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Simulation
Kerf vs Simcenter STAR-CCM+
Comprehensive CFD & multiphysics — compared honestly against MIT open-core.
11/12in Kerf today
11/12in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ (included)
0behind a paid tier
2026-06-05last reviewed
Grouped by discipline (D1–D14), same as Kerf's own capability list. Click a section to expand it.
D1 Geometry & core CAD
| Capability | Kerf | Simcenter STAR-CCM+ |
|---|---|---|
| Open-source core / chat-native |
yes
packages/kerf-sdk/src/kerf/
|
no source ↗ |
D3 Machine elements
| Capability | Kerf | Simcenter STAR-CCM+ |
|---|---|---|
| RANS turbulence (k-ε / k-ω SST) |
yes
packages/kerf-cfd/src/kerf_cfd/k_omega_sst.py
|
yes source ↗ |
| Scale-resolving turbulence (DES / LES) |
yes
packages/kerf-cfd/src/kerf_cfd/les/
|
yes source ↗ |
| Multiphase VOF (free-surface tracking) |
yes
packages/kerf-cfd/src/kerf_cfd/multiphase/vof.py
|
yes source ↗ |
| Lagrangian dispersed phase (particles) |
yes
packages/kerf-cfd/src/kerf_cfd/lagrangian/
|
yes source ↗ |
| Conjugate heat transfer (CHT) |
yes
packages/kerf-cfd/src/kerf_cfd/conjugate_ht/
|
yes source ↗ |
| Automated volume meshing |
yes
packages/kerf-cfd/src/kerf_cfd/meshing/snappy_hex.py
|
yes source ↗ |
| Compressible flow |
yes
packages/kerf-cfd/src/kerf_cfd/compressible/
|
yes source ↗ |
| Combustion / reacting flow |
yes
packages/kerf-cfd/src/kerf_cfd/combustion/
|
yes source ↗ |
| Overset / sliding mesh (rotating machinery) |
yes
packages/kerf-cfd/src/kerf_cfd/les/overset_mesh.py
|
yes source ↗ |
| Marine / offshore hydrodynamics |
yes
packages/kerf-marine/src/kerf_marine/holtrop_mennen.py
|
yes source ↗ |
| GPU-native solvers + HPC parallel scale | no | yes source ↗ |
- yes shipped
- partial works with limits
- paid tier present, but behind an add-on or meter
- no not available
Corrections welcome. These rows are read off published documentation on the date shown and go stale as products ship. If a row is wrong, open an issue — the source file is public/compare/star-ccm.md and every claim in it carries a link.