In this study, porous Ni-Cu coating was applied on Ni foam and electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction was studied using the simulation method. In order to optimize the electrocatalytic activity of the fabricated coating on the Ni foam, the experiment was designed using the response surface methodology (RSM). The results demonstrated that in the optimal condition, the porous Ni-Cu electrode requires only 203 and 310 mV vs. RHE overpotentials at the current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm(-2), respectively. In addition, the Tafel slope was 88.2 mV dec(-1) and the electrochemically active surface area was about 1790 cm(2). Moreover, the porous Ni-Cu catalyst depicted favorable electrocatalytic durability and affords long-term electrolysis without activity degradation. This high electrocatalytic activity and stability of coating can be attributed to the active surface area due to porous structure growth, rapid separation of hydrogen gas bubbles and the synergistic effect between Ni and Cu. This study offers an effective fabrication method for three-dimensional electrodes for renewable energy resources. (C) 2019 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.