One could make the point that Wolfram language is really a library of cloud functions which require their proprietary cloud service to be useful. It also looks a lot like a Lisp with M-expressions.<p>While a lot of those functions are impressive, what makes Wolfram a non-starter for me is the fact that you can't build a deployable app with it with anything but a notebook interface. A notebook might be great for a researcher but it's not a good interface for many other kinds of programs.<p>I also have an issue with Wolfram's documentation or the lack thereof. Because the functions take weird and unpredictable arguments, it's difficult to wrap one's head around what might fit where. This is a strong contrast to Lisp where the meanings of arguments are unambiguous, encouraging exploration and invention because you can keep the language "in your head." Wolfram creates dependencies on their cloud sever and their doc which will always make it niche.