Ansys Maxwell
Simulation & CAE software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
Take the quiz to check if Ansys Maxwell and its alternatives fit your requirements.
Contact the product provider
Free Trial unavailable
Free version
Small
Medium
Large
- Energy and utilities
- Manufacturing
- Professional services (engineering, legal, consulting, etc.)
What is Ansys Maxwell
Ansys Maxwell is an electromagnetic field simulation tool used to model low-frequency and quasi-static electric and magnetic behavior in 2D and 3D. Engineering teams use it to design and validate components such as electric motors, transformers, inductors, actuators, sensors, and other electromechanical devices. It focuses on finite element analysis (FEA) for electromagnetics and supports workflows that connect field results to circuit and system-level studies within the broader Ansys ecosystem.
Specialized low-frequency EM solver
Maxwell is purpose-built for low-frequency electromagnetic simulation, including magnetostatics, electrostatics, eddy currents, and related effects. This specialization fits common electromechanical design tasks such as motor torque, inductance, flux linkage, and core loss studies. Compared with general numerical computing tools, it provides domain-specific physics setup, materials, and post-processing for EM quantities.
2D and 3D modeling options
The product supports both 2D and 3D solvers, enabling faster exploratory studies in 2D and higher-fidelity validation in 3D when geometry and end effects matter. This flexibility helps teams balance accuracy and runtime across the design cycle. It also supports parameterized studies to evaluate design variants without rebuilding models from scratch.
Integration with Ansys workflows
Maxwell integrates with other Ansys tools for geometry preparation, multiphysics coupling, and system/circuit-level analysis. This reduces manual handoffs when teams need to connect field results to broader product simulations. It is typically used as part of an end-to-end CAE toolchain rather than as a standalone numerical environment.
Licensing and cost complexity
Maxwell is commercial software and is commonly licensed as part of broader Ansys portfolios, which can make total cost and module selection non-trivial. Organizations may need to plan for solver, HPC, and add-on licensing depending on use cases. This can be a barrier compared with open-source or lower-cost alternatives for early-stage exploration.
Steep learning curve
Accurate electromagnetic simulation requires careful setup of materials, excitations, boundary conditions, and meshing controls. New users often need training to avoid non-physical results or long solve times. Teams without prior EM/FEA experience may find it less approachable than general-purpose modeling environments.
Compute-intensive for detailed models
High-fidelity 3D electromagnetic models with fine features, nonlinear materials, and transient effects can require significant memory and compute time. Large parametric sweeps can further increase resource requirements. Practical use may depend on access to capable workstations or HPC infrastructure.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Perpetual / Annual Concurrent license | Custom pricing — contact Ansys | Concurrent licensing available on annual (subscription) or perpetual basis; list prices are not published publicly (contact Ansys Sales). |
| Named User / Shared Web (Ansys Web Licensing) | Custom pricing — contact Ansys | Named-user and Shared Web (web-based concurrent) licensing options for dedicated or shared user access; modern web licensing portal. |
| Elastic (Ansys Elastic Units / AEUs) — pay-per-use | Usage-based — price per AEU (contact Ansys) | Hourly consumption from a pool of Ansys Elastic Units; Maxwell consumes Ansys Cloud credits when run (see cloud credit consumption rates). |
| Cloud (Ansys Cloud / Ansys Gateway / Ansys Access on Azure) | Usage/credits-based — contact Ansys | Cloud/HPC usage billed via credits/core-hour; fees and billing pages provide examples but list prices/AEU price not published. |
| Student (Ansys Electronics Desktop Student) | Free (educational use) | Ansys Electronics Desktop Student bundle includes Maxwell for students (limited elements/features, academic terms of use). |
Seller details
ANSYS, Inc.
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
1970
Public
https://www.ansys.com/
https://x.com/ansys
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ansys-inc/
