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OpenFOAM VS Simscale CFD

Compare OpenFOAM VS Simscale CFD and see what are their differences

OpenFOAM logo OpenFOAM

OpenFOAM® - Official home of The Open Source Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Toolbox.

Simscale CFD logo Simscale CFD

SimScale CFD is a cloud-based leading CAE platform that offers access to CFD, FEA, and thermodynamics simulation capabilities 100% via a standard web browser.
  • OpenFOAM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-02
  • Simscale CFD Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-26

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    Although community-driven, the documentation can sometimes be incomplete or outdated, making it challenging for new users to find reliable and up-to-date instructions and tutorials.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.

Simscale CFD features and specs

  • Accessibility
    Simscale CFD is cloud-based, which allows users to access the software from anywhere without needing expensive hardware.
  • Collaboration
    It facilitates easy sharing and collaboration among team members, allowing multiple users to work on a project simultaneously.
  • Easy Setup
    Since it's cloud-based, there is no need for installation. Users can get started quickly with minimal IT support.
  • Scalable Resources
    Users can scale computational resources based on their needs, providing flexibility and efficiency for different project sizes.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The platform offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, which reduces the learning curve for new users.

Possible disadvantages of Simscale CFD

  • Internet Dependency
    Since Simscale is cloud-based, a stable internet connection is essential to run simulations without interruptions.
  • Subscription Cost
    While offering flexible pricing, the subscription model can become expensive for frequent users or large enterprises over time.
  • Limited Offline Capability
    Being a cloud service, Simscale provides limited functionality offline, which might not suit all user needs.
  • Data Security
    Users may have concerns regarding data privacy and security since all simulations and results are stored in the cloud.
  • Complex Simulations
    Very complex or highly customized simulations may not perform as efficiently as they might on specialized, high-performance local machines.

OpenFOAM videos

What is OpenFoam? | Skill-Lync

More videos:

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

Simscale CFD videos

No Simscale CFD videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenFOAM and Simscale CFD)
Numerical Computation
65 65%
35% 35
Technical Computing
65 65%
35% 35
Simulation Software
48 48%
52% 52
CFD
73 73%
27% 27

User comments

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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.

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: almost 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: about 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: about 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
View more

Simscale CFD mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Simscale CFD yet. Tracking of Simscale CFD recommendations started around Aug 2021.

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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

Autodesk Fluid Flow - Autodesk Fluid Flow is an industry-leading fluid dynamics software that helps to enhance product performance and reliability.

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.

CFDTool - An Easy to Use MATLAB Computational Fluid Dynamics CFD Simulation GUI Toolbox

COMSOL Multiphysics - COMSOL is the developer of COMSOL Multiphysics software, an interactive environment for modeling and simulating scientific and engineering problems.