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.

Nelson is described as 'Array programming language providing a powerful open computing environment for engineering and scientific applications using modern C/C++ libraries and other numerical libraries' and is an app in the education & reference category. There are more than 10 alternatives to Nelson for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iPhone apps. The best Nelson alternative is GNU Octave, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Nelson are MATLAB, Scilab, NumeRe and Freemat.
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.

High-level environment supporting numerical computation, visualization, matrix operations, algorithm development, custom interfaces, integration with external languages, symbolic and model-based simulation, and specialized toolboxes for fields like engineering.




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.




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.




FreeMat is an environment for rapid engineering and scientific processing. It is similar to commercial systems such as MATLAB from Mathworks and IDL from Research Systems, but is Open Source.

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.


A fresh (experimental) look at Scilab 6.x. Contribute to rdbyk/balisc development by creating an account on GitHub.
The OpenMatrix Language provides all scientists, technologists, engineers, & mathematicians (i.e., people in STEM fields) with open access to a powerful matrix-based computational engine.
ScicosLab is a software package providing a multi-platform environment for scientific computation. It is based on the official Scilab 4.x (BUILD4) distribution, and includes the modeling and simulation tool Scicos and a number of other toolboxes.

Nsp is a GPL Scientific Software Package. It is based on a complete new rewrite of ScilabGtk.