MATLAB is a paid product (paid). Commercial license; free trial offered.

Is MATLAB open source?

No. MATLAB is proprietary software; its source code is not public.

Which platforms does MATLAB support?

MATLAB is available on: Windows, macOS, Linux.

What is MATLAB best for?

Engineering and science computing on a paid license. In our ranking of math and graphing software it is number 6 of 10 with a score of 82.0.

What are the best alternatives to MATLAB?

The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are Desmos, GeoGebra, Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha.

MATLAB Review, Pricing & Alternatives (2026)

Ranked 6 of 10 in best math and graphing software

Commercial environment for engineers and scientists, on Windows, macOS and Linux. It is paid and offers only a free trial, so learners on a budget should compare it with GNU Octave.

Best for Engineering and science computing on a paid license

About MATLAB

MATLAB is a commercial programming environment from MathWorks for numerical computing, aimed at engineers and scientists. Its product page covers application areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, signal processing, control systems, test and measurement and wireless communications, and it lists data analysis and programming among its uses.

The page says MATLAB is not free, and it lists licenses for personal, commercial and academic use. A free trial is offered, and it has install guides for Windows, macOS and Linux. MATLAB suits engineers and researchers who need its application areas, and it is one of the paid tools in this list. Learners on a budget should compare it with GNU Octave, a free alternative in this list.

Key features

Programming for engineers and scientists
Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
Application areas such as robotics
Free trial
Academic licenses

Strengths

Programming environment for engineers and scientists
Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
Free trial and licenses for personal, commercial and academic use

Limits

Paid license; only a free trial is offered
Costs more than the free numerical tools in this list

Where MATLAB ranks

Best math and graphing software#6of 10 · 82.0
Best for: Engineering and science computing on a paid license

How MATLAB compares

Product	Score	Price	Platforms	Main use	Where it runs	Scripting or programming
#4Wolfram\|Alpha	86.5	Free plan, paid upgrades	WebiOSAndroid	Symbolic answers and computation	Browser and mobile apps	No
#5SageMath	84.0	Free and open source	LinuxmacOS	Algebra and number theory	Linux and macOS	Yes
#6MATLAB	82.0	Paid	WindowsmacOSLinux	Numerical computing and engineering	Windows, macOS and Linux	Yes
#7GNU Octave	81.0	Free and open source	LinuxmacOSWindows	Numerical computing	Linux, macOS and Windows	Yes
#8Scilab	79.0	Free and open source	WindowsLinuxmacOS	Numerical computation	Windows, Linux, macOS	Yes

The full comparison table for best math and graphing software has all 10 products.

Alternatives to MATLAB

All 9 alternatives

Compare MATLAB

Related rankings

Questions about MATLAB

Is MATLAB free?: MATLAB is a paid product (paid). Commercial license; free trial offered.
Is MATLAB open source?: No. MATLAB is proprietary software; its source code is not public.
Which platforms does MATLAB support?: MATLAB is available on: Windows, macOS, Linux.
What is MATLAB best for?: Engineering and science computing on a paid license. In our ranking of math and graphing software it is number 6 of 10 with a score of 82.0.
What are the best alternatives to MATLAB?: The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are Desmos, GeoGebra, Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha.

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