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Ansys Student vs code_aster: catalog facts
Ansys Student	code_aster
Best for: Engineering students learning finite element and fluid simulation	Best for: Engineers and researchers running structural or thermomechanical finite element analysis
Free Student licenses are provided free of charge.	Free Free and open source.
Windows	Linux, Command line
Free access to professional engineering simulation software Covers structural, fluid and electronics analysis All 3 strengths for Ansys Student Free access to professional engineering simulation software Covers structural, fluid and electronics analysis Backed by free courses, tutorials and a learning forum	Large verification test suite Covers mechanics, thermal and dynamics analysis All 4 strengths for code_aster Large verification test suite Covers mechanics, thermal and dynamics analysis Free with published source Long development history at EDF
Intended for students and learning, not commercial projects Student editions are more limited than the commercial products	Steep learning curve for new users Solver only; pre- and post-processing usually done in Salome-Meca
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Open source
License: Proprietary	License: GPL-3.0
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Ansys Student ansys.synopsys.com/academic/students Catalog checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for code_aster code-aster.org Catalog checked October 1, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.