Side by side
MPTRAC vs PySDM
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.
Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWeb
MPTRAC combines trajectory modeling, optional atmospheric process parameterizations, and multiple output formats for research use. Its browser runner offers a no-install route, with explicit limits on simulation size and runtime.
Visit MPTRAC Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted
Choose PySDM if you need an open-source simulation building block for dispersed phases, particularly atmospheric cloud physics, and value its process examples and compute backend options. Look elsewhere if you need a mature JAX backend or cannot meet the NVIDIA and CUDA requirements for GPU use.
Visit PySDMThe facts
| MPTRAC | PySDM | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Self-hosted, Web | Linux, Self-hosted |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Maker | MPTRAC | Not published |
| Website | slcs-jsc.github.io | open-atmos.github.io |
| On physics simulation software | #8 of 89 | #12 of 89 |
MPTRAC: what it does well
- Free software under the GPL-3.0 license
- Web Runner works without local installation
- Supports forward and backward trajectories
- Optional chemistry and deposition parameterizations
- Hybrid parallelization for clusters and GPU-enabled systems
What to know first
- Web Runner caps runs at 10,000 parcels
- Web Runner limits simulations to 30 days
- Web Runner allows 10 minutes of runtime
- Requires meteorological input data
PySDM: what it does well
- GNU GPL v3 free/libre open-source package.
- Models diffusional and collisional particle growth and breakage.
- Examples span several atmospheric processes and model environments.
- Offers multithreaded CPU and CUDA GPU backends.
- Install through PyPI with pip or a local Git checkout.
What to know first
- CUDA GPU use requires NVIDIA hardware and a CUDA driver.
- The JAX backend is early in development.
- Example notebooks are not included in the examples package wheels.