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PrePoMax vs Ansys Student: catalog facts
PrePoMax	Ansys Student
Best for: Engineers and students running structural FEM simulations with CalculiX	Best for: Engineering students learning finite element and fluid simulation
Free Free and open source.	Free Student licenses are provided free of charge.
Windows	Windows
Graphical front end for the CalculiX solver Imports CAD exchange formats and STL files All 4 strengths for PrePoMax Graphical front end for the CalculiX solver Imports CAD exchange formats and STL files Netgen and Gmsh meshing, including hexahedral elements Animated 3D result fields and 2D history plots	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
Limited to the CalculiX solver Requires knowledge of finite element analysis	Intended for students and learning, not commercial projects Student editions are more limited than the commercial products
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Not open source
License not stated	License: Proprietary
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for PrePoMax prepomax.fs.um.si Catalog checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Ansys Student ansys.synopsys.com/academic/students Catalog checked October 2, 2026

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