After writing a ~500 pages book in two versions for MATLAB and Python, I would like to offer a comparison from the point of view of a MATLAB user. Comments, corrections and additions via email are as always welcome!
This is a comparison of MATLAB vs. PYTHON from the perspective of a scientist who has been using MATLAB for 30+ years and Python for 4+ years. However, my book covers a wide range of applications from statistics, time series analysis, spatial and directional data analysis, and image processing and analysis in more than 500 pages, so I think I can make an initial judgment.
In fact, MATLAB and PYTHON have a lot in common, the developers clearly inspire each other. In earlier discussions of the pros and cons, the focus was on the different business model of the two tools: Python is initially free, but you pay for this advantage with a lack of support. If you actually need professional help, it quickly becomes expensive – you are then rely on help from companies that offer this support for the usual prices.
If you don’t have the financial means, you will spend a lot of time googling solutions and usually get help in forums like Stackoverflow. MATLAB users, on the other hand, can rely on professional help from the manufacturer MathWorks, on direct contact with the developers, but may pay high license fees. There is no free lunch, someone always pays the bill.
Here is my draft of my MATLAB vs. PYTHON from a MATLABer’s Perspective (March 2025 Edition) open to discussion, corrections and additions. For those of you who are interested to learn both by means of earth science applications, please refer to the courses I teach since 30+ years.
References
Trauth, M.H. (2025) MATLAB Recipes for Earth Sciences – Sixth Edition. Springer International Publishing, 567 p, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-57949-3.
Trauth, M.H. (2024) Python Recipes for Earth Sciences – Second Edition. Springer International Publishing, 491 p., https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-56906-7.
Rebbin, J. (2021) Introduction to MATLAB for Python Users. MathWorks Blogs, available online.