Best Software for 2025 is now live!

Compare Ansys Fluent and OpenFOAM

Save
    Log in to your account
    to save comparisons,
    products and more.
At a Glance
Ansys Fluent
Ansys Fluent
Star Rating
(119)4.5 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (39.5% of reviews)
Information
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about Ansys Fluent
OpenFOAM
OpenFOAM
Star Rating
(35)4.3 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (63.6% of reviews)
Information
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about OpenFOAM
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
  • Users report that OpenFOAM excels in fluid analysis with a score of 8.8, while Ansys Fluent closely follows with a score of 8.9, indicating both products are strong in this area, but OpenFOAM is slightly favored for its open-source flexibility.
  • Reviewers mention that Ansys Fluent offers superior ease of use with a score of 8.0 compared to OpenFOAM's 6.7, highlighting that Fluent's user interface is more intuitive, making it easier for new users to get started.
  • G2 users note that the quality of support for Ansys Fluent is significantly higher, scoring 8.5, while OpenFOAM only scores 6.1, suggesting that users of Fluent have better access to assistance and resources when needed.
  • Users on G2 report that OpenFOAM's finite element analysis capabilities score 6.5, which is notably lower than Ansys Fluent's 8.2, indicating that Fluent is a better choice for users needing robust finite element analysis tools.
  • Reviewers say that while both products have solid hardware support, Ansys Fluent edges out with a score of 7.2 compared to OpenFOAM's 7.1, suggesting a slight advantage in compatibility with various hardware setups.
  • Users report that OpenFOAM's command clarity scores 7.2, which is lower than Ansys Fluent's 7.9, indicating that Fluent provides clearer commands and better documentation, making it easier for users to navigate and utilize the software effectively.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Ansys Fluent
No pricing available
OpenFOAM
No pricing available
Free Trial
Ansys Fluent
Free Trial is available
OpenFOAM
No trial information available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
8.9
88
8.0
26
Ease of Use
8.0
88
6.7
26
Ease of Setup
8.4
21
Not enough data
Ease of Admin
8.2
18
Not enough data
Quality of Support
8.5
85
6.1
21
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
9.1
17
Not enough data
Product Direction (% positive)
8.8
87
6.1
24
Features by Category
7.8
880
6.9
152
Design
7.8
59
6.2
11
7.5
59
6.1
11
7.5
60
6.8
11
7.6
58
7.1
12
Tools
8.9
60
8.8
13
8.2
60
6.5
8
7.7
54
6.3
8
Work
7.5
53
6.7
8
8.1
53
6.9
9
8.0
53
7.1
8
7.2
49
6.4
7
8.0
52
6.9
9
Environment
7.2
49
7.1
8
8.0
53
6.8
10
7.2
52
7.4
7
7.9
56
7.2
12
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Ansys Fluent
Ansys Fluent
OpenFOAM
OpenFOAM
Ansys Fluent and OpenFOAM are categorized as Simulation & CAE
Unique Categories
Ansys Fluent
Ansys Fluent has no unique categories
OpenFOAM
OpenFOAM has no unique categories
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Ansys Fluent
Ansys Fluent
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
39.5%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
32.5%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
28.1%
OpenFOAM
OpenFOAM
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
63.6%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
18.2%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
18.2%
Reviewers' Industry
Ansys Fluent
Ansys Fluent
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
20.2%
Aviation & Aerospace
10.5%
Design
7.9%
Education Management
7.0%
Automotive
7.0%
Other
47.4%
OpenFOAM
OpenFOAM
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
30.3%
Automotive
18.2%
Research
12.1%
Higher Education
9.1%
Oil & Energy
6.1%
Other
24.2%
Most Helpful Reviews
Ansys Fluent
Ansys Fluent
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Jonathan K.
JK
Jonathan K.
Verified User in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering

The ease of building models, and importing files from other design modelers is fantastic. With the acquisition of Fluent , Redhawk, and HFX this software covers all the basic needs and desires that a simulation/design engineer would need. The software can...

Most Helpful Critical Review
Verified User
G
Verified User in Higher Education

It can be glitchy at times and could definitely run faster. Sometimes I find myself waiting for it to load for longer than I would like.

OpenFOAM
OpenFOAM
Most Helpful Favorable Review
AP
Ayushi P.
Verified User in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering

OpenFOAM can be used for heat transfer problems, and fluid dynamics. It also has mesh generation utilities and can be used for complex multiphase problems as well.

Most Helpful Critical Review
Verified User
G
Verified User in Design
Verified User in Design

It is not at all user friendly and requires prooer training hours to be learnt.

Alternatives
Ansys Fluent
Ansys Fluent Alternatives
MATLAB
MATLAB
Add MATLAB
SimScale
SimScale
Add SimScale
Altair Inspire
Altair Inspire
Add Altair Inspire
Altair HyperWorks
Altair HyperWorks
Add Altair HyperWorks
OpenFOAM
OpenFOAM Alternatives
MATLAB
MATLAB
Add MATLAB
SimScale
SimScale
Add SimScale
COMSOL Multiphysics®
COMSOL Multiphysics®
Add COMSOL Multiphysics®
SolidWorks Flow Simulation
SolidWorks Flow Simulation
Add SolidWorks Flow Simulation
Discussions
Ansys Fluent
Ansys Fluent Discussions
What is Ansys Fluent used for?
2 comments
Gobiha D.
GD
Modeling and simulating mechanical systemsRead more
Does Ansys student have fluent?
1 comment
Vimal G.
VG
Yes, but has limited capability compare to the professional version.Read more
Which is the best CFD software?
1 comment
Sachin K.
SK
Ansys Fluent is a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software used for simulating fluid flow, heat transfer, and related phenomena.Read more
OpenFOAM
OpenFOAM Discussions
What do you use as mesher? Are there free ones that are good for complex geometries?
1 comment
Chris H.
CH
I used snappyHexMesh to mesh a complicated geometry and it did well. Many like cfMesh too. If snappyHexMesh is used, can use blockMesh to generate background...Read more
Is OpenFOAM free?
1 comment
OP
Yes! It's open sourceRead more
Monty the Mongoose crying
OpenFOAM has no more discussions with answers