Top pick: SageMath. Switching saves about $1,960 USD a year.
$1,960 USDa year
≈$2,794.37 CAD (converted from USD)
Every pick below has a free version.
3 alternatives
The editor’s first choice for most people switching.
Best for open-source symbolic math with Python
Free GPL software built on Python. Notebooks are Jupyter or Sage notebooks, so .nb files do not open.
Covers most of the same work, with trade-offs noted on each card.
Best for symbolic math inside Python and Jupyter
A BSD-licensed Python library. Pair it with Jupyter notebooks for a notebook workflow.
Right for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.
Best for classic computer algebra with wxMaxima
Free GPL software for Windows, Mac and Linux. The wxMaxima interface ships with the downloads.
Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.
How each alternative covers what people use Wolfram Mathematica for. Numbers link to editor notes.
| Feature | SageMath | SymPy | Maxima |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computation | |||
| Symbolic algebra and calculus | YesNote 1Symbolic algebra and calculus through Maxima and SymPy | PartialNote 2Pure-Python algebra; slower and narrower than Mathematica | YesNote 3Algebra and calculus, descended from Macsyma |
| Numerical computation and optimization | YesNote 4NumPy and SciPy | PartialNote 5Numeric work goes through mpmath and NumPy | PartialNote 6Basic numeric tools |
| Interface | |||
| Notebook documents with live code | YesNote 7Jupyter notebooks and a browser notebook | YesNote 8Works in Jupyter notebooks | PartialNote 9wxMaxima notebook with formatted output |
| Output | |||
| 2D and 3D visualization | YesNote 102D and 3D plots | PartialNote 11Basic plots; use matplotlib for more | PartialNote 12Plots through gnuplot |
| Data | |||
| Built-in curated data and knowledgebase | No | No | No |
| Deployment | |||
| Cloud notebooks and deployed APIs | PartialNote 13Hosted options such as CoCalc and SageMathCell; no deployed APIs | No | No |
| Parity score | 75% | 42% | 42% |
Not covered by any free alternative yet: Built-in curated data and knowledgebase, Cloud notebooks and deployed APIs. See all feature gaps
Can each alternative open and save Wolfram Mathematica files?
| Format | SageMath | SymPy | Maxima |
|---|---|---|---|
| .nb | NoNote 1Cannot open Mathematica notebooks | NoNote 2Cannot open Mathematica notebooks | NoNote 3Cannot open Mathematica notebooks |
| .wl | NoNote 4Cannot run Wolfram Language code | Opens onlyNote 5Can parse Wolfram Language expressions but not run codePartial fidelity | NoNote 6Cannot run Wolfram Language code |
| .wls | NoNote 7Cannot run Wolfram Language scripts | NoNote 8Cannot run Wolfram Language scripts | NoNote 9Cannot run Wolfram Language scripts |
| .csv | Opens and savesNote 10Through PythonFull fidelity | Opens and savesNote 11Through Python's csv module or pandasPartial fidelity | Opens and savesNote 12Through the numericalio packagePartial fidelity |
| .xlsx | Opens and savesNote 13Through pandas and openpyxlPartial fidelity | Opens and savesNote 14Through pandasPartial fidelity | NoNote 15Export to csv first |
Switching saves about $1,960 USD / ≈$2,794 CAD (estimated from the USD price) a year. Prices checked ; ≈ means converted from USD.
Based on Professional Plan, commercial, annual. Price source. USD to CAD at 1.4257 as of Oct 7, 2026.
Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.
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Wolfram Mathematica is a product of Wolfram Research, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Wolfram Mathematica: Windows, macOS, Linux, Web.