Chombo-Discharge vs OpenFOAM
Chombo-Discharge
chombo-discharge.github.io
OpenFOAM
openfoam.comSide by side
| Figure | Chombo-Discharge | OpenFOAM |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Physics Simulation Software | 7.8 (#39) | 8.7 (#5) |
| Delivery mode | desktop | desktop |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Intended users | The documentation describes it as an evolving research code and says users should be willing to understand how it operates and learn Chombo basics. | OpenCFD describes its services for science and engineering companies, consultancies, and universities. |
| Purpose | Chombo-Discharge is a modular research code for two- and three-dimensional simulations of low-temperature plasmas in complex geometries. | OpenFOAM is an open-source computational fluid dynamics toolbox for simulating fluid flow, heat transfer, and related physical processes. |
| Support | The installation guide invites users to contact the project on GitHub about installation issues. | 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. |
| 3D visuals | Yes | Yes |
| Visualization integration | VisIt is listed as an optional package for visualization and analysis. | OpenFOAM supports ParaView through its paraFoam launcher, reader modules, VTK conversion, and VTK output during simulations. |
Plans
In their own words
Chombo-Discharge
Chombo-Discharge has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
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.