Comparison with Mathematica¶

WolframScript is the official command line interface for the Wolfram Language provided by Wolfram Research, the company behind the Wolfram Language.

Mathematica is the official frontend with a notebook interface. It is implemented as a cross-platform desktop application and is available for macOS, Linux, and Windows.

Implementation Language

C++

First Release

1988

License

Proprietary

Woxi is our alternative to WolframScript and Woxi Studio is our alternative to Mathematica. They try to be as compatible as possible, but there are a few features, they intentionally deviate from to provide a better user experience.

WolframScript vs Woxi¶

• Woxi supports Unicode characters \ For example to calculate the circumference of a circle with radius 4:

  woxi eval 'N[2π * 4]'
  

• Woxi runs .nb notebooks directly \ WolframScript can only execute .wls / .m script files, but Woxi can evaluate the Input/Code cells of a Mathematica .nb notebook right from the command line:

  woxi run notebook.nb
  

• Woxi imports CERN ROOT files \ The Wolfram Language has no importer for the standard container format of particle physics, but Woxi decodes its 1-D and 2-D histograms, strings, and nested directories into an Association, and reads TTree branch data — flat leaves, leaf-count arrays, std::vectors, and TLorentzVectors — through element paths (see Import):

  woxi eval 'Import["experiment.root"]'
  woxi eval 'Import["experiment.root", {"ROOT", "events", "energy"}]'
  

Mathematica vs Woxi Studio¶

• Woxi Studio does not support out of order evaluation of cells \ When running a cell, it automatically also runs all cells before it. This is to avoid confusion about the state of the kernel and ensures consistent results when working with notebooks.

• Woxi Studio does not support % \ This is too brittle as it refers to the last calculation that was evaluated, which could be any notebook cell and therefore leads to confusion about the state of the kernel. If you want to reuse results, assign them to a variable.

• Mostly not implemented yet

  • Wolfram Knowledgebase \ This includes functions like:
    • WolframAlpha[]
    • Built-in Entity[] objects
    • Natural language input with ctrl =
    • Most functions listed on http://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/KnowledgeRepresentationAndAccess.html
  • Machine Learning and Neural Networks
  • Optimization
  • FEM
  • Chemistry
  • Audio Computation
  • Video Computation
  • Astronomy
  • Control Systems
  • Signal Processing
  • Tools for AIs

Missing features by Mathematica release¶

Woxi targets a subset of the Wolfram Language, so some of the several-hundred functions added in each Mathematica release are not (yet) implemented. The lists below highlight the marquee feature areas of each version that Woxi does not support.

Version 15.0 (2026)¶

• Built-in AI assistant and Wolfram Agent Tools framework
• Rebuilt time-series engine: EventSeries, TimeSeriesEvents, EventSeriesAccumulate
• ModelFit superfunction with ExponentialModel, PowerModel, LogModel, PolynomialModel, PeriodicModel, DecisionTreeModel
• Big-data Tabular enhancements, TabularSummary
• Exception handling: ThrowException, CatchExceptions, RegisterExceptionType
• Lazy sequences via IncrementalObject and incremental Permutations / Subsets / Tuples
• WebSocket connectivity
• GPU/CUDA kernels

Version 14.3 (2025)¶

• Data fitting: ListFitPlot, ListFitPlot3D, LocalModelFit (LOESS), KernelModelFit
• Surface and mesh processing: SurfaceDensityPlot3D, SmoothMesh, SimplifyMesh, Remesh, SubdivisionRegion
• Non-commutative algebra: NonCommutativeExpand, Commutator, AntiCommutator
• HilbertTransform
• Lommel functions LommelS1/LommelS2/LommelT1/LommelT2
• Linear algebra: EigenvalueDecomposition, FrobeniusDecomposition
• LLMGraph for agentic workflows
• Many new database connectors

Version 14.2 (2025)¶

• Tabular big-data subsystem: AggregateRows, PivotTable, TransformColumns
• Chat cells in notebooks
• Symbolic arrays: ArrayExpand, ArraySimplify, ComponentExpand
• Game theory: MatrixGame, FindMatrixGameStrategies, GameTheoryData
• Video object tracking: VideoObjectTracking, ImageBoundingBoxes
• GPUArray GPU-native arrays
• Astronomy: FindAstroEvent
• ParallelSelect, ParallelCases
• Failsafe

Version 14.1 (2024)¶

• LLM integration: LLMPromptGenerator, LLMConfiguration
• Vector search: SemanticSearch, CreateSemanticSearchIndex, VectorDatabaseSearch
• Symbolic arrays: MatrixSymbol, ArraySymbol, ArrayDot
• PascalBinomial
• DStabilityConditions
• Biomolecules: BioMolecule, BioMoleculePlot3D
• AstroGraphics
• Video generation: ManipulateVideo, VideoTranscribe, SpeechRecognize

Version 14.0 (2024)¶

• Chat Notebooks and LLM tooling
• Calculus: ImplicitD, LineIntegrate, SurfaceIntegrate, ContourIntegrate, fractional differentiation
• Video as a first-class object: VideoJoin, OverlayVideo
• Astronomy: AstroPosition, AstroGraphics
• Chemistry: ChemicalFormula, ReactionBalance
• Symbolic finite-field arithmetic and factoring
• Solid-mechanics / fluid-dynamics PDEs
• Computable species data
• Synthetic geometry constraint solving
• Graphics: texture mapping

Version 13.3 (2023)¶

• LLM suite: LLMFunction, LLMSynthesize, LLMTool, LLMExampleFunction, Chat Notebooks
• FiniteField arithmetic
• Region metrics: RegionHausdorffDistance, InscribedBall, CircumscribedBall
• PlotHighlighting
• ImageSynthesize (text-to-image)
• FindImageShapes
• Test framework: TestCreate, TestObject, TestReport
• Foreign function interface: ForeignFunctionLoad, RawMemoryAllocate
• ARPublish

Version 13.2 (2022)¶

• Astronomy: AstroPosition, AstroDistance, AstroAngularSeparation
• Multivariate polynomial factoring over finite fields
• Temperature-difference units
• ClusteringMeasurements
• NetExternalObject (ONNX)
• TerminatedEvaluation
• TypeHint
• Chess format support (FEN/PGN)

Version 13.1 (2022)¶

• Compiler enhancements
• Full 32-bit Unicode and emoji support
• Fractional calculus: FractionalD, CaputoD, ImplicitD, IntegrateChangeVariables, DSolveChangeVariables
• Chemistry: PatternReaction, ApplyReaction, ChemicalConvert
• Geometry: ReconstructionMesh, 3D VoronoiMesh, GeodesicPolyhedron
• VideoCapture, VideoScreenCapture

Version 13.0 (2021)¶

• Solid mechanics: SolidMechanicsPDEComponent, SolidMechanicsStress
• Matrix ops: FunctionPoles
• Geometry: RegionFit, ConcaveHullMesh, CSGRegion, FindRegionTransform
• Graph theory: FindVertexColoring, VertexChromaticNumber, FindSubgraphIsomorphism, PlanarFaceList, DominatorTreeGraph
• Chemistry: ChemicalReaction, ReactionBalance, FindIsomers
• Spatial estimation: SpatialEstimate, VariogramModel
• Video composition: TourVideo, GridVideo
• Symbolic lighting (PointLight, SpotLight)

Version 12.3 (2021)¶

• Multivariate transcendental equation solving
• Symbolic PDE solutions
• Data structures: ByteTrie, KDTree, ImmutableVector
• Region dilation/erosion
• StreamPlot3D, ListStreamPlot3D
• Video editing: VideoRecord, VideoInsert, VideoReplace
• Carlson elliptic integrals, Fox H-function

Version 12.2 (2020)¶

• Biomolecular sequences: BioSequence, BioSequenceTranslate, BioSequenceComplement
• Spatial statistics: SpatialPointData, MeanPointDensity, SpatialRandomnessTest
• PDE term framework: LaplacianPDETerm, HelmholtzPDEComponent
• Interactive Euclidean geometry
• 37 new calendar systems

Version 12.1 (2020)¶

• Video for frame extraction and analysis
• HiDPI / Metal / Direct3D rendering
• DataStructure (linked lists, binary trees, hash tables, stacks)
• Heun functions
• CategoricalDistribution
• GeometricOptimization (convex problems)
• Neural net types BERT and GPT-2
• NetGANOperator
• MoleculeRecognize

Version 12.0 (2019)¶

• Euclidean geometry automation: GeometricScene, RandomInstance, FindGeometricConjectures
• Theorem proving: AxiomaticTheory, FindEquationalProof
• Machine learning: LearnDistribution, FindAnomalies, AttentionLayer
• Recognition: ImageCases, ImageContents, AudioIdentify, PitchRecognize
• Chemistry: MoleculePlot3D, FindMoleculeSubstructure
• NLP: TextCases, TextContents, Synonyms, Antonyms
• Iconize

Version 11.3 (2018)¶

• Blockchain: BlockchainData, BlockchainTransactionData
• AsymptoticDSolveValue
• FindTextualAnswer
• FindFaces, FacialFeatures
• Presentation environment
• SideNotes, SideCode
• Mail: SendMessage, MailServerConnect, MailSearch
• Neural net surgery: NetTake, NetJoin, NetFlatten

Version 11.2 (2017)¶

• ImageRestyle (style transfer)
• Improved Classify / Predict
• GeoImage (satellite imagery)
• TideData
• StackedDateListPlot
• AnatomyPlot3D
• RegionIntersection (constructive solid geometry)
• SpeechSynthesize
• AudioStream
• ExternalEvaluate (Python, NodeJS)
• TaskObject

Version 11.1 (2017)¶

• 30 new neural net layer types
• NetModel
• FeatureSpacePlot
• AudioCapture
• Cepstrogram
• ImageGraphics (bitmap to vector)
• GeoBubbleChart
• WebSearch, WebImageSearch, TextTranslation
• HilbertCurve, SierpinskiMesh, SpherePoints, AnglePath3D
• PersistentValue

Version 11.0 (2016)¶

• Printout3D (3D printing) with automatic mesh repair
• Neural networks: ImageIdentify, NetChain, ConvolutionLayer
• Routing: TravelDirections, TravelTime
• Differential operators: DEigenvalues, GreenFunction, MellinTransform
• Channel publish-subscribe framework
• Cryptography
• Text: TextCases

Version 10.0 (2014)¶

• Machine learning: Classify, Predict
• Finite-element method for PDEs (NDSolve "FiniteElement")

Version 9.0 (2012)¶

• Predictive interface and Suggestions Bar (notebook UI)
• SocialMediaData
• Random / stochastic processes: MarkovProcess, QueueingProcess, ARProcess
• Survival analysis
• Symbolic tensors (TensorReduce, TensorExpand)
• Image recognition: FindFaces, ImageFeatureTrack
• Control systems design

Version 8.0 (2010)¶

• Free-form linguistic input via Wolfram|Alpha
• GPU computing: CUDAFunction (CUDALink / OpenCLLink)
• C code generation: CCodeGenerate, CompileToC
• Financial engineering: FinancialDerivative, FinancialData
• Continuous WaveletTransform

Version 7.0 (2008)¶

• Built-in curated data (genomic, weather, astronomical, chemical)
• Delay differential equations in NDSolve
• Automatic charting superfunctions and computational typesetting

Version 6.0 (2007)¶

• Live mouse-driven manipulation of 2D/3D graphics in notebooks (Animate, Animator, ListAnimate, LocatorPane, and ClickPane are supported as interactive widgets in the Playground and Studio, but dragging directly on a graphic — and 3D rotation — is not)

Version 5.0 (2003)¶

• Arbitrary-precision numerics engine and packed-array performance optimizations

Version 4.0–4.2 (1999–2002)¶

• LinearProgramming solver
• Web/markup formats: MathML and XML Import/Export
• Add-on packages: Combinatorica (graph theory) and ANOVA (statistics)

Version 3.0 (1996)¶

• Interactive 2D mathematical typesetting / notation input (front-end)

Version 2.0 (1991)¶

• MathLink protocol for external C / Fortran programs

Version 1.0 (1988)¶

The original 554 built-in functions and the symbolic computation core are fully supported. The interactive notebook front-end is provided separately by Woxi Studio.