BayesFlow vs IBM SPSS Statistics
BayesFlow
bayesflow.org
IBM SPSS Statistics
ibm.comSide by side
| Figure | BayesFlow | IBM SPSS Statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $79/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 18 |
| Spec score · Statistical Analysis Software | 7.6 (#61) | 9.3 (#1) |
| Deployment | desktop | desktop |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| License | BayesFlow is released under the MIT License and its source code is hosted in a public GitHub repository. | SPSS Statistics is distributed under IBM license agreements such as the IBM Customer Agreement or International Program License Agreement rather than an open-source license. |
| Purpose | It trains neural networks on simulated datasets to produce Bayesian quantities such as posterior samples, likelihoods, likelihood ratios, point estimates, and model probabilities. | IBM describes SPSS Statistics as a statistical analysis platform for extracting insights from data using statistical testing, predictive modeling, regression, forecasting, data preparation and automated analysis. |
| Regression models | No | Yes |
| Scripting support | Yes | Yes |
| Statistical tests | No | Yes |
| What it does | BayesFlow is a Python library for simulation-based amortized Bayesian inference with neural networks. | IBM SPSS Statistics is a statistical analysis application for data preparation, descriptive and inferential analysis, predictive modeling, visualization and reporting. |
Plans
IBM SPSS Statistics
- Base subscription$99 a month
- Custom Tables and Advanced Statistics$79 a month
- Forecasting and Decision Trees$79 a month
- Complex Sampling and Testing$79 a month
- Base EditionPrice not published
- Base EditionPriced on request
- Standard EditionPriced on request
- Standard EditionPrice not published
- Professional EditionPriced on request
- Professional EditionPrice not published
In their own words
IBM SPSS Statistics
IBM SPSS Statistics is desktop software for statistical analysis, data preparation, predictive modeling, forecasting, and automated analysis. Its methods include statistical testing, regression, mediation analysis, multivariate time-series analysis, bootstrapping, decision trees, neural networks, and complex-sample analysis. The AI Output Assistant, powered by watsonx.ai, analyzes selected results and presents plain-language insights. Python and R plug-ins let users work with those languages inside SPSS Statistics. IBM lists subscription, perpetual, campus, and student licenses. The Base subscription is $99 a month per authorized user and includes Statistics Base, data preparation, and bootstrapping. Three other named subscriptions are each $79 a month, with features for custom tables and advanced statistics, forecasting and decision trees, or complex sampling and testing. A 14-day trial requires no credit card to create an account, and there is no free plan. IBM says the desktop software is not supported on Linux; an authorized-user license also cannot run remotely through multi-session environments.