ASCEND vs OpenFOAM
ASCEND
ascend4.org
OpenFOAM
openfoam.comSide by side
| Figure | ASCEND | OpenFOAM |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Physics Simulation Software | 8.2 (#23) | 8.7 (#5) |
| Current release | The homepage identifies version 0.9.8 as the current version. | The current release is OpenFOAM v2606, released on 26 June 2026. |
| Data export | Yes | Yes |
| Delivery mode | desktop | desktop |
| Founded | 1978 | 2004 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| License | ASCEND is released under the General Public License. | OpenFOAM is distributed under the GNU General Public Licence (GPL). |
| Platforms | The site lists downloads for Windows, Linux, and Mac; it says macOS installation may require building from source. | The v2606 release provides Linux packages and source code; Windows users can use WSL, native cross-compiled executables, or Docker, and macOS users can compile from source or use Docker. |
| Purpose | ASCEND solves systems of equations and is aimed at engineers and scientists. | OpenFOAM is an open-source computational fluid dynamics toolbox for simulating fluid flow, heat transfer, and related physical processes. |
| Support | The site invites users to report bugs, contact the team, and contribute models and other work. | OpenCFD offers a one-year support package covering installation, bug fixes, updates, CFD assistance, and code customisation, with a maximum number of service hours per year. |
Plans
In their own words
OpenFOAM
OpenFOAM is a free, open-source computational fluid dynamics toolbox for simulating fluid flow, heat transfer, and related physical processes. It provides pre-processing, mesh generation, solvers for different flow and physics problems, and post-processing tools. Built-in utilities include blockMesh and snappyHexMesh, and it can convert meshes from external formats. ParaView visualization is supported through the paraFoam launcher, reader modules, VTK conversion, and VTK output during simulations. OpenFOAM runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and supports self-hosted use. Its current release is v2606, released on 26 June 2026; GPU offloading is available as a compile-time option, with that work on a separate development track. It is distributed under the GNU General Public Licence. OpenCFD offers a one-year support package for installation, fixes, updates, CFD assistance, and code customization, subject to a yearly service-hours maximum. It does not respond to support queries without a prior package. Training courses are also offered, with prices provided through a schedule or enquiry process.