Side by side
ETAP vs SOLIDWORKS
Both stand on electrical design software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free trial AndroidAPIiPhone+2
ETAP combines electrical analysis, simulation, integrations and operational tooling for organizations managing complex power systems. Its modular scope and Windows requirements should be matched to each team’s studies and deployment needs.
Visit ETAP Free plan MacWebWindows
SOLIDWORKS combines locally installed design tools with cloud collaboration options and browser-based xDesign tools. Plan choice affects price and capabilities, and the Makers plan is limited to personal, non-commercial use.
Visit SOLIDWORKSThe facts
| ETAP | SOLIDWORKS | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | A free trial | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, API, iPhone, Web, Windows | Mac, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | SOLIDWORKS for Makers: $48 a year |
| Plans published | 2 | 4 |
| Maker | Not published | SOLIDWORKS |
| Website | etap.com | solidworks.com |
| On electrical design software | #15 of 41 | #11 of 41 |
ETAP: what it does well
- Unified electrical digital twin platform
- Renewable, storage and grid-code studies
- Data exchange across major engineering tools
- Multi-user modeling and concurrent studies
- 30-day software demos
What to know first
- Pricing requires a customized quote
- No free plan is listed
- Design software requires supported 64-bit Windows
- Advanced platform spans many separate modules
SOLIDWORKS: what it does well
- Supports parts, assemblies, drawings, sheet-metal, and framing.
- Design can be used without an internet connection.
- Cloud Services includes collaboration and revision management.
- Browser-based xDesign modeling requires no local installation.
- Design Standard is free for students.
What to know first
- Standard costs $2,820 a year for one device.
- Makers is limited to personal, non-commercial use.
- Makers storage is 25 GB and cannot be expanded.
- Client SOLIDWORKS products list Windows 10 and 11 support.
Alternatives to ETAP Alternatives to SOLIDWORKS The whole list