Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

NETGEN VS OpenFOAM

Compare NETGEN VS OpenFOAM and see what are their differences

NETGEN logo NETGEN

NETGEN is an automatic 3d tetrahedral mesh generator.

OpenFOAM logo OpenFOAM

OpenFOAMยฎ - Official home of The Open Source Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Toolbox.
Not present
  • OpenFOAM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-02

NETGEN features and specs

  • Robust 3D Mesh Generation
    NETGEN offers a powerful capability to generate complex 3D meshes, which is advantageous for users working on intricate engineering and scientific problems.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source tool, NETGEN allows users to access, modify, and distribute the software freely, enabling customization and widespread use without licensing costs.
  • Integration with Finite Element Software
    NETGEN can be integrated with finite element software, such as NGSolve, allowing seamless workflows in the simulation and analysis of physical systems.
  • Automatic Mesh Size Control
    The software includes automatic mesh size control, which simplifies the process of creating meshes that are optimized for specific computational needs.
  • Versatile Input Options
    NETGEN supports various input formats, including STEP and IGES, making it adaptable to a wide range of CAD systems and user requirements.

Possible disadvantages of NETGEN

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For users unfamiliar with mesh generation or finite element analysis, NETGEN may present a steep learning curve, requiring time and effort to fully understand its features.
  • Limited User Interface
    Compared to some commercial meshing tools, NETGEN's user interface may be considered less intuitive or lacking advanced visual editing features.
  • Performance for Extremely Large Models
    Although NETGEN is capable, it might struggle with performance issues when handling extremely large models, potentially affecting efficiency.
  • Community-based Support
    As an open-source project, support primarily comes from the community, which might not always meet the demands for prompt, professional assistance.
  • Specific Features Depend on Community Development
    The availability of certain advanced features can depend on ongoing community development, which may result in uneven implementation or longer wait times for updates.

OpenFOAM features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenFOAM is free to use and its source code is openly available under the GPL license, allowing for extensive customization and transparency in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.
  • Extensibility
    Users can extend and modify the functionality of OpenFOAM to suit specific needs or integrate new algorithms, making it highly adaptable to various projects and research requirements.
  • Community and Support
    A robust community of users and developers contributes to forums, documentation, and collaboration, providing substantial peer support and shared knowledge.
  • Versatility
    OpenFOAM supports a wide range of physical models and simulation types, from simple incompressible flow to complex multiphase flows and chemical reactions, making it suitable for diverse applications.
  • Parallel Computing
    Optimized for parallel processing, OpenFOAM can run efficiently on high-performance computing systems, thereby handling large-scale simulations effectively.

Possible disadvantages of OpenFOAM

  • Steep Learning Curve
    OpenFOAM requires a significant investment of time to learn and master, as it involves understanding complex physics, programming concepts, and software-specific syntaxes.
  • Limited GUI
    Unlike some commercial CFD software, OpenFOAM lacks a sophisticated graphical user interface (GUI), necessitating users to rely on command-line input and scripting for setup and execution of simulations.
  • Documentation Quality
    Although community-driven, the documentation can sometimes be incomplete or outdated, making it challenging for new users to find reliable and up-to-date instructions and tutorials.
  • Performance Variation
    Performance and stability can vary depending on the specific simulation setup and hardware used, which may require users to conduct extensive testing and optimization.
  • Dependency Management
    Installing and maintaining OpenFOAM and its dependencies can be complex, often requiring specific versions of libraries and compilers to ensure compatibility and optimal performance.

Analysis of OpenFOAM

Overall verdict

  • OpenFOAM is a powerful and versatile tool for CFD that is well-regarded in both academia and industry. Its open-source nature and comprehensive feature set make it a valuable resource for those needing customizability and advanced simulation capabilities.

Why this product is good

  • OpenFOAM is a popular open-source Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tool that provides a wide range of features for simulating complex fluid flows.
  • It offers a flexible and extensible platform, allowing users to customize solvers and utilities to fit specific simulation needs.
  • The extensive library of pre-built solvers and utilities is suitable for various applications, from automotive to aerospace engineering.
  • Being open-source, it encourages collaboration and sharing of improvements, making it highly adaptable and continuously evolving.
  • Comprehensive documentation and a large user community contribute to reliable support and knowledge exchange.

Recommended for

  • Engineers and researchers in academia who require a robust CFD tool with customization capabilities.
  • Industry professionals involved in research and development who need flexible and cost-effective CFD solutions.
  • Advanced users with programming skills who want to leverage and extend its capabilities for specific project needs.

NETGEN videos

NetGen NG2100 Action Camera Unboxing!! #GoWithTheFlow.

More videos:

  • Review - NETGEN NG2100 ACTION CAMERA || UNBOXING ND REVIEWS||
  • Review - NETGEN Morgen 20W NFC Earth-Shaking Powerful Speaker, just WOW!

OpenFOAM videos

What is OpenFoam? | Skill-Lync

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to run your first simulation in OpenFOAMยฎ - Part 1 - tutorial
  • Tutorial - CFD tutorial for beginners | What is OpenFOAM? | SKILL-LYNC

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to NETGEN and OpenFOAM)
3D
28 28%
72% 72
Numerical Computation
10 10%
90% 90
Technical Computing
12 12%
88% 88
CFD
17 17%
83% 83

User comments

Share your experience with using NETGEN and OpenFOAM. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenFOAM seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 19 times since March 2021. 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.

NETGEN mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of NETGEN yet. Tracking of NETGEN recommendations started around Mar 2021.

OpenFOAM mentions (19)

  • OpenFOAM on Debian 12
    In openfoam.org, there is not compiled binaries for Debian (any version). So one should install it using docker (I prefer to do not use it) or by compiling the code from the source. I consider compiling from source, but I do prefer binaries. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Please help me get running OpenFOAM
    Hello I am a mechanical engineering student in my last year. So I made the wisest decision to learn OpenFOAM. But there is the catch. I have no idea how to use Linux or how to emulate Linux on Windows 10. I found a lot of videos on Youtube how to download an start OpenFOAM but every one of them was using different methods each time so I got confused. Can anyone please help or direct me? Thank you for your answers... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Step by Step (Written not Video) Tutorial for FEM with Air
    As far as air flow simulation, I got slightly farther with Open Foam than I did in FreeCAD directly. Still, I got in way over my skill level and stopped before getting anything useful. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Open source FEA tools instead of ANSYS Workbench and APDL
    There are two versions of openfoam, one closed source (which is the one I linked to in my original comment, my apologies about that) and the open source version. But what you're describing makes it sound like fenics might be your best option. Source: over 2 years ago
  • command not found and looping
    I suggest you install per the instructions at openfoam.com or openfoam.org instead of using apt. Source: over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing NETGEN and OpenFOAM, you can also consider the following products

Gmsh - Gmsh is a 3D finite element grid generator with a build-in CAD engine and post-processor.

ANSYS Fluent - ANSYS engineering simulation and 3D design software delivers product modeling solutions with unmatched scalability and a comprehensive multiphysics foundation.

TetGen - A Quality Tetrahedral Mesh Generator and a 3D Delaunay Triangulator

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

Altair - Visually Analyze Any Data at the Speed of Business

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