HJBlog > The Insane Cost of Math Software

Tue, Dec 9, 2008, 12:41am The Insane Cost of Math Software

(Last updated: Fri, Dec 11, 2009, 4:28am)

ig mathematics systems like Mathematica, Maple or MATLAB are extremely expensive, with prices starting at $2500, $1900 and $1900 respectively. Those prices are for the single commercial license. My interests aren't commercial, but is no non-commercial sales option. They all have Student, Government and Commercial licenses. I'd call myself a student in the wider sense, but they will want to check with my institution, which is, I guess, just myself, and I'm guessing they'd balk at that.

Since there's no money to be had in autodidacts, I either shell out the big bucks or make do with systems such as FreeMat, Octave or Scilab. These seem to be good tools, which I've only dabbled with a touch, but they're clearly not on the same level with their commercial brethren. But dang… why must they be so much for non-commercial use.

I'm not even saying that the software isn't worth the money, I'm just saying I can't rationalize it and I'm sure I'm not the only home researcher who would be willing to pay some reasonable amount for such a tool. Sadly, all 3 companies above have decided it wouldn't be in their interest to market to this niche.

Update 2009-12-11: Since this was written I have found that both Wolfram Research and Maplesoft offer inexpensive home versions of their products for those who are not using them in any commercial way. Mathematica is available for $300 and Maple for $240. (In order to find that figure from Mapplesoft, I had to email them directly to ask if such a thing existed, since their website is completely silent about it.)

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Shawn (Sat, January 24th, 2009, 8:27pm UTC)

I feel your pain, Jeff. I had to fork out the full Matlab license fee to work on a $4,000 contract. Granted I had future business in mind, otherwise there would have been no way that would have made business sense.
Jeff (Tue, January 27th, 2009, 4:34pm UTC)

One program I hadn't tried out (downloaded, then forgot about, but then found again accidently just now), was Sage, which is looking pretty decent. Certainly useful, just not sure to what extent yet.
lorenzo.brito (Fri, August 21st, 2009, 3:39am UTC)

Yea,,for that developers using a open source tool under glp must help the project adding code or donating, in order to get hight standard as comercial stuff.