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Maxima VS Wolfram Mathematica

Compare Maxima VS Wolfram Mathematica and see what are their differences

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Maxima logo Maxima

Maxima is a fairly complete computer algebra system written in Lisp with an emphasis on symbolic computation.

Wolfram Mathematica logo Wolfram Mathematica

Mathematica has characterized the cutting edge in specialized processing—and gave the chief calculation environment to a large number of pioneers, instructors, understudies, and others around the globe.
  • Maxima Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-06-15
  • Wolfram Mathematica Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-07

Maxima features and specs

  • Open-source
    Maxima is freely available and open-source, allowing users to access, modify, and distribute the software without any cost.
  • Symbolic Computation
    Maxima specializes in symbolic computation, providing robust tools for algebraic manipulations, differentiation, integration, and equation solving.
  • Customizability
    As an open-source software, Maxima is highly customizable, and users can modify the source code or write their own functions to extend its capabilities.
  • Documentation
    Maxima comes with extensive documentation, including a comprehensive manual and numerous tutorials, which can aid both beginners and advanced users.
  • Integration with Other Tools
    Maxima can be integrated with other software tools and languages such as Python (via SymPy), providing flexibility and additional functionality for complex computations.

Possible disadvantages of Maxima

  • User Interface
    The default user interface of Maxima is less polished compared to commercial alternatives, which may affect the user experience, especially for beginners.
  • Performance
    While suitable for many tasks, Maxima may not perform as efficiently as some specialized commercial software for very large or complex computations.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its depth and the nature of symbolic computation, there can be a steep learning curve for new users who are not already familiar with similar tools or mathematical concepts.
  • Community Support
    As an open-source project, support primarily comes from the user community, which may not always be as responsive or comprehensive as professional, paid support services.
  • Updates and Maintenance
    Maxima updates and maintenance depend on community contributions, which can sometimes lead to less frequent updates or delayed fixes for bugs compared to commercial software.

Wolfram Mathematica features and specs

  • Comprehensive Functionality
    Wolfram Mathematica offers a broad range of functions in various domains such as numerical computations, symbolic calculations, data visualization, and more.
  • High-Level Programming Language
    The Wolfram Language is a powerful, high-level programming language specifically designed for symbolic computation and algorithmic development.
  • Integrated System
    Mathematica integrates computation, visualization, and data seamlessly, providing an all-in-one system for technical computing.
  • Strong Community & Support
    Mathematica has a robust community of users and excellent support resources, including extensive documentation, user forums, and direct support.
  • Real-World Data Integration
    Integrated access to the Wolfram Knowledgebase allows users to import a vast array of real-world data directly into computations.
  • Interactive Notebooks
    Mathematica's notebook interface allows for interactive document creation, combining calculations, visualizations, narratives, and interactive controls.

Possible disadvantages of Wolfram Mathematica

  • High Cost
    Mathematica is quite expensive, especially for individual users and small businesses, with substantial licensing fees.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    The software can be difficult to learn for beginners due to its high-level and feature-rich environment.
  • Performance Limitations
    For certain large-scale numerical computations or simulations, Mathematica may underperform compared to specialized numerical software.
  • Closed Source
    Unlike some other computational tools, Mathematica is not open-source, which can be a disadvantage for those who prefer open-source software for flexibility and transparency.
  • Version Compatibility
    There are sometimes compatibility issues between different versions of Mathematica, which can cause problems when sharing code and documents between users with different versions.
  • Hardware Requirements
    Mathematica can be resource-intensive and may require high-performance hardware to run efficiently, especially for complex tasks.

Maxima videos

2019 Nissan Maxima SR – The 4-Door Sports Car?

More videos:

  • Review - 2019 Nissan Maxima SR Review // A $40,000 Performance Sedan
  • Review - 2019 Nissan Maxima | CarGurus Test Drive Review
  • Demo - Maxima video

Wolfram Mathematica videos

Introduction to Wolfram Notebooks

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Maxima and Wolfram Mathematica)
Technical Computing
29 29%
71% 71
Numerical Computation
29 29%
71% 71
Math Solver
51 51%
49% 49
3D
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Maxima and Wolfram Mathematica

Maxima Reviews

  1. Stable (slow but steady growth)

    I've been using Maxima since my undergraduate (over 10 years), now with Ubuntu20.04 lts, I become a newbie of SageMath. For a small project (both symbolical and numerical), in particular, student lab activities, Maxima has been a powerful tool for analyzing and visualizing data. (The Android version is also fantastic, but the poor keyboard.)

    Mathematica is always enemy/friend. (My coworkers are all Mathematica speakers.)

    🏁 Competitors: Wolfram Mathematica
    👍 Pros:    Easy for cli user|Lithghter
    👎 Cons:    Good for advanced users of computers (cli is sometimes hard for newbie)|Hard to find official references, tutors, etc

7 Best MATLAB alternatives for Linux
Another alternative to MATLAB is Maxima which is a computer algebra system (CAS) for manipulation of symbolic and numerical expressions including differentiation, integration, Laplace transformation, linear algebraic equations, tensors, etc.
Matlab Alternatives
Another alternative of Matlab is Maxima which was inspired by the legendary Algebra system Macsyma. It is a system used for manipulating numerical expressions such as Taylor series, Laplace transformations, Vectors, Tensors, and Matrices. Very accurate results are provided by using exact floating numbers, fractional values, and integers. The Source Forge file manager...
Source: www.educba.com
10 Best MATLAB Alternatives [For Beginners and Professionals]
Maxima is extracted from Macsyma, a computer algebra system developed in the late 1960s by MIT. Maxima is frequently updated to fix bugs for a more optimized coding experience
4 open source alternatives to MATLAB
Check out Maxima, it is a system for the manipulation of symbolic and numerical expressions, including differentiation, integration, Taylor series, Laplace transforms, ordinary differential equations, systems of linear equations, polynomials, sets, lists, vectors, matrices and tensors.
Source: opensource.com
3 Open Source Alternatives to MATLAB
Maxima, another frequently updated alternative to MATLAB. It's based on Macsyma, a "legendary computer algebra system" developed at MIT in the 1960s, can be compiled on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows, and is available under GPLv2.

Wolfram Mathematica Reviews

10 Best MATLAB Alternatives [For Beginners and Professionals]
Wolfram Mathematica is packed with features that make your computations super-easy. Mathematica can handle any visualizations or plot with ease.
6 MATLAB Alternatives You Could Use
Deveoped by Wolfram Research, the pioneers of computational software, Mathematica comes with a truckload of features for all your mathematical computational needs. The latest version boasts over 700 new functions, as well as multiple function libraries and geo visualization/animation tools. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. From 2D/3D image processing to enhanced...
Source: beebom.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Maxima seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 27 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Maxima mentions (27)

  • Integral Calculator
    I think the really neat piece of software behind this is maxima (https://maxima.sourceforge.io/), a rather influential computer algebra system of ancient lineage still in use today in more place than you might think. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Rye: Homoiconic dynamic programming language with some new ideas
    In the maxima computer algebra system[1] which was ancestrally based on lisp it has a single quote operator[2] which delays evaluation of something and a "double quote" (which acually two single quotes rather than an actual double quote) operator[3] which asks maxima to evaluate some expression immediately rather than leaving it in symbolic form.[4] [1] https://maxima.sourceforge.io/ [2]... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • True or False
    Use wxmaxima, a free and open-source computer algebra system:. Source: over 1 year ago
  • C++ library for solving EQUATIONS
    There are several options, here is one of them: https://maxima.sourceforge.io. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Do you know computer algebra software capable of managing systems of multiple equations with multiple unknowns and multiple variables?
    You may use maxima cas (https://maxima.sourceforge.io/) to solve symbolic complex problems. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

Wolfram Mathematica mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Wolfram Mathematica yet. Tracking of Wolfram Mathematica recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Maxima and Wolfram Mathematica, you can also consider the following products

MATLAB - A high-level language and interactive environment for numerical computation, visualization, and programming

GNU Octave - GNU Octave is a programming language for scientific computing.

Scilab - Scilab Official Website. Enter your search in the box aboveAbout ScilabScilab is free and open source software for numerical . Thanks for downloading Scilab!

Sage Math - Sage is a free open-source mathematics software system licensed under the GPL.

Autodesk Fusion 360 - Integrated CAD, CAM, and CAE featuring collaborative editing and cloud-based computation.

SMath Studio - Tiny, powerful, free mathematical program with WYSIWYG editor and complete units of measurements support.