The best math softwares, according to hackers
11 math softwares recommended in Hacker News comments over the past year, ranked by how many separate people recommend each one.
- Most recommendedWolfram Mathematica103 people recommend it
- Least regretSageMath16 recommend, 3 criticize
All math softwares
- Wolfram MathematicaRecommended for its consistent, well-designed language, huge built-in library and strong symbolic math in an interactive notebook, but critics cite high cost, proprietary lock-in and poor performance at scale.103recommend
- Wolfram AlphaPeople recommend Wolfram Alpha for math answers and step-by-step solving, but critics say it handles plain-language questions poorly.28recommend
- SageMathFree open-source computer algebra system people use as an open alternative to Mathematica. Caveat: critics call it poorly integrated, a glue of separate projects.16recommend
- SymPyFree Python library that handles common symbolic math well and is used to avoid Maxima. Critics note slowness and gaps in integrals and differential equations.13recommend
- Maple by MaplesoftRecommended for strong, fast computer algebra algorithms and standard mathematical notation that some find easier than Mathematica. Critics say cloud-run compute requires trusting the vendor.9recommend
- MaximaA free, long-running symbolic math system that people recommend for calculus, equation solving and symbolic computation, with a reputation for accurate answers.7recommend
- GeoGebraRecommended for visual geometry and math intuition, such as seeing complex numbers and quickly catching procedural errors. Caveat: one critic found it less challenging and less deep than MA.7recommend
- SymbolicaRecommended as a fast, programmable symbolic math library usable from Rust or Python without learning a bundled language. Critics say its license restricts use.7recommend
- DerivePeople recommend Derive as a fast Windows app for symbolic math and call it more sophisticated than some alternatives. One critic notes there is no PC version anymore.5recommend
- GeomaticPeople recommend it as a fun, command-driven geometry studio with autodiff and a helpful example, though newcomers find it hard to grasp at first and it is not very mobile friendly.5recommend
- Polypad by MathigonPeople recommend Polypad for its visually appealing interface, which they say works as well as its landing page suggests. No caveats were raised.5recommend