Process Engineering
Process Simulation: Aspen Plus vs HYSYS vs ChemCAD vs ProMax
Chemical and process engineering modeling software.
Comparison
Features
Best Choice
Aspen Plus
$10,000+
Aspen HYSYS
$10,000+
ChemCAD
$4,000+
ProMax
$6,000+
Core Specialty
Chemical/Solid
Oil & Gas/Refining
General Chem
Gas Processing
Batch Processing
Excellent
Poor
Good
Fair
Thermodynamics
Deepest Library
Petro-focused
Reliable
Proprietary Electrolytes
Learning Curve
Very Steep
Steep
Moderate
Moderate
Software Integration
Excel/MATLAB
Upstream/Downstream
Standard
Strong
Action
Methodology
Evaluated thermodynamics property database depth, convergence stability, and industry-specific feature sets.
The Verdict
Aspen Plus is the global standard for chemical processes, while HYSYS is the undisputed leader in the Oil & Gas sector.