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

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