Side by side
nTop vs Plato
Both stand on generative design software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Choose nTop if your work involves parametric geometry and exploring many engineering design variants, with support for a broad range of import formats. Students, educators, and academic researchers can apply for free non-commercial access; commercial buyers need to request pricing and should check the listed hardware requirements.
Visit nTopPlato offers optimization methods and workflow coordination for technical design tasks, with a free open-source version and a no-fee Government Use license for eligible users. It is a command-line Linux tool, and installation requires a license and contact with the team.
Visit PlatoThe facts
| nTop | Plato | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Windows | Linux |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Maker | nTop | Not published |
| Website | ntop.com | sandia.gov |
| On generative design software | #7 of 20 | #11 of 20 |
nTop: what it does well
- Design logic can run across thousands of variants.
- Implicit modeling is designed to stay stable through large parameter changes.
- Supports assembly and surface modeling.
- Imports CAD, mesh, CAE, and other formats.
- Free non-commercial education access is available by application.
What to know first
- Commercial pricing is available only on request.
- The interactive desktop application supports Windows 11 editions.
- System requirements specify at least 64 GB RAM and an NVIDIA GPU with 8 GB VRAM.
Plato: what it does well
- Supports topology and shape optimization with adjoint methods.
- Objectives include stiffness, heat flow, and stress.
- Coordinates geometry, meshing, and physics-simulation workflows.
- Includes the open-source Plato Analyze physics code.
What to know first
- The documented interface is command-line based.
- A license is required to obtain an install package.
- The open-source version has limited objectives and constraints.