Software alternatives · Hydraulics
A free HEC-RAS alternative in your browser
HEC-RAS is commercial software for river and open-channel hydraulics. If you need to do similar work without an installation or a licence — for preliminary design, checking, teaching or a quick answer on site — the CivilWorks Atelier studios below cover the same kinds of tasks for free, with step-by-step calculation sheets, drawings and Excel.
Where to do it in CivilWorks Atelier
| Task | Studio | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Water-surface profiles in open channels | Channel studio | Sluice gates, gradually varied flow and hydraulic jumps |
| Culverts and Manning flow | Design & analysis calculations | Culvert, channel and riprap calculations |
| Stormwater networks | Stormwater & Drainage Studio | Pits, pipes and detention |
| Scour and flooding | Design & analysis calculations | Bridge scour and flood calculations |
| Breakwaters and coastal protection | Breakwater design studio | Rubble mounds, caissons and eight other breakwater types |
Why engineers use it
- Free and instant — no installation, licence server or sign-up; it runs on a laptop, tablet or phone.
- Every step shown — calculation sheets (PDF) with the formulas, values and code clauses, ready to check by hand.
- Drawings and data — A3 drawing sets, SVG and PNG figures, Excel workbooks and JSON project files.
- Codes you work to — Australian Standards, with BNBC 2020 (Bangladesh), US and British codes where the studio offers them.
- Private by design — your inputs stay in your browser.
Where HEC-RAS still fits
Large three-dimensional models, project-wide data management and analyses that need a validated commercial program and its support remain the job of tools such as HEC-RAS. CivilWorks Atelier is best used for preliminary design, independent checks of a model, quick site answers, teaching and small projects.
Questions
Is CivilWorks Atelier a free alternative to HEC-RAS?
For many everyday tasks, yes: river and open-channel hydraulics can be worked through in the free browser studios listed on this page, with calculation sheets and drawings. It is not a copy of HEC-RAS, does not open its files and is not affiliated with its developer.
Can I use the results for design?
The studios follow published design standards and show every step, so each result can be checked by hand. They are intended for preliminary design, independent checking and learning; final designs should be verified by a qualified engineer.
Do I need to install anything or pay for a licence?
No. Everything runs in a web browser on a desktop, tablet or phone, and the studios are free to use. Your inputs stay in your browser.
Other free alternatives
DRAINS alternative GEO5 alternative LPILE alternative PLAXIS alternative Slide2 alternative
HEC-RAS is a trademark of its respective owner. CivilWorks Atelier is an independent site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by that owner; the name is used only to describe the kind of work being compared. CivilWorks Atelier does not open or create HEC-RAS files.