FloPy
Open SourceVerified
The Python interface to MODFLOW — build, run and post-process groundwater models entirely in code.
Groundwater & HydrogeologyActiveMODFLOWGroundwater Modelling
ModelMuse
ActiveThe USGS's free graphical interface for MODFLOW — grid-independent model design without a commercial GUI.
by US Geological Survey
- Pricing
- Gov-Public
- License
- US Government (public domain)
- Commercial use
- Permitted
- Ecosystem
- MODFLOW
- Platform
- Windows
About ModelMuse
ModelMuse is the USGS's own GUI for MODFLOW (6 and 2005), MT3D, MODPATH, SUTRA and PHAST. Its design separates model definition from the grid: you define properties and boundaries as spatial objects with formulas, and the grid or mesh is generated from them — so refining discretisation doesn't mean redrawing the model.
It is the free alternative to commercial front-ends (GMS, Groundwater Vistas, Leapfrog-adjacent stacks), and while less polished, it is current with MODFLOW 6 features and maintained by the people who make the model. For learning MODFLOW properly or for budget-constrained projects it is the obvious starting point.
Where it fits in the workflow
TerrainCatchmentRainfallRunoffRoutingHydraulicsMappingReporting
Alternatives to ModelMuse
Other groundwater & hydrogeology tools covering similar workflow stages.
MODFLOW 6
Gov-PublicVerified
The USGS groundwater model — the world standard for aquifer simulation, rebuilt as a modular multi-model framework.
Groundwater & HydrogeologyActiveMODFLOWGroundwater Modelling
FEFLOW
Commercial
DHI's finite-element groundwater platform — unstructured meshes, density-driven flow, heat and mine dewatering.
Groundwater & HydrogeologyActiveGroundwater ModellingContaminant Transport
Groundwater Vistas
Commercial
Veteran commercial MODFLOW GUI with deep PEST integration — a consultant favourite for calibration-heavy work.
Groundwater & HydrogeologyActiveMODFLOWGroundwater Modelling
HYDRUS
Freemium
The standard for vadose-zone modelling — variably saturated flow and transport by Richards' equation.
Groundwater & HydrogeologyActiveGroundwater ModellingContaminant Transport
MODPATH
Gov-Public
USGS particle tracking for MODFLOW — pathlines, travel times and capture zones from flow solutions.
Groundwater & HydrogeologyStableMODFLOWGroundwater Modelling