Can I use MATLAB instead of Octave?
MATLAB vs Octave are mainly used for the same purpose. The main difference is syntax and other features. Matlab consist of specialized toolboxes which are not part of Octave. They are not fully compatible that is code written in Matlab can crush in octave and vice versa.
Does GNU Octave have the same syntax as MATLAB?
The syntax is matrix-based and provides various functions for matrix operations. It supports various data structures and allows object-oriented programming. Its syntax is very similar to MATLAB, and careful programming of a script will allow it to run on both Octave and MATLAB.