--- title: "Nastran vs SolidWorks: Which is searched more?" description: "Is Nastran or SolidWorks more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Finite element analysis software set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/nastran-vs-solidworks" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Nastran vs SolidWorks: Which is searched more? Is Nastran or SolidWorks more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Finite element analysis software set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Nastran and SolidWorks - **Competitive set**: Finite element analysis software - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Nastran Share of Search**: 1.6% - **SolidWorks Share of Search**: 1.3% ## Is Nastran or SolidWorks more popular in search? - In September 2026, Nastran had more branded searches than SolidWorks among finite element analysis software worldwide. Nastran had about 6,600 branded searches, while SolidWorks had 5,400. Nastran made up 1.6% of all finite element analysis software searches we track, and SolidWorks accounted for 1.3%. - Nastran was ahead of SolidWorks in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nastran’s share of searches among finite element analysis software worldwide moved from 1.7% to 1.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 6.6K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, SolidWorks’ share of searches among finite element analysis software worldwide moved from 1.4% to 1.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 5.4K. ## Top finite element analysis software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, SolidWorks was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Nastran was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Nastran was listed before SolidWorks in three out of five answers. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Ansys | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Abaqus | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | COMSOL | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | SolidWorks | 4th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Nastran | 5th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | SimScale | 6th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Altair | 7th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | CalculiX | 8th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about finite element analysis software - Asked ChatGPT "Which finite element analysis software should I use?": 1. Ansys, 2. Abaqus, 3. SolidWorks, 4. COMSOL, 5. SimScale, 6. CalculiX - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best finite element analysis software tools?": 1. Ansys, 2. Abaqus, 3. COMSOL, 4. Nastran, 5. Altair, 6. SimScale, 7. SolidWorks, 8. CalculiX - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best finite element analysis software for structural simulation?": 1. Abaqus, 2. Ansys, 3. Nastran - Searched Google, AI Overview "finite element analysis software": 1. Abaqus, 2. Ansys, 3. Nastran, 4. Altair, 5. COMSOL, 6. SolidWorks, 7. SimScale, 8. CalculiX - Searched Google, AI Overview "engineering simulation software": 1. Ansys, 2. Abaqus, 3. SolidWorks, 4. COMSOL, 5. SimScale Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for finite element analysis software worldwide in September 2026? - Estimated monthly branded searches for Nastran worldwide fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 8.1K to 6.6K in September 2026. - Estimated monthly branded searches for SolidWorks worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 6.6K to 5.4K in September 2026. ## Month by month | Month | Nastran estimated searches | Nastran Share of Search | Nastran rank | SolidWorks estimated searches | SolidWorks Share of Search | SolidWorks rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 8.1K | 1.7% | 7 | 6.6K | 1.4% | 8 | | Nov 2025 | 6.6K | 1.5% | 7 | 6.6K | 1.5% | 8 | | Dec 2025 | 5.4K | 1.3% | 7 | 5.4K | 1.3% | 8 | | Jan 2026 | 6.6K | 1.5% | 7 | 6.6K | 1.5% | 8 | | Feb 2026 | 6.6K | 1.6% | 7 | 5.4K | 1.3% | 8 | | Mar 2026 | 6.6K | 1.5% | 7 | 6.6K | 1.5% | 8 | | Apr 2026 | 6.6K | 1.6% | 7 | 6.6K | 1.6% | 8 | | May 2026 | 6.6K | 1.7% | 7 | 5.4K | 1.4% | 8 | | Jun 2026 | 6.6K | 1.7% | 7 | 5.4K | 1.4% | 8 | | Jul 2026 | 5.4K | 1.4% | 7 | 5.4K | 1.4% | 8 | | Aug 2026 | 5.4K | 1.4% | 7 | 4.4K | 1.2% | 8 | | Sep 2026 | 6.6K | 1.6% | 7 | 5.4K | 1.3% | 8 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Nastran’s and SolidWorks’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **Nastran**: Measured on the search term “nastran”. - **SolidWorks**: Measured on the search term “solidworks simulation”. - [Nastran profile](/demand/global-en/brands/nastran) - [SolidWorks profile](/demand/global-en/brands/solidworks) - [All finite element analysis software worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/finite-element-analysis-software): The set both shares are measured inside, 8 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Nastran or SolidWorks more popular in search? In September 2026, Nastran had more branded searches than SolidWorks among finite element analysis software worldwide. Nastran had about 6,600 branded searches, while SolidWorks had 5,400. Nastran made up 1.6% of all finite element analysis software searches we track, and SolidWorks accounted for 1.3%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Nastran vs SolidWorks: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/nastran-vs-solidworks This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/nastran-vs-solidworks. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.