DIgSILENT PowerFactory vs ProfiCAD
DIgSILENT PowerFactory
digsilent.deProfiCAD
proficad.comSide by side
| Figure | DIgSILENT PowerFactory | ProfiCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 5 |
| Spec score · Electrical Design Software | 8.0 (#11) | 8.1 (#10) |
| Founded | 1985 | 1997 |
| Purpose | PowerFactory analyses electrical generation, transmission, distribution and industrial power systems. | ProfiCAD creates electrical and electronic diagrams, schematics, control circuit diagrams, and other technical diagrams such as pneumatic and hydraulic diagrams. |
| Support | Commercial perpetual licences include maintenance and support for the first 12 months, and subscriptions include them for the subscription term; software support requests go through the Customer Portal. | Users can get technical support through the site chatbot, email, FAQ, and user manual; the maker says questions are answered by the developer. |
Plans
DIgSILENT PowerFactory
- Demo licenceFree
- Commercial licence — perpetualPrice not published
- Commercial licence — subscriptionPriced on request
- Commercial licence — time-limitedPriced on request
ProfiCAD
- 30-day trialFree
- Home licenseFree
- School License$277, paid once
- Single User License$277, paid once
- Site License$827, paid once
In their own words
DIgSILENT PowerFactory
DIgSILENT PowerFactory is software for analyzing electrical generation, transmission, distribution and industrial power systems. Its study areas include renewable integration, distributed generation, and medium- and low-voltage networks. Available analyses cover load flow, short circuits, contingencies, protection, stability and electromagnetic transients. Users can automate work with Python, DIgSILENT Programming Language, a C++ API or a parallel task automation tool. The base package imports and converts network data; its DGS interface exchanges data in ASCII, XML, CSV and ODBC formats for GIS and SCADA connections. Additional interfaces include OPC DA/UA, IEEE C37.118 simulation and FMI 2.0 co-simulation, though some require separate licences. Editions range from a local SQLite setup to licence-server management and shared project data using Oracle, SQL Server or PostgreSQL. The 28-day demo is free for one user, with predefined functions, and excludes DGS, exports and API. Commercial pricing is available on request; platforms listed are Windows, API and self-hosted.
ProfiCAD
ProfiCAD is desktop software for creating electrical and electronic diagrams, schematics, control circuits, and technical diagrams such as pneumatic and hydraulic drawings. It can produce bills of materials, wire lists, terminal lists, and cable lists. The program includes more than 2,000 symbols and an editor for custom symbols. Drawing features include automatic symbol numbering and insertion, symbol search, and cross-references between wires and component symbols. Users can adapt or create ISO 7200 title blocks. The desktop program is for Windows; the maker says it can run on Mac using Parallels. ProfiCAD Viewer lets Android users view drawings, but it does not display cross-references. Drawings can be transferred to the viewer through cloud storage or email. ProfiCAD works offline, and drawings stay on the user's computer. It is not intended for PCB layout, 3D modeling, complex CAD, or full DWG/DXF editing. The free Home edition permits up to three pages, with commercial use limited to opening, viewing, and printing third-party documents. A full-feature trial lasts 30 days without a credit card; paid licenses start at $277, excluding tax.