PLECS
Simulation & CAE software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$4,000.00 per year
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- Energy and utilities
- Manufacturing
- Education and training
What is PLECS
PLECS is a simulation software package focused on modeling and analyzing power electronic systems and electrical drives. It is used by power electronics engineers and control engineers to simulate switched-mode converters, motor drives, and related control algorithms for design verification and performance studies. The product combines a circuit-oriented modeling approach with control design workflows and supports code generation for selected real-time and embedded targets.
Power electronics focused modeling
PLECS is purpose-built for switched-mode power supplies, inverters, converters, and motor drives rather than general mechanical CAD/CAE workflows. Its component libraries and simulation workflow align with typical power electronics design tasks such as switching behavior, losses, and control-loop interaction. This specialization can reduce setup effort compared with general numerical computing environments when the primary need is power electronics system simulation.
Integrated control and plant simulation
PLECS supports combined simulation of electrical circuits and control systems in a single environment. This helps teams evaluate controller behavior against a detailed switching plant model without moving between separate tools. It is commonly used for control verification tasks such as PWM strategies, current/voltage regulation, and drive control studies.
Embedded and real-time workflows
PLECS includes options that support code generation and deployment workflows for selected embedded and real-time use cases. This can help shorten the path from simulation models to controller implementation and testing. For teams doing rapid control prototyping or hardware-in-the-loop style work, these capabilities can be a practical differentiator versus tools that remain purely desktop simulation.
Narrower scope than general CAE
PLECS is not a general-purpose mechanical CAD tool and does not replace 3D modeling or geometry-centric CAE used in product design. Organizations needing integrated mechanical design, assemblies, and manufacturing workflows typically require separate CAD/CAE platforms. It is best positioned as a domain tool for electrical power conversion and drives rather than a broad engineering suite.
Ecosystem and extensibility constraints
Compared with large general numerical computing ecosystems, PLECS typically offers a more specialized set of libraries and third-party integrations. Teams with heavy reliance on broad scientific computing toolboxes, extensive community packages, or custom language-based workflows may need additional tooling. Integration requirements (data exchange, automation, and co-simulation) should be validated for the specific toolchain.
Licensing and cost considerations
PLECS is commercial software, which can introduce licensing cost and procurement complexity compared with open-source numerical computing alternatives. Feature availability can depend on licensed modules and target support. Budgeting should account for the specific capabilities needed (e.g., code generation/real-time options) rather than assuming a single base license covers all workflows.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| PLECS Blockset — Individual License (permanent) | $8,000.00 | Permanent license; includes 1 year of software maintenance. Requires MATLAB/Simulink (Blockset is a Simulink extension). Annual lease is 50% of permanent price (i.e., $4,000/year). Source: Plexim official commercial price list. |
| PLECS Blockset — Dongle License (permanent) | $11,200.00 | Hardware-dongle based license (Windows & Mac). Includes 1 year maintenance. |
| PLECS Blockset — Concurrent License (permanent) | $16,000.00 | Network/concurrent license (license server). Includes 1 year maintenance. |
| PLECS Coder — Individual License (permanent, add-on) | $8,000.00 | Code-generation add-on for PLECS; same license-type structure and maintenance inclusion as Blockset. |
| PLECS Coder — Dongle License (permanent, add-on) | $11,200.00 | Dongle license for PLECS Coder. |
| PLECS Coder — Concurrent License (permanent, add-on) | $16,000.00 | Concurrent license for PLECS Coder. |
Notes:
- Prices shown above are from Plexim's official commercial price list (USD view). The site states the listed prices are for permanent licenses and include 1 year of software maintenance; an annual lease is offered at 50% of the corresponding permanent license. See Plexim pricing pages for other currencies and regional variants.
Seller details
Plexim GmbH
Zurich, Switzerland
2002
Private
https://www.plexim.com/
https://x.com/plexim
https://www.linkedin.com/company/plexim/
