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GNU Octave vs Julia: catalog facts
GNU Octave	Julia
Free Free software under the GNU General Public License.	Free Free and open source under the MIT license.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Runs many Matlab scripts without changes Built-in 2D and 3D plotting	Compiles to native code via LLVM for high performance Interactive REPL with a scripting-language feel
Compatibility with Matlab is partial, not complete No equivalent of Matlab's commercial toolboxes beyond community packages	Compilation can make the first run of code slow Smaller package ecosystem than Python or R
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL	License: MIT
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.