--- title: "FEM-Design Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about FEM-Design Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Engineering CAD products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/187648/FEM-Design/" page_type: "product" language: "en" --- # FEM-Design Software Review 2026: Features, Reviews, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on August 26, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) FEM-Design ## What is FEM-Design? FEM-Design is finite element analysis and 3D design software for load-bearing structures in concrete, steel, timber and foundations, built to Eurocode with national annex support. The interface is based on familiar CAD conventions, so model creation and editing don't require learning a separate way of working. This makes it suited to engineers moving from 2D design tools who need to verify or design more complex structures, global stability, combined material types, or cases where a 2D workflow no longer covers the analysis needed. One of FEM-Design’s key features is its strong interoperability and integration into BIM ecosystems. Furthermore, FEM-Design supports automated Application Program Interfaces (API) with Grasshopper, Dynamo, XML, XLS and C#. FEM-Design fits engineering firms working across multiple material types or project scales that need one analysis environment rather than several disconnected point solutions. ## What is FEM-Design used for? [Engineering CAD](https://www.capterra.com/engineering-cad-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 9 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive \- Neutral \- Negative \- ### Starting price Free trial available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for FEM-Design?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://strusoft.com/&name=FEM-Design) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### FEM-Design 4.4 (9) VS. [4.6 (182)](https://www.capterra.com/p/175058/Altium-Designer/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Starting Price $1990 Per User, Per Year Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.2 (9) Ease Of Use 4.3 (182) Value For Money 4.7 (7) Value For Money 4.2 (158) Customer Service 5.0 (7) Customer Service 4.2 (143) ## FEM-Design alternatives Highest Rated [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) [4.7 (3,213)](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/reviews/) Starting price $250.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 97% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) [SolidWorks Premium](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/) [4.6 (759)](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 96% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/93121/SolidWorks-Premium/) [Alibre Design](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/) [4.7 (184)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/reviews/) Starting price $10.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 96% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/172312/Alibre-Design/) [Onshape](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/) [4.5 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/reviews/) Starting price $1500.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 94% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/) [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/187648/FEM-Design/alternatives/) ## FAQs about FEM-Design Overview ### What company size and specific industries is FEM-Design built for? FEM-Design is designed for engineering firms and design teams of all sizes that work in structural, civil, precast concrete, reinforced concrete, steel, timber, CLT, foundation, and bridge design. It fits professionals who need structural analysis and design tools across building and infrastructure projects. Features and Usability ### What are the key features of FEM-Design? FEM-Design includes 3D Design & Modeling, 2D Drawing, and CAD Tools for structural drafting, plus Modeling & Simulation and Design Analysis for checking design behavior. It also offers Data Import/Export, Version Control, Document Management, and Reporting/Analytics, along with Access Controls/Permissions and Collaboration Tools for team workflows. Integrations ### Which third-party tools and platforms does FEM-Design integrate with? FEM-Design integrates with 10 third-party tools for BIM, design, and documentation workflows, including ALLPLAN, ARCHICAD, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, Revit, and Tekla Structures. It also connects with Dynamo and Grasshopper for parametric modeling, plus Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word for data handling and reporting. Getting Started and Support ### What training and onboarding options does FEM-Design offer? FEM-Design provides in person training, live online sessions, webinars, documentation, and videos to help teams get started. In person and live online options support guided instruction, webinars cover scheduled learning sessions, documentation offers written reference material, and videos provide visual guidance for self-paced review. Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does FEM-Design offer? FEM-Design offers email/help desk support, FAQ/forum access, a knowledge base, and phone support. No reviewer feedback is available here to describe user experience with support, so the available channels can only be listed as provided in the catalog data. ## Features AI summary Based on 1,425 Engineering CAD reviews Capterra reviewers point to these as the top features buyers look for in Engineering CAD software: - **CAD Tools** (**47%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **2D Drawing** (**41%**) - **Data Import/Export** (**37%**) FEM-Design supports all three of the features reviewers rate most highly: **CAD Tools**, **2D Drawing**, and **Data Import/Export**. Together, these capabilities help teams create and refine technical designs, produce clear drafting documentation, and move files between systems more efficiently, allowing businesses to improve design accuracy and keep engineering work moving smoothly. CAD Tools 5.0 (3) 66.67% of 3 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Computer aided design to create precision drawings or technical illustrations 2D Drawing 5.0 (3) 100.00% of 3 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Drawing and modeling designs within 2D flat dimensions Design Analysis 5.0 (6) 100.00% of 6 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Simulate physical behavior for a design or structure 3D Imaging 5.0 (1) 100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Representation of any object in 3D Design Management 4.8 (5) 100.00% of 5 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Collaborate on creating a product by sharing and adjusting designs through a shared portal Document Management 5.0 (4) 75.00% of 4 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location FEM-Design 19 features ### All Features - 2D Drawing: Drawing and modeling designs within 2D flat dimensions - 3D Imaging: Representation of any object in 3D - Access Controls/Permissions: Define levels of authorization for access to specific files or systems - CAD Tools: Computer aided design to create precision drawings or technical illustrations - Civil: For civil engineering - Collaboration Tools: Provides a channel for team members to share AI models, media files, communicate, and work together - Compliance Management: Track and manage adherence to policies for any service, product, process, or supplier - Configurable Workflow: Configure existing workflows to meet your organization's needs - Content Library: Centralized repository to store content and assets - Data Capture and Transfer: Import, collect, and capture data from multiple sources - Data Import/Export: Import and export data to and from software applications - Data Visualization: Graphical representation of data - Design Analysis: Simulate physical behavior for a design or structure - Design Management: Collaborate on creating a product by sharing and adjusting designs through a shared portal - Document Generation: Custom forms to streamline repetitious aspects of a document - Document Management: Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location - Manufacturing Design Data: Access to a library of manufacturing parts, models, and specs - Reporting/Analytics: View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data - Version Control: Track revisions and updates made to files and navigate between different versions --- Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 4.4 (9) 4.4 Based on 9 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.7 (7) ### Starting price Free trial available Value for money 4.7 (7) 4.7 Based on 7 reviews ## Integrations [ Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/)[ AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/)[ Microsoft Word](https://www.capterra.com/p/227146/Microsoft-Word/)[ Revit](https://www.capterra.com/p/265023/Revit/)[ Grasshopper](https://www.capterra.com/p/175002/Grasshopper/)[ AutoCAD Architecture](https://www.capterra.com/p/172801/AutoCAD-Architecture/)[ ARCHICAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/2018/ArchiCAD/)[ Tekla Structures](https://www.capterra.com/p/92964/Tekla-Structures/) Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 5.0 (7) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 5.0 (7) 5.0 Based on 7 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.4 Based on 9 reviews Filter by rating 5(7) 4(0) 3(1) 2(1) 1(0) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent HK Henri K. Bridge design engineer Civil Engineering ### "Very good software!" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 August 13, 2026 Pros Very useful and essy-to-use software. Comprehensive built-in structural design, as well as the API link. Cons A little bit difficult to add a variable soil spring based on the soil layers. There are some challenges in making bridge design efficient. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Tomasz G. Senior Structural Engineer Civil Engineering ### "Senior Structural Engineer" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 August 13, 2026 Overall, my experience with FEM-Design has been very positive. It is a powerful and user-friendly software for structural analysis and design, especially for prefab concrete and cast-in-place structures. I worked with the software to analyse small and secondary structure, as well as the multistorey buildings, with complex static system and ground conditions. The interface is nice, the modeling and drawing tools are practical, and the 3D design capabilities make the workflow efficient. Combined with knowledge of grasshopper / usage of API - sky is the limit. Pros I liked the intuitive interface and overall ease of use. FEM-Design is a very good tool for analyzing and designing prefab concrete and cast-in-place structures, and it provides a strong workflow for both 3D modeling and structural design. I also appreciate the availability of an API, which opens up possibilities for automation and integration with tools like Grasshopper. Customer support (Polish / Danish side, as well as API people) has been excellent as well. Cons The main downside is the licensing model. The pricing is generally good, but the only option is a yearly license, and there is no flexible choice to buy individual modules or shorter-term access, such as for one month. That can be limiting for smaller projects or occasional use. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Martin B. Konstruktionsingeniør, Rådgivende Construction ### "The Best Engineering Tool I Have Used" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 August 13, 2026 t is definitely my tool of choice, and overall, it is the best engineering software I have worked with throughout my career. Pros What I like about FEM-Design is its user interface, the option to export data to both XML and Excel, and the ability to model virtually any situation imaginable. On top of that, I really appreciate their always-accessible support team and overall approach. Cons Small geometric inaccuracies (such as nodes missing each other by just 1 mm) can cause calculation errors that can be difficult and time-consuming to locate in large models. Review source Vendor Referred: This reviewer was invited by the software vendor to submit an honest review. AN Anonymous User Engineer Construction ### "Great software" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 August 12, 2026 Pros It is easy to handle and have alot of features. The support have been great whenever I have needed some help. Cons I would like FEM-Design to give similar results as Win-Statik softwares. And less modules to purchase, they should have an all-inclusive price package. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Jakub J. Structural Designer Civil Engineering ### "Powerful, intuitive and continuously evolving structural design software" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 August 10, 2026 My overall experience with FEM-Design has been very positive. It is a powerful, practical and user-friendly tool for structural engineers. The CAD-like modelling environment makes model creation intuitive, while the integration of FEM analysis, Eurocode-based design and documentation within one software creates a very efficient workflow. I mainly use the reinforced concrete and steel modules, including precast structures, and in my experience FEM-Design is particularly well suited for precast concrete projects. The graphical presentation of results is clear, the documentation tools are very useful, and the software remains efficient even when working with larger and more complex structural models. What I particularly appreciate is the continuous development of FEM-Design. The software does not stand still - existing tools are improved and new functionality is regularly introduced. The ongoing development related to the new generation of Eurocodes is also a major advantage and gives confidence that the software will continue to evolve together with current engineering standards. Combined with excellent technical support and a very good price-to-performance ratio, FEM-Design is a reliable and capable solution for everyday structural engineering. Pros FEM-Design offers excellent value for money and provides a very good balance between powerful analysis capabilities and ease of use. One of its biggest advantages is the intuitive, CAD-like modelling environment. Creating and modifying structural models feels very similar to working in CAD software, with many familiar tools and commands. This makes the workflow efficient and significantly reduces the learning curve compared to many other FEM programs. I mainly use FEM-Design for reinforced concrete and steel structures, including precast concrete, and I find it particularly well suited for precast projects. The combination of global FEM analysis and Eurocode-based design within the same environment makes it a very practical tool for everyday engineering work. The presentation of analysis and design results is clear and easy to understand, even for relatively large and complex models. Performance is also very good, and working with larger models remains smooth and efficient. Another major advantage is the documentation module. Calculation reports can be created directly from the model, and the documentation is automatically updated when the model or results change. This saves a significant amount of time during design iterations. It is also great to see that the documentation module is continuously being developed and improved. Finally, the technical support is excellent. I have had very good experience with both the Polish and international support teams. Cons Although the overall workflow is very intuitive, some individual tools and parts of the user interface could still be made more flexible and streamlined. Certain operations can require more steps than expected, particularly when working with more complex models. I would also appreciate even more transparency and control over some detailed design calculations and intermediate results. Further improvements to filtering, reviewing and exporting detailed calculation results would make independent verification easier. BIM interoperability and model exchange could also be further improved to reduce manual work when models are updated between FEM-Design and other software. That said, one of the strengths of FEM-Design is that these areas are continuously being developed. The software clearly does not stand still - new features, improvements and workflow enhancements are introduced regularly. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. PB Piotr B. Structure Engineer Civil Engineering ### "Easy modelling and quick changes" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 August 10, 2026 I am a structural engineer with 10 years of experience and I use FEM-Design on a daily basis for about 2.5years. I have worked with several structural engineering software packages, including Robot Structural Analysis and Graitec Advance Design. I would recommend FEM-Design mainly because of how easy it is to create and correct the model. In real projects the model is constantly changing during the design and coordination process, and this is where I find FEM-Design especially convenient. It is suitable both for quick checks of individual elements and for more complex structural models. At the same time, it gives me a lot of flexibility when testing different solutions. Overall, it is one of the FEM programs I feel most comfortable working with on a daily basis. Pros I use FEM-Design every day for a wide range of projects, including concrete structures, precast structures, steel structures and cladding projects. For me, the biggest advantage is how easy it is to create and modify the FE model. During design and coordination, the model often needs to be changed many times, and FEM-Design makes this process very straightforward. Creating the model, defining supports, applying loads, generating meshes, assigning loads to specific elements, load groups and automatic load combinations are all very convenient. I also use FEM-Design for what-if analysis quite often. For example, I can add a support, change the geometry or modify the loading and quickly check how this affects the structure. It is easy to make changes and go back if the solution is not better. Another very useful feature is the fire analysis of reinforced concrete structures. It allows me to perform a more detailed analysis of the influence of fire on the structure instead of simply following the simplified Eurocode approach and having to maintain the prescribed concrete cover. The reporting functionality is a big advantage as well. Creating the report directly in FEM-Design saves me a lot of time on processing results and copying images and results into a separate document. The report can be divided into chapters, page and image sizes can be adjusted and automatic captions can be added. It feels almost like working in Word. The quality of the generated graphics is also very good, so they can be used directly in the final documentation. Because of this, there is often no need to involve an assistant just to prepare the results for the report. I have used other structural engineering software, including Robot Structural Analysis and Graitec Advance Design, and FEM-Design is one of the programs I rate highest, mainly because of its intuitive workflow and ease of use. Cons In my opinion, the licensing structure can sometimes be inconvenient. Having separate licences for different areas, such as steel, concrete, masonry, bridges etc. can be a problem. Sometimes you need only concrete, and after half a year you need steel. If you don't use the steel licence during this period, you still have to pay for it. I also have to mention that FEM-Design can be quite sensitive to small imperfections in the physical model. A small gap, misalignment or an unfinished line in an underlying drawing or imported geometry can sometimes cause problems with meshing and require additional work to adjust the model. It is not a major issue, but it can be time consuming, especially when working with more complicated models. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Michal P. Team Manager Structural Engineneer Civil Engineering ### "FEM Design - review" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 August 10, 2026 I have been working with FEM-Design for over three years. During this time, I have designed both steel and reinforced concrete structures. Some of the models were very large and complex, but the software handled them very well. Pros FEM Design is truly an excellent, user-friendly structural design program. I greatly appreciate its ease of modelling, available tools, and the extensive module for creating design documentation. It is also worth highlighting the outstanding work of the development team — with every new version, new features and improvements are added to the program. Finally, I would also like to mention the excellent support and the StruSoft Wiki, which provide real assistance in everyday work. StruSoft does not leave the designer alone with a problem. Cons What I liked least about FEM-Design is the licensing system, where each module has to be purchased for at least a year. I would appreciate more flexibility in this area, for example hourly, daily, or monthly billing options. Some of the modules would be very useful for us, but we use them relatively rarely. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AN Anonymous User Mechanical Engineer Higher Education ### "Good integration, bad user experience" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 6/10 December 16, 2022 Pros Covers a range of materials and construction types including each country's legislation. Good integration with BIM and API support Cons Difficult to use and non-intuitive design commands. Bad snap tools design makes the design process time consuming. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. DG Dren G. Engineer Civil Engineering ### "The software that kills you from the inside" 2.0 Overall Rating 2.0 2.0 Ease of Use 1.0 1.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 0/10 September 8, 2020 This software made me punch my computer many times, due to errors after errors even though I kept on zooming in 1000x trying to get all points right. I would never suggest this software to anyone, unless "Strusoft" (the developers) do some massive changes on their User Experience which is catastrophic at this stage. I have to suffer more with this software because my firm uses it, otherwise I would never pick this one instead of a CSI software, RSA or Tekla STD which are obviously 100x better. Nonetheless, Strusoft has some other nice software on the other side, but with this one, in my opinion, they failed big time! Pros The only thing I liked which is not a big deal anyway, were published sheets and results in general. Cons This software is the worst I have used so far, considering the amount of all other software I have tried during my work as a Structural Engineer. The User Experience is below zero, there are no words to describe how bad it is. Its like they have never thought about the user, but only about the results and the capacity of the software. In bullet points - The software contains unusal commands that start with the combination of the Alt key instead of Ctrl like most software do - The geometry and massing capabilities are quite bad, it seems like you can never get something at the right place, and you can never get a model without errors. Very bad snap tools, very poor on the responsive side of things. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. ## Top-rated software of 2026 ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.