MatWeb

MatWeb is one of the most widely used online materials property databases for engineers and product designers. Developed by Automation Creations Inc., the platform provides detailed technical data for thousands of engineering materials across metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, and engineering plastics.

Unlike subscription-only materials databases, MatWeb operates on a freemium model that makes core search and datasheet access available without registration. Engineers can look up key material properties such as mechanical strength, thermal characteristics, electrical behavior, and chemical composition directly in a browser without an account or software installation.

The database combines manufacturer-contributed commercial grade datasheets with standardized materials defined by international specifications. Because suppliers submit data directly, new commercial grades appear quickly and datasheets reflect real product specifications rather than generalized reference values.

MatWeb also supports property-based search, allowing engineers to filter candidate materials by specifying simultaneous ranges across mechanical, thermal, electrical, and physical criteria. This capability makes it practical for early-stage material selection workflows where the engineer knows what performance is needed but not yet which material delivers it.

Because of its accessibility and depth of coverage, MatWeb has become a standard reference tool for mechanical engineers, materials engineers, and simulation analysts across academic, industrial, and manufacturing environments.

Key Features

• Free searchable database of over 130,000 engineering materials covering metals, plastics, ceramics, composites, lubricants, and natural fibers
• Property-based Advanced Search for filtering candidates by simultaneously specifying ranges for up to ten mechanical, physical, thermal, and electrical properties
• Metal Composition Search for identifying unknown alloys or finding equivalents by specifying elemental composition ranges
• Metal UNS Number Search for retrieving datasheets by Unified Numbering System designation for rapid standard-to-datasheet lookup
• Polymer Trade Name and Manufacturer Search for locating proprietary plastic grades by brand name or supplier
• Side-by-side comparison of up to 20 materials across their full property profile (Premium)
• FEA and CAD format export in SolidWorks .sldmat and ALGOR .xml formats for direct simulation import (Premium)
• Hardness Converter supporting Rockwell, Vickers, Brinell, Knoop, and Shore scales with material-type-aware conversion logic
• Metric and imperial unit display with inline unit conversion from any property value hyperlink
• Supplier listings on every datasheet with direct links to raw material suppliers and manufacturers for procurement follow-through

Best For

Design engineers, materials engineers, and simulation analysts who need quick, free access to material property data for initial candidate screening, simulation property sourcing, unknown material identification, and routine design reference. Particularly suited to engineers who need a reliable answer in minutes rather than a curated report over several days, and to organizations that want a no-cost first-pass reference tool alongside more comprehensive paid database subscriptions.

Who It's Not For

Engineers who need simulation-grade advanced properties such as full stress-strain curves, fatigue life data, forming limit curves, and temperature-dependent properties across a wide range. Total Materia's Extended Range module and Ansys Granta's curated advanced datasets are better suited to those specific workflows.

Organizations requiring international cross-reference across 59 country standards systems, enterprise private database integration, or regulatory compliance assessment will also find Total Materia's broader platform more appropriate for those requirements.

Platform

Fully browser-based and accessible in any modern browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebook.

No dedicated mobile app, though browser access functions adequately on tablet devices.

FEA and CAD format export requires Premium membership and is available as a browser-initiated download.

Pricing

Three access tiers.

Unregistered free access covers basic text search, individual datasheet viewing, and three-material side-by-side comparison with no account required.

Registered free membership adds expanded comparison, basic advanced search, and saved search history, available free with email registration.

Premium membership at $99.95 per year unlocks Advanced Search with up to ten simultaneous criteria, side-by-side comparison of up to twenty materials, FEA and CAD format data export, graphical property display, and polymer film and lubricant property searches.

MatWeb CE enterprise database licensing is available for organizations wanting to host proprietary internal material data alongside the MatWeb reference database, with pricing available through direct contact.

Pros

• Core functionality completely free with no registration required, giving it the lowest barrier to access of any professional materials database
• Property-based multi-criteria search finds candidate materials without knowing the name or designation in advance, which is critical for early-stage material selection
• Supplier datasheets continuously contributed by manufacturers mean new commercial grades appear quickly without curation lag
• Premium tier is among the most affordable professional materials database subscriptions available
• FEA format export for SolidWorks and ALGOR eliminates manual property transcription for simulation workflows
• Inline unit conversion from any property value supports metric and imperial switching without leaving the datasheet

Cons

• Data quality varies by material; supplier-contributed datasheets are typically complete, but data for older or less commercial materials can be sparse and inconsistently sourced
• No international standards cross-reference at the depth of Total Materia, making equivalent material identification across 59 country standards systems outside MatWeb's scope
• Advanced simulation properties such as stress-strain curves, fatigue data, and temperature-dependent properties are largely absent from the standard database
• No PLM, ERP, or enterprise system integration; data flows through browser download rather than API or direct software connection
• No AI-powered property prediction or machine learning gap-filling for materials with incomplete characterization data

Rating

⭐ 4.5 / 5

Editorial Take

MatWeb is one of the most accessible resources for engineering material property data. For engineers performing material selection or preliminary analysis, it provides a convenient and largely free way to quickly access technical material information across a broad range of material classes.

Alternatives

Total Materia, Ansys Granta, ASM Aerospace Specification Metals, MMPDS, Cambridge Engineering Selector, Prospector, MakeItFrom

Used In

• Mechanical design material selection

• FEA simulation property sourcing

• Polymer and plastics grade comparison

• Unknown alloy identification

• Academic engineering coursework and research

• Supplier datasheet reference and procurement

• Early-stage concept material screening

Founded

1996