Best Mechanical Engineering Software in Africa
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Compare the Top Mechanical Engineering Software in Africa as of May 2025
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What is Mechanical Engineering Software in Africa?
Mechanical engineering software enables mechanical engineers to design products with detailed accuracy and specifications for the manufacturing and engineering processes. Mechanical engineering software, also known as mechanical CAD (MCAD) or mechanical design automation (MDA), streamlines all aspects of the mechanical engineering and product design process of structures and mechanical parts and products. Compare and read user reviews of the best Mechanical Engineering software in Africa currently available using the table below. This list is updated regularly.
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1
CMS IntelliCAD
CAD-MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS INC
CMS IntelliCAD® is the intelligent, powerful and affordable full-featured CAD Software and is fully programmable with hundreds of third party solutions. CMS IntelliCAD also offers a full suite of 2D and 3D AutoCAD® compatible drawing tools! It is the smartest choice for engineers, architects and consultants, or anyone who communicates using CAD drawings. It is designed to give you the best unrivaled compatibility and a true CAD Software alternative to Autodesk® AutoCAD® software and is fully programmable with hundreds of third party solutions. CMS IntelliCAD also offers DWG file extension native support! And now also with Microstation DGN file support.Starting Price: $149.95/one-time/user -
2
MATLAB
The MathWorks
MATLAB® combines a desktop environment tuned for iterative analysis and design processes with a programming language that expresses matrix and array mathematics directly. It includes the Live Editor for creating scripts that combine code, output, and formatted text in an executable notebook. MATLAB toolboxes are professionally developed, rigorously tested, and fully documented. MATLAB apps let you see how different algorithms work with your data. Iterate until you’ve got the results you want, then automatically generate a MATLAB program to reproduce or automate your work. Scale your analyses to run on clusters, GPUs, and clouds with only minor code changes. There’s no need to rewrite your code or learn big data programming and out-of-memory techniques. Automatically convert MATLAB algorithms to C/C++, HDL, and CUDA code to run on your embedded processor or FPGA/ASIC. MATLAB works with Simulink to support Model-Based Design. -
3
AutoCAD
Autodesk
CAD software to design anything—with time-saving toolsets, web, and mobile apps. AutoCAD® is computer-aided design (CAD) software that architects, engineers, and construction professionals rely on to create precise 2D and 3D drawings. Draft, annotate, and design 2D geometry and 3D models with solids, surfaces, and mesh objects. Automate tasks such as comparing drawings, adding blocks, creating schedules, and more. Customize with add-on apps and APIs. AutoCAD includes industry-specific features and intelligent objects for architecture, mechanical engineering, electrical design, and more. Automate floor plans, sections, and elevations. Draw piping, ducting, and circuiting quickly with parts libraries. Auto-generate annotations, layers, schedules, lists, and tables. Use a rules-driven workflow to accurately enforce industry standards.Starting Price: $1,268 per user per year -
4
SketchUp
Trimble
Design delightfully, collaborate clearly, and build better buildings. The joy of drawing by hand. The ease of super-smart 3D modeling software. Make sustainable buildings. Change the world, hundreds of professionally-developed extensions at your fingertips. Design in 3D. Document in 2D. Make work easier, bring efficiency to your team and the 3D community. A great idea can be its best with the right technology. Draw in 3D, analyze and improve your building’s performance, and creatively document and share your ideas with your class. Integrated with Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. Works on Chromebooks or any Internet-connected computer. Students have access to free and intuitive 3D modeling tools. Positioning-centric information is changing the way people, businesses and governments work throughout the world. By applying Trimble's advanced positioning solutions, productivity increases and safety improvements are being realized.Starting Price: $119 per year -
5
BricsCAD
Bricsys
BricsCAD the first all-in-one CAD design solution in .dwg that answers all your needs; 2D drafting, 3D modeling, mechanical design, and BIM. The BricsCAD® family of products brings a cost-effective, multi-platform CAD solution to Windows, macOS, and Linux. BricsCAD is available as a permanent/perpetual license, for networked or stand-alone computers. You can also add All-In Maintenance for ease of keeping up-to-date. • BricsCAD® is available on a rental (a.k.a. “Subscription”) plan if you wish. • Familiarity for other CAD users and full LISP support can help reduce a new BricsCAD® users’ learning curve to a day or less. • Advanced multi-threading takes advantage of today’s high-performance processor chips • Innovative machine learning tools increase drawing accuracy while saving time • The small install footprint and high performance of BricsCAD® point to our constant focus on quality and modern software design.Starting Price: $330/user/year -
6
Solid Edge
Siemens
Solid Edge is a portfolio of affordable, easy to deploy, maintain, and use software tools that advance all aspects of the product development process – mechanical and electrical design, simulation, manufacturing, technical documentation, data management, and cloud-based collaboration. Developed on Siemens industry leading technologies, Solid Edge provides the most innovative and comprehensive approach to product development for the mainstream market.Starting Price: $75/month/user -
7
Wolfram Mathematica
Wolfram
The world's definitive system for modern technical computing. For three decades, Mathematica has defined the state of the art in technical computing—and provided the principal computation environment for millions of innovators, educators, students, and others around the world. Widely admired for both its technical prowess and elegant ease of use, Mathematica provides a single integrated, continually expanding system that covers the breadth and depth of technical computing—and is seamlessly available in the cloud through any web browser, as well as natively on all modern desktop systems. With energetic development and consistent vision for three decades, Mathematica stands alone in a huge range of dimensions, unique in its support for today's technical computing environments and workflows.Starting Price: $1,520 per year -
8
TurboCAD
IMSI Design
TurboCAD® 2021 Platinum is a professional 2D Drafting and 3D Solid Modeling CAD Solution for engineers, architects, manufacturers and other design professionals. It comes fully equipped with a powerful drafting palette, ACIS® solid modeling, premium photorealistic rendering, advanced architectural and mechanical tool sets, AutoCAD®-like 2D drafting interface options, and extensive file support. TurboCAD® 2021 Platinum delivers a robust collection of professional 2D/3D CAD tools to design, modify, present, and document in an integrated fashion. It includes advanced mechanical design and modification tools, a powerful drafting palette, 2D geometric and dimensional constraints, and an ACIS® solid modeling engine. It includes a customizable Ribbon Interface with 4K monitor support to optimize productivity and readability on higher resolution displays.Starting Price: $69.99 -
9
GeoHECRAS
CivilGEO, Inc.
GeoHECRAS is a river modeling software used to compute water surface profiles for steady and unsteady flow models, bridge and culvert roadway crossings, FEMA floodplain encroachments, stream restorations, inline reservoir structures, off-channel storage areas, and much more. GeoHECRAS offers: • Quickly Build 1D & 2D HEC-RAS Models • Automatic Assignment of Land Cover as Manning’s Roughness • Digital Terrain Cross Section Cutting • Automated Bridge & Culvert Sizing and Designing • Automated FEMA Floodplain Encroachments • LiDAR Elevation Terrain Processing • Automated Model Calibration • AutoCAD, MicroStation & ESRI ArcGIS Compatible • 100% Compatible with US Army Corps of Engineers HEC-RAS GeoHECRAS provides an easy-to-use, single graphical platform to rapidly create stunning HEC-RAS models and 3D visualizations from a variety of different data sources like AutoCAD, MicroStation, ArcGIS, Google Maps, and more. -
10
Alibre Design
Alibre
Alibre Design is a 3D modeling, analysis, manufacturing documentation, rendering, and publishing platform. It is used in every industry to take products from idea to revision to production. It can help your business to design everything from consumer products to wind turbines. An efficient and customizable user interface that lets you work like you want with helpful hints. A fast and precise sketching environment that captures design intent and makes changes easy. Robust and fully parametric 3D modeling tools and easy workflows speed up part creation. A dedicated sheet metal environment with tools just for sheet good design and easy flat pattern creation. A dedicated sheet metal environment with tools just for sheet good design and easy flat pattern creation. An automatically generated bill of materials that supports design data, physical properties, and dimensions. -
11
Ansys Mechanical
Ansys
Ansys Mechanical is a best-in-class finite element solver with structural, thermal, acoustics, transient and nonlinear capabilities to improve your modeling. Ansys Mechanical enables you to solve complex structural engineering problems and make better, faster design decisions. With the finite element analysis (FEA) solvers available in the suite, you can customize and automate solutions for your structural mechanics problems and parameterize them to analyze multiple design scenarios. Ansys Mechanical is a dynamic tool that has a complete range of analysis tools. Ansys Mechanical offers a dynamic environment with a complete range of analysis tools, from preparing geometry for analysis to connecting additional physics for even greater fidelity. The intuitive and customizable user interface enables engineers of all levels to get answers fast and with confidence. Ansys Mechanical creates an integrated platform that uses finite element analysis (FEA) for structural analysis. -
12
CATIA
Dassault Systèmes
CATIA is the world's leading solution for product design and experience. It is used by leading organizations in multiple industries to develop the products we see and use in our everyday lives. CATIA delivers the unique ability not only to model any product, but to do so in the context of its real-life behavior: design in the age of experience. Systems architects, engineers, designers, construction professionals and all contributors can define, imagine and shape the connected world. A Social design environment built on a single source of truth and accessed through powerful 3D dashboards that drive business intelligence, real-time concurrent design and collaboration across all stakeholders including mobile workers. An Instinctive 3DEXPERIENCE for both experienced and occasional users with world-class 3D modeling and simulation capabilities that optimize the effectiveness of every user. An Inclusive product development platform that is easily integrated with existing processes & tools. -
13
FreeCAD
FreeCAD
FreeCAD is an open-source parametric 3D modeler made primarily to design real-life objects of any size. Parametric modeling allows you to easily modify your design by going back into your model history and changing its parameters. FreeCAD allows you to sketch geometry constrained 2D shapes and use them as a base to build other objects. It contains many components to adjust dimensions or extract design details from 3D models to create high quality production ready drawings. FreeCAD is a multiplatfom (Windows, Mac and Linux), highly customizable and extensible software. It reads and writes to many open file formats such as STEP, IGES, STL, SVG, DXF, OBJ, IFC, DAE and many others, making it possible to seamlessly integrate it into your workflow. FreeCAD is designed to fit a wide range of uses including product design, mechanical engineering and architecture. Whether you are a hobbyist, a programmer, an experienced CAD user, a student or a teacher, you will feel right at home with FreeCAD. -
14
DesignSpark Mechanical
RS Components
We aim to give every engineer the power to quickly design and change product concepts in 3D without having to learn complex traditional CAD software. Our range of free-of-charge design tools and resources take your brightest ideas all the way through to final production. Whether you're looking for a design alone tool, a range of technical information, a complete design ecosystem, our complete suite can be integrated seamlessly into your existing design workflow. Import or save 3D models from variety of suppliers in the RSDOC format for use in your existing DesignSpark Mechanical design projects and speed up your design process. Create a BoM instantly at the click of a button and get quotes with live price & stock information through the RS online or Allied Electronics websites. This service is provided in partnership with TraceParts S.A. who are a premier supplier of 3D digital content for engineering applications. -
15
Cimatron
Cimatron
Cimatron develops and distributes CAD/CAM software for the manufacturing industry. Cimatron caters to all manufacturing sectors, offering specialized solutions for mold and die makers, as well as solutions for 2.5-5-Axis production milling and turning. Ranked among the top six CAD/CAM suppliers in every global region, Cimatron has subsidiaries in Asia, North America and Europe, and works with certified independent service providers in over 40 countries worldwide. Cimatron service providers offer responsive and effective sales and technical support, helping businesses use Cimatron software to maximize their potential. Cimatron's full solutions use the most advanced technology available to speed up productivity and shorten delivery times. Designed and developed by manufacturers and toolmakers with a wealth of experience on the shop floor, both of Cimatron's product lines are easy to learn and intuitive for the manufacturing professionals who use them. -
16
EDGECAM
EDGECAM
EDGECAM is a market leading computer aided manufacturing (CAM) system for NC part programming. With unparalleled ease of use and sophisticated toolpath generation, it’s the only CAM system you’ll need for milling, turning and mill-turn machining. EDGECAM utilises your in house knowledge and experience to drive the CAM process with automation tools to suit different applications - allowing you to maintain your competitive edge. Associative native CAD model loading technology allows instant model manipulation, updates and rapid tool path regeneration. ‘Workflow’ technology enables accelerated and efficient programming of CNC machine tools. Edgecam is used by many of the World’s leading Manufacturers to improve productivity and quality from sub-contact to corporate organisations. Industry leading training and support on a global basis from dedicated support teams ensures excellent response times. -
17
Mastercam
CNC Software
CAD/CAM software is used to translate computer-aided design (CAD) to manufacturing workpieces with computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) on your CNC machine. Mastercam offers CAD/CAM software tools for a variety of CNC programming needs, from basic to complex. Due to our innovative, flexible solutions and top notch network of support, our software is a complete solution from the start of design through to manufacturing. Choose Mastercam to streamline your production process from job setup to job completion. Our CAD CAM software products take parts from design through to the production line. Program your manufactured parts with leading-edge features for precision and efficiency. Creating code to drive your CNC equipment is what Mastercam does best. Build your comprehensive CAD/CAM solution with Mastercam. -
18
SOLIDWORKS
SolidWorks
SOLIDWORKS® 3D CAD solutions provide easy-to-learn, yet extremely powerful functionality that shortens product development time, reduces costs, and improves quality. SOLIDWORKS® 3D CAD solutions provide easy-to-learn, yet extremely powerful functionality that shortens product development time, reduces costs, and improves quality. Take advantage of the capabilities of SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD and the benefits of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, a single cloud-based product development environment. Quickly create and collaborate on 3D designs in the cloud and deliver innovative products to market faster. Quickly create and collaborate on organic shapes and complex surfaces in the cloud and deliver innovative products to market faster. Rapidly generate and detail 2D drawings from 3D models, speeding up the design-to-manufacturing process. Harness the power of the world’s most widely used 3D design software in a fully-integrated engineering suite, backed by the community. -
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Autodesk Fusion 360
Autodesk
Fusion 360 unifies design, engineering, electronics, and manufacturing into a single software platform. Get integrated CAD, CAM, CAE & PCB on a single development platform. Also includes EAGLE Premium, HSMWorks, Team Participant, and access to consumptive services, such as generative design, cloud simulation, and cloud rendering. Engineer products with a comprehensive set of modeling tools. Ensure form, fit, and function of your products with various analysis methods. Create and edit sketches with sketch constraints, dimensions, and a powerful suite of sketch tools. Edit or repair imported geometry from non-native file formats. Make design changes without worrying about time-based features. Create and edit complex parametric surfaces for repairing, patching or designing geometry. Create history-based features, including extrude, revolve, loft, sweep, etc., that update with design changes.Starting Price: $495 per year -
20
Onshape
Onshape
Onshape is a modern CAD and data management solution with features that include modern CAD, standard content libraries, multi-part modeling, and in-context editing. Onshape allows users to access the solution anywhere and anytime without downloads and installations. Onshape enables users to store and share CAD data in a secure cloud workspace. Onshape allows users to control and monitor access privileges of stored CAD files.Starting Price: $125.00/month/user -
21
AutoCAD LT
Autodesk
Precision 2D drafting and documentation software includes AutoCAD web and mobile apps. AutoCAD LT® is computer-aided design (CAD) software that architects, engineers, construction professionals, and designers rely on to produce 2D drawings and documentation. Design, draft, and document with 2D geometry, access a comprehensive set of editing, design, and annotation tools, and work faster in an intuitive user interface. Design and draft in the web browser on any computer; view, edit, annotate, and create CAD drawings in a simplified user interface. Take the power of AutoCAD with you wherever you go—even offline; view, edit, annotate, and create CAD drawings in real time, and work on any mobile device, including smartphone or tablet. Work anywhere with the included AutoCAD web app. Use AutoCAD LT on the go with the included AutoCAD mobile app.Starting Price: $55 per month -
22
PTC Mathcad
PTC
Engineering calculations are at the heart of product design. They are essential to every step of the design process. To achieve excellence in engineering, teams need a comprehensive yet intuitive application that performs calculations with accuracy and precision, enables traceability, protects intellectual property, and shows their work. PTC Mathcad has all your engineering notebook’s ease-of-use and familiarity with live mathematical notation and units intelligence. Most importantly, the calculation capabilities produce far more accurate results than a spreadsheet can provide. Using PTC Mathcad’s rich array of mathematical functionality, you can document your most critical engineering calculations as easily as you can write them. Show your work using rich formatting options alongside plots, text, and images in a single, professionally formatted document. Nobody needs specialized skills to create or consume PTC Mathcad data.Starting Price: $230 -
23
Inventor CAM
Autodesk
Inventor® CAM software simplifies the machining workflow with CAD-embedded 2.5-axis to 5-axis milling, turning, and mill-turn capabilities. The Product Design & Manufacturing Collection provides the tools you need for the design and manufacturing of your products. Create toolpaths with powerful technology, such as 3D adaptive clearing, and the industry’s most complete package of finishing toolpaths. Simultaneous 4- and 5-axis features for machining complex models include tilt, multi-axis contour, and swarf. Improve productivity with traditional turning, facing, grooving, and boring functions. Includes support for live tooling mill-turning. Generate 2D profile cutting paths quickly with the ability to add all contours in the same plane, add tabs, and specify quality settings. Automatically avoid collisions between your part and tool holders during CNC calculations.Starting Price: $355 per month -
24
MechaniCalc
MechaniCalc
MechaniCalc, developed by MechaniCalc, Inc., is a suite of web-based calculators focused on machine design and structural analysis. These calculators perform analysis with a level of detail and comprehensiveness that would be expected in industry while also being intuitive and accessible. Use these calculators to move through design and analysis cycles more quickly and with greater confidence. We provide a comprehensive suite of calculators designed to automate mechanical engineering design and analysis. Each calculator comes with thorough documentation giving instructions on use as well as validation cases to show how the results of the calculators stack up against textbook solutions to example problems. We provide detailed reference material on mechanical engineering subjects as well as the methodology behind the calculators. Unrestricted access to all calculators and other content on the site. Ability to create new materials and cross-sections for use in the calculators.Starting Price: $9.99 per month -
25
AutoCAD Mechanical
Autodesk
Design faster with an industry-specific toolset for mechanical engineering, including 700,000+ intelligent parts and features. Isolate and restore layer groups and specify linetypes and lineweights. Update geometry automatically when changes occur. Minimize manual redraws. Produce accurate drawings with standard components. Efficiently analyze designs, including shaft, spring, belt, chain, and cam generators. Detail native Inventor part and assembly models. Use intelligent drafting tools made for mechanical design. Custom content library and publishing. Create and save custom content. Preview fillet, chamfer, and offset commands. Take the power of AutoCAD® wherever you go. Smart mechanical engineering dimensions. Create dimensions using abbreviated dialog boxes. 2D DWG with a view of the standards tab on the open options panel. Support for international drafting standards. Deliver standards-based design documentation.Starting Price: $220 per month -
26
Siemens NX
Siemens
Siemens NX software is a flexible and powerful integrated solution that helps you deliver better products faster and more efficiently. NX delivers the next generation of design, simulation, and manufacturing solutions that enable companies to realize the value of the digital twin. Supporting every aspect of product development, from concept design through engineering and manufacturing, NX gives you an integrated toolset that coordinates disciplines, preserves data integrity and design intent, and streamlines the entire process. A generative design process is one that engineers can adopt to quickly develop new products based upon meeting design constraints. It is an iterative process that produces fast results the engineer can refine via constraint variation to narrow in on the best design to meet the requirements.Starting Price: $287 per month -
27
Inventor
Autodesk
Professional-grade 3D CAD software for product design and engineering. Inventor® CAD software provides professional-grade 3D mechanical design, documentation, and product simulation tools. Work efficiently with a powerful blend of parametric, direct, freeform, and rules-based design capabilities. Work with anyone, anywhere no matter what CAD software they use. Use cloud-based design reviews to collect feedback from key stakeholders wherever they are. Follow the entire product development lifecycle with one data model. Design efficiently using specialized tools for sheet metal, frame design, and tube and pipe. Enable design, documentation, and process automation powered by iLogic. Access Inventor API to create your own add-ins. Go further by investigating Forge Design Automation API for running your job processes in the cloud.Starting Price: $2,190 per year -
28
E3.series
Zuken
A comprehensive electrical and fluid planning software environment for advanced requirements. E3.series is a true concurrent electrical engineering environment supporting advanced requirements for electrical documentation, cabinet and wire harness design and manufacturing outputs. E3.series facilitates an efficient and accurate design and manufacturing process for electrical and fluid planning, cable planning, and wire harness and cabinet layout. Its object-oriented architecture provides an integrated and consistent design approach to help eliminate errors, improve quality and reduce design time. Consistency of all design phases through object orientation. Powerful automated operations and electrical checks. Comprehensive outputs for manufacturing and documentation. Native format library and design data management. Circuit diagrams, connection lists, layout plans and reports always up-to-date and synchronized.Starting Price: £80/€90/CHF110 per month -
29
ODOP:Spring
SpringDesignSoftware
More than a Spring Calculator. ODOP:Spring is a spring design application of the problem-independent Open Design Optimization Platform (ODOP) software. It finds solutions for demanding spring application requirements in mechanical engineering and machine design. Most coil spring calculators require users to manually input values – such as wire diameter, coil diameter, free length and number of coils – and then repeatedly re-analyze until an acceptable solution is reached. ODOP’s ability to invert formula relationships removes that guesswork. Spring design equations are backsolved to meet constraints placed on the problem variables. Need to identify the lightest-possible material weight? Ensure a long spring life and low risk of failure? Our helical coil spring design software can find the constrained extreme of any variable, whether independent or dependent. -
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Ansys Motor-CAD
Ansys
Ansys Motor-CAD is a dedicated electric machine design tool for fast multiphysics simulation across the full torque-speed operating range. Motor-CAD enables design engineers to evaluate motor topologies and concepts across the full operating range, to produce designs that are optimized for performance, efficiency and size. Motor-CAD software’s four integrated modules—EMag, Therm, Lab, Mech—enable multiphysics calculations to be performed quickly and iteratively, so users can get from concept to final design in less time. Fast calculations and streamlined data input processes leave time for Motor-CAD users to explore more motor topologies and fully assess the impact of advanced loss effects in the initial stages of an electromechanical design. The release includes powerful new features for design optimization, multi-physics analysis and system modelling for electric motors. Fast multiphysics simulation across a full torque-speed operating range.