Scilab Computation Software

Calculation, Data Analysis & Visualization

Free
Download/Install required
No registration

https://www.scilab.org/

Free and open-source software for numerical computation providing a powerful computing environment for engineering and scientific applications: Scilab a high-level numerical computational platform maintained by Dassault Systèmes, designed for engineering and scientific data processing. It provides a comprehensive environment for matrix-based calculations, 2D and 3D visualization, and algorithm development through a dedicated programming language.

The software includes Xcos, a graphical editor for modeling and simulating hybrid dynamical systems, and offers extensive libraries for linear algebra, optimization, and signal processing. Its open architecture supports integration with C, C++, and Java, allowing users to extend functionality through specialized toolboxes and external code linking.

Professionals in engineering, science, and manufacturing apply Scilab to execute complex simulations and automate technical workflows. In control systems engineering, it is used to model plant dynamics and design feedback loops for industrial automation via Xcos. Scientists utilize its statistical and optimization toolboxes for large-scale data analysis and the validation of mathematical models in research environments. Quality and manufacturing experts leverage the platform to implement statistical process control and optimize production parameters, facilitating rapid prototyping and system analysis without the overhead of proprietary software licenses.

One of the very non-online tool we list here. Exists for windows, Linux and MacOS and available under GNU GPL 2.0 on Github.

Disciplines: Control engineering, Signal processing, Numerical analysis, Mechanical engineering, Electrical engineering, Scientific research.

Free alternative to MATLAB, Mathematica, Simulink.

Scilab compared with MATLAB, Mathematica and Simulink
Scilab	MATLAB	Mathematica	Simulink
Technical focus: Scilab is a numerical computation environment with a matrix-oriented high level language. It is aimed at students, academics, engineers and scientists, and it adds Xcos for graphical models.	Technical focus: MATLAB is a programming and numeric computation environment for algorithm development, data analysis and visualization. Its listed application areas include signal and image processing, control systems, wireless communications and robotics. Scilab is free and open source, whereas MATLAB is a commercial product.	Technical focus: Mathematica is built on the Wolfram Language and covers symbolic work, algebra, number theory and numerical computation. Compared with Scilab, whose core is matrix-based numerics, it puts computer algebra at the centre.	Technical focus: Simulink is a block diagram environment for multidomain models used in Model-Based Design. It is not a general numerical language, so it is compared here with Xcos, the block diagram editor inside Scilab.
Modelling and interface: Xcos is described as a graphical editor for hybrid dynamical systems models, with simulation, standard palettes and the option to customize models and create Modelica blocks. Scilab also lists a Jupyter kernel and a VS Code extension.	Modelling and interface: MATLAB is the foundation for Simulink, and it also offers interactive apps and integration with Python, Visual Studio and GitHub. Block diagram modelling needs the separate Simulink product, whereas Scilab ships Xcos.	Modelling and interface: Work is organized in Wolfram Notebooks, which combine text, runnable code and dynamic graphics. The language lists nearly 7,000 built-in functions. The notebook model differs from the script and block diagram workflow of Scilab.	Modelling and interface: Models combine electrical, mechanical, thermal, hydraulic and software components. It supports software-in-the-loop, processor-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing, and it generates C, C++, CUDA, PLC, Verilog and VHDL code. That code generation scope is wider than what the Scilab page describes for Xcos.
Platforms: Scilab runs on Windows, Linux and macOS.	Platforms: Installers are available for Windows, macOS and Linux. Apple silicon Macs also need a separately installed Java runtime.	Platforms: Mathematica is available on Windows, macOS, Linux and cloud, with a Wolfram Cloud App and a Wolfram Player App for mobile.	Platforms: Simulink runs on the desktop, and Simulink Online gives access through a web browser. Large simulations can run locally or on clusters and cloud compute.
Licence and cost: Scilab is free and open source. Since Scilab 6 it is distributed under the GPL, and it remains available under the CeCILL licence, which is GPL compatible.	Licence and cost: MathWorks states that MATLAB is not free. Licences exist for personal, commercial, teaching and academic research use, and a free trial is offered.	Licence and cost: Pricing is organized by category: commercial, government, education, student and personal, plus group licences. A free trial is available, and the vendor page links to a check on whether an organization already provides free access.

Topics covered: Scilab, numerical computation, open-source software, engineering applications, scientific applications, matrix-based calculations, 2D visualization, 3D visualization, algorithm development, hybrid dynamical systems, linear algebra, optimization, signal processing, statistical process control, rapid prototyping, GNU GPL 20, C++, Java, ISO/IEC 25010, ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 12207, ISO 29119, and IEEE 829..