GNU PSPP vs IBM SPSS Statistics
GNU PSPP
gnu.org
IBM SPSS Statistics
ibm.comSide by side
| Figure | GNU PSPP | IBM SPSS Statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $79/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 18 |
| Spec score · Statistical Analysis Software | 8.5 (#13) | 9.3 (#1) |
| Deployment | desktop | desktop |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| License | PSPP is licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 or later. | 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 | GNU PSPP is a program for statistical analysis of sampled data and a free replacement for SPSS. | 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Scripting support | Yes | Yes |
| Security | The project provides a private mailing list for reporting GNU PSPP security vulnerabilities. | IBM says security is a shared effort between IBM and clients and recommends deployment following the organization’s security best practices. |
| Statistical tests | Yes | Yes |
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
GNU PSPP
GNU PSPP is free desktop software for statistical analysis of sampled data and a free replacement for SPSS. It provides graphical and command-line interfaces, scripting support, statistical tests, and regression models. Analyses include descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, linear and logistic regression, cluster analysis, reliability and factor analysis, and non-parametric tests. Data can come from PSPP system or portable files, Gnumeric, ODS, PostgreSQL, and TXT or other delimited text. Results can be written as text, PostScript, PDF, OpenDocument, or HTML. PSPP syntax and data files are compatible with SPSS, with a stated aim of producing similar results. The project lists interoperability with Gnumeric, LibreOffice, OpenOffice.org, and other free software. It supports Linux, macOS, and Windows as desktop platforms. The GNU GPL version 3 or later governs the software. Its listed plan is free, with no license fees or artificial limits on cases or variables.
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.