Résumé : This work is focused on modelling of atmospheric pressure high frequency (HF) discharges operated at relatively low power densities. Two types of devices are considered – the radio frequency capacitively coupled atmospheric pressure plasma jet and the microwave discharge sustained by surface electromagnetic waves. They are addresses as the plasma shower and the surface-wave discharge (SWD). Both of the considered devices operate in argon at atmospheric pressure (p = 1 bar). However, the difference in the frequency of the power coupling mechanism induces a big difference in plasma properties. This implies also that different modelling approaches have to be employed.