Free statistical software compared
key takeaways
- jamovi, JASP, PSPP, gretl and R are free for anyone, including commercial work, under open-source licenses.
- SAS OnDemand for Academics and JMP Student Edition are free, but only for learning, teaching or academic research.
- If you want SPSS-style menus, start with jamovi, JASP or PSPP. If you can write code, R is free and has no usage limits.
- Positron is free to use, but its Elastic License 2.0 is source-available, not open source.
“Free” means three different things for statistics software. Some tools are open source and free for any use. Some are free only for students and teachers. Some are free to download, but licensed in ways that limit how you can redistribute or host them. The table sorts this out.
Which statistics programs are free?
| Software | Free for | License | Runs on | Latest release we saw |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaconda Distribution | Anyone | Proprietary: Terms of Service: free tier with organization-size limits | Not checked | — |
| GNU PSPP | Anyone | Open source: GNU GPL v3 or later | Linux | 2.1.3 |
| gretl | Anyone | Open source: GNU GPL v3 | Windows, macOS, Linux | 2026d (Oct 29, 2026) |
| jamovi | Anyone | Open source: AGPL-3 (with GPL-2+ components) | Web browser | 2.7.30 (May 23, 2026) |
| JASP | Anyone | Open source: AGPL-3 (desktop) and GPL-2 (engine) | Windows, macOS, Linux | 0.99.0 (Oct 21, 2026) |
| JMP | Student; Faculty, staff & academic researchers | Proprietary: Annual subscription | Windows, macOS | — |
| Positron | Anyone | Source-available: Elastic License 2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux | 2026.10.2-3 (Oct 26, 2026) |
| R | Anyone | Open source: GNU GPL | Windows, macOS, Linux | 4.6.2 |
| RStudio Desktop | Anyone | Open source: AGPL (open-source edition); commercial license available | Windows, macOS, Linux | 2026.10.1+239 |
| SAS OnDemand for Academics | Anyone (learning, not commercial work) | Proprietary: Free for teaching and learning | Web browser | — |
Sources: each tool’s record page lists the official pages we read. Checked Oct 30, 2026.
These are the free options we track and check against each project’s own pages. Every row links to a record with the sources and the date we checked them.
Which free tools work like SPSS?
If you’re coming from SPSS or another menu-driven package, look at these three:
- jamovi describes itself as a free and open statistical spreadsheet, powered by R. It has a desktop app and a browser version, jamovi Cloud. The Cloud Guest plan is free and needs no install.
- JASP offers standard analyses in both classical and Bayesian form, according to the project. Desktop installers are published for Windows and macOS.
- GNU PSPP is described by the GNU Project as “a free as in freedom replacement for the proprietary program SPSS.” Linux is its preferred platform.
We haven’t run them side by side, so here’s what each project says about itself. jamovi offers an official browser version. JASP leads with classical and Bayesian analyses. PSPP aims to replace SPSS directly.
What if you can write code?
R is free software under the GNU General Public License and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. You can run it from its own console or through an IDE:
- RStudio Desktop: the open-source edition is free under the AGPL. Posit sells a commercial license for organizations that need different terms.
- Positron: free to use, for Python and R. It’s licensed under the Elastic License 2.0, which is source-available. Check Posit’s explanation before you redistribute or host it.
For econometrics, gretl is free under the GPL and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
What’s free only for students and teachers?
- SAS OnDemand for Academics is free and runs in the cloud. SAS says it’s for students, educators and independent learners. It isn’t a route to free commercial SAS.
- JMP Student Edition is free for qualified students, instructors and academic researchers at degree-granting institutions, renewable every 12 months. Commercial JMP costs $1,390 per user per year at the JMP Store.
For the paid student options (Stata, GraphPad Prism, SPSS GradPack), see student pricing.
How should you choose?
Three questions settle most cases:
- Will the work be commercial? If yes, stick to the open-source tools. The academic-only options are out.
- Menus or code? Menus: jamovi, JASP or PSPP. Code: R with RStudio or Positron.
- Do you need to match a course or a collaborator? If your course uses SAS or JMP, use their free academic editions. That way your output and file formats match.
Questions
- Is there a free version of SPSS?
- IBM doesn't offer a free edition of SPSS Statistics, only a free trial. GNU PSPP is a separate free program that its developers describe as a free replacement for SPSS.
- Can I use these free tools for paid client work?
- The open-source tools (R, jamovi, JASP, PSPP, gretl, RStudio Desktop's open-source edition) carry no fee for commercial use. SAS OnDemand for Academics and JMP Student Edition are for teaching, learning and academic research only.
- Which free option runs on a Chromebook?
- jamovi Cloud and SAS OnDemand for Academics both run in a web browser. jamovi says its cloud version works on Chromebooks and tablets.
Sources
- The jamovi project, “jamovi — open statistical software.” Official page; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- The jamovi project, “jamovi Cloud.” Official page; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- The jamovi project, “jamovi open-source licensing.” Official repository; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- GitHub (jamovi), “jamovi/jamovi releases.” Official repository; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- JASP team, “JASP FAQ.” Official page; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- GitHub (JASP), “jasp-stats/jasp-desktop releases.” Official repository; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- Free Software Foundation, “PSPP — GNU Project.” Official page; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- The gretl project, “gretl.” Official page; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- The R Project, “What is R?.” Official page; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- The R Project, “The R Project for Statistical Computing.” Official page; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- Posit, “RStudio Desktop.” Official page; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- GitHub (Posit), “rstudio/rstudio tags.” Official repository; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- Posit, “Positron.” Official page; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- Posit, “Download Positron.” Official page; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- GitHub (Posit), “posit-dev/positron releases.” Official repository; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- SAS Institute, “SAS OnDemand for Academics.” Official page; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- JMP, “JMP Student Edition.” Official page; checked Oct 30, 2026.
- JMP, “JMP Store.” Official page; checked Oct 30, 2026.
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