OpenFOAM vs SimFlow

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.

SimFlow is desktop software for computational fluid dynamics, covering the workflow from mesh generation through post-processing. Simulations stay on the user's hardware, and the software runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, including Apple Silicon. Jobs can run on a local cluster, remote server, or cloud, with HPC-grade parallel computing and no per-core or hourly charges. The full simulation engine is included in every plan. CAD imports include STL, STEP, IGES, OBJ, and BRep; results can be exported in VTK, Fluent, Tecplot, and Ensight formats. SimFlow integrates with ParaView, OpenFOAM, Docker, and Windows Subsystem for Linux. The free plan has no signup, credit-card requirement, or time limit, but is limited to 200,000 mesh nodes and one CPU. Professional costs €8,000 per year; Enterprise costs €10,000 per year. Commercial plans include a 30-day trial. Perpetual licenses are also available, with one year of maintenance and optional yearly renewals.