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GNU Octave VS Calcumber

Compare GNU Octave VS Calcumber and see what are their differences

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GNU Octave logo GNU Octave

GNU Octave is a programming language for scientific computing.

Calcumber logo Calcumber

Calculate in a notebook and share — from everyday math to engineering.
Visit Website
  • GNU Octave Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-07
  • Calcumber Usefulness of units when calculating the weight of paper
    Usefulness of units when calculating the weight of paper //
    2026-07-25
  • Calcumber Calcumber interactively embedd on a web page
    Calcumber interactively embedd on a web page //
    2026-07-25
  • Calcumber Showcase from arithmetics to thermodynamics
    Showcase from arithmetics to thermodynamics //
    2026-07-25

Use variables, functions, and units and see results immediately. Add comments, copy calculations to apps like Word or Excel, or share them through an editable link. Calculate thermodynamic fluid properties with the integrated CoolProp library.

GNU Octave

Website
gnu.org
$ Details
-
Platforms
-
Release Date
-
Edit details

Calcumber

Website
calcumber.app
$ Details
free
Platforms
Web Windows Linux Mac
Release Date
2025 June
Startup details
Country
Switzerland
State
Aargau
City
Staufen
Founder(s)
Samuel Hartmann
Employees
1 - 9
Edit details

GNU Octave features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    GNU Octave is completely free to use and distribute. Its source code is available for anyone to inspect, modify, and enhance, providing transparency and community-driven improvements.
  • MATLAB Compatibility
    Octave aims to be mostly compatible with MATLAB, meaning that many scripts and functions written for MATLAB can run in Octave with little or no modification.
  • Extensive Documentation
    Octave has comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and a vast array of user-contributed content, easing the learning curve for new users.
  • Flexible Integration
    Octave can interface with various programming languages such as C, C++, Fortran, and Python, making it versatile for different types of projects and workflows.
  • Powerful Plotting Capabilities
    Octave includes features for generating high-quality plots and visualizations, which are essential for data analysis and presentation.

Possible disadvantages of GNU Octave

  • Performance
    In some cases, Octave may be slower than MATLAB, especially for highly optimized or proprietary algorithms that MATLAB handles more efficiently.
  • GUI and Toolboxes
    While Octave offers a graphical user interface, it is not as polished as MATLAB's. Additionally, the range and quality of toolboxes available in Octave can be more limited compared to MATLAB's extensive and well-supported toolboxes.
  • Community Support
    Although there is a supportive community around Octave, the user base and available support resources are smaller compared to MATLAB's extensive network of forums, user groups, and customer support.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While basic operations are straightforward, mastering advanced features and customizations in Octave can require a deeper understanding of its architecture and available functions.
  • Less Industry Adoption
    MATLAB is widely used in industry for research, engineering, and analytics. Octave, being an open-source alternative, lacks the same level of commercial adoption and institutional support, which can be a drawback in professional settings.

Calcumber features and specs

  • 🌿 Naturally type expressions
    get immediate results
  • 🔗 Copy and share
    keep calculations editable with a link
  • 🧩 Variables and constants
    pi, e, G, mu0
  • 🧪 Scientific functions
    sin, acos, log, round, and more
  • ♨️ Thermodynamic fluid properties
    refrigeration, heat pumps, steam and air
  • 💡 Installation optional
    run directly in your browser
  • 📱 Multi-platform
    WebApp, Windows, more to come

Analysis of GNU Octave

Overall verdict

  • GNU Octave is a robust and suitable option for numerical analysis and computational tasks, especially when budget constraints or a preference for open-source software come into play. It can proficiently handle various projects and provides substantial compatibility with MATLAB, which broadens its appeal to many users in academia and industry.

Why this product is good

  • GNU Octave is a high-level programming language primarily intended for numerical computations. It is highly compatible with MATLAB, making it an excellent choice for those with MATLAB experience who are seeking a free alternative. Octave is open-source, which means it is free to use and has a strong community that contributes to its development and support. It offers a wide range of functions and packages that are useful for mathematics, engineering, and scientific research, making it a powerful tool for algorithm development and data visualization.

Recommended for

  • Students learning numerical computing techniques.
  • Researchers in academia who need a cost-effective tool for data analysis.
  • MATLAB users looking for a compatible open-source alternative.
  • Engineers and scientists who require robust numerical computation capabilities.

GNU Octave videos

+ Add

GNU Octave Ep. 1.5: What's different compared to MatLab!

Calcumber videos

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

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GNU Octave and Calcumber)

GNU Octave

Calcumber

Technical Computing
100 100%
Technical Computing
0% 0
Math Calculators
0 0%
Math Calculators
100% 100
Numerical Computation
100 100%
Numerical Computation
0% 0
Math Solver
89 89%
Math Solver
11% 11

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing GNU Octave and Calcumber.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Calcumber's answer:

  • Sharing calculations and embedding them in documents or web pages is perfect for education.
  • Natural unit support, just include them in your expression and Calcumber handles it.
  • Free and easy access to thermodynamic fluid-properties.

What makes your product unique?

Calcumber's answer:

  • Easy to use calculator notebook
  • From simple arithmetic to advanced engineering with units
  • Installation optional
  • Send calculation link with full privacy
  • Embed calculation templates, exercices and soultions in documents or interactively in web pages

What's the story behind your product?

Calcumber's answer:

When starting for a Master of Advances Study in Energy Systems, I was looking for a suitable state-of-the-art calculator. Then I built my own Calculator Calcumber and now the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences is using Calcumber for teaching students in thermodynamics.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Calcumber's answer:

  • The notebook-style calculator is great for everybody who wants more than just a single line calculator.
  • The sharing and embedding features make it Calcumber very well suited for teachers and students. The power of consistently using units is shown immediatly.
  • Engineers will like the unit support, sharing calculations with collegues and if needed the built-in fluid properties calculation.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Calcumber's answer:

HTML, CSS, TypeScript, PWA, CoolProp

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

Calcumber's answer:

Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences

User comments

Share your experience with using GNU Octave and Calcumber. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GNU Octave and Calcumber

GNU Octave Reviews

7 Best MATLAB alternatives for Linux
FreeMAT is a free and open-source software for numerical computation. It is used for rapid engineering, scientific prototyping, and data processing. It is similar to MATLAB and GNU Octave and supports its various functions.
Source: cyanogenmods.org
Matlab Alternatives
Scilab is an open-source similar to the implementation of Matlab. The approximation techniques known as Scientific Computing is used to solve numerical problems. To achieve this, the team of Scilab developers made use of Solvers and algorithms to build the algebraic libraries. Scilab is one of the major alternatives to Matlab along with GNU Octave.
Source: www.educba.com
10 Best MATLAB Alternatives [For Beginners and Professionals]
GNU Octave an open-source alternative to MATLAB. It is interactive and powerful featuring everything you need in one place.
Source: thetechtop10.com
4 open source alternatives to MATLAB
GNU Octave may be the best-known alternative to MATLAB. In active development for almost three decades, Octave runs on Linux, Windows, and Mac—and is packaged for most major distributions. If you're looking for a project that is as close to the actual MATLAB language as possible, Octave may be a good fit for you; it strives for exact compatibility, so many of your projects...
Source: opensource.com
3 Open Source Alternatives to MATLAB
GNU Octave may be the best-known alternatives to MATLAB. In active development for almost three decades, Octave runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux alike, and is packaged for most major distributions. If you're looking for a project that is as close to the actual MATLAB language as possible, Octave may be a good fit for you; it strives for exact compatibility, so many of your...
Source: www.openhealthnews.com

Calcumber Reviews

We have no reviews of Calcumber yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GNU Octave seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time 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.

GNU Octave mentions (1)

  • everyday I get more certain that Algerian universities sucks...
    As for Matlab, I think you'll be just fine with using GNU Octave. Source: over 4 years ago

Calcumber mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Calcumber yet. Tracking of Calcumber recommendations started around Jul 2026.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GNU Octave and Calcumber, you can also consider the following products

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

Numara Calculator - A simple but powerful notepad calculator which evaluates expressions as you type.

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.

SpeedCrunch - SpeedCrunch. SpeedCrunch is a high-precision scientific calculator featuring a fast, keyboard-driven user interface. It is free and open-source software, licensed under the GPL. Download Documentation Donate .

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

Qalculate! - Qalculate! is a multiplatform multi-purpose desktop calculator.

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