DESCRIPTION

AVAILABLE
PACKAGES

SPSS

NCSS

GNU PSPP

R PROJECT

IBM SPSS
Statistics is an
integrated family
of products that
helps to address
the entire
analytical
process, from
planning and
data collection to
analysis,
reporting and
deployment.
With more than a
dozen fully
integrated
modules to
choose from,
users can find
the specialized
capabilities they
need to increase
revenue,
outperform
competitors and
make better
decisions.
IBM SPSS
Statistics
Standard
Fundamental
analytical

NCSS is a computer
program for
statistical/data analysis
created in 1981. NCSS
(originally, Number
Cruncher Statistical
System) includes over
230 documented
statistical and plot
procedures. NCSS
imports and exports all
major spreadsheet,
database, and
statistical file formats.

PSPP is a free software

application for analysis
of sampled data,
intended as a free
alternative for IBM
SPSS Statistics. It has a
graphical user interface
and conventional
command-line
interface.

R is a programming
language and software
environment for
statistical computing
and graphics. R and its
libraries implement a
wide variety of
statistical and graphical
techniques, including
linear and nonlinear
modeling, classical
statistical tests, timeseries analysis,
classification,
clustering, and others.

Comes in one standard

package

Comes in one standard

package

The capabilities of R
are extended through
user-created packages,
which allow specialized
statistical techniques,

capabilities for a
wide variety of
business and
research
questions.
IBM SPSS
Statistics
Professio
nal
Additional
capabilities to
address issues of
data quality,
data complexity,
automation and
forecasting.
IBM SPSS
Statistics
Premium
A full range of
analytical
techniques plus
structural
equation
modeling (SEM).
In-depth
sampling
assessment and
testing, and
procedures for
direct marketing.
There are also
several modules
available to add
other capabilities

graphical devices
(ggplot2),
import/export
capabilities, reporting
tools (knitr, Sweave),
etc. A core set of
packages is included
with the installation of
R, with more than
5,800 additional
packages and 120,000
functions (as of June
2014) available at the
Comprehensive R
Archive Network
(CRAN), Bioconductor,
Omegahat, GitHub and
other repositories.

to the package
purchased.

WHO IS IT FOR

AVAILABLE
ANALYSES

SPSS is a widely
used program for
statistical
analysis in social
science by
academics and
students. It is
also used by
market
researchers,
health
researchers,
survey
companies,
government,
education
researchers,
marketing
organizations,
data miners, and
others.
T-test
ANOVA:
OneWay/TwoWay
ANOVA,
MANOVA,
GLM,
Mixed

As an all-purpose
statistical program,
NCSS is used
academics, students,
and professionals in a
variety of industries
from medical
investigation and
business analytics, to
engineering and quality
control.

T-test
ANOVA: OneWay/Two-Way
ANOVA,
MANOVA, GLM,
Mixed Model,
Post-Hoc, Latin
Squares
Regression: OLS,

PSPP is particularly
aimed at statisticians,
social scientists and
students requiring
quick and convenient
analysis of sampled
data.

T-test
ANOVA: OneWay/Two-Way
ANOVA,
MANOVA, GLM,
Post-Hoc, Latin
Squares
Regression: OLS,
Logistic

As a relatively
advanced software, R
language is widely
used among
statisticians and data
miners for developing
statistical software and
running data analyses.
R's popularity has
increased substantially
in recent years. Data
scientists, statisticians,
analysts, and others
who need to make
sense of data use R for
statistical analysis,
data visualization, and
predictive modeling.

Since it is a
programming language
to develop statistical
procedures, every
analyses developed by
statisticians can be
implemented using R,
even before it is
available in other

Model,
Post-Hoc,
Latin
Squares
Regressio
n: OLS,
WLS,
2SLS,
NLLS,
Logistic,
GLM,
Stepwise,
Probit
TimeSeries
Analysis:
ARIMA
Charts &
Diagrams:
Bar Chart,
Box Plot,
Correlogra
m,
Scatterplo
t,
Histogram
, Line
Chart
Other
Abilities:
Descriptiv
e
Statistics,
Crosstabs, Nonparametri

WLS, NLLS,
Logistic, GLM,
LAD, Stepwise,
Probit, Cox,
Poisson, MLR
Time-Series
Analysis: ARIMA
Charts &
Diagrams: Bar
Chart, Box Plot,
Correlogram,
Scatterplot,
Histogram, Line
Chart
Other Abilities:
Descriptive
Statistics, Crosstabs, Nonparametric
statistics, Quality
Control, Survival
Analysis, Cluster
Analysis, Factor
Analysis,
Discriminant
Analysis, Data
Processing, Chisquare

Charts &
Diagrams:
Histogram, pie
chart, boxplot
Other Abilities:
Descriptive
statistics, Crosstabs, Factor
Analysis,
Relability
Analysis, Chisquare, Cluster
Analysis

platforms. Not only are

all the "standard"
methods available, but
because most cuttingedge research in
statistics and predictive
modeling is done in R,
the latest techniques
are usually available
first in the R system.

PROS

c
statistics,
Quality
Control,
Survival
Analysis,
Cluster
Analysis,
Discrimina
nt
Analysis,
Data
Processing
, Factor
Analysis,
Reliability
Analysis,
Chi-square
With an
easy to
use user
interface,
SPSS does
not create
a high
barrier for
beginners.
Unlike
some
statistical
packages
that rely
heavily on
syntax to
run, SPSS
is

The tools in
NCSS are very
intuitive.
Data is easily
imported,
copied-andpasted, or
entered directly.
Easy to produce
clear, fullycustomized
graphics for a
variety of charts
and graphs.
Results are ready
to be viewed,
printed, saved,

Free license
Capable of many
of the same data
analyses as SPSS
User interface is
similar to that of
SPSS
Very easy to
learn

Free license
Available in the R
language are
functions for
virtually every
data
manipulation,
statistical model,
or chart that the
data analyst
could ever need.
Goes far beyond
the traditional
bar chart and
line plot with
very advanced
charting
capabilities.

CONS

comparati
vely user
friendly.
Ability to
run
additional
analyses
not built
or sold
together
Very
flexible
with the
ability to
add
different
modules
for
advanced
analyses
Very steep
price
Not very
easy to
set up and
manipulat
e data
Data
visualizati
on
capabilitie
s are
limited
Sometime
s has a

or pasted into
presentation or
word processing
software.

When purchasing
from the official
website, the
product allows
for personal use
on a single
machine, not for
use on shared
workstations.
Relatively high
price is not a
convenience.

Relatively limited
capability in
terms of some
features
No customer
support (free
software)
Chart
capabilities are
relatively weak

The source code

is open for
inspection and
modification to
anyone who
wants to see
how the methods
and algorithms
work under the
covers.

Very steep
learning curve
Doesn't have
very friendly
beginner support
Limited graphical
user interface
Sometimes, the
program might
tend to lag.

tendency
to freeze
with large
datasets
INTERFACE

HELP MENU
WITHIN THE
SOFTWARE

LATEST
VERSION

A command line
interface
(syntax) and a
graphical user
interface are
available
SPSS software
includes a stepby-step help
menu designed
for those familiar
with general
statistics
concepts.
Learning to use
the SPSS
software does
not require a
programming
background.
SPSS 22 (August
2013)

Only a graphical user

interface is available

A command line
interface (syntax) and
a graphical user
interface are available

R is mainly a command
line program but the
Windows distribution
comes with a GUI
component called RGui

NCSS software includes

a step-by-step quick
start manual which is
included in the help
menu. Learning to use
the NCSS software does
not require a
programming
background.

PSPP software includes

a help menu designed
for those familiar with
general
statistics concepts.
Learning to use the
PSPP
software does not
require a programming
background.

R Gui software includes

a help menu designed
for those familiar with
general
statistics concepts.

NCSS 10 (May, 2012)

PSPP 0.8.4 (September,

2014)

R 3.2.0 (April 2015)

SOFTWARE
LICENSE

Proprietary

Proprietary

GNU GPL

GNU GPL

COMPATIBLE
OPERATING
SYSTEMS

Windows, Mac
OS, Linux

Windows

Windows, Mac OS,

Linux, BSD, Unix

Windows, Mac OS,

Linux, BSD, Unix

PRICING

$5.760 + Tax for

standard
authorized user
license

$479 for commercial

license

Free license.

Free license.

TRIAL

The trial period

is 14 days.

The trial version of

NCSS 10 is limited to
100 rows of data. The
trial period is 7 days.

This is a free software

so no trial necessary.

This is a free software

so no trial necessary.

WEBSITE

http://www03.ibm.com/soft
ware/products/e
n/spss-statistics

http://www.ncss.com/so
ftware/ncss/

http://www.gnu.org/soft
ware/pspp/

http://www.rproject.org/