I want to learn CAE but commercial software licenses are ridiculously expensive. Is there a realistic open-source alternative?
Absolutely. OpenFOAM for CFD and CalculiX for FEA are the two that professional engineers actually use in production — not just for learning. Several automotive OEMs and aerospace firms run OpenFOAM in their production pipelines.
So open source CAE is actually used professionally, not just by students?
Yes, especially in Europe. OpenFOAM has a massive industrial user base. The main tradeoff is the GUI — you'll be writing more input files than clicking buttons. But once you understand what's happening under the hood, you'll be a better engineer for it.
Open source CAE tools offer professional-grade simulation capabilities at zero license cost. While the learning curve is steeper than commercial tools, the transparency of open-source code and the deep understanding engineers gain from working without a polished GUI often produces better simulation instincts.