--- title: "OpenFOAM vs SimScale: Which is searched more?" description: "Is OpenFOAM or SimScale more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the CFD software set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/cfd-software/compare/openfoam-vs-simscale" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # OpenFOAM vs SimScale: Which is searched more? Is OpenFOAM or SimScale more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the CFD software set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: OpenFOAM and SimScale - **Competitive set**: CFD software - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **OpenFOAM Share of Search**: 30.8% - **SimScale Share of Search**: 20.6% ## Is OpenFOAM or SimScale more popular in search? - In September 2026, OpenFOAM had more branded searches than SimScale among CFD software worldwide. OpenFOAM had about 40,500 branded searches, while SimScale had 27,100. OpenFOAM made up 30.8% of all CFD software searches we track, and SimScale accounted for 20.6%. - OpenFOAM was ahead of SimScale in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenFOAM’s share of searches among CFD software worldwide moved from 31.7% to 30.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 40.5K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, SimScale’s share of searches among CFD software worldwide moved from 17.4% to 20.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 22.2K to 27.1K. ## Top CFD software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both OpenFOAM and SimScale showed up in all five answers. OpenFOAM was listed before SimScale in four of them. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | STAR-CCM+ | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Ansys Fluent | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | COMSOL | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | OpenFOAM | 4th | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | SimScale | 5th | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | FLOW-3D | 6th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about CFD software - Asked ChatGPT "Which CFD software should I use?": 1. Ansys Fluent, 2. OpenFOAM, 3. STAR-CCM+, 4. COMSOL, 5. SimScale - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best CFD software options?": 1. Ansys Fluent, 2. STAR-CCM+, 3. OpenFOAM, 4. COMSOL, 5. SimScale, 6. FLOW-3D - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best CFD software for fluid simulation?": 1. Ansys Fluent, 2. STAR-CCM+, 3. OpenFOAM, 4. COMSOL, 5. SimScale, 6. FLOW-3D - Searched Google, AI Overview "cfd software": 1. STAR-CCM+, 2. COMSOL, 3. SimScale, 4. FLOW-3D, 5. OpenFOAM, 6. Ansys Fluent - Searched Google, AI Overview "fluid dynamics software": 1. STAR-CCM+, 2. COMSOL, 3. FLOW-3D, 4. OpenFOAM, 5. SimScale, 6. Ansys Fluent Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 20, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for CFD software worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, OpenFOAM gained share of searches among CFD software worldwide, from 30.1% to 30.8%. - In September 2026, SimScale lost share of searches among CFD software worldwide, from 24.7% to 20.6%. ## Month by month | Month | OpenFOAM estimated searches | OpenFOAM Share of Search | OpenFOAM rank | SimScale estimated searches | SimScale Share of Search | SimScale rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 40.5K | 31.7% | 2 | 22.2K | 17.4% | 3 | | Nov 2025 | 40.5K | 31.8% | 2 | 22.2K | 17.4% | 3 | | Dec 2025 | 33.1K | 31.4% | 2 | 22.2K | 21.1% | 3 | | Jan 2026 | 40.5K | 32.7% | 2 | 22.2K | 17.9% | 3 | | Feb 2026 | 33.1K | 30.3% | 2 | 22.2K | 20.3% | 3 | | Mar 2026 | 40.5K | 30.6% | 2 | 27.1K | 20.5% | 3 | | Apr 2026 | 40.5K | 31.4% | 2 | 27.1K | 21% | 3 | | May 2026 | 33.1K | 29.1% | 2 | 27.1K | 23.9% | 3 | | Jun 2026 | 33.1K | 29.1% | 2 | 27.1K | 23.9% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | 33.1K | 27.8% | 2 | 33.1K | 27.8% | 3 | | Aug 2026 | 33.1K | 30.1% | 2 | 27.1K | 24.7% | 3 | | Sep 2026 | 40.5K | 30.8% | 2 | 27.1K | 20.6% | 3 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using OpenFOAM’s and SimScale’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **OpenFOAM**: Measured on the search term “openfoam”. - **SimScale**: Measured on the search term “simscale”. - [OpenFOAM profile](/demand/global-en/brands/openfoam) - [SimScale profile](/demand/global-en/brands/simscale) - [All CFD software worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/cfd-software): The set both shares are measured inside, 6 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is OpenFOAM or SimScale more popular in search? In September 2026, OpenFOAM had more branded searches than SimScale among CFD software worldwide. OpenFOAM had about 40,500 branded searches, while SimScale had 27,100. OpenFOAM made up 30.8% of all CFD software searches we track, and SimScale accounted for 20.6%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "OpenFOAM vs SimScale: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/cfd-software/compare/openfoam-vs-simscale This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/cfd-software/compare/openfoam-vs-simscale. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.