Octave is nice, but I never found it very compelling as an open source but lesser version of MATLAB. In part, this is because I have been privileged to have som

Octave is nice, but I never found it very compelling as an open source but lesser version of MATLAB. In part, this is because I have been privileged to have someone else cover the costs for me. Numpy and Julia are alternative open source projects that cover some of the same use cases, but also add some additonal value. Numpy works with the Python ecosystem and its API has been emulated for distinct applications. Julia shares some of MATLAB and Octave's syntax, adds an advanced algebraic type system, and has expanding native code generating capabilities.