Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Code_Saturne VS OpenFOAM

Compare Code_Saturne VS OpenFOAM and see what are their differences

Code_Saturne logo Code_Saturne

Code_Saturne solves the Navier-Stokes equations for 2D, 2D-axisymmetric and 3D flows, steady or...

OpenFOAM logo OpenFOAM

OpenFOAM® - Official home of The Open Source Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Toolbox.
  • Code_Saturne Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-03-09
  • OpenFOAM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-02

Code_Saturne features and specs

  • Open Source
    Code_Saturne is fully open-source, which allows users to access the source code, modify it, and tailor it to their specific needs without any licensing costs.
  • Versatility
    The software is capable of simulating a wide range of physical phenomena, including fluid flow, heat transfer, and turbulence, making it suitable for various engineering applications.
  • Extensive Documentation
    Code_Saturne is well-documented, providing detailed manuals and guides that help users understand the functionalities and implementation details.
  • Community Support
    Being open-source, it has an active community where users can share knowledge, troubleshoot, and improve the software collaboratively.
  • Pre/Post-Processing Tools
    It offers integrated tools for pre-processing and post-processing, which streamline the workflow of setting up simulations and analyzing results.

Possible disadvantages of Code_Saturne

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Despite documentation, new users may find the initial learning process challenging due to the complex nature of CFD simulations.
  • Limited Commercial Support
    Compared to commercial CFD software, Code_Saturne might have limited professional support options for users who require dedicated assistance.
  • Computational Demand
    Running detailed simulations can be resource-intensive, requiring significant computational power which might be a limitation for some users.
  • Interface Complexity
    The graphical user interface, while functional, may not be as user-friendly or intuitive as those found in some commercial CFD packages.
  • Feature Set Limitations
    While comprehensive, certain specialized features or cutting-edge techniques available in commercial software may not be present in Code_Saturne.

OpenFOAM features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenFOAM is free to use and its source code is openly available under the GPL license, allowing for extensive customization and transparency in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.
  • Extensibility
    Users can extend and modify the functionality of OpenFOAM to suit specific needs or integrate new algorithms, making it highly adaptable to various projects and research requirements.
  • Community and Support
    A robust community of users and developers contributes to forums, documentation, and collaboration, providing substantial peer support and shared knowledge.
  • Versatility
    OpenFOAM supports a wide range of physical models and simulation types, from simple incompressible flow to complex multiphase flows and chemical reactions, making it suitable for diverse applications.
  • Parallel Computing
    Optimized for parallel processing, OpenFOAM can run efficiently on high-performance computing systems, thereby handling large-scale simulations effectively.

Possible disadvantages of OpenFOAM

  • Steep Learning Curve
    OpenFOAM requires a significant investment of time to learn and master, as it involves understanding complex physics, programming concepts, and software-specific syntaxes.
  • Limited GUI
    Unlike some commercial CFD software, OpenFOAM lacks a sophisticated graphical user interface (GUI), necessitating users to rely on command-line input and scripting for setup and execution of simulations.
  • Documentation Quality
    Although community-driven, the documentation can sometimes be incomplete or outdated, making it challenging for new users to find reliable and up-to-date instructions and tutorials.
  • Performance Variation
    Performance and stability can vary depending on the specific simulation setup and hardware used, which may require users to conduct extensive testing and optimization.
  • Dependency Management
    Installing and maintaining OpenFOAM and its dependencies can be complex, often requiring specific versions of libraries and compilers to ensure compatibility and optimal performance.

Code_Saturne videos

03. Prepare an aircraft geometry for Code_Saturne

OpenFOAM videos

What is OpenFoam? | Skill-Lync

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to run your first simulation in OpenFOAM® - Part 1 - tutorial
  • Tutorial - CFD tutorial for beginners | What is OpenFOAM? | SKILL-LYNC

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Code_Saturne and OpenFOAM)
Numerical Computation
27 27%
73% 73
Technical Computing
26 26%
74% 74
Simulation Software
36 36%
64% 64
CFD
33 33%
67% 67

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenFOAM seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 19 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Code_Saturne mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Code_Saturne yet. Tracking of Code_Saturne recommendations started around Mar 2021.

OpenFOAM mentions (19)

  • OpenFOAM on Debian 12
    In openfoam.org, there is not compiled binaries for Debian (any version). So one should install it using docker (I prefer to do not use it) or by compiling the code from the source. I consider compiling from source, but I do prefer binaries. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Please help me get running OpenFOAM
    Hello I am a mechanical engineering student in my last year. So I made the wisest decision to learn OpenFOAM. But there is the catch. I have no idea how to use Linux or how to emulate Linux on Windows 10. I found a lot of videos on Youtube how to download an start OpenFOAM but every one of them was using different methods each time so I got confused. Can anyone please help or direct me? Thank you for your answers... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Step by Step (Written not Video) Tutorial for FEM with Air
    As far as air flow simulation, I got slightly farther with Open Foam than I did in FreeCAD directly. Still, I got in way over my skill level and stopped before getting anything useful. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Open source FEA tools instead of ANSYS Workbench and APDL
    There are two versions of openfoam, one closed source (which is the one I linked to in my original comment, my apologies about that) and the open source version. But what you're describing makes it sound like fenics might be your best option. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • command not found and looping
    I suggest you install per the instructions at openfoam.com or openfoam.org instead of using apt. Source: almost 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Code_Saturne and OpenFOAM, you can also consider the following products

ANSYS Fluent - ANSYS engineering simulation and 3D design software delivers product modeling solutions with unmatched scalability and a comprehensive multiphysics foundation.

Simscale CFD - SimScale CFD is a cloud-based leading CAE platform that offers access to CFD, FEA, and thermodynamics simulation capabilities 100% via a standard web browser.

MATLAB - A high-level language and interactive environment for numerical computation, visualization, and programming

CFDTool - An Easy to Use MATLAB Computational Fluid Dynamics CFD Simulation GUI Toolbox

Wolfram Mathematica - Mathematica has characterized the cutting edge in specialized processing—and gave the chief calculation environment to a large number of pioneers, instructors, understudies, and others around the globe.

Autodesk Fluid Flow - Autodesk Fluid Flow is an industry-leading fluid dynamics software that helps to enhance product performance and reliability.