Best Discrete Element Method (DEM) Software
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Compare the Top Discrete Element Method (DEM) Software as of June 2026
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What is Discrete Element Method (DEM) Software?
Discrete Element Method (DEM) software is engineering simulation software used to model and analyze the behavior of granular materials, powders, particles, and bulk solids under various conditions. These platforms simulate interactions between individual particles to help engineers understand material flow, mixing, packing, wear, segregation, and equipment performance. DEM software is widely used in industries such as mining, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, manufacturing, and materials processing to optimize product design and operational efficiency. The software often includes 3D visualization, physics-based modeling, particle collision analysis, and integration with CAD, CFD, and finite element analysis (FEA) tools for multiphysics simulations. By providing detailed insights into particle behavior, DEM software helps organizations reduce development costs, improve process performance, and accelerate engineering innovation. Compare and read user reviews of the best Discrete Element Method (DEM) software currently available using the table below. This list is updated regularly.
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1
Samadii Multiphysics
Metariver Technology Co.,Ltd
Metariver Technology Co., Ltd. is developing innovative and creative computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis S/W based on the latest HPC technology and S/W technology including CUDA technology. We will change the paradigm of CAE technology by applying particle-based CAE technology and high-speed computation technology using GPUs to CAE analysis software. Here is an introduction to our products. 1. Samadii-DEM (the discrete element method): works with the discrete element method and solid particles. 2. Samadii-SCIV (Statistical Contact In Vacuum): working with high vacuum system gas-flow simulation. Using Monte Carlo simulation. 3. Samadii-EM (Electromagnetics): For full-field interpretation 4. Samadii-Plasma: Plasma simulation for Analysis of ion and electron behavior in an electromagnetic field. 5. Vampire (Virtual Additive Manufacturing System): Specializes in transient heat transfer analysis. additive manufacturing and 3D printing simulation software -
2
LIGGGHTS
CFDEM
LIGGGHTS is an open source Discrete Element Method particle simulation tool for modeling particulate materials, with a focus on industrial granular and granular heat-transfer simulations. LIGGGHTS stands for “LAMMPS improved for general granular and granular heat transfer simulations,” and it builds on the LAMMPS molecular dynamics platform to extend DEM capabilities toward practical industrial applications. It can be used to simulate systems where material behavior emerges from the motion, collision, friction, cohesion, heat transfer, and interaction of individual particles. It is suitable for analyzing powders, grains, bulk solids, particulate flows, packed beds, conveying systems, mixing processes, hopper discharge, material handling, and other granular systems where particle-scale behavior matters. LIGGGHTS is currently used by research institutions and companies worldwide for the simulation of particulate materials, especially where open source flexibility.Starting Price: Free -
3
LAMMPS
LAMMPS
LAMMPS, the Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator, is a classical molecular dynamics code with a focus on materials modeling. It models ensembles of particles in liquid, solid, or gaseous states and can simulate atomic, polymeric, biological, solid-state, granular, coarse-grained, mesoscopic, or macroscopic systems using many interatomic potentials, force fields, and boundary conditions. LAMMPS can model systems in two or three dimensions, from only a few particles up to billions, and is designed to run efficiently on parallel computers while remaining easy to extend and modify. It includes potentials for solid-state materials such as metals and semiconductors, soft matter such as biomolecules and polymers, and coarse-grained or mesoscopic systems. It can be used to model atoms or, more generally, as a parallel particle simulator at atomic, meso, or continuum scale.Starting Price: Free -
4
Yade
Yade
Yade is an extensible open source framework for discrete numerical models, focused on the Discrete Element Method. Its computation parts are written in C++ using a flexible object model that allows independent implementation of new algorithms and interfaces, while Python is used for rapid and concise scene construction, simulation control, postprocessing, and debugging. Yade is designed for researchers and engineers who need to create, run, inspect, modify, and extend particle-based simulations through scripts, interactive commands, graphical tools, and reusable simulation components. Simulations can be built from specialized generators or constructed directly with Python scripts, giving users flexibility for developing custom models, importing geometries, reusing code, and controlling the full simulation loop. It represents each simulation as a scene containing bodies, interactions, and resultant forces, with bodies defined by geometry, material properties, state variables, etc.Starting Price: Free -
5
MercuryDPM
MercuryDPM
MercuryDPM is an open source code for discrete particle simulations, designed to simulate the motion of particles or atoms by applying forces and torques from external body forces, such as gravity or magnetic fields, and from particle interaction laws. For granular particles, these forces are typically contact forces, including elastic, plastic, viscous, and frictional interactions, while molecular simulations can use interaction potentials such as Lennard-Jones. MercuryDPM is written as a versatile, object-oriented C++ code and is built to be understandable, flexible, and extensible for researchers and engineers who need to create new simulation models. It is developed extensively for granular applications, while remaining adaptable to other particle-based systems and long-range interactions. Its documentation guides users through installation, running simulations, visualization, analysis, and creating new MercuryDPM codes to model systems of their choice.Starting Price: Free -
6
MFiX
National Energy Technology Laboratory
MFiX, or Multiphase Flow with Interphase eXchanges, is an open source multiphase flow solver and NETL’s flagship suite of computational fluid dynamics tool for modeling reacting multiphase flows. It has become a standard for comparing, implementing, and evaluating multiphase flow constitutive models, and has been applied to a diverse range of multiphase flow devices and industrial systems. MFiX provides multiple modeling approaches, including a Two-Fluid Model, Discrete Element Model, Coarse-Grained Particle DEM, Superquadric Particle DEM, Glued-Sphere Particle DEM, Particle-in-Cell model, hybrid methods, and a single-phase solver for pure granular flows. These models can be used to simulate gasifiers, circulating fluidized bed combustors, fluidized beds, fluid catalytic crackers, chemical looping combustion systems, and other particle-fluid systems involving hydrodynamics, heat transfer, species transport, and chemical reactions.Starting Price: Free -
7
Ansys Rocky
Ansys
Ansys Rocky is a particle dynamics simulation software that uses the discrete element method (DEM) to model and analyze the behavior of granular materials and particle flows. The platform enables engineers to simulate realistic particle shapes, including non-spherical particles, fibers, shells, and complex material interactions. Ansys Rocky leverages multi-GPU processing technology to accelerate large-scale simulations while maintaining high levels of accuracy. The software includes advanced capabilities such as wear prediction, particle breakage modeling, cohesion analysis, CFD coupling, FEA coupling, and multibody dynamics simulation. Engineers can use the platform to study particle movement, material handling, mixing, separation, and equipment performance across a wide range of industries. -
8
Simcenter EDEM
Siemens
Simcenter EDEM is a high-performance Discrete Element Method tool for bulk material and particle simulation, designed to give engineers crucial insight into how granular materials interact with handling equipment across a range of operating and process conditions. It accurately simulates and analyzes the behavior of coal, ores, soils, fibers, grains, tablets, powders, rocks, crops, and other real-world materials. Users can get started quickly with extensive pre-calibrated material model libraries representing rocks, ores, soils, and powders, while validated physics models support dry, sticky, compressible, and more complex material behaviors. Simcenter EDEM can simulate complex, industry-scale particle systems involving many millions of particles with fast and scalable compute performance across CPU, GPU, and multi-GPU solvers. -
9
PFC (Particle Flow Code)
ITASCA Consulting
PFC, or Particle Flow Code, is a general-purpose distinct-element modeling framework available as two- and three-dimensional programs, PFC2D and PFC3D. It is designed to simulate synthetic granular and solid materials as assemblies of variably sized rigid particles, including disks, spheres, rigidly connected clumps, and convex polygons or polyhedra. It provides an efficient and flexible way to model the motion, interaction, breakage, flow, deformation, and failure of particle systems across geomechanics, mining, civil engineering, materials processing, and industrial design. PFC is especially useful for problems where the behavior of a material emerges from particle-level contacts, bonding, friction, rearrangement, fracture, or flow rather than from a continuous mesh. Users can represent bonded materials such as rock, concrete, or cemented soil, as well as loose granular materials such as sand, gravel, ballast, ore, powders, and grains.Starting Price: $9,588 one-time payment -
10
Bulk Flow Analyst
Overland Conveyor Company
Bulk Flow Analyst is a Discrete Element Method simulation tool designed to help engineers analyze and optimize bulk material flow throughout transfer chutes and conveyor systems. Developed and used by engineers with direct expertise in transfer chute design, the software is built to make DEM simulation intuitive and practical so users can focus on chute performance instead of managing complex DEM parameters. Bulk Flow Analyst can simulate transfer problems involving bulk materials moving through chutes, hoppers, feeders, conveyor transfer points, belts, and related material-handling equipment. It helps designers visualize and evaluate how particles flow, impact, accumulate, discharge, and interact with geometry under different operating conditions. Through DEM, it supports analysis of difficult conveyor design challenges such as flow requirements, chute plugging, belt wear, chute surface wear, dust generation, spillage, material degradation, and impact behavior.Starting Price: $1,000 one-time payment -
11
Aspherix
DCS Computing
Aspherix is a state-of-the-art Discrete Element Method platform designed to simulate particle behavior in diverse systems and provide high-precision process modeling for industrial and research applications. It offers comprehensive DEM simulation tools for analyzing granular materials, powders, bulk solids, cohesive particles, polydisperse materials, and particle interactions across a wide range of environments and processes. Aspherix gives users strong control over simulation data, integrates information from multiple sources, and supports seamless analysis across varied formats, helping teams optimize operations and drive product innovation through data-driven simulation. With user-friendly dashboards and real-time analytics, the platform helps engineers move from complex particle behavior to fast, actionable insights. -
12
Ansys Fluent
Ansys
Ansys Fluent is the industry-leading fluid simulation software known for its advanced physics modeling capabilities and industry leading accuracy. Ansys Fluent gives you more time to innovate and optimize product performance. Trust your simulation results with a software that has been extensively validated across a wide range of applications. With Ansys Fluent, you can create advanced physics models and analyze a variety of fluids phenomena—all in a customizable and intuitive space. Accelerate your design cycle with this powerful fluid simulation software. Ansys Fluent contains the best-in class physics models and can accurately and efficiently solve large , complex models. Ansys Fluent unlocks new potentials for CFD analysis. A fluid simulation software with fast pre-processing and faster solve times to help you be the fastest to break into the market. Fluent’s industry leading features enable limitless innovation, while never making a compromise on accuracy. -
13
Ansys LS-DYNA
Ansys
Ansys LS-DYNA is the industry-leading explicit simulation software used for applications like drop tests, impact and penetration, smashes and crashes, occupant safety, and more. Ansys LS-DYNA is the most used explicit simulation program in the world and is capable of simulating the response of materials to short periods of severe loading. Its many elements, contact formulations, material models and other controls can be used to simulate complex models with control over all the details of the problem. LS-DYNA delivers a diverse array of analyses with extremely fast and efficient parallelization. Engineers can tackle simulations involving material failure and look at how the failure progresses through a part or through a system. Models with large amounts of parts or surfaces interacting with each other are also easily handled, and the interactions and load passing between complex behaviors are modeled accurately. -
14
Simcenter STAR-CCM+
Siemens Digital Industries
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ is a multiphysics computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software for the simulation of products operating under real-world conditions. Simcenter STAR-CCM+ uniquely brings automated design exploration and optimization to the CFD simulation toolkit of every engineer. The single integrated environment includes everything from CAD, automated meshing, multiphysics CFD, sophisticated postprocessing, and design exploration. This allows engineers to efficiently explore the entire design space to make better design decisions faster. The additional insight gained by using Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to guide your design process ultimately leads to more innovative products that exceed customer expectations. Significantly improving a battery design across its whole operating range is a challenging task, and involves the simultaneous optimization of numerous parameters. Simcenter provides a complete simulation environment for the analysis and design of the electrochemical system. -
15
Abaqus
Dassault Systèmes
Today, product simulation is often being performed by engineering groups using niche simulation tools from different vendors to simulate various design attributes. The use of multiple vendor software products creates inefficiencies and increases costs. SIMULIA delivers a scalable suite of unified analysis products that allow all users, regardless of their simulation expertise or domain focus, to collaborate and seamlessly share simulation data and approved methods without loss of information fidelity. The Abaqus Unified FEA product suite offers powerful and complete solutions for both routine and sophisticated engineering problems covering a vast spectrum of industrial applications. In the automotive industry engineering work groups are able to consider full vehicle loads, dynamic vibration, multibody systems, impact/crash, nonlinear static, thermal coupling, and acoustic-structural coupling using a common model data structure and integrated solver technology. -
16
iGRAF
iGRAF
iGRAF is an integrated powder and multiphase flow simulation tool that seamlessly merges the domains of powder and fluid simulation. It is designed as a one-stop solution for replicating a wide variety of powder behaviors and redefining standards in simulation technology. iGRAF’s integrated DEM-CFD solver enables accurate and efficient analysis of single-phase and multiphase flow, helping users understand particle-fluid interactions in one platform. Its dynamic geometry control supports translations, rotations, vibrations, and user-defined motion, allowing teams to precisely capture the dynamics of complex systems. It includes validated liquid bridging models and van der Waals forces to analyze the influence of moisture and adhesion on particle behavior, with its liquid bridge force model extensively validated up to 15% moisture content. iGRAF also combines the Signed Distance Function and Immersed Boundary Method to recognize arbitrary solid geometries. -
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XPS (eXtended Particle Simulations)
InSilicoTrials
XPS, or eXtended Particle Simulations, is a state-of-the-art Discrete Element Method simulation software developed by RCPE and distributed globally by InSilicoTrials for high-fidelity particle-based process simulation. Designed specifically for pharmaceutical applications, XPS accurately predicts powder and granular behavior, helping teams better understand, predict, and control pharmaceutical unit operations. It relies on advanced contact models to describe the flow behavior of granular materials and uses massively parallel algorithms optimized for modern GPUs to accelerate simulations, including simulations with up to 100 million particles. XPS helps pharmaceutical engineers assess process configurations in unprecedented detail, explore decision space virtually, reduce costly and time-consuming physical experiments, and support data-driven process development. -
18
Particleworks
Prometech Software
Particleworks is particle-based CAE and CFD software for simulating liquid and multiphase flows using the Moving Particle Simulation method. Its mesh-less solver and intuitive interface make the simulation process simple and fast, even for complex geometries with moving parts such as transmissions, electric motors, internal combustion engines, and other industrial systems. Unlike conventional mesh-based CFD, Particleworks discretizes the fluid domain automatically with particles, eliminating complex mesh generation and making it easier to analyze free-surface flow, splashing, sloshing, spraying, mixing, lubrication, cooling, oil behavior, water interaction, and highly viscous fluids. It provides one-stop GUI operation from pre-processing through post-processing, helping engineers set up models, run simulations, visualize results, and evaluate performance in a streamlined workflow. -
19
RecurDyn
FunctionBay
RecurDyn is an interdisciplinary computer-aided engineering software package whose primary function is the simulation of Multi-Body Dynamics. It simulates both rigid and flexible body dynamics by combining traditional rigid multibody dynamics with cutting-edge finite element technology for modeling flexible bodies, known as Multi Flexible Body Dynamics. RecurDyn is designed to analyze the dynamic behavior of mechanical systems in motion, including systems with joints, constraints, contact, flexible components, forces, and complex interactions between parts. Its solver technology handles the differential algebraic equations that describe multibody systems, combining equations of motion with algebraic equations for joint constraints. It provides a robust MBD-specialized modeling environment, fast solvers, extensive post-processing, animation, plotting, and tools for evaluating the motion, loads, stresses, deformation, and performance of mechanical assemblies.
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