ngspice vs OpenFOAM
ngspice
ngspice.sourceforge.io
OpenFOAM
openfoam.comSide by side
| Figure | ngspice | 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 | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Physics Simulation Software | 8.2 (#21) | 8.7 (#5) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | The source compiles on Linux, Windows, Mac, BSD, and Solaris; the download page also points macOS users to Homebrew. | 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 | ngspice is an open-source simulator for electric and electronic circuits. | OpenFOAM is an open-source computational fluid dynamics toolbox for simulating fluid flow, heat transfer, and related physical processes. |
| Support | The project offers mailing lists, discussion forums, a bug tracker, an FAQ, and documentation. | 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
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.
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.