As technology continues to progress, designers, architects, and engineers hailing from all different disciplines are reaping the benefits of 3D design and ultra-fast modeling. Long gone are the days of flubbed designs and mountains of draft paper abandoned in the trash can. Now, the best and brightest minds can take advantage of innovative software solutions that take much of the guesswork about everything from measurement to compliance out of the design process.
The marine engineering and naval architect communities, including those who design and build watercraft, make use of these tools to develop better, more functional designs compliant with industry regulations and current design principles. From designing marine propellers in accordance with best practices to complete vessel designs that meet ABYC standards, good design is crucial for earning yacht certification and ensuring the overall safety and optimal functionality of components and vessels.
While there are countless software applications to choose from, not all adequately serve the needs of marine engineers and naval architects. From CAD to CAM to marine propeller design, hull design, and everything in between, we’ve done the legwork to help you quickly compare solutions and choose the software that best meets your boat design needs. Below, we’ve highlighted 50 of the best boat design software tools available on the market today. Please note, the following software solutions are organized alphabetically and are not ranked or rated in any way.
ActCAD™ markets itself as being a “best replacement” for traditional CAD software. It’s made to support the needs of a wide range of engineering and design projects, including boat and hull design. The software comes with a cost-effective perpetual license and is equipped with 2D drafting, 3D modeling, and rendering capabilities.
Key Features:
Cost: Contact for pricing
Autodesk® 3ds Max offers a cutting-edge, professional solution to the modern boat, hull, and ship designing engineer. The software consists of 3D modeling and rendering capabilities which allow the most aesthetically-conscious users to formulate the 3D boat models made to stand in for their final visions. 3ds Max also includes a built-in workflow system for better organization and collaboration throughout the design process.
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Cost: $1,545/year
3. Autodesk® Fusion 360
@autodesk
Yet another Autodesk®-branded offering is Fusion 360, an integrated CAD, CAM, and CAE software that is designed to “eliminate your disconnected product development process.” By unifying these three systems, Fusion 360 offers its users innovative capabilities such as 3D design and modeling, simulation, generative design, documentation, collaboration, and even manufacturing support. The software company also provides its helpful Learn & Support module for new users of all experience levels.
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4. Autopower
Autopower, a resistance and powering prediction program by Autoship, provides an advanced user interface made to optimize hull parameters within the designing and engineering processes. These specialized parameters are based on 12 expert-developed independent resistance and propulsion methods for displacement and semi-displacement, as well as hull and catamaran planning. As Autopower is an Autoship-developed and connected product, users reap the benefits of seamless data integration within the Autoship CAD/CAM suite.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
The Autoship CAD/CAM promises to support users within the entirety of the design process, from “generating hull lines through to nesting of parts.” In addition to the aforementioned Autopower, the software also touts the Autoship and Autohydro Pro programs, two tools which are made to support the designer from the brainstorming process all the way to their finishing touches. Autohydro Pro even offers advanced hydrostatics and stability calculations within a cutting-edge float simulator application.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
6. AVEVA Hull Structural Design™
@AVEVAGroup
AVEVA Hull Structural Design™ is billed as being a “word-leading software for record breaking vessels.” This heavy-duty software package is built to provide key rapid definition and analysis during the ever-complex hull structural design process. It also integrates seamlessly with a number of other AVEVA Marine applications, resulting in less input time and fewer mistakes.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
7. BaseLine Technology Marine Products
BaseLine Technology offers a wide range of marine engineering-related products designed to help build the strongest, most sound vessels possible. Its signature bundled packages are customizable and include classic CAD and modeling software such as Rhinoceros, Flamingo, and Penguin. BaseLine also provides a range of learning solutions for those just getting acquainted with these tools.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
The Bearboat Software suite is specifically made for those tackling tough kayak (and kayak-adjacent) structural designs, making it one of the only kayak-specific programs available. Bearboat is a long-standing program that first hit the Internet over 20 years ago. Most recently, developers released Bearboat Pro, an optimized and updated version of the software that can handle Bearboat Classic designs, with the help of an application intermediary.
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Cost: FREE
Popular open source 3D creation software, Blender, is an entirely FREE, donation-based tool that provides excellent support to all types of designers, particularly those working in the marine engineering industries. The software is made to support the entire 3D pipeline, including modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, and motion tracking capabilities.
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Cost: FREE
10. BoatExpress
BoatExpress Version 1.0 is an entirely free software that supports the complete boat design process for sailboats and motorboats with a hard or soft bilge. Tools include key data production on hull and hydrostatic elements, multiple drawing canvas options, auto-generated drawing stations, and streamlined resistance force graphs.
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Cost: FREE
11. Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore
@BV_Marine
Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore offers up a healthy sampling of software products based on its research that are designed to ensure structural efficacy, as well as compliance. Currently, the organization has a range of different programs available within six pertinent design and safety categories, including Structural Design and Rules Analysis, Seakeeping and Mooring Analysis, Stability Analysis, Propulsion and Shaft Alignment Analysis, and Low Sulphur Fuel Oil Analysis.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
12. CADMATIC Marine Software Solutions
@CADMATICOy
The CADMATIC suite of marine design software gives engineers the tools they need to cut down on time both in the design and production processes for greater prefabrication and pre-outfitting of blocks. The company even claims that its software is currently the “fastest to implement on the market.” The highly-intricate product is made for those who design some of the most impressive vessels sailing today; it offers detailed design advice, diagrams, welding management tools, 3D viewers, electric design elements, and much more.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
13. CAESES® Ship Hull Design
@CAESES
Modeling and CFD software-maker CAESES provides an integrated solution for naval architects in its Ship Hull Design program. In it, users are able to build and construct parametric ship models that boast the smartest shape control possible. The software is designed to let the user complete the three most key tasks: 1) creating a variable hull model, 2) connecting a CFD for streamlined studies, and 3) picking the most optimized hull shape possible.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
14. Carlson Design Hull Designer
Hull Designer by Carlson Design is a highly-interactive hull design program that features intuitive visuals and 3D features. In addition to boasting a sleek, user-friendly interface, the software provides all that a naval architect needs to construct a sound vessel including pattern creation, chine design advice, buoyancy and waterline length checks, and much more.
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Cost: FREE
15. DELFTship
DELFTship by Delftship Maritime Software is a state-of-the-art program that has been designed from the ground up to fit the needs of today’s naval architects, all based on expert research conducted by TU Delft. DELFTship Free comes with a stunning display and produces fast 3D visuals, while DELFTship Professional takes it one step further by providing users with features like complex asymmetrical hull design support.
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DraftSight® by Dassault Systemes is a CAD software that is built for a variety of different engineering, design, and architecture professionals, including naval architects. Its signature 2D and 3D capabilities allow users to take advantage of advanced drafting support, as well as cutting-edge modeling technologies for the most accurate output possible. DraftSight® comes in a range of different forms to meet diverse skill levels and budgets, including DraftSight Standard (2D), DraftSight Professional (2D), DraftSight Premium (3D), and DraftSight Enterprise and Enterprise Plus.
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Fairway by Promatech describes itself as being a “software for design, fairing, manipulation of ship hull forms and conversions of models.” Fairway promises to deliver simple, intuitive features that feel like hand-drafting – except the technology offers many more benefits than the pencil and paper. Included in these features are automatically-processed lines, full control over line geometry, and fast exportation of hull data.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
18. FastShip
FastShip is a basic ship design solution for designing hulls, superstructures, appendages, and other marine structures. The software, which is designed by Proteus Engineering, has a mission of providing users the ability to create fair surfaces in an accurate, ultra-timely manner. Most any hull feature can be effectively integrated into an original design, including bossings, bulbous bows, twin skegs, chines/knuckles, broken sheerlines, and circular bilge turns.
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Cost: FREE
FINE™/Marine by Numenca International has dubbed itself as “the leading CFO software for naval architects and marine engineers,” and for good reason: this solution has proven itself to be one of the fastest solvers available on the market today. In addition to its long list of competitive capabilities, this software recently released a RHINO plug-in, allowing users to export to the popular interface with ease.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
As its name suggests, FreeCAD is an entirely free CAD system that is available for a convenient web download. In addition to boasting a good amount of the same features as the paid CAD competitors, FreeCAD also allows for 3D design-modeling that is as intuitive as it is precise, for production ready drawings. As a bonus, the system also adapts to a number of other file formats for seamless workflow integration.
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Cost: FREE
21. Freeship Plus
This is a free solution that provides 3D hull design using hydrodynamics calculation tools. According to Softonic, Freeship Plus takes up far less space than others and is currently very popular in the naval architect and marine engineering communities of Canada, Germany, and France. Freeship Plus Version 3.13 is currently available for free download.
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Cost: FREE
22. Hullform
Hullform is the perfect fit for hobbyists and professionals alike who are working to design a structurally-sound, basic hull for ships and sailboats. The software allows users a fair amount of flexibility in terms of experimentation. The interface lets users go in and smooth out lines, edit angles, and adjust the lateral offset with ease. In addition to ships and sailboats, Hullform can also handle other boat designs, such as those made for catamarans.
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Cost: FREE
23. jSDN
If you are on the lookout for a NURBS-based yacht modeling software, jSDN might be the right choice for you. The specialized software allows users to devise and customize any type of sailing yacht of their choice and works to include key elements such as the hull, spars, sails, and other appendages. jSDN is currently available for FREE download which a limited-time PRO version.
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Cost: FREE with Pro version available (contact for pricing)
24. Leonardo Hull Software
@RINA1861
RINA’s Leonardo Hull software uses the power of direct calculations to help guide boat designers and architects to develop the most sound drafts possible. The crystal-clear 3D components allow users to create specialized features for a range of modeling structures such as bulkheads, stools, and trunks. In addition to the structural support, Leonardo Hull also carries out FEM analysis.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
25. MAAT Hydro
Sistre’s MAAT Hydro bills itself as being the “quickest access to professional hydrostatic.” As the claim suggests, MAAT Hydro is a cutting-edge hydrostatic solver that is designed to combine real-time analytics and high-level calculation utilities. Sistre offers a range of MAAT Hydro software solutions including MAAT Hydro Demo, MAAT Hydro +, MAAT Hydro ++, and the free MAAT Hydro Resources.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
26. MAXSURF
MAXSURF provides a wide range of integrated naval architecture software solutions that are designed to fit the unique specifications of all types of vessels. Currently, the MAXSURF software suite offers a number of hard-hitting modules such as MAXSURF Modeller (Fitting, Resistance, and Motions included), MAXSURF Stability, and MAXSURF Structure for hull and appendage support.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
MSC Software® provides shipbuilding solutions and support for a large pool of marine engineers and naval architects, including recreational craft designers, tankers designers, and even those who design for defense and military purposes. The software is guided by its visual prototyping technology which takes into account fatigue testing, thermal performance, noise and vibration, and panel buckling, among many other things.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
28. MultiSurf/SurfaceWorks by AeroHydro
AeroHydro is a CAD-based design package that includes popular names such as MultiSurf and SurfaceWorks. This highly-customized offering is designed so that naval architects and marine engineers are more easily able to create the very freeform surface shapes that are so hard to achieve in generic CAD software. Recently, AeroHydro added its Hydro feature which is a sleek hydrostatics and intact stability program.
Key Features:
Cost: Contact for pricing
NAPA is a hull form design and hydrodynamics software that provides both eco-efficiency and safety for today’s ever-changing sea conditions. The software sees architects and engineers through the early drafting phases, all the way to build. It offers both real 3D topological and interactive surface modeling, as well as real automated hull form optimization with quick design variation and optimization algorithms. It also interfaces with any CFD software and is customizable to fit a range of unique design processes.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
30. Nauticus Hull
Nauticus Hull is a hull design software that focuses on strength assessment for a large variety of ship structures. Once the design is complete, users are able to use the unique modules provided to check compliance, including IACS Common Structural Rules for bulk carriers and oil tankers (CSR BC & OT) and DNV GL Rules. Nauticus Hull also seamlessly integrates with Sesam GeniE for FE modeling, post-processing, and code check.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
NavCad by HydroComp, Inc. is a premier software that focuses on the prediction and analysis of both vessel speed and power performance. The flexible software is used by ship and boat builders, but also naval architects, marine engineers, propulsion equipment manufacturers, and even hydrodynamicists and researchers. Unique features include bare-full resistance prediction, steady-state propulsion analysis, propeller selection advice, and much more.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
Onshape is famous for being the one and only product development platform that merges the capabilities of CAD, data management, collaboration, and real-time analytics. Boat designers of all disciplines reap the benefits of Onshape’s CAD module which gives users the tools they need to create a sound vessel. Included in the CAD features are parametric modeling, simultaneous sheet metal tools, assemblies, drawings, and much more.
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OpenSCAD is a free software that is designed for creating solid 3D CAD objects, complex vessels included. The specialized software operates on two modeling techniques – constructive solid geometry (CSG) and 2D line extrusion. Unlike some of the sleeker, paid competitors, OpenSCAD focuses less on artistic rendering and more on the nitty-gritty details of the design for improved structural integrity and safety.
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Cost: FREE
Orca3D is the premier software for engineers and architects as it merges pertinent naval elements into the widely-used Rhino 3D environment. Orca 3D boats an easy-to-use, dual-module system that includes hull design and fairing and intact hydrostatics and stability (Level 1) and speed/power prediction and weight and cost training (level 2). Orca 3D also offers an add-on CFD package for better modeling and performance.
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Cost: $1,390-$3,470 (depending upon license selected)
35. PolyCAD
PolyCAD allows its users to “create, manipulate, import and export geometry for yacht and ship yacht design.” The software provides a sensitive surface modeling capability that takes into account a number of important hull design features. This is supported through modules like Sections, Curves and Surfaces, Parametric Hull Generation, IntelliHull, and X-Topology Multi-Patch Surfaces. PolyCAD also includes extensive support on naval architecture and analysis, as well as hull surface geometry reconstruction.
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Cost: FREE
36. Poseidon
Poseidon is an ultra-specialized hull design software that assesses the strength of custom ship hull structures. It contains a vast array of modeling functions and comprehensive analysis capabilities that are made to test the integrity of even the most complex designs. The software supports a full 3D modeling scope and special tools are included for hatch cover assessment.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
PrimeShip is a software service that assesses the overall health of a ship throughout its entire lifecycle, starting from the design phase. Created by ClassNK, the PrimeShip suite includes a range of software options to fit a variety of needs including ship performance capability modules, rule calculation systems, bulk carrier classifications, and even a CAD interface. PrimeShip also offers software support once the vessel is built with its machinery, operation, maintenance, and environment modules.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
38. ProBasic 3
ProBasic 3 by New Wave Systems, Inc. is an updated, more lightweight version of ProSurf 3, a classic hull design and analysis software. This low-priced, ultra-flexible software allows users to assess the most pertinent design and architectural data, including hydrostatics, stability, and resistance calculations. New Wave Systems, Inc. also offers other versions of the software with and without added capabilities for heightened customization.
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Cost: $195
39. PROLINES 2019
PROLINES 2019 is a program that is expecting a new release (PROLINES 8) in the latter half of 2019. The software includes a host of impressive features including 3D printing and rendering file capabilities, high-speed image rendering, and much more. This software is specifically written to meet the needs of Windows 10 users.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
Rhino 3D is a groundbreaking and widely-used software that is famous for its rendering, animation, and NURB translation capabilities. It boasts 3D rendering tools so advanced that their qualities reach products 20-50x their price, and its legendary interface is simple enough for even the newest users to master. The Rhino 3D modeler is now available for Mac OS X.
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Cost: $695-995
41. SARC PIAS
PIAS, the professional ship design software from SARC, is a favorite of naval architects worldwide as it offers a range of highly-researched certified calculation methods for the most flawless, compliant designs possible. After making an initial purchase, users can rest easy knowing that SARC is hard at work making constant improvements to the software. Current modules cover hydrostatics, hull design, resistance and propulsion, and much more.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
42. SHAPE
SHAPE by MasterShip allows users to generate a 1:1 faired production model of hulls and superstructures. The software aids in the creation of 3D shapes, using the multi-surfaces principle to define and connect multiple surfaces. In terms of fairness support, SHAPE always provides precision so that even the most complex examples of curvature are displayed.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
43. Shape Maker©
Shape Maker© is an offering from Marine Software Integration (MSI) that is one of the most unique ship surface modeling solutions on the market today. It takes in virtually all lines and surfaces to aid in the seamless forming of hulls, superstructure, wheelhouses, masts, thrusters, anchor pockets, appendices, and more. The program also allows for the helpful import/export of DXF and IGES.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
SketchUp is an ultra-popular 3D design software that gives users the tools they need to achieve fast, flawless 3D designs on the web. Though the software is geared heavily towards building design theory, there are a number of 3D elements that make it suitable for marine engineers and naval architects designing vessels.
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SOLIDWORKS by Dassault Systemes is a well-rounded 3D software tool that is built to manage designs throughout their entire life cycles. In addition to including many of the standard features of its competitors, SOLIDWORKS also boasts a simple interface for easy learning, as well as an active online community that promotes tips-sharing and education.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
46. SPLASH
SPLASH is a specialized software program designed by South Bay Simulations, Inc. that focuses on tackling surface panel code, flow simulation, and performance prediction for all types of yachts and ships. In October 2019, South Bay Simulations, Inc. will release new versions of the software. Demo versions are available here.
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Cost: FREE
47. TouchCAD
Those searching for a combined 3D modeling and unfolding CAD program need look no further than TouchCAD, a solution that generates complex 3D shapes for simple conversion. TouchCAD’s bread and butter is marine design, but it also works well for a range of other tasks, including sheet metal objects and others used in industrial and architectural design.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
48. Tunnel Boat Design Program Software
@aerom
AeroMarine Research’s Tunnel Boat Design Program Software (TBDP) is a PC-based program designed for performance analysis for all hulls, power catamarans, modified tunnels, and more. Users experience heightened fuel efficiency and a much more streamlined design process as opposed to simple drafting. The recently released TBDP Version 8 is now available.
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Cost: $399
49. Wolfson Unit Marine Design Software
Wolfson Unit supplies a wide range of marine design software to its diverse global client base. Currently, Wolfson Unit offers software focused on disciplines such as hydrostatics and stability, design, and resistance and propulsion. To sweeten the deal, the company also has free options and onboard programs available.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
ZW3D by ZWSOFT is an all-in-one CAD/CAM that is one of the most elaborate, yet cost-effective of its kind. Users report a great deal of time saved – 300% to be exact – as well as more stable and much faster modeling regeneration than the competitors. New for 2019, ZW3D boasts an upgraded translator that allows users to easily collaborate with the most popular file formats.
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Cost: Contact for pricing
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