Neanderthal

Fast Clojure Matrix Library for CPU and GPU computations

EstablishedOpen SourceLow lock-in

Pricing

Free tier

Flat rate

Adoption

Stable

License

Open Source

Data freshness

Aging · Jun 8, 2026

Overview

What is Neanderthal?

Neanderthal is a high-performance matrix library for the Clojure programming language, supporting both native CPU and GPU operations through OpenCL and CUDA.

Key differentiator

Neanderthal stands out as a high-performance matrix library specifically optimized for Clojure, offering seamless integration with both CPU and GPU through OpenCL and CUDA.

Capability profile

Capability Radar

Ease of StartEcosystemValueMaturityFlexibilityScale Ready

Honest assessment

Strengths & Weaknesses

↑ Strengths

Support for both CPU and GPU computations through OpenCL and CUDAmedium

High-performance matrix operations optimized for Clojuremedium

Integration with the Uncomplicate ecosystemmedium

↓ Weaknesses

Limited language supporthigh

Neanderthal is tightly integrated with Clojure, making it less accessible for developers familiar with other programming languages.

Small community and ecosystemmedium

The Uncomplicate ecosystem, while robust, has a smaller user base compared to more mainstream libraries like TensorFlow or PyTorch.

Complex setup for GPU operationshigh

Setting up OpenCL and CUDA environments can be challenging and requires specific hardware configurations, leading to potential compatibility issues.

Fit analysis

Who is it for?

✓ Best for

Clojure developers working on performance-critical numerical computations

Projects needing to leverage both CPU and GPU for matrix operations

Developers who prefer a Clojure-centric solution over general-purpose libraries

✕ Not a fit for

Teams requiring support for multiple programming languages beyond Clojure

Applications where the overhead of JVM is unacceptable

Cost structure

Pricing

Free Tier

Available

Open source — free to use

Starts at

$0

Model

Flat rate

Enterprise

None

Performance benchmarks

How Fast Is It?

Ecosystem

Relationships

Next step

Get Started with Neanderthal

Step-by-step setup guide with code examples and common gotchas.

View Setup Guide →