Side by side
PetIBM vs PhysSandbox
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 LinuxMacSelf-hosted
PetIBM provides specialized immersed-boundary flow solvers with CPU, GPU, distributed, and developer-oriented options. Its Linux focus and dependency requirements are central considerations for setup.
Visit PetIBM Free plan Web
Choose PhysSandbox if you want free, browser-based simulators with lessons and assessment tools, and value access without registration. Look elsewhere if you need a platform beyond the web or need specific lesson and assessment details before choosing.
Visit PhysSandboxThe facts
| PetIBM | PhysSandbox | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted | Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | barbagroup.github.io | physandbox.com |
| On physics simulation software | #26 of 89 | #30 of 89 |
PetIBM: what it does well
- Free BSD 3-Clause open-source license
- Supports 2D and 3D immersed bodies
- Distributed-memory and GPU cluster support
- CPU and CUDA GPU linear solvers
- HDF5 input and output
What to know first
- Linux is the only officially supported system
- Source builds require several dependencies
- macOS and Windows support is not assisted
- MPI must be found separately by CMake
PhysSandbox: what it does well
- Free plan costs nothing.
- Includes 609+ interactive simulators.
- No registration is required.
- No paywalls on the Free plan.
- Includes a lesson library and assessment tools.
What to know first
- The listed platform is web only.
- Lesson content and assessment formats are not described.
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