building efficient parallel numerical solvers.
The JuliaFEM software library is a framework that allows for the Linux,
distributed processing of large Finite Element Models across JuliaFEM Unix, Mac
JuliaFEM 0.3.3 2015-05 MIT Free
clusters of computers using simple programming models. contributors OS X,
JuliaFEM is written using Julia programming language. Windows
Linux, Mac
11.3.0 OS X,
Wolfram Windows,
Mathematica[4] General purpose computation software. (March 8, Regularly Proprietary
Research Raspbian,
2018) [±][5]
Online
service.
MFEM MFEM is a free, lightweight, scalable C++ library forfinite element MFEM team 3.4 2018-05- LGPL-2.1 Free Linux,
methods that features arbitrary high-order finite element meshes 29 with static Unix, Mac
and spaces, support for a wide variety of discretizations, and linking OS X,
emphasis on usability, generality, and high-performance exception Windows
computing efficiency.
MoFEM University of 2017-11- Unix, Mac
Mesh Oriented hp-FE code, written in C++ 0.6.8 LGPL Free
JosePH Glasgow 16 OS X
2016-02- GPL Unix,
OOFEM Object Oriented Finite EleMent solver, written in C++ Bořek Patzák 2.4 Free
15 Version 2 Windows
Unix,
Non
OpenSees Open System for Earthquake Engineering Simulation Free Linux,
Commercial
Windows
Range 2018-04- Linux,
Multiphysics Finite Element Analysis Software Tomáš Šoltys 3.0 GPL Free
Software 30 Windows
Freeware finite element package; The present version Z88Aurora
V3 offers, in addition to static strength analysis modules such as Z88 V14, Linux,
Z88/Z88Aurora non-linear strength calculations (large displacements), Frank Rieg Z88Aurora 2015-03 Custom Free Windows,
simulations with non-linear materials, natural frequency and static V3 Mac OS X
thermal analysis.
Proprietary
Advanced Franco-USA software fromSIMULIA, owned by Linux,
Abaqus Abaqus Inc. 6.14-AP 2014-11 commercial
Dassault Systemes Windows
software
Web
CONSELF CAE simulation from your browser CONSELF SRL 2.9 2015-10 SaaS Freemium
browser
Linux,
FreeCAD FreeCAD is a parametric 3D modeler with add-on FEM module 0.16.670 2016-07 LGPL Windows,
Mac OS X
Finite element pre- and post-processor. Proprietary Linux, Mac
HyperMesh (Hypermesh is a product within the HyperWorks suite) Altair commercial OS X,
software Windows

Finite element software for structural, fluid, heat transfer

, Proprietary
ADINA electromagnetic, and multiphysics problems, including fluid- Developer commercial
structure interaction and thermo-mechanical coupling software
Proprietary
Advance BIM software for FEM structural analysis, including international
GRAITEC 2014 2013-09 commercial
Design design eurocodes
software
Proprietary
Autodesk
Finite Element software of Autodesk Autodesk commercial Windows
Simulation
software
Free student
Proprietary
2017-08- version available, Windows,
ANSYS US-based and -developed full CAE software package Ansys Inc. 18.2 commercial
21 up to 32,000 Linux
software
nodes/elements[6]
KEYCREATOR KEYCREATOR Analysis Multiphysics Finite Element Analysis KEYCREATOR 2017-04- KUBOTEK
5.3 Windows
Analysis FEMLAB Inc. 25 EULA
Linux, Mac
OS X,
COMSOL COMSOL Multiphysics Finite Element Analysis Software 2017-04- Proprietary
COMSOL Inc. 5.3 Windows,
Multiphysics (formerly FEMLAB) 25 EULA
Web
browser
Dassault
Proprietary
Systèmes
CosmosWorks Part of SolidWorks commercial Windows
SolidWorks
software
Corp.
Tor 2015-12- Proprietary
Quickfield 6.1 Windows
Cooperative 22 EULA
LSTC -
Livermore Proprietary
Linux,
LS-DYNA Best known for explicit dynamics / crash analysis Software R8.0 2015-03 commercial
Windows
Technology software
Corporation
Free demo
Inexpensive, comprehensive, user friendly FEA package with a Proprietary version up to
2017-11-
Mecway focus on mechanical and thermal simulation;CalculiX Mecway Ltd. 8.0 commercial 1,000 nodes; Windows
02
interoperability software license: $350 US
(one user)
MSC
Linux, Mac
Originally developed forNASA, now available commercially from NASTRAN, Proprietary
Nastran 2014 2014 OS X,
several software companies Siemens PLM EULA
Windows
NX Nastran[7]

Proprietary Free student

Dlubal
RFEM 3D finite element analysis software 5.06 2016-02 commercial license Windows
Software
software available[8]
Free community
SimScale Web
SimScale German 100% web-based CAE platform 14 2013-07 SaaS version
GmbH browser
available[9]
Free educational
Finite element software for structural, geotechnical, heat transfer Intuition Proprietary Mac OS X,
VisualFEA 5.11 2016-01 version
and seepage analysis Software software Windows
available[10]
Finite element software for the analysis of electromagnetic JCMwave 2017-01- Proprietary Linux,
JCMsuite 3.6.1
waves, elasticity and heat conduction GmbH 27 EULA Windows
SaaS for Free plan Web
CAEplex A really easy web-interface for FEA Seamplex N/A 2017-02 GNU GPL
available[11] browser
Back-end
Linux,
Proprietary
2D and 3D finite element analysis software for electromagnetic Windows,
JMAG JSOL 17.1 2018-06 commercial
field, thermal, structural Web
software
browser
Feature comparison
This is a wiki table generated by FEA-compare project. Please, contribute changes directly to the project instead of editing the table below. The project also provides an HTML version with the first row
and Feature column being fixed for ease of table exploration.
 Feature Code_Aster Deal II Elmerfem FEATool Multiphysics FEniCS Firedrake GetFEM++
http://www.code-
website: http://www.dealii.org https://www.csc.fi/elmer https://www.featool.com/ http://fenicsproject.org/ http://firedrakeproject.org/ http://getfem.org/
aster.org

license: GPL LGPL GNU (L)GPL Proprietary GNU GPL\LGPL GNU LGPL LGPL

Yes (Salome- Yes, partial

GUI: No Matlab and Octave GUI Postprocessing only No No
Meca) functionality
discussion 1000's of users,
Mailing list and IRC
Community: forum, Bitbucket Google Group discussion forum, Mailing list Mailing list Mailing list
channel
forge mailing list
user manual,
theory manual,
verification
manual,
ElmerSolver Manual, Online FEATool
developer
50+ tutorials, 50+ Elmer Models Manual, documentation, ~600 Tutorial, demos (how User doc, tutorials,
manual (more Manual, demos, API
Documentation: video lectures, ElmerGUI Tutorials, pages, ~20 step-by-step many?), 700-page demos, developer's
than 25000 reference
Doxygen etc. (>700 pages of tutorials, and 85 m- book guide
pages both in
LaTeX documentation) script model examples
French and
English with
machine
translation)
Mesh
segments (1d),
triangles, intervals (1d), triangles, intervals, triangles,
intervals, triangles, intervals, triangles,
quadrilaterals intervals (1d), quadrilaterals (2d), intervals, triangles, tetrahedra, quads,
tetrahedra (quads, tetrahedra, quads, plus
mesh elements: (2d), tetrahedra, quads (2d), and tetrahedra, pyramids, tetrahedra, quads, hexes, prisms, some
hexes - work in extruded meshes of
pyramids, hexes (3d) only wedges, hexahedra hexes 4D elements, easily
progress) hexes and wedges
wedges, (3d) extensible.
hexahedra (3d)

mesh high- Yes, for Lagrange (Any - work in (Any - using appropriate
Quadratic any order
order mapping: elements progress) branches)

Limited own meshing

capabilities with Yes, Constructive
Experimental in any
ElmerGrid and Integrated DistMesh, Solid Geometry (CSG) External + predefined
mesh Yes (Salome- external+predefined dimension +
netgen/tetgen APIs. Gmsh, and Triangle GUI supported via mshr shapes. Internal mesh
generation: Meca) shapes predefined shapes +
Internal extrusion and and CLI interfaces (CGAL and Tetgen extrusion operation.
Extrusion.
mesh multiplication on used as backends)
parallel level.

mesh adaptive- h, p, and hp for CG h-refinement for

h-refinement Only h Only h
refinement: and DG selected equations

OpenFOAM, FEniCS
mesh unv, gmsh, XDMF (and FEniCS
XML, GiD, Gmsh, GMV, gmsh, GiD, Ansys
input\output: MED, aster XML)
Triangle

limited features
(double nodes, intersections (collision
mesh check: ?
degenerated testing)
elements)

IGES, STEP (with Limited support via

CAD files Yes (Salome-
OpenCascade OpenCASCADE in No
support: Meca)
wrapper) ElmerGUI

Yes (Salome- Merge, join, extrude, Extrude, rotate,

mesh operation:
Meca) and revolve operations translation, refine

Parallel possibilities
Yes for parallel yes, shared
partitioning with
automatic mesh calculations (METIS/Parmetis) Yes (ParMETIS and
ElmerGrid using Metis Yes Yes (METIS)
partitioning: (PTScotch, and distributed SCOTCH)
or geometric division
ParMetis) (p4est)

Yes (up to 147k

processes), test for
Yes, demonstrated Yes, Scaling plot for
4k processes and Yes, DOLFIN solver
MPI: Yes scalability up to 1000's Firedrake out to 24k Yes
geometric multigrid scales up to 24k
of cores cores.
for 147k, strong and
weak scaling

threadsafe, limited
Threading Build
threads: Yes threading, work in
Blocks
progress
Yes (vectorization
OpenMP: Yes Yes, partially Limited Yes
only)

OpenCL: No No No No

CUDA: No work in progress No No

Solver
 Any, possibility to
0D/1D/2D/3D
1D/2D/3D (dimensions mix and couple
Dimension: (dimensions 1/2/3D 1/2/3D 1/2/3D 1/2/3D
may coexist) problem of different
may coexist)
dimension

Lagrange elements
Continuous and
of any order,
Lagrange discontinuous
continuous and
elements Lagrange, BDM, RT, Lagrange, Hermite,
discontinuous; Lagrange elements, p- Lagrange, BDM, RT,
(isoparametric), Nedelic, Crouzeix- Argyris, Morley,
Nedelec and elements up to 10th Lagrange (1st-5th Nedelec, all simplex
mixed elements, Raviart, all simplex Nedelec, Raviart-
FE: Raviart-Thomas order, Hcurl conforming order), Crouzeix- elements and Q- quad
structural elements in the Thomas, composite
elements of any elements (linear and Raviart, Hermite elements in the Periodic
mechanics Periodic Table elements (HCT,
order; BDM and quadratic) for Table, any
elements (beam, (femtable.org), any FVS), Hierarchical
Bernstein; elements
plate) elements, Xfem,
composed of other
easily extensible.
elements.

Gauss-Legendre,
Gauss-Lobatto,
midpoint,
trapezoidal,
Simpson, Milne and
depending on
Weddle (closed
the type of
Newton-Cotes for 4
Quadrature: element (Gauss,
and 7 order
Newton-Cotes,
polinomials), Gauss
etc)
quadrature with
logarithmic or 1/R
weighting function,
Telles quadrature of
arbitrary order.
Any user
implemented and/or
from a set of
predifined. Explicit
methods: forward
Euler, 3rd and 4th
order Runge-Kutta.
Implicit methods:
Transient BE, CN, and Fractional-
Yes backward Euler,
problems: Step-Theta schemes
implicit Midpoint,
Crank-Nicolson,
SDIRK. Embedded
explicit methods:
Heun-Euler,
Bogacki-Shampine,
Dopri, Fehlberg,
Cash-Karp.

Incompressible Navier-
Stokes, Heat transfer,
convection-diffusion-
reaction, linear
Yes (mechanics,
Predifined Around 40 predefined elasticity,
thermics, Laplace?
equations: solvers electromagnetics,
acoustics)
Darcy's, Brinkman
equations, and support
for custom PDE
equations

Automated
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
assembly:
External or with the
External (export to ElmerPost, VTK widget Scilab/Matlab/Python
Paraview Built-in with optional Buil-in simple plotting
Visualization: *.vtk and many (but Paraview is External interface. Possibility
(Salome-Meca) Plotly and GMV export + External
others) recommended) to perform complex
slices.
*.dx *.ucd *.gnuplot
*.povray *.eps
*.gmv *.tecplot Several output formats VTK(.pvd, .vtu) and
Output format: MED, ASCII GMV and Plotly VTK(.pvd, .vtu) vtk, gmsh, OpenDX.
*.tecplot_binary (VTU, gmsh,...) XDMF/HDF5
*.vtk *.vtu *.svg
*.hdf5
Yes for Soil- Existing but without
Boundary
Structure multipole acceleration
elements Yes No No No
Interaction (not usable for large
solver:
(Miss3D) problems)
Yes, autorefined Yes including
Continuity of non-
from same initial different dimensions
Use multiple conforming interfaces Yes, including non-
Yes mesh for each Yes and taking account
meshes: ensured by mortar matching meshes
variable of a of any
finite elements
coupled problem transformation.
Linear algebra

Matlab/Octave built-in
BLAS/LAPACK,
Built-in, Hypre, Trilinos, (Umfpack), supports
MUMPS (and Built-in + Trilinos, PETSc, SuperLU, MUMPS,
Used libs: umfpack, MUMPS, integration with the PETSc
SCALAPACK), PETSc, and SLEPc Trilinos/TPetra, Eigen. Built-in.
Pardiso, etc. (optional) FEniCS and
PETSc
OpenFOAM solvers

Iterative matrix GMRES, CG, All Krylov (CG, Built-in Krylov solvers, Matlab/Octave built-in All Krylov
solvers: GCR, CR, Minres, GMRES, Krylov and multigrid
 FGMRES (via BiCGStab, QMRS) solvers from external
PETSc) libraries
Many, including
ILU, Jacobi,
algebraic multigrid Built-in preconditioners
Simple Precision Basic ones (ILU,
Preconditioners: (via Hypre and ML) (ILU, diagonal, vanka, Matlab/Octave built-in
Preconditioner ILUT)
and geometric block) and
(via MUMPS)
multigrid
Matrix-free
Experimental
matrix-free: No Yes Yes No
implementation
matrix-free save
No Yes No
memory:
matrix-free
No Yes No
speed-up:
Used language
Native Fortran 90, Fortran (2003 Python (and generated
C++ Matlab / Octave C++ C++
language: Python standard) C)
Bindings to Python, Scilab or
Python No Python
language: Matlab
Other
linear
quasistatics,
linear thermics,
non-linear
Model bricks:
quasistatics,
Laplace, linear and
non-linear
nonlinear elasticity,
dynamics, eigen
Predefined Helmholtz, plasticity,
problem for
equations: Mindlin and K.L.
mechanics,
plates, boundary
linear dynamics
conditions including
on physical
contact with friction.
basis and modal
basis, harmonic
analysis,
spectral analysis
thermo-hydro-
mechanical
problem for
porous media,
coupling with
Coupled
Code_Saturne
nonlinear Yes
CFD software
problems:
for Fluid-
Structure
Interaction via
SALOME
platform
Windows, Linux
Linux, Windows (launchpad:
Yes for Salome- Linux No. Automated installers Linux
Binary: (work in progress), Debian/Ubuntu), Mac Windows, Linux, Mac
Meca (Linux) (Debian\Ubuntu), Mac for Linux and Mac (Debian/Ubuntu)
Mac (homebrew) (all with
MPI)
Analyse des
Structures et
Thermo-
Elmer finite element
fullname: mécanique pour
software
des Études et
des Recherches
(ASTER)
More than 3500
verification
testcases More than 400
covering all consistency tests
Testing: 3500+ tests
features and ensuring backward
providing easy compatibility
starting points
for beginners
Symbolic
derivation of the
tangent system Yes
for nonlinear
problems:
Support for
fictitious domain Yes
methods:
Wilkinson Prize: 2007 2015 for dolfin-adjoint
Fully scriptable in as m-
file Matlab scripts and
scripting: the GUI supports
exporting models in
script format
Arbitrary multiphysics
multiphysics:
couplings are supported

Optimization
Solvers:
References
1. "Code_Aster Windows porting"(https://code-aster-windows.com/).
2. "FEniCS Project" (https://fenicsproject.org/). Retrieved 2017-06-21.
3. "FEATool Multiphysics - Product Information"(https://www.featool.com/get-featool/).
https://www.featool.com. Retrieved 2018-06-12. External link in |website= (help)
4. Mathematica Documentation(http://reference.wolfram.com/language/FEMDocumenta
tion/guide/FiniteElementMethodGuide.html)
5. "Mathematica Quick Revision History"(http://www.wolfram.com/mathematica/quick-re
vision-history.html). Retrieved 2018-03-08.
6. "Student Products - Free Simulation Software"(http://www.ansys.com/Products/Acad
emic/ANSYS-Student). Ansys.com. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
7. "NX Nastran: Siemens PLM Software"(https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_
us/products/simcenter/nastran/). Plm.automation.siemens.com. Retrieved
2017-05-28.
8. "Free Student License | Dlubal Software"(https://www.dlubal.com/en/education/stude
nts/free-structural-analysis-software-for-students)
. Dlubal.com. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
9. "Plans & Pricing - SimScale Simulation Platform"(https://www.simscale.com/product/
pricing). Simscale.com. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
10. "Browsing VisualFEA (Finite Element Analysis) by Title" (https://ecommons.cornell.ed
u/handle/1813/43749/browse?type=title). Ecommons.cornell.edu. 2016-03-01.
Retrieved 2017-05-28.
11. "CAEplex Plans & Pricing"(https://www.caeplex.com/pricing.php). caeplex.com.
Retrieved 2017-06-19.

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