ETAP vs PowerWorld Simulator
ETAP
etap.comPowerWorld Simulator
powerworld.comSide by side
| Figure | ETAP | PowerWorld Simulator |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Spec score · Electrical Design Software | 8.7 (#2) | 7.9 (#16) |
| Analysis | ETAP 2026 includes power system analysis capabilities for renewable integration, feeder hosting capacity, Volt-VAR optimization, battery energy storage, and grid-code studies. | The base package includes contingency analysis with automatic batch processing, full power-flow or fast linearized analysis, and result views by contingency or impacted facility. |
| Founded | 1986 | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Irvine, California, USA | Champaign, Illinois, United States |
| Integrations | DataX provides interfaces and conversion tools for third-party engineering and CAD software, including Excel, Revit, AVEVA, SmartPlant Electrical, and ArcGIS. | The SimAuto add-on lets users extend Simulator functionality from an external program they write. |
| Purpose | ETAP provides software and hardware solutions for electrical systems across design, engineering, operations, and maintenance. | Simulator interactively simulates high-voltage power system operation over periods from several minutes to several days. |
| Support | Power Simulator subscriptions include dedicated priority support, according to ETAP. | The company lists technical support by email and says license maintenance includes customer support, upgrades, and software patches. |
Plans
ETAP
- ETAP Power Simulator GrowPriced on request
- ETAP Power Simulator LaunchPriced on request
PowerWorld Simulator
- Simulator evaluation versionFree
- Simulator base package (first commercial license)$11,000, paid once
In their own words
ETAP
ETAP provides software and hardware for electrical systems across design, engineering, operations, and maintenance. Its modular energy management platform centers on a unified electrical digital twin for power system design, analysis, operations, and automation. ETAP 2026 includes analysis for renewable integration, feeder hosting capacity, Volt-VAR optimization, battery energy storage, and grid-code studies. Power Simulator is designed to predict system behavior, optimize grid performance, and run offline or real-time predictive simulations. DataX exchanges information across GIS, BIM, CAD, and legacy tools, with interfaces for products including Revit, AutoCAD, Excel, AVEVA, and ArcGIS. NetPM supports multi-user model creation, concurrent studies, change management, and role-based access. Grid Intelligence lists Modbus TCP, BACnet/IP, and REST protocols and integrations with systems such as SCADA, GIS, and OMS. ETAP serves utilities, infrastructure, industries, and buildings. Design and analysis products list supported 64-bit Windows systems; etapAPP is available for iOS, Windows, and Android tablets. Pricing is by customized quote, with a free 30-day demo and no free plan.
PowerWorld Simulator
PowerWorld Simulator is desktop software for interactively simulating high-voltage power-system operation over periods from minutes to days. Its full package solves power-flow systems of up to 250,000 buses. The base package provides contingency analysis with automatic batch processing, full power-flow or fast linearized analysis, and result views organized by contingency or impacted facility. Visualization includes animated diagrams, automatic diagram creation and modification, contoured displays, and a model explorer. Optional add-ons cover ATC, OPF, SCOPF, reserves optimization, SimAuto, transient stability, GIC, and integrated topology processing. SimAuto allows an external program to extend Simulator. The product lists industry-standard file-format compatibility and GIS support. It runs on 64-bit Microsoft Windows 7/Server 2008 R2 and newer; no other operating systems are supported. A free evaluation version is limited to 13 buses. The first commercial base-package license costs $11,000 as a one-time purchase and includes one year of upgrades and support.