Learn More About Simulation & CAE Software
What is Simulation & CAE Software?
Simulation and computer-aided engineering (CAE) software allows engineers, analysts, and designers to perform finite element analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), multibody dynamics (MDB), and optimization. Simulation software can also be referred to as CAE simulation software due to its association with CAE analysis and its application. Simulation software can create models based on mathematical data and place them in a predefined system. By analyzing these models, engineers study the relationship between model and system and the interactions that happen in a controlled environment. This helps predict performance, defects, and judge the potential product lifespan. CAE software reliability, vendor support, and critical design validation are the three factors buyers weight most heavily when simulation results feed directly into production decisions. Based on G2 reviews, engineering teams evaluate CAE simulation software by comparing solver accuracy against physical test data, the responsiveness of vendor support during setup and troubleshooting, and how early in the design cycle the platform lets them validate concepts before committing to prototypes.
What Does Simulation & CAE Software Stand For?
CAE stands for computer-aided engineering. The term computer-aided engineering is used as a technical term for simulation while the term simulation is what is often heard in the market when users refer to engineering simulation.
What are the Common Features of Simulation & CAE Software?
The following are some core features within simulation software:
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Computational fluid dynamics (CFD): One of the main forms of engineering analysis that CAE software performs is CFD. CFD is a way to model the behavior of both fluids and gases. This includes modeling the way they interact with one another as well as surfaces that they come in contact with. This feature can solve problems such as identifying incompressible and compressible fluids, laminar and turbulent flows, as well as multiphase flow problems.
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Finite element analysis (FEA): FEA is a numerical method used to solve engineering problems. This process is used to break down one large problem into a handful of smaller ones, called finite elements. Using this method, engineers can break down complex engineering problems into manageable pieces. One of the main ways engineers use FEA is to make model representations in which they can test how objects interact with one another, which provides an understanding of how an actual object would be affected by other physical forces. Examples are bridge modeling, car crash testing, and testing the structural integrity of any given object.
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Mechanical event simulation: Mechanical event simulation enables engineers to simulate how objects will react to certain events in real life. A good example of this is a simulation of how a mobile phone will interact with a cement floor in the event that it is accidentally dropped. Within the simulation, the software can indicate if the phone screen will crack or if any other permanent issues will be caused. The software can then suggest changes to be made to the phone to make it more durable and protected in the event of a dropped phone; when considering these changes, users can test the simulation until the product is adjusted to their liking.
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Electromagnetic simulation: Electromagnetic simulation allows users to simulate the electromagnetic properties of components or systems. This allows engineers in industries such as electronics and communications to determine how effective their component design is.
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Thermal simulation: Thermal simulation allows users to simulate how the physical properties of materials change with changes in temperature. Thermal simulation can be used to simulate areas such as electronics cooling, automotive thermal management, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, and other applications where users need to simulate the effect of thermal loads.
Other Features of Simulation & CAE Software: Structural Simulation
What are the Benefits of Simulation & CAE Software?
Speeds up design time: Simulation software speeds up the time it takes engineers to prototype and test how objects will perform in the real world. This allows product engineers to improve design performance well before a product is manufactured. A major example of this is how airplane engineers manufacture an airplane that can withhold the stress of landing on a runway. Within this process, there are so many variables to take into account, including the material, size, and speed of the airplane. Given the perspective of how many factors go into the safety and performance design of an airplane, one would think it would take countless days of manipulating the design to create a reliable product. However, CAE allows engineers to speed up this process by running simulations of plane landings and detailing exact ways in which the engineer can improve the design.
Saves money: Simulation software is all virtual and done on the computer, hence the name “computer-aided engineering”. Since these simulations are all conducted virtually, it allows companies to save plenty of money by not having to manufacture countless designs before getting the final product correct. For example, car engineers can simulate how a car crash would occur before they even have to conduct the final experiment. This way, before car crash testing occurs, engineering teams already have a good sense of how the test will go. The result is having to spend less money on testing and trashing actual physical prototypes.
Improves testing: When prototypes finally come down to physical testing, simulation software can help analyze what’s occurring during the test and identify any key faults that occurred. For example, if a car was tested for impact and the body of the car wasn’t strong enough to withstand a crash, simulation software can identify exactly what went wrong and suggest what needs to be changed.
Who uses Simulation & CAE Software?
Simulation and CAE software is used across a variety of industries in the manufacturing and engineering world. Its main functions include simulation, validation, and optimization of products, which can be broadly applied to any business trying to test and improve a manufactured product. With this in mind, here are a couple of industries that use simulation software.
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Automotive industry: Historically, automakers spent plenty of time producing physical vehicle models and then testing them for safety by actually crashing them into physical barriers. With advancements in simulation software, however, design and safety testing is all done using computer simulations. Within the virtual simulation, a car can be tested to improve safety, comfort, and vehicle durability. This has saved the automotive industry both time and money by eliminating the need to produce countless physical prototypes.
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Manufacturers: Simulation and CAE software can produce simulations of manufacturing assembly lines. This helps manufacturers identify any inefficiencies or issues before they begin construction on expensive production assemblies. By identifying these issues, they can save money and increase the efficiency of their manufacturing systems.
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Electronic engineers: Industries that work with developing electronic products can greatly benefit from using simulation software. Some simulation tools offer physics-based electronics design that provides fast and accurate life predictions for electronic hardware at the component, board, and system levels in early-stage design. This can be extremely beneficial to product development.
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Education: Simulation and CAE software is also used by educators to teach engineering students. For learning or teaching simulation, several vendors even offer academic or student editions of their software packages, usually at a reduced cost.
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CAD software: Computer-aided design (CAD) software allows users to design 3D models of physical objects. Before using simulation software, engineers often create a 3D design of whatever they’d like to conduct a simulation on. This can be a building, a mechanical assembly, an engineering plant, etc. Once the design is done, users then upload the product to a simulation software where they can then simulate how the product would react to real-life forces. Some simulation software have robust 3D design capabilities built in, while others are more elementary and are best complemented by a more robust 3D CAD software.
Challenges with Simulation & CAE Software
As a technically involved software, simulation and CAE software can come with a few major challenges. Some of the most common challenges include:
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CAD/CAE integration: CAD files are completely different from CAE files. With this in mind, it’s very difficult to produce a model in CAD software, and hope that it will be suited for FEA within CAE software. However, there are software offerings that allow design and analysis to be tested within an integrated CAD/CAE environment, so to avoid this potential issue, it may be best to find a CAD solution that also offers CAE capabilities.
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Learning curve: CAE software comes with a steep learning curve. While there are more products and resources that can help beginners, it will still take a significant amount of time to master all the nuances of the software.
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Price: Another major concern for small businesses is the high price of CAE software. Some commercial CAE software can range anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 per person, which is a hefty price tag for a single user in a company.
Which companies should buy Simulation & CAE Software?
Simulation and CAE software has applications that span multiple industries as well as multiple company types.
Structural engineering and automotive engineering companies: Whether a company engineers planes, cars, or buildings, simulation software can solve a lot of use cases for structural engineering teams. With plenty of tools for stress and impact analysis, users can simulate how their structures or products will react to real-world environmental effects.
Manufacturing and industrial equipment companies: It’s critical to test industrial equipment for strength, speed, safety, reliability, and endurance under different operating conditions. Simulation and CAE software can optimize the industrial equipment design early in the design cycle. This ensures the production of high-performance machinery with a shorter time-to-market and lower costs for physical testing. Some of the tools used within typical CAE software include mounting, clamping, adjusting, rotating and other elements.
How to Buy Simulation & CAE Software
Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for Simulation & CAE Software
Requirements gathering for simulation and CAE software is critical to ensure that the business is implementing a product that meets all of their needs. To do so, businesses must evaluate their critical needs.
Compare Simulation & CAE Software Products
Create a long list
Long lists are created by eliminating software options that do not provide critical functionality. To make a long list for simulation software, a buyer should look at the following functionalities and deem which products provide the necessary functionality:
- Finite element analysis
- Computational fluid dynamics
- Thermal simulation
- Continuous event modeling
- Mechanical event simulation
- Manufacturing process simulation
- 3D design and modeling
- Drawing tools
Create a short list
Once a buyer has narrowed down their list from the following functionality above, it’s then important to get even more specific requirements. A buyer may be looking for simulation software that allows for a wide range of CAD integrations, or some buyers may be looking for solutions that specialize specifically in multibody dynamics or electronics simulation. Additionally, CAE is not easy to learn so it may be important to narrow it down to vendors that have great implementation support or additional resources to help learn how to use the simulation software.
Conduct demos
Demos are one of the most important stages in the buying journey. This allows a buyer to sit through an actual product demo and see if the product matches all of the requirements. To make sure the demo runs smoothly, users must ensure that the vendor has all of the requirements beforehand so they can showcase their features properly. Some of the use cases that a business should ask the vendor to showcase are:
Specific simulation features: Before getting into the demo, a potential buyer needs to hone in on what simulation features are the most important to them. If a buyer is looking for thermal, fluids, or structural simulation then the buyers should make sure that the vendor showcases those specific features.
Workflows: Another important feature to showcase is workflow functionality. How does the solution offer better workflow management for CAE projects? Can users share projects easily, are there simple functions for content management?
Selection of Simulation & CAE Software
Choose a selection team
Simulation and CAE software is going to most often be used by engineers as well as managers who oversee these teams of engineers. As such, a few senior engineers and relevant managers need to be involved in the decision-making process. At a minimum, the selection team should be at least three senior engineers and two members from management. Since simulation software is costly, this will ensure that enough eyes are on the project to make sure the best decision is made.
Negotiation
When negotiating during the purchasing stage, it is advisable to always start small in terms of licenses and functionality. Licenses will always be the biggest cost within any purchase, and oftentimes, companies purchase additional licenses or features in a product that they don’t necessarily need. During this negotiation, vendors will try to convince buyers that they can offer discounts on more functionality or licenses if they buy in bulk, but most businesses don’t need this. If businesses end up needing a few more licenses down the road, they can always add as needed.
In addition to this, the selection team should always strive to have implementation and ongoing support fees included in the cost. As stated previously, simulation software is not easy to learn. Before purchasing, buyers must ensure that the vendor offers regular training or even online training options to help new users onboard quickly. This way, if any ongoing support is needed, businesses can always contact their customer success or support representative.
Final decision
After the negotiation stage is conducted, the final decision requires buy-in from everyone on the selection team. It’s important to ensure that all requirements are met and the final decision is supported by everyone involved.
What Does Simulation & CAE Software Cost?
There are a variety of factors that will play into both the upfront and ongoing cost of simulation software. For upfront costs, a business will pay for setup, any custom integrations, and training. The ongoing cost is the subscription cost to actually use the software. Many simulation software options are usually run on a subscription model which means users will pay a monthly or yearly rate to use the software. The subscription model is generally set up as a per-user model and will ultimately be the biggest cost. As stated previously, to limit the upfront cost, it’s important to pay for a limited number of licenses right away as buyers still need to figure out if the software will ultimately be the best choice for their company. In terms of hard numbers, there is simulation software for as little as $30 per user on a monthly basis, whereas some go up to $100 per user per month.
Return on Investment (ROI)
Below is the breakdown of the estimated time to ROI according to the review data on G2 as of May 4, 2021:
- 35% of buyers see an ROI in 6 months or less
- 26% of buyers see an ROI in 7-12 months
- 19 % of buyers see an ROI in 13-24 months
- 7% of buyers see an ROI from 24-36 months
- 7% of buyers see an ROI in 48+ months
- 7% of buyers haven’t realized a full payback yet
Simulation & CAE Software Trends
Machine learning
Machine learning can help speed up engineering simulations by enabling highly accurate predictions. With tools like statistical learning, computers are able to learn and develop better data on their own. This can help speed up the optimal design of a product. An example would be data that is extracted from a car crash simulation repeated thousands of times. Within simulations, machine learning tools can understand which changes need to be made to make the car safer without sacrificing the integrity of the design.
Simulation & CAE Software FAQs
Most Popular FAQs
Which Simulation & CAE software has the best reviews?
Based on verified user ratings, these platforms consistently earn top marks for overall satisfaction:
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SimScale: A cloud-native simulation platform covering CFD, FEA, and thermal analysis in the browser, rated highly for support responsiveness and ease of use.
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SOLIDWORKS: An integrated CAD platform with built-in simulation, praised for onboarding speed and file-format ubiquity across vendors.
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Simcenter STAR-CCM+: A multiphysics CFD platform combining meshing, solving, and post-processing in one environment.
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Autodesk Fusion: A single-subscription platform spanning CAD, CAM, simulation, and PCB design with parametric modeling.
What is the best CFD simulation software?
The strongest CFD platforms pair solver accuracy with meshing automation:
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SimScale: Browser-based CFD with LBM solvers reviewers describe as exceptionally fast, backed by a free Community plan.
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Ansys Fluent: A general-purpose CFD solver reviewers validate against wind tunnel data for aerodynamics work.
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Simcenter STAR-CCM+: Automated meshing and integrated post-processing, with automotive and EV thermal analysis as flagship use cases.
How do CAE simulation tools compare to traditional physical prototyping?
CAE simulation shifts design validation earlier in the development cycle and reduces the number of physical prototype rounds rather than replacing physical testing outright:
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Ansys Mechanical: Reviewers validate varying design systems without prototyping or small-batch manufacturing of precision parts.
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SimScale: Reviewers identify thermal issues from CAD models and iterate before the first prototype, shortening test cycles ahead of tooling investments.
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Simcenter STAR-CCM+: Reviewers reduce physical test runs for airflow and cooling work by checking designs virtually first.
Which CAE simulation platforms do mechanical engineers trust most?
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SOLIDWORKS: Won a department-level comparison against Fusion 360 and Creo in one reviewing engineering team's evaluation.
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Simcenter STAR-CCM+: Reviewers correlate probe points against test-bed setups and cite Siemens support quality.
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Ansys Mechanical: Reviewers describe its solver as an industry standard for structural analysis.
What is the difference between CAD and CAE software?
CAD software creates the 3D geometry of a product, while CAE software tests how that geometry behaves under real-world conditions like structural stress, fluid flow, and thermal loads. In practice, engineers design a model in CAD, then import it into CAE software for finite element analysis or computational fluid dynamics. Because CAD and CAE files differ substantially, buyers increasingly favor platforms that integrate both in one environment or offer direct CAD import.
Which CAE simulation software has the easiest learning curve?
CAE simulation software with the easiest learning curve is a consistent tradeoff theme in reviews: the most powerful platforms demand the most time. Based on G2 reviews:
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SimScale: Users describe it as the most approachable entry point, with reviewers who lack formal CFD or FEA backgrounds able to set up simulations independently.
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Simcenter STAR-CCM+: Reviewers flag a steep initial learning curve as the most common dislike, though users point to the built-in help guide and forum base as reducing ramp time to about a month.
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Ansys Fluent: Reviewers flag the same steep initial learning curve, and comparing Fluent against SimScale shows the tradeoff directly.
Reviewers running a vendor comparison mention documentation depth and live support responsiveness as the practical differentiators for teams that can't afford weeks of unproductive onboarding.
Which CAE simulation platforms do automotive teams compare for structural analysis?
For automotive structural analysis, engineering teams most often compare Siemens Simcenter STAR-CCM+, Ansys Mechanical, Ansys Fluent, and SOLIDWORKS Simulation, and the vendor comparison typically comes down to solver depth versus workflow integration. Based on G2 reviews:
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Simcenter STAR-CCM+: Automotive is the most common reviewer industry, with users describing EV battery thermal runaway prediction, engine and underhood flow analysis, and aerodynamic package development as core use cases, and one reviewer describing test-bed probe correlation.
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Ansys Mechanical: Compared for solver depth in structural analysis, with correlation against physical testing the deciding factor reviewers evaluating CAE simulation accuracy point to.
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Ansys Fluent: One user describes wind tunnel validation of Fluent results when evaluating simulation accuracy.
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SOLIDWORKS: Reviewers mention running structured internal comparisons before committing, with one engineering department testing SOLIDWORKS against Fusion 360 and Creo before standardizing.
Small Business FAQs
What is the most affordable Simulation & CAE software for SMBs?
For small businesses navigating a category where commercial licenses can run tens of thousands per seat, these platforms earn recognition from SMB reviewers on cost, and you can compare more options on the small business Simulation & CAE software page:
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SOLIDWORKS: Reviewers describe pricing as competitive and reasonable for paid engineering work compared to alternatives.
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SimScale: A free Community plan plus cloud computing that removes hardware investment entirely.
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Autodesk Fusion: A single subscription covering CAD, CAM, and simulation instead of separate licenses.
What is the best CAE software for startups?
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SimScale: Startup reviewers describe running parallel simulations without in-house computing and building design validation processes from day one.
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Autodesk Fusion: Reviewers move from concept to fabrication-ready design in one platform, useful for lean teams without dedicated tooling.
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SOLIDWORKS: Small engineering teams cite fast onboarding for new hires without formal training.
Which cloud-based CAE software runs without expensive hardware?
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SimScale: Fully browser-based, with reviewers checking simulation status from any device including phones.
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Autodesk Fusion: Cloud saving and collaboration with simulation workloads offloaded from local machines.
What is the easiest CAE simulation software for small engineering teams?
The easiest CAE simulation software for small engineering teams tends to be cloud-based platforms that remove hardware and IT overhead entirely. Based on G2 reviews
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SimScale: Small teams and startups describe the browser-based model as the deciding factor, with founders mentioning parallel simulation runs without in-house computing investment and design validation workflows built before hiring a dedicated analyst.
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SOLIDWORKS: Reviewers at small engineering firms note that desktop platforms like SOLIDWORKS still compete with cloud tools like SimScale when onboarding speed matters, with one 8-engineer team flagging that new hires get up to speed without formal training as the reason it won their internal vendor comparison.
Enterprise FAQs
What is the best-rated CAE software for tech enterprises?
Enterprise engineering teams prioritize solver depth and vendor support maturity, and you can compare options on the enterprise Simulation & CAE software page:
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Simcenter STAR-CCM+: Multiphysics coverage with reviewer-cited Siemens support through setup and troubleshooting.
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Ansys Fluent: Extensive physics models reviewers describe as delivering accurate results once mastered.
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Ansys Mechanical: Advanced structural analysis with automated meshing that minimizes manual intervention.
What is the most reliable CAE simulation tool for enterprises?
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Simcenter STAR-CCM+: Reviewers correlate simulation output against physical test beds and describe accurate, fast processing.
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Ansys Mechanical: Reviewers call its solver an industry standard for stress, thermal, and vibration work.
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Ansys Fluent: Reviewers validate CFD output against wind tunnel models with strong agreement.
Which CAE software integrates best with enterprise design tools?
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Simcenter STAR-CCM+: Reviewers cite direct NX integration for moving data between design and simulation.
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SOLIDWORKS: Reviewers describe it as the industry-standard file format that vendors broadly support.
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SimScale: Direct Onshape import that skips the export and re-import cycle.
