jamovi vs PAST

jamovi is a free, open-source statistical analysis program for working with data through point-and-click controls or scripting. It supports statistical tests, regression models, and Bayesian analysis, and imports SPSS (.sav), SAS, Stata, CSV, and Excel files. The spreadsheet-style interface lets users choose variables and settings, with results updating as they work; analysis does not require writing code. The desktop application runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and works offline after installation. Cloud access runs in a browser without installation or setup, including on modern browsers, Chromebooks, lab computers, tablets, and other devices. The free Cloud Guest plan requires no credit card, but guest sessions lack queue skipping, unlimited session length, longer idle timeouts, and larger datasets. jamovi is powered by R and displays the R syntax behind analyses. Data, analyses, and results can be saved together in a shareable, reproducible file. Cloud can connect to OneDrive to open and save jamovi files; Cloud plans include the full module library.

PAST is free desktop software for statistical analysis, available on Windows and macOS. It provides spreadsheet-style data entry, univariate and multivariate statistics, and graphical analysis. The software includes statistical tests, regression models, and scripting support. Data import covers Excel, NEXUS, TPS, NTSYS, FASTA, PHYLIP, Arlequin, BioGraph, RASC, CONOP, and tab-separated text, giving users several ways to bring existing datasets into the application. PAST is offered under a Free plan listed at free, with no separate paid plan listed. Its deployment is desktop rather than web-based. The maker is PAST, associated with Oslo, Norway, and the software was founded in 1999. The combination of spreadsheet entry, statistical methods, scripting, and broad import-format support makes it suited to users who need local analysis of data from varied sources.