What is CATIA used for?

CATIA is 3D design and engineering software from Dassault Systemes that is used in sectors such as aerospace and automotive, built on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. It is a good fit for designing aircraft or vehicle components, modeling complex systems before building them and teaching CAD through academic licenses.

How much does CATIA cost?

CATIA doesn't publish fixed prices; pricing is quoted on request.

Is CATIA open source?

No. CATIA is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to CATIA include FreeCAD.

What are some alternatives to CATIA?

CATIA competes with Siemens NX, PTC Creo and SolidWorks. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source CATIA alternatives.

CATIA: features, pricing and alternatives

About CATIA

CATIA is a 3D design and engineering product from Dassault Systemes. It covers the product development process from concept through design and simulation to manufacturing, and it is particularly associated with aerospace and automotive engineering. The vendor describes it as combining modeling and simulation and automating parts of design and systems engineering.

CATIA is organized by discipline, including buildings and infrastructure, design and styling, electrical and fluid engineering, general engineering and systems engineering. The portfolio includes 3DEXPERIENCE CATIA, CATIA Magic for modeling and CATIA V5. Its cyber-physical modeling features support model-based systems engineering and enterprise architecture. Dassault Systemes also runs academic and student license programs and user communities. It is a proprietary commercial product.

Key features

3D CAD design with simulation
Model-based systems engineering
Electrical and fluid engineering tools
Design and styling capabilities
Buildings and infrastructure design
CATIA V5 and 3DEXPERIENCE versions

Good fit for

→Designing aircraft or vehicle components
→Modeling complex systems before building them
→Teaching CAD through academic licenses

Tags: cad; 3d-design; systems-engineering; aerospace; automotive; dassault-systemes; simulation

CATIA: questions and answers

What is CATIA used for?: CATIA is 3D design and engineering software from Dassault Systemes that is used in sectors such as aerospace and automotive, built on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. It is a good fit for designing aircraft or vehicle components, modeling complex systems before building them and teaching CAD through academic licenses.
How much does CATIA cost?: CATIA doesn't publish fixed prices; pricing is quoted on request.
Is CATIA open source?: No. CATIA is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to CATIA include FreeCAD.
What are some alternatives to CATIA?: CATIA competes with Siemens NX, PTC Creo and SolidWorks. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source CATIA alternatives.