Side by side
libCEED vs Open Source Physics
Both stand on physics simulation software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Choose libCEED if your application has its own discretization infrastructure and needs a low-level algebraic library with CPU and GPU implementation choices. It may be a poor fit if you need a turnkey application rather than a library to integrate, or if required GPU toolchains are unavailable.
Visit libCEEDChoose Open Source Physics if you want free physics curriculum resources alongside simulation, authoring, video-tracking, or data-analysis tools. Check the licensing of curricular narratives separately if you plan to reuse them, since their terms may differ from the source and compiled code.
Visit Open Source PhysicsThe facts
| libCEED | Open Source Physics | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Self-hosted | Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Not published |
| Plans published | 1 | None |
| Maker | Not published | Open Source Physics |
| Website | libceed.org | compadre.org |
| On physics simulation software | #14 of 89 | #10 of 89 |
libCEED: what it does well
- No required dependencies for the C99 library.
- Interfaces are available for Fortran, Python, Julia, and Rust.
- CPU and GPU implementations can be selected at runtime.
- Supports OpenMP host applications and WebAssembly builds.
- BSD-2-Clause licensed.
What to know first
- GPU support requires optional toolchains or libraries.
- SYCL support requires oneAPI compilers.
- HIP backends require ROCm 4.2 or newer; MAGMA requires 2.5.0 or newer.
- Some backends use nondeterministic operations.
Open Source Physics: what it does well
- Free and open source, with web, desktop, and mobile platforms.
- Includes a library of more than 2,000 collection items.
- Tracker analyzes video and tracks objects for physics instruction.
- Curriculum packages combine simulations, tutorials, and student worksheets.
- DataTool provides plotting, fitting, and statistics tools.
What to know first
- Curricular narratives may have copyrights or licenses separate from the OSP code.
- Launcher packages depend on a Java VM on the local machine.
- Tracker is designed for introductory college physics labs and lectures.
Alternatives to libCEED Alternatives to Open Source Physics The whole list