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CAD · head to head

ANSYS Fluent vs SolveSpace

ANSYS Fluent logo

ANSYS Fluent

CAD

Computational fluid dynamics solver for turbulence, combustion and multiphase flow

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

SolveSpace

CAD

Open source parametric CAD with a constraint solver in a few megabytes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SolveSpace has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ANSYS Fluent solver seats and HPC packs are licensed separately, and the packs scale by core count, so the cost of running a large case in parallel can exceed the base licence several times over and is the line item that surprises first-time buyers.; SolveSpace the in-house geometry kernel fails on complex boolean operations and fillets, and the failure is sometimes silent bad geometry rather than an error message, so models must be checked before export or manufacture.
  • They diverge on capability: ANSYS Fluent covers Turbulence model library, SolveSpace covers Constraint solver.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ANSYS Fluent and SolveSpace actually diverge.

Attributes where ANSYS Fluent and SolveSpace differ
AttributeANSYS FluentSolveSpace
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, LinuxWindows, macOS, Linux

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (CAD).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ANSYS Fluent

  • Turbulence model library
  • Combustion and reacting flow
  • Multiphase flow
  • Meshing
  • HPC parallel solving
  • Fluent aero and native GPU solver
  • Ansys Workbench integration
  • User-defined functions

Only in SolveSpace

  • Constraint solver
  • Solid modelling
  • Assemblies
  • Export formats
  • Cross-platform
  • Small footprint

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ANSYS Fluent

  • Certifying an aerospace component where the customer specification names a validated commercial CFD solvernot SolveSpace
  • Predicting thermal performance of a data centre or electronics enclosure before committing to a mechanical designnot SolveSpace
  • Combustion analysis for a gas turbine or industrial burner where detailed chemistry models are requirednot SolveSpace
  • A consultancy that must hand a client an auditable analysis in a tool the client's own engineers can reopennot SolveSpace

SolveSpace

  • Designing 3D printed parts on a machine that cannot run mainstream CADnot ANSYS Fluent
  • Teaching constraint-based parametric modelling without buying licences for a classroomnot ANSYS Fluent
  • Checking that a mechanical linkage moves as intended before cutting metalnot ANSYS Fluent
  • Producing dimensionally accurate STEP or STL output from a small open source toolchainnot ANSYS Fluent

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ANSYS Fluent

  • Solver seats and HPC packs are licensed separately, and the packs scale by core count, so the cost of running a large case in parallel can exceed the base licence several times over and is the line item that surprises first-time buyers.
  • Ansys does not publish any pricing, and quotes vary widely by region, industry and negotiating position, so a smaller firm has no way to know whether it is being charged fairly relative to a large account.
  • Synopsys completed its acquisition of Ansys in July 2025 and started shipping combined capabilities in 2026; packaging, bundling and account teams are changing, and buyers on multi-year agreements should expect renewal terms to be renegotiated on a different basis.
  • Getting trustworthy results demands genuine CFD expertise in meshing, turbulence model selection and convergence assessment, so the licence is useless without a specialist, and the specialist is harder to hire than the software is to buy.
  • Licences are typically served from a network licence manager, which means concurrent-use contention inside a busy simulation group; engineers queue for solver tokens, and organisations end up buying spare seats purely to avoid the queue.

SolveSpace

  • The in-house geometry kernel fails on complex boolean operations and fillets, and the failure is sometimes silent bad geometry rather than an error message, so models must be checked before export or manufacture.
  • There is no proper drawing and dimensioning workflow, so manufacturing documentation has to be produced in another application.
  • Development is volunteer-led and intermittent; long gaps between releases are normal and there is no support contract available at any price.
  • Assembly-level import of external CAD is very limited, so it does not fit a supply chain that exchanges native or assembly-level models with suppliers.
  • The interface follows its own conventions rather than mainstream CAD ones, so existing SolidWorks or Fusion users spend time unlearning habits for a tool with a lower ceiling.

Pricing, plan by plan

ANSYS Fluent

On request
  • Ansys Fluent$undefined/year
    • Annual lease or paid-up perpetual licence
    • Solver seats licensed separately from HPC parallel packs
    • HPC packs priced by core count and scale multiplicatively

SolveSpace

Free
  • SolveSpaceFree
    • Full application under the GPL
    • No seat limit
    • Windows, macOS and Linux builds

Which should you pick?

Choose ANSYS Fluent if

  • You need turbulence model library.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want combustion and reacting flow.
ANSYS Fluent review

Choose SolveSpace if

  • You need constraint solver.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want solid modelling.
SolveSpace review

Questions people ask

Is ANSYS Fluent or SolveSpace better?
Neither clearly leads. ANSYS Fluent starts at On request and SolveSpace at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ANSYS Fluent or SolveSpace?
SolveSpace has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ANSYS Fluent and Free for SolveSpace.
Does ANSYS Fluent or SolveSpace run on more platforms?
ANSYS Fluent runs on Windows, Linux. SolveSpace runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use SolveSpace for free?
Yes. SolveSpace has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ANSYS Fluent starts at On request.
What is ANSYS Fluent best used for?
ANSYS Fluent is most often used for certifying an aerospace component where the customer specification names a validated commercial cfd solver, predicting thermal performance of a data centre or electronics enclosure before committing to a mechanical design, combustion analysis for a gas turbine or industrial burner where detailed chemistry models are required, a consultancy that must hand a client an auditable analysis in a tool the client's own engineers can reopen. Of those, certifying an aerospace component where the customer specification names a validated commercial cfd solver and predicting thermal performance of a data centre or electronics enclosure before committing to a mechanical design are not what SolveSpace is typically brought in for.
What can ANSYS Fluent do that SolveSpace cannot?
ANSYS Fluent covers Turbulence model library, Combustion and reacting flow, Multiphase flow, Meshing. SolveSpace covers Constraint solver, Solid modelling, Assemblies, Export formats.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ANSYS Fluent: How much does Fluent cost?

Ansys does not publish pricing. Expect an annual lease per solver seat plus separately licensed HPC packs for parallel cores, with the total for a serious capability running into six figures a year.

SolveSpace: Is it really free for commercial work?

Yes. It is released under the GPL with no licence fee and no seat limit. Support is community only.

ANSYS Fluent: Is Fluent still an Ansys product?

Yes, but Ansys is now part of Synopsys following the acquisition that completed in July 2025, and the two portfolios are being combined.

SolveSpace: Can it replace Fusion 360 or SolidWorks?

No. It handles parts and simple assemblies well. Complex geometry, drawings and supply chain interoperability are outside its range.

ANSYS Fluent: Can OpenFOAM do the same job?

Numerically it can cover a lot of the same physics at no licence cost, but it lacks the meshing workflow, support and the validation pedigree that certification and customer specifications often require.

SolveSpace: What hardware does it need?

Very little. It runs on old laptops and small Linux machines where mainstream CAD will not start.

ANSYS Fluent: Is there a free version?

There is a student edition with cell count limits, suitable for learning but not for production work.

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