COMSOLLicense

COMSOL Licensing Structure

COMSOL licensing is similar to MATLAB licensing in that various modules with individual prices can be added to the COMSOL Multiphysics license.

Without knowing the modules needed by any particular researcher it would be very difficult to plan a site-wide licensing structure for COMSOL. Unlike MATLAB, COMSOL does not offer any type of site licence which would include a significant number of modules.

COMSOL offers three different price points for licenses. The prices listed below are educational discounted prices.

• All licenses are perpetual
• Maintenance costs are 20% of the cost of the licence, paid annually

1. CPU/NSL Base $1,795; Modules $495 to $,1795; research and instructional use only
1. CPU (CPU-locked license)
• Locked to single computer. Any user logged in locally can use the software. Remote users cannot use the software
2. NSL (named single user license)
• Allows a single user to use the software on different computers. Remote users cannot use the software
2. FNL (floating network license) Base $3,590; Modules $990 to $3,590
• Cost is per seat
• Can be used for research and instruction only
3. CKL (class kit license) Base $3,995; Modules $995 to $2,995
• 30-seat network license
• Can be used for instruction only

Current licenses

1. Department of Chemical Engineering, CKL, $19,945, $3,989 per year maintenance
• Multiphysics $3,995
• AC/DC Module $1,495
• CFD Module $2,995
• Mixer Module $1,495
• Pipe Flow Module $1,495
• Microfluidics Module $1,495
• Heat Transfer Module $,1495
• Particle Tracing Module $1,495
• LiveLink for Matlab $995
2. Piero Armenante (ChE) FNL (1 seat, restricted to a set of UCIDs) $8,770. $1,754 per year maintenance
• Multiphysics - $3,590
• CFD Module - $3,590
• Mixer Module - $1,590
3. Christina Frederick (DMS) NSL $4,080, $816 per year maintenance. The cost of an equivalent FNL is $8,160, with annual maintenance $1,632.
   • Multiphysics $1,795
   • Acoustics Module $895
   • Optimization Module $895
   • LiveLink for Matlab $495

Shared licenses

• Research
• Given the COMSOL license pricing model, and the very disparate current use cases, sharing of research license is impractical
• Instructional
• The current setup of the CKL has no restrictions on who can use it