MATLAB AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Numerical Computation Software

The best Numerical Computation alternative to MATLAB is GNU Octave, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to MATLAB and 14 are Numerical Computation Software so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Numerical Computation Software alternatives to MATLAB are Scilab, SciPy, Julia and Mathematica.

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MATLAB alternatives are mainly Numerical Computation Software, but if you're looking for Programming Languages or Graphing Calculators you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Linux, Android, iPad, Free, Mac and Android + Free. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to MATLAB.
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Alternatives list

  1. GNU Octave icon

    GNU Octave

     220 likes

    Octave is a computer program for performing numerical computations which is mostly compatible with MATLAB . It is part of the GNU Project. It is free software under the terms of the GNU General Public License.

    66 GNU Octave alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • BSD
    GNU Octave GUI screenshot
     
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    14
    155
    Comments about GNU Octave as an Alternative to MATLAB
    Comment summary: GNU Octave is praised as a free and compatible alternative to MATLAB, supporting similar syntax and nearly all MATLAB scripts. Users appreciate its integration with Linux via Flatpak and note that it often runs faster. While lacking tools like Simulink, Octave is highlighted in Andy Ng's ML course and is suitable for students needing numerical analysis capabilities. The active development and excellent documentation further contribute to its favorable comparison with MATLAB.
    Top Positive Comment
    dataculi
    1

    Andy Ng's famous introductory ML course uses Octave! It's the perfect alternative to MATLAB

    LinuxDoge
    Positive
    0

    Linux Desktop integration is perfect. There is a flatpak available. Installing Matlab on Linux is a pain, even more if the license always vanishes. So far it looks good, and if it supports lots of commands, no way I use Matlab!

    Cristian
    Positive
    1

    it is often faster, as well as being free

    3 of 14 comments
    MATLAB Icon
    GNU Octave icon

    • Almost everyone thinks GNU Octave is a great MATLAB alternative.

    • GNU Octave is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & Linux alternative to MATLAB.

    • GNU Octave is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to MATLAB.

    • GNU Octave is Free and Open SourceMATLAB is Paid and Proprietary
    • GNU Octave is LightweightMATLAB is not according to our users
  2. Scilab icon

    Scilab

     105 likes

    Scilab is free and open source software for numerical computation providing a powerful computing environment for engineering and scientific applications. Scilab includes hundreds of mathematical functions.

    58 Scilab alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Scilab screenshot 1
     
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    1
    41
    Comments about Scilab as an Alternative to MATLAB
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Scilab has the most features and is the best quality of full-featured numerical computation softwares even though its language is not MATLAB compatible.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    MATLAB Icon
    Scilab icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Scilab is a great MATLAB alternative.

    • Scilab is Free and Open SourceMATLAB is Paid and Proprietary
  4. SciPy icon

    SciPy

     96 likes

    SciPy is a collection of mathematical algorithms and convenience functions built on NumPy. It adds significant power to Python by providing the user with high-level commands and classes for manipulating and visualizing data.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Python
    SciPy screenshot 1
     
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    24
  5. Julia icon

    Julia

     67 likes

    Julia is a high-level, high-performance dynamic programming language for technical computing, with syntax that is familiar to users of other technical computing environments. It provides a sophisticated compiler, distributed parallel execution, numerical accuracy, and an...

    51 Julia alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Julia screenshot 1
     
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    1
    23
    Comments about Julia as an Alternative to MATLAB
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Similar sintax, REPL, plotting tools, julia is faster

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    MATLAB Icon
    Julia icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Julia is a great MATLAB alternative.

    • Julia is Free and Open SourceMATLAB is Paid and Proprietary
  6. Mathematica icon

    Mathematica

     160 likes

    Definitive technical computing system spanning machine learning and neural networks, data science, visualizations and much more.

    75 Mathematica alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    Mathematica screenshot 1
     
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    1
    16
    Comments about Mathematica as an Alternative to MATLAB
    Guest
    Negative
    -7

    MATLAB is a Software to find Numerical solutions for Mathematical Problems while Wolfram is a CAS system

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    MATLAB Icon
    Mathematica icon

    • Most users think Mathematica is a great MATLAB alternative.

    • Mathematica is the most popular Web-based alternative to MATLAB.

    • Mathematica is the most popular commercial alternative to MATLAB.

    • Mathematica is Paid and ProprietaryMATLAB is also Paid and Proprietary
  7. LabPlot icon

    LabPlot

     17 likes

    LabPlot is a free, open source and cross-platform Data Visualization and Analysis software accessible to everyone and trusted by professionals.

    35 LabPlot alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    • FreeBSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    LabPlot screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about LabPlot as an Alternative to MATLAB
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    A free, open source and cross-platform Data Visualization software.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    MATLAB Icon
    LabPlot icon
    • LabPlot is Free and Open SourceMATLAB is Paid and Proprietary
    • LabPlot is Lightweight and Privacy focusedMATLAB is not according to our users
  9. python(x,y) icon

    python(x,y)

     37 likes

    Python(x,y) is a free scientific and engineering development software for numerical computations, data analysis and data visualization based on Python programming language, Qt graphical user interfaces and .

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    python(x,y) screenshot 1
     
  10. NumeRe icon

    NumeRe

     4 likes

    Open source framework for numerical computations and advanced statistical analysis, featuring nonlinear curve fitting, ODE solving, 1D/2D publication-quality visualization, Fourier and wavelet transforms, intuitive syntax, and namespace-based code organization for research.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Default view of a session in NumeRe with an exemplary plot. The GUI is available in German and English
     
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    1
    Comments about NumeRe as an Alternative to MATLAB
    NumeRe.org
    Positive
    2

    MATLAB is very powerful but overwhelming if you try to achieve very simple tasks and it is quite costly at the same time. NumeRe focuses more on providing a simple interface for such tasks, so that you do not need to type too much code until you see the results. Furthermore, the code editor is far better than MATLAB's and the code is better structured. And the best thing: it is free for everybody.

    MATLAB Icon
    NumeRe icon
    • NumeRe is Free and Open SourceMATLAB is Paid and Proprietary
    • NumeRe is Lightweight and Privacy focusedMATLAB is not according to our users
  11. Calcpad icon

    Calcpad

     10 likes

    Calcpad is a lightweight mathematical platform for cloud and desktop. It parses simple text scripts and converts them into professional Html reports. Supports complex numbers, variables, functions, graphing, units and numerical methods.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    Design of RC column
     
  12. CuPy icon

    CuPy

     Like

    CuPy is an open-source array library for GPU-accelerated computing with Python. CuPy utilizes CUDA Toolkit libraries including cuBLAS, cuRAND, cuSOLVER, cuSPARSE, cuFFT, cuDNN and NCCL to make full use of the GPU architecture.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Python
    • Mac
    • BSD
     
  13. Doronix Math Toolbox icon

    Doronix Math Toolbox

     2 likes

    Doronix Math Toolbox is a numerical computing environment with programming language which can be used as alternative to MATLAB. It allows matrix manipulations, plotting of functions and data, implementation of algorithms, creation of user functions, import and export CSV-files...

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Doronix Math Toolbox screenshot 1
     
  14. Forscape icon

    Forscape

     1 like

    Designed for scientific computation, this language and editor provides low-cost abstraction and safety checks, focusing on matrix operations with syntax parity to scientific papers. It offers math rendering, real-time dimension checks, and intuitive user experience.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    Forscape screenshot 1
     
12 of 14 MATLAB alternatives