PyroSim is a mature, widely used FDS interface, and if it's working for you, that's a fine choice. This page sets out, factually and with sources, where FireFlow Studio differs (on licensing cost, built-in FEA thermal analysis, and workflow) so you can judge for yourself. FireFlow Studio is designed and built by a practising fire safety engineer, optimised for consultancy workflows. Last verified July 2026.
FireFlow Studio is a perpetual licence at an introductory launch price of AUD $449.99 per seat, once, including one year of updates and support. The software keeps working after that year, with renewal optional for continued updates. PyroSim's published pricing is a subscription: US $1,200 per year for an individual fixed licence, or US $1,800 per year per seat for business network licences (perpetual licences available by quote).1 Over a three-year horizon that is roughly a tenfold difference in outlay for a solo practitioner, before exchange-rate effects.
| FireFlow Studio | PyroSim | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence model | Perpetual, AUD $449.99/seat introductory price, 1 yr updates & support included | Subscription, US $1,200/yr individual · US $1,800/yr/seat business; perpetual by quote1 |
| Software after year 1 without paying again | Keeps working | Subscription licences require renewal1 |
| FDS solver bundled | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-in FEA heat-transfer solver, live-coupled to the running FDS simulation | ✓ steady-state & transient, per-face boundary conditions incl. FDS adiabatic surface temperature | Not an advertised feature2 |
| Multi-scenario management in one model (one geometry, many design fires) with batch & concurrent runs | ✓ | Not an advertised feature2 |
| Scenario-comparison tabs in the results viewer | ✓ | Not an advertised feature2 |
| Live monitoring during a run (progress, time-step health, HRR & device outputs) | ✓ | Run status and output available; see vendor docs for detail2 |
| Integrated 3-D results viewer | ✓ bespoke, with plotting pane, CSV/PNG export | ✓ PyroSim/Pathfinder Results application |
| Offline activation (no account, no phone-home) | ✓ | See vendor licensing docs1 |
| Geometry import | DXF, OBJ, STL + floor-plan underlay tracing | Broader CAD support incl. DWG and IFC2 |
| Coupled evacuation modelling | Not offered | ✓ integrates with Pathfinder (separate licence) |
| Track record | Version 1.2.2, released 2026 | Established for ~two decades, large user base |
| Platform | Windows 10/11, per-user install, no admin rights | Windows2 |
1. Pricing and licence terms from thunderheadeng.com/pyrosim/pricing and Thunderhead licensing documentation, retrieved 8 July 2026. Prices change; check the vendor's site for current figures.
2. Based on publicly available product information at thunderheadeng.com as of July 2026. "Not an advertised feature" means we could not find it in the vendor's published materials; it does not guarantee absence. If anything here is out of date, tell us and we'll correct it.
A finite-element heat-transfer solver runs inside the app, coupled to the live FDS simulation: solid temperatures develop alongside the fire, pulling surface materials and adiabatic surface temperatures from the FDS model at each time step. Assessing structural elements normally means exporting AST data and running a separate FEA package; here it's one model, one run.
One geometry, many design fires: per-scenario object membership and property overrides, batch runs back-to-back or concurrently sized to your PC, and results compared side-by-side via tabs. No juggling exported decks or opening results in separate windows.
Progress, time-step health, HRR and device outputs stream live while FDS marches, with graceful stop, checkpoints and one-click resume, for a single run or a whole batch.
PyroSim has two decades of history, broader CAD import (DWG/IFC) and Pathfinder evacuation coupling. FireFlow Studio is new, Windows-only, and imports DXF/OBJ/STL. Underneath both sits the same unmodified NIST FDS solver; the physics and the results are FDS either way. The 7-day trial is fully functional; the fastest way to judge us is to run your current project in it.
Every feature unlocked. FDS solver bundled. No credit card, no sign-up, installs without admin rights. 30-day extended trials available on request.
Download the free trialThen AUD $449.99 per seat, perpetual (introductory price). Pricing details