Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Maxima VS SimScale

Compare Maxima VS SimScale and see what are their differences

Maxima logo Maxima

Maxima is a fairly complete computer algebra system written in Lisp with an emphasis on symbolic computation.

SimScale logo SimScale

SimScale makes high-fidelity engineering simulation truly accessible. From anywhere. At any scale. In the cloud.
  • Maxima Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-06-15
  • SimScale Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-24

SimScale is the world’s first cloud-native SaaS engineering simulation platform, giving engineers and designers immediate access to digital prototyping early in the design stage, throughout the entire R&D cycle, and across the entire enterprise. By providing instant access to a single fluid, thermal, and structural simulation tool built on the latest cloud computing technology, SimScale has moved high-fidelity physics simulation technology from a complex and cost-prohibitive desktop application to a user-friendly web application, accessible to any designer and engineer in the world.

SimScale

$ Details
freemium
Release Date
2012 January
Startup details
Country
Germany
State
Bayern
City
Munich
Founder(s)
Alexander Fischer
Employees
100 - 249

Maxima features and specs

  • Open-source
    Maxima is freely available and open-source, allowing users to access, modify, and distribute the software without any cost.
  • Symbolic Computation
    Maxima specializes in symbolic computation, providing robust tools for algebraic manipulations, differentiation, integration, and equation solving.
  • Customizability
    As an open-source software, Maxima is highly customizable, and users can modify the source code or write their own functions to extend its capabilities.
  • Documentation
    Maxima comes with extensive documentation, including a comprehensive manual and numerous tutorials, which can aid both beginners and advanced users.
  • Integration with Other Tools
    Maxima can be integrated with other software tools and languages such as Python (via SymPy), providing flexibility and additional functionality for complex computations.

Possible disadvantages of Maxima

  • User Interface
    The default user interface of Maxima is less polished compared to commercial alternatives, which may affect the user experience, especially for beginners.
  • Performance
    While suitable for many tasks, Maxima may not perform as efficiently as some specialized commercial software for very large or complex computations.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its depth and the nature of symbolic computation, there can be a steep learning curve for new users who are not already familiar with similar tools or mathematical concepts.
  • Community Support
    As an open-source project, support primarily comes from the user community, which may not always be as responsive or comprehensive as professional, paid support services.
  • Updates and Maintenance
    Maxima updates and maintenance depend on community contributions, which can sometimes lead to less frequent updates or delayed fixes for bugs compared to commercial software.

SimScale features and specs

  • Accessibility
    SimScale is a cloud-based platform, which makes it accessible from anywhere with an internet connection, eliminating the need for high-end local computing resources.
  • Collaboration
    The platform allows for easy collaboration between team members, as projects and simulations can be easily shared and worked on jointly.
  • Cost-effective
    By being a cloud-based service, SimScale reduces the need for expensive hardware and software licenses, making it a cost-effective solution for many users.
  • User-friendly Interface
    SimScale offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface that can be more approachable for beginners compared to traditional FEA and CFD software.
  • Versatility
    The platform supports a wide range of simulation types, including FEA, CFD, and thermal simulations, providing users with a versatile toolset.
  • Learning Resources
    SimScale provides extensive documentation, tutorials, and webinars that help users learn how to use the platform more effectively, which is beneficial for both new and experienced users.

Possible disadvantages of SimScale

  • Internet Dependency
    Since it is cloud-based, a stable internet connection is required to use SimScale, which may be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity.
  • Subscription Costs
    While there is a free tier, advanced features require a subscription, which might be costly for some users, especially small businesses or individual professionals.
  • Performance Limitations
    The performance is reliant on cloud computing resources which might be limited based on the user's subscription plan, potentially leading to longer simulation times for complex models.
  • Data Security
    Storing sensitive project data on a cloud service can pose security risks, which might be a significant concern for companies with stringent data protection policies.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic features are user-friendly, mastering advanced simulation capabilities can still have a steep learning curve, requiring a significant investment of time.
  • Limited Offline Capability
    SimScale's functionality is highly limited when offline, hindering work during internet outages or in remote locations without connectivity.

Analysis of SimScale

Overall verdict

  • SimScale is generally considered a good option for cloud-based simulation and engineering analysis.

Why this product is good

  • SimScale offers a user-friendly platform for performing complex engineering simulations including CFD, FEA, and thermal simulations. It is accessible via a web browser, eliminating the need for high-performance local hardware. This makes it particularly convenient for small and medium-sized businesses. Additionally, its collaborative features and wide range of simulation tools are highly appreciated by users.

Recommended for

  • Small to medium-sized engineering firms
  • Educational institutions for teaching purposes
  • Freelance engineers seeking cost-effective simulation tools
  • Organizations looking for a scalable and collaborative simulation platform

Maxima videos

2019 Nissan Maxima SR – The 4-Door Sports Car?

More videos:

  • Review - 2019 Nissan Maxima SR Review // A $40,000 Performance Sedan
  • Review - 2019 Nissan Maxima | CarGurus Test Drive Review
  • Demo - Maxima video

SimScale videos

SimScale Review by DE Magazine

More videos:

  • Review - Nerf Ultra Dart Review and Analysis with SimScale CFD
  • Tutorial - External Aerodynamics Analysis - SimScale Tutorial
  • Review - SimScale Review: Easy to use, browser-based software with excellent customer support
  • Review - SimScale Features and Benefits

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Maxima and SimScale)
Technical Computing
42 42%
58% 58
Numerical Computation
35 35%
65% 65
Math Solver
100 100%
0% 0
3D
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Maxima and SimScale. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Maxima and SimScale

Maxima Reviews

  1. Stable (slow but steady growth)

    I've been using Maxima since my undergraduate (over 10 years), now with Ubuntu20.04 lts, I become a newbie of SageMath. For a small project (both symbolical and numerical), in particular, student lab activities, Maxima has been a powerful tool for analyzing and visualizing data. (The Android version is also fantastic, but the poor keyboard.)

    Mathematica is always enemy/friend. (My coworkers are all Mathematica speakers.)

    Competitors: Wolfram Mathematica
    Pros:    Easy for cli user|Lithghter
    Cons:    Good for advanced users of computers (cli is sometimes hard for newbie)|Hard to find official references, tutors, etc

7 Best MATLAB alternatives for Linux
Another alternative to MATLAB is Maxima which is a computer algebra system (CAS) for manipulation of symbolic and numerical expressions including differentiation, integration, Laplace transformation, linear algebraic equations, tensors, etc.
Matlab Alternatives
Another alternative of Matlab is Maxima which was inspired by the legendary Algebra system Macsyma. It is a system used for manipulating numerical expressions such as Taylor series, Laplace transformations, Vectors, Tensors, and Matrices. Very accurate results are provided by using exact floating numbers, fractional values, and integers. The Source Forge file manager...
Source: www.educba.com
10 Best MATLAB Alternatives [For Beginners and Professionals]
Maxima is extracted from Macsyma, a computer algebra system developed in the late 1960s by MIT. Maxima is frequently updated to fix bugs for a more optimized coding experience
4 open source alternatives to MATLAB
Check out Maxima, it is a system for the manipulation of symbolic and numerical expressions, including differentiation, integration, Taylor series, Laplace transforms, ordinary differential equations, systems of linear equations, polynomials, sets, lists, vectors, matrices and tensors.
Source: opensource.com
3 Open Source Alternatives to MATLAB
Maxima, another frequently updated alternative to MATLAB. It's based on Macsyma, a "legendary computer algebra system" developed at MIT in the 1960s, can be compiled on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows, and is available under GPLv2.

SimScale Reviews

Electronic circuit design and simulation software list
SimScaleSimScale is a cloud-based simulation software which you can do everything online. They have a free community plan which you can signup for but all the circuits you make will be publically available. .banner-1-multi-111{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:15px !important;margin-left:0px...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Maxima seems to be a lot more popular than SimScale. While we know about 27 links to Maxima, we've tracked only 1 mention of SimScale. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Maxima mentions (27)

  • Integral Calculator
    I think the really neat piece of software behind this is maxima (https://maxima.sourceforge.io/), a rather influential computer algebra system of ancient lineage still in use today in more place than you might think. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Rye: Homoiconic dynamic programming language with some new ideas
    In the maxima computer algebra system[1] which was ancestrally based on lisp it has a single quote operator[2] which delays evaluation of something and a "double quote" (which acually two single quotes rather than an actual double quote) operator[3] which asks maxima to evaluate some expression immediately rather than leaving it in symbolic form.[4] [1] https://maxima.sourceforge.io/ [2]... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • True or False
    Use wxmaxima, a free and open-source computer algebra system:. Source: over 2 years ago
  • C++ library for solving EQUATIONS
    There are several options, here is one of them: https://maxima.sourceforge.io. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Do you know computer algebra software capable of managing systems of multiple equations with multiple unknowns and multiple variables?
    You may use maxima cas (https://maxima.sourceforge.io/) to solve symbolic complex problems. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

SimScale mentions (1)

  • What are some core competencies I need to brush up on in order to start learning how to conduct CFD analysis?
    After you brush up the theory, you can take it to the next level by trying out some sample tutorials using the existing tools or any of the free tools available. (I personally prefer cloud native tools like SimScale, Onshape(for CAD design) to avoid any specific hardware requirements). Source: about 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Maxima and SimScale, you can also consider the following products

MATLAB - A high-level language and interactive environment for numerical computation, visualization, and programming

Wolfram Mathematica - Mathematica has characterized the cutting edge in specialized processing—and gave the chief calculation environment to a large number of pioneers, instructors, understudies, and others around the globe.

Autodesk Fusion 360 - Integrated CAD, CAM, and CAE featuring collaborative editing and cloud-based computation.

GNU Octave - GNU Octave is a programming language for scientific computing.

Scilab - Scilab Official Website. Enter your search in the box aboveAbout ScilabScilab is free and open source software for numerical . Thanks for downloading Scilab!

Inventor - Inventor is a 3D CAD software that lets you quickly create 3D models with embedded intelligence, intuitive workflows, and optimized performance.