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FEST-3D vs ngspice

FEST-3D

fest3d.github.io

ngspice

ngspice.sourceforge.io

Side by side

FigureFEST-3Dngspice
Price fromFreeFree
Free planYesYes
Free trial——
Open source——
Windows—Yes
macOSYesYes
LinuxYesYes
Self-hosted—Yes
Plans published11
Spec score · Physics Simulation Software8.6 (#11)8.2 (#21)
DownloadsThe solver source is available from GitHub, while tutorials are in a separate repository included as a submodule.The stable download page offers source archives and Windows binaries, while noting that Linux users should use their distributor or compile from source and that its own macOS release is currently unavailable there.
PurposeFEST-3D is a Fortran 90 finite-volume solver for Navier–Stokes equations on structured grids, developed for aerodynamic flow problems.ngspice is an open-source simulator for electric and electronic circuits.
SupportThe homepage lists [email protected] as the project contact email.The project offers mailing lists, discussion forums, a bug tracker, an FAQ, and documentation.

Plans

FEST-3D

  • Free and open sourceFree

FEST-3D pricing →

ngspice

  • ngspiceFree

ngspice pricing →

In their own words

FEST-3D

FEST-3D is a Fortran 90 finite-volume computational fluid dynamics solver for Navier–Stokes flow problems on structured grids, developed for aerodynamics. It handles incompressible and compressible flows, including inviscid, laminar, transitional and turbulent cases. Users can select among flux schemes, reconstruction methods, time-integration options, turbulence models and transition models. MPI distributes computations across processors on one or more machines. The solver is free and open source under the GNU General Public License version 3.0, with source available from GitHub. Its installation script supports Ubuntu/Debian, CentOS and macOS, while manual installation instructions cover Linux. Building requires a Fortran compiler, an MPI library, CMake and Make. Tutorials in a separate repository address verification cases such as a smooth bump, lid-driven cavity, flat plates and an airfoil. FEST-3D writes VTK or Tecplot output for separate visualization tools. Grid generation and post-processing are outside the solver, and the project notes its halt/stop condition does not work with MPI.

Visit fest3d.github.io

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.

Visit ngspice.sourceforge.io