Julia
Numerical computingFast, high-level language for technical computing
- Stars
- ★ 49.2k
- Licence
- MIT
- Updated
Alternative to MATLAB
Free alternatives to MATLAB
Last updated · 8 options
Quick answer: Julia has the most stars on its repository of the 8 options here (★ 49.2k), followed by NumPy (★ 33k). Stars show popularity, not fit, so check formats, platforms and licence for your own work.
MathWorks' numerical computing environment, common in engineering and science. Here are 8 free options, most-starred first.
NumPy
Numerical computingThe fundamental package for array computing in Python
- Stars
- ★ 33k
- Licence
- BSD-3-Clause
- Updated
Alternative to MATLAB
JupyterLab
Data science & workflowsWeb-based notebooks for code, data and narrative
- Stars
- ★ 15.4k
- Licence
- BSD-3-Clause
- Updated
Alternative to MATLAB, Mathematica
SciPy
Numerical computingAlgorithms for scientific computing in Python
- Stars
- ★ 15.1k
- Licence
- BSD-3-Clause
- Updated
Alternative to MATLAB
Spyder
Numerical computingScientific Python IDE with a MATLAB-like layout
- Stars
- ★ 9.4k
- Licence
- MIT
- Updated
Alternative to MATLAB
SageMath
Numerical computingOpen-source mathematics system built on Python
- Stars
- ★ 2.6k
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Updated
Alternative to Mathematica, Maple
GNU Octave
Numerical computingScientific programming language largely compatible with MATLAB
- Stars
- ★ 666
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Updated
Alternative to MATLAB
Scilab
Numerical computingNumerical computation software with a Simulink-like modeller
- Stars
- ★ 111
- Licence
- GPL-2.0
- Updated
Alternative to MATLAB
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Format and fit filters only use details we found in each project's own documentation. A tool that isn't shown may still support it.
FAQ
Is there a free alternative to MATLAB?
Yes. ResearchAlts lists 8 options: Julia, NumPy, JupyterLab, SciPy, Spyder, SageMath, GNU Octave and Scilab.
Which MATLAB alternatives are open source?
Julia (MIT), NumPy (BSD-3-Clause), JupyterLab (BSD-3-Clause), SciPy (BSD-3-Clause), Spyder (MIT), SageMath (GPL-3.0), GNU Octave (GPL-3.0) and Scilab (GPL-2.0).
Which MATLAB alternatives run on a Mac?
Julia, JupyterLab, Spyder, SageMath, GNU Octave and Scilab. The others listed here aren't listed for macOS.
Related categories: Numerical computing · Data science & workflows
Free tools are not always drop-in replacements. Check that a tool supports the file formats, tests and methods your supervisor, journal or ethics board expects before switching mid-project.