Guide
The right tool depends on your field, your supervisor, your data and your budget. Here's how the common options compare, and the questions that decide it.
| Software | Cost | What it is | A good fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPSS Statistics | Commercial, from IBM | Point-and-click menus with command syntax; widely taught, and many supervisors use it. Licences usually come through your university. | If your department teaches it and gives you a licence. |
| R | Free and open source | A programming language with a very large package ecosystem; the most flexible option, with a steeper learning curve. | If you're comfortable coding, or your field expects R scripts. |
| Stata | Commercial | Command-driven, popular in economics, epidemiology and the social sciences. | If your field or supervisor works in Stata. |
| jamovi | Free and open source | A statistical spreadsheet built on R, as a desktop app or in the browser, with add-on modules. | If you want a free point-and-click tool and like seeing the R code. |
| JASP | Free and open source | Classical and Bayesian analyses with APA-format tables, supported by the University of Amsterdam. | If you want a free tool with strong Bayesian options. |
| PSPP | Free (GNU) | A free replacement for SPSS covering core statistics, with SPSS-compatible syntax and data files. | If you need free SPSS-style software for basic analyses. |
| OrcStat | Commercial; $24 a month for students | SPSS-class depth with every module included, SPSS-style syntax, a private AI statistician and APA 7 results; macOS and browser. | If you want guidance choosing and checking tests, APA 7 write-ups, and SPSS file compatibility on a Mac. |
Check each vendor's site for current prices and student offers. Detailed comparisons: SPSS, JASP, jamovi, PSPP.