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Tools · cae simulation · Alternatives

Zemax OpticStudio alternatives

As of 4 November 2026, 39 cae simulation are named by companies instead of Zemax OpticStudio: Ansys by 1,369 companies, ETAP by 805, SKM PowerTools by 555.

As of 4 November 2026 · refreshed daily · counts move as websites, DNS and career sites are re-read.

Zemax OpticStudio, companies in postings
275
Most used alternative
Ansys · 1,369
Fastest hiring, 90 days
Ansys
Alternatives ranked
39
Catalogue
T-1.0.1-prov
01Ranked by evidence

cae simulation companies choose instead of Zemax OpticStudio

Companies naming each tool in their own postings, and postings in the last 90 days. Bars are relative to the category leader.

#AlternativeCompaniescompaniesvs Zemax OpticStudiopostings, 90 dCompare
1
AnsysAnsys
1,369498%5,181Zemax OpticStudio vs Ansys →
2
ETAPETAP (Operation Technology Inc.)
805293%3,132Zemax OpticStudio vs ETAP →
3
SKM PowerToolsSKM Systems Analysis
555202%2,265Zemax OpticStudio vs SKM PowerTools →
4
AbaqusDassault Systemes
532193%1,604Zemax OpticStudio vs Abaqus →
5
479174%1,213Zemax OpticStudio vs COMSOL Multiphysics →
6
441160%1,810Zemax OpticStudio vs Ansys HFSS →
7
390142%906Zemax OpticStudio vs Ansys Fluent →
8
NastranHexagon
370135%1,468Zemax OpticStudio vs Nastran →
9
PSCADManitoba Hydro International
305111%1,062Zemax OpticStudio vs PSCAD →
10
CST Studio SuiteDassault Systèmes
301109%945Zemax OpticStudio vs CST Studio Suite →
11
26295%640Zemax OpticStudio vs DIgSILENT PowerFactory →
12
PVsystPVsyst SA
25091%433Zemax OpticStudio vs PVsyst →
13
EasyPowerEasyPower
24087%816Zemax OpticStudio vs EasyPower →
14
PSS/ESiemens
23485%714Zemax OpticStudio vs PSS/E →
15
Aspen HYSYSAspenTech
23385%521Zemax OpticStudio vs Aspen HYSYS →
16
20173%497Zemax OpticStudio vs Simcenter STAR-CCM+ →
17
18668%805Zemax OpticStudio vs Ansys STK →
18
LS-DYNAAnsys
18065%527Zemax OpticStudio vs LS-DYNA →
19
FemapSiemens
17865%647Zemax OpticStudio vs Femap →
20
CAESAR IIHexagon
17363%420Zemax OpticStudio vs CAESAR II →
21
SOLIDWORKS SimulationDassault Systemes
16058%259Zemax OpticStudio vs SOLIDWORKS Simulation →
22
15958%343Zemax OpticStudio vs Ansys Mechanical →
23
OpenFOAMOpenFOAM Foundation
15456%342Zemax OpticStudio vs OpenFOAM →
24
PLECSPlexim
15456%396Zemax OpticStudio vs PLECS →
25
Aspen PlusAspenTech
14051%251Zemax OpticStudio vs Aspen Plus →
26
13951%436Zemax OpticStudio vs Altair HyperMesh →
27
13549%270soon
28
13449%226soon
29
12345%409soon
30
11943%359soon
31
CODE VSynopsys
11241%294soon
32
Thermal DesktopCullimore and Ring (Ansys)
11241%346soon
33
11140%299soon
34
CYMEEaton
10739%270soon
35
SimcenterSiemens
10337%326soon
36
10137%258soon
37
9334%331soon
38
9334%185soon
39
FlexSimFlexSim Software
8832%445soon
10,296 companies name a cae simulation in their postings.

Filter on any of them, or on Zemax OpticStudio users who also name an alternative, and open the person who owns the stack.

Start free, no card. The first 20 are above; e-mails are verified at the mail server when you open them.

Cite this

Quote the sentence with the date and the link. The numbers change daily; the link always shows the current ones.

39 cae simulation are named by companies instead of Zemax OpticStudio: Ansys by 1,369 companies, ETAP by 805, SKM PowerTools by 555, measured from their own job postings. (Breaknorm, 4 November 2026, https://breaknorm.co/tools/zemax/alternatives)
How we know

Read from the source, not self-reported

Every number on this page can be traced to a page we crawled or a posting we read. Full methodology →

  • RankingCompanies whose own postings name the tool as the team's system, from the Breaknorm technology catalogue T-1.0.1-prov. Editions are folded into their parent product.
  • 90-day postingsOpen postings first seen or posted in the last 90 days that name the tool.
  • Not includedRatings, prices, feature claims, sponsored positions.
FAQ

Zemax OpticStudio alternatives: questions

What is the most used alternative to Zemax OpticStudio?

Ansys: 1,369 companies name it in their own job postings, against 275 for Zemax OpticStudio.

How is this list ranked?

By the number of companies whose own postings name the tool as the team's system (Breaknorm technology catalogue T-1.0.1-prov), then by postings in the last 90 days. No ratings, no vendor input, no sponsored positions.

Does this say which is better?

No. It says who uses what, by company size, industry and country, so you can see which tools companies like yours choose. For features and prices, read the vendors.

Can I get the companies on any of these?

Yes: click the tool, see the first 20 companies, and sign up for the full list with verified e-mails. Counting is free.

Companies and people

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Every company on Zemax OpticStudio
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