Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Blockpad.net VS Maxima

Compare Blockpad.net VS Maxima and see what are their differences

Blockpad.net logo Blockpad.net

Blockpad is spreadsheet software re-imagined for engineering. It gives engineers a better way to create, manage, and share critical calculations.

Maxima logo Maxima

Maxima is a fairly complete computer algebra system written in Lisp with an emphasis on symbolic computation.
Not present

Blockpad is spreadsheet software re-imagined for engineering calculations. It enables engineers to create professional calculation deliverables in an intuitive and familiar way.

The primary interface feels like a traditional word processor, but pressing the equals sign opens up a formula like in a spreadsheet. This formula is then calculated and presented in clear math notation so that the math is readable and not hidden behind a cell. Also like a spreadsheet, these formulas update whenever numbers change.

The formulas also employ many engineering friendly features: - units intelligence - variable names - matrix math - custom functions

The documents themselves are more than just word processors, and include tools that make engineering calculations easier: - spreadsheet-style tables - actual spreadsheets - point snap drawings - solver sections

Also, the various parts of a document can all connect together using spreadsheet-style formulas and references, so that a whole document can update when the numbers change.

Because Blockpad feels like the office and calculation tools you already know, the learning curve can be pretty short. The math is just like spreadsheet math, and the functions are the same too. So it's easy to get started and creating calculation documents you're proud to share.

  • Maxima Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-06-15

Blockpad.net features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Blockpad.net offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible for users at all skill levels.
  • Efficient Collaboration
    The platform allows seamless collaboration among team members, enhancing productivity and ensuring transparency in project management.
  • Data Security
    Blockpad.net provides robust security features to protect user data and ensure privacy, giving users peace of mind while using the platform.
  • Customizable Templates
    Users have access to a variety of customizable templates, allowing for tailored solutions to meet specific project needs and requirements.

Possible disadvantages of Blockpad.net

  • Limited Integrations
    Blockpad.net offers fewer integrations with third-party applications compared to some of its competitors, which may limit its usability for certain users.
  • Subscription Costs
    While there is a free version available, access to premium features requires a subscription, which might not be suitable for small businesses or individuals on a tight budget.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    Although the basic features are user-friendly, mastering some of the more advanced functionalities can be challenging for new users.
  • Mobile App Limitations
    The mobile version of the platform doesn't offer the full functionality available on the desktop, potentially hindering on-the-go project management.

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.

Blockpad.net videos

No Blockpad.net videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Blockpad.net and Maxima)
Engineering Calculator
100 100%
0% 0
Technical Computing
12 12%
88% 88
Spreadsheets
100 100%
0% 0
Numerical Computation
12 12%
88% 88

User comments

Share your experience with using Blockpad.net and Maxima. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

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

Blockpad.net Reviews

We have no reviews of Blockpad.net yet.
Be the first one to post

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.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Maxima should be more popular than Blockpad.net. 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.

Blockpad.net mentions (10)

  • Ask HN: Help me find spreadsheet software I found on HN
    I remember seeing an app that has a canvas, and on it you put individual 'sheets' or tables. You can reference between them as normal, drag and drop them around. The screenshots _may_ have shown math being entered too, I can't recall. Because my calculations are made up of many mini-calculations this seems a much better idea than the normal Excel style of multiple tables on one sheet, as adding a row doesn't... - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Ask HN: Software to Write Engineering Calculations?
    I don't personally use it, but you might find Blockpad interesting https://blockpad.net/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Mathics: A free, open-source alternative to Mathematica
    In that space, https://blockpad.net/ is interesting also. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Hand Calculations - What works best for you?
    I work at Blockpad, and we have a lot of structural engineering customers that love it. It's sort of like Mathcad+Excel, inside of Word. Source: over 2 years ago
  • How to Excel in Tech Without Learning to Code
    For engineers Blockpad (http://blockpad.net) is making a good case for itself as an Excel replacement. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
View more

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

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Blockpad.net and Maxima, you can also consider the following products

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

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

PTC Mathcad - PTC Mathcad PTC Mathcad is Engineering Math Software That Allows You to Perform, Analyze, and Share Your Most Vital Calculations.

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.

Mathcad - Mathcad is engineering calculation software that drives innovation and offers significant process...

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