Abstract
This article presents an overview of software tools for modeling district heating systems to enable heat supply companies to make informed choices and develop optimal software packages. Purpose: to systematize software tools for modeling district heating systems (DHS), compare the mathematical approaches implemented in them, and determine the applicability limits of tools for design, performance analysis, modernization, optimal control, and the creation of digital twins. Methods: multi-criteria comparative analysis by thermo-hydraulic model type, temporal and spatial scale, equipment composition, optimization capabilities, calibration, and integration with GIS/SCADA, API, FMI, and OPC. Results: demonstrate the effectiveness of specialized network platforms for operation and performance calculations, while Modelica-compatible environments are used for detailed dynamic modeling and control development. Practical significance: lies in the possibility of using the proposed classifications, comparative criteria, and research selection matrix in the digitalization and phased modernization of large DHSs in Kazakhstan and other CIS countries