FDTDX vs ngspice
FDTDX
fdtdx.readthedocs.iongspice
ngspice.sourceforge.ioSide by side
| Figure | FDTDX | ngspice |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Physics Simulation Software | 8.6 (#12) | 8.2 (#21) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Purpose | FDTDX is an open-source Python package for simulating and designing three-dimensional photonic nanostructures with the Finite-Difference Time-Domain method. | ngspice is an open-source simulator for electric and electronic circuits. |
| Support | The FAQ invites users to open GitHub discussions for unanswered questions and issues for suspected bugs, and says the maintainers regularly check discussions. | The project offers mailing lists, discussion forums, a bug tracker, an FAQ, and documentation. |
Plans
In their own words
ngspice
ngspice is a free, open-source simulator for electric and electronic circuits described as netlists. It handles analog, digital, and mixed-signal designs, with models for active, passive, analog, and digital elements; model parameters can come from collections, manufacturers, or foundries. Its SPICE compatibility supports PSPICE or LTSPICE device model parameters and netlists for discrete circuits. For mixed-signal co-simulation, it supports Verilog blocks compiled with Verilator and, since ngspice-44, VHDL blocks using GHDL. The OSDI/OpenVAF interface connects Verilog-A compact device models without requiring programming on the ngspice side. It can also be built as a shared library or DLL for another application to control. Listed integrations include KiCad, Autodesk Fusion, and Python interfaces such as PySpice. ngspice does not include schematic entry: input is through the command line or files. The stable download page offers source archives and Windows binaries; Linux users are directed to their distributor or source compilation, and the project's own macOS release is unavailable there.