System Requirements: Running COMSOL Applications
COMSOL applications can be run as standalone applications, compiled using COMSOL Compiler™. With this option, other COMSOL® products are not required for running the applications. Alternatively, you can run COMSOL applications by connecting to COMSOL Server™. You can connect to COMSOL Server™ from a web browser or from the COMSOL Client for Windows® or the COMSOL Client for Android™. The COMSOL Client for Windows® enables users to run applications that require a LiveLink™ product for CAD. Running applications in a web browser does not require any installation or web browser plugins. Running an application in a web browser supports interactive graphics in 3D using WebGL™ technology.
Compiled Applications
The system requirements for COMSOL Compiler™ and compiled applications are nearly identical to those for COMSOL Multiphysics®.
For Linux® for Arm® processors, the curl software needs to be installed. Make sure you install curl before running the application the first time.
| Linux® Distribution | Installation Command |
|---|---|
| Debian®, Ubuntu® | sudo apt-get install curl |
| Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®, Rocky Linux™, Oracle® Linux® | sudo yum install curl |
| SUSE®, OpenSUSE® | sudo zypper install curl |
COMSOL Server™ Using Web Browsers
Recent versions of the most popular web browsers support the WebGL™ standard for 3D graphics and WebSockets. The table below lists the earliest version of each browser that supports WebGL™ and WebSockets, but we recommend always using the latest version of the browser for the best user experience.
| Operating System | Browser | Recommended Version |
|---|---|---|
| Windows®/Linux®/macOS | Chrome™ | 31 or later |
| Windows® | Internet Explorer® | 11 or later |
| Windows® | Microsoft Edge® | 21 or later |
| Windows®/Linux®/macOS | Firefox® | 35 or later |
| macOS | Safari | 7.1 or later |
| iOS® | Safari | 8.1 or later |
| Android™ | Android™ Browser | 37 or later |
| Android™ | Chrome™ | 40 or later |
COMSOL Server™ Using COMSOL Client for Windows®
Running COMSOL apps with the COMSOL Client for the Windows® operating system utilizes Microsoft® Windows® components. This gives simulation apps a look-and-feel similar to apps running in the COMSOL Desktop® environment. In addition, many of the LiveLink™ products for CAD software can be used with the COMSOL Client.
| Supported Operating System Version | |
|---|---|
| 64-Bit Operating Systems |
|
COMSOL Server™ with Interfacing Products
CAD Import Module and Design Module
File import of the NX™ and SOLIDWORKS® file formats is available only on a supported Windows® or Linux® operating system with Intel® 64-bit processors. File import of the AutoCAD® and Inventor® file formats is available only on a supported Windows® operating system.
| Operating System | Supported Version |
|---|---|
| Windows® | Windows® 10 and 11 |
| macOS | macOS 121 and 131 |
| Linux® | OS-specific system requirements 2,3 |
1 File import of the IGES and STEP file formats on macOS 12 and 13 with Apple silicon processors like M1 requires Rosetta 2.
2 File import of the ACIS, IGES, PTC Creo Parametric™, PTC Creo® Elements Pro, STEP, and PTC Pro/ENGINEER® file formats is available only on a supported Linux® operating system with Intel® 64-bit processors.
3 File import of the SOLIDWORKS® file format on a Linux® operating system requires that the Network Services Library (libnsl.so) package is installed.
For a list of supported file formats for CAD file import and export, see the CAD Specification Chart.
LiveLink™ Products for CAD Software
The bidirectional interface functionality of the product suite detailed in the table below is available only for the Windows® 10 and Windows® 11 operating systems when run together with the COMSOL Client or a compiled application. Synchronization in offline mode is available on all supported Windows®, Linux®, and macOS operating systems. For other included functionality, such as file import and geometric operations, see the CAD Import Module and Design Module table above.
| LiveLink™ | Compatible Software |
|---|---|
| LiveLink™ for AutoCAD® | AutoCAD® 2023 and 2024 |
| LiveLink™ for Inventor® | Inventor® 2023 and 2024 Inventor® Professional 2023 and 2024 |
| LiveLink™ for PTC Creo Parametric™ | PTC Creo Parametric™ 7.0–10.0 |
| LiveLink™ for Revit® | Revit® 2023 and 2024 |
| LiveLink™ for Solid Edge® | Solid Edge® 2023 and 2024 |
| LiveLink™ for SOLIDWORKS® | SOLIDWORKS® 2022 and 2023 |
File Import for CATIA® V5
The File Import for CATIA® V5 add-on to the CAD Import Module, Design Module, and LiveLink™ products for CAD is only available for Windows® 10 and Windows® 11.
LiveLink™ for Excel®
LiveLink™ for Excel® is compatible with Excel® 2016, 2019, and 2021 on the Windows® operating system.
LiveLink™ for MATLAB®
LiveLink™ for MATLAB® is compatible with MATLAB® R2023a and R2023b on all supported operating systems. For Linux® operating system, the xterm and csh programs are required. To interface with MATLAB® functions, the COMSOL app needs to be run in a web browser, while the MATLAB® and COMSOL Server™ programs need to be installed on the same physical computer.
Note: This information is provided for your benefit, but should not be used as a substitute for your own investigation of the system requirements that may be appropriate for your use of COMSOL® software or other software, given your particular circumstances. Systems and hardware change regularly, which may impact any determination of what system requirements are appropriate for you.
Android and Chrome are trademarks of Google Inc. Arm is a trademark or registered trademark of Arm Limited (or its subsidiaries or affiliates) in the US and/or elsewhere. Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, AutoCAD, Inventor, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Firefox is a registered trademark of the Mozilla Foundation. IOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. and other countries, used by Apple, Inc. and its affiliates under license. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. Apple, macOS, and Safari are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. CATIA is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries. Debian is a registered trademark of trademark of Software in the Public Interest, Inc. in the United States. OpenSUSE and SUSE are registered trademarks of SUSE LLC. MATLAB is a registered trademark of The MathWorks, Inc. Microsoft, Microsoft Edge, Excel, Internet Explorer, Windows, and Windows Server are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. NX and Solid Edge are trademarks or registered trademarks of Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. PTC, Creo, Creo Parametric, Elements/Pro, and Pro/ENGINEER are trademarks or registered trademarks of PTC Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and in other countries. SOLIDWORKS is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. Red Hat and Red Hat Enterprise Linux are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. Rocky Linux is a trademark of Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation. Ubuntu is a registered trademark of Canonical Ltd. WebGL and the WebGL logo are trademarks of the Khronos Group Inc. COMSOL AB and its subsidiaries and products are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or supported by these trademark owners.