Start SPSS SYSTAT Design Expert Origin Prism EViews Procella SOSstat Sigmaplot STATISTICA Studentenversionen Other Proprietary Statistics Software..  

Freie wissenschaftliche Software

List of free statistical software

Open Source & Public Domain Packages with Source Code



For the following packages, source code availability has been checked:

  • RStudio, written by JJ Allaire, Joe Cheng, Josh Paulson and Paul DiCristina, integrates the comprehensive state-of-the-art statistical package R with a superb user interface, available both as desktop application and as a browser-based server application.
    We are impressed especially by the web version of RStudio, which seems to be a great opportunity for research advisors and IT-departments to bring custom R-applications to their intranets without much hand coding. We think that RStudio server has the potential of becoming a very popular linux research application. Anyone interested in supporting a demo server project (we are currently testing this, hardening the rstudio server behind an Apache proxy against attacks is the main point to be considered), please contact Tobias Gabele (tobi at mathsim dot com).

  • SciGraphica, developed by Adrian E. Feiguin, is a scientific application for data analysis and technical graphics. It has similarities with Sigmaplot and pretends to be a clone of the popular commercial (and expensive) application "Microcal Origin". It fully supplies plotting features for 2D, 3D and polar charts. The aim is to obtain a fully-featured, cross-plattform, user-friendly, self-growing scientific application. It is free and open-source, released under the GPL license.

    Main features:

    • You can plot functions and manipulate data in worksheets.
    • You can open several worksheets and plots and work with them interactively and at the same time.
    • The plots are fully configurable using a control panel dialog.
    • The look and feel is completely WYSIWYG.
    • Production/Publication quality PostScript output.
    • You can interact with the plots double-clicking, dragging and moving objects with the mouse.
    • Native XML file format.
    • You can insert Python expressions in the worksheets.
    • Terminal with command-line Python interface for interacting with plots and worksheets

    It is completely programmed in C from scratch, using the GTK+ and GtkExtra libraries, and released under the GPL agreement.

    Data manipulation and fitting features are in the roadmap.
    Binaries are currently available for several Linux platforms.

  • R: a programming language and environment for statistical computing and graphics. Similar to S or S-plus (will run most S code unchanged). Available for Windows, various Unix flavors (including Linux), NextStep and Mac. Provides a wide variety of statistical (linear and nonlinear modelling, classical statistical tests, time-series analysis, classification, clustering, ...) and graphical techniques, and is highly extensible. Well-designed publication-quality plots can be produced, including mathematical symbols and formulae where needed.

    Don't miss the new RStudio integrated development environment for R!
  • TANAGRA, written by Ricco Rakotomalala, University of Lyon, is an open source DATA MINING Windows-software for academic and research purposes. It proposes several data mining methods from exploratory data analysis, statistical learning, machine learning and databases area.

  • gretl: Gnu Regression, Econometrics and Time-series Library, is a cross-platform software package for econometric analysis, written in the C programming language. It is is free software. You may redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) as published by the Free Software Foundation.

    Features:

    • Easy intuitive interface (now in French, Italian, Spanish and Polish as well as English)
    • A wide variety of least-squares based estimators, including two-stage least squares and nonlinear least squares
    • Single commands to launch things like augmented Dickey-Fuller test, Chow test for structural stability, Vector Autoregressions, ARMA estimation
    • Output models as LaTeX files, in tabular or equation format
    • Integrated scripting language: enter commands either via the gui or via script
    • Command loop structure for Monte Carlo simulations and iterative estimation procedures
    • GUI controller for fine-tuning Gnuplot graphs
    • Link to GNU R for further data analysis


  • ViSta: a Visual Statistics program for Windows, Mac and Linux/Unix, developed by Prof. Dr. Forrest W. Young at the University of North Carolina.

    Features:

    • Dynamic, High-Interaction, Multi-View Graphics: ViSta constructs very-high-interaction, dynamic graphics that show you multiple views of your data simultaneously. The graphics are designed to augment your visual intuition so that you can better understand your data.
    • See What Your Data Have To Say: ViSta's visually intuitive and computationally intensive approach to statistical data analysis is designed to clarify the meaning of data so that you can see what your data have to say.
    • Freeware/Open Software: ViSta is free and open. It can be downloaded from the web.
    • Platforms: ViSta runs under Windows, on Macintosh, and under Unix.
    • Languages: ViSta is available in English, Français, and Español.
       
    • Look and Feel:ViSta has a Structured Graphical Interface that includes
      1. WorkMaps that visually summarize your data analysis session
      2. SpreadPlots - a spreadsheet-like arrangement of linked, dynamic, interactive plots that show you what your data or analysis seems to say
      3. GuideMaps that guide your analysis
      4. DataSheets for inputing and editing your data
      5. Visual GuideMap Authoring for teachers who wish to create guidemaps
      6. Reports present data statistics and analysis results in the classical way
      7. Context-Sensitive Help and Web-based Help and Notes 
         
    • Statistical Capabilities: ViSta performs Univariate and Multivariate Statistical Visualization and Data Analysis.
       
    • Applets, Plugins, Scripts and DataPrograms:
      1. Applets: Teachers can develop ViSta Web Applets for demonstrations, examples, test problems, etc. Students can download and run these on their own machines (example of class notes using an applet).
      2. Scripts: Teachers can write ViSta scripts using the same techniques as for Applets, but keep them privately on their machines. A grading script is an example.
      3. DataPrograms:Teachers and students can write dataprograms to manipulate their data.
      4. Plugins:Programmers can develop plugins to add entirely new data analysis and visualization capabilities.
         
    • Developer's Tools: ViSta provides access to the underlying development languages, including:
      1. ViDAL, ViSta's Data Analysis Language for writing applets, scripts and data programs; and
      2. XLispStat, an object-oriented programming language which can be used to write ViSta plugins for statistical computing and dynamic graphics.
      3. XLisp, a free and open Lisp system satisfying most of the Common Lisp standards.
      4. C++ and FORTRAN may be used for developing specialized new features.

      In addition, ViSta has developers tools including a byte-code compiler, a stepper, tracing and back tracing, object and bitmap editors, distribution maker, etc...



  • MacAnova developed by Gary Oehlert and Christopher Bingham, University of Minnesota, is an interactive statistical analysis program with focus on analysis of variance and related models, matrix algebra, time series analysis (time and frequency domain), and (to a lesser extent) uni- and multi-variate exploratory statistics. It is available for Macintosh, DOS/Windows and Unix/Linux.
    MacAnova has a functional/command oriented interface. The Macintosh and Windows versions also have several window/menu/mouse type features but retain the basic interface. Although the language and syntax are S-like (similar to S, S-Plus or R), MacAnova is not S or R.
    Extensive documentation for MacAnova is available.

  • OpenBUGS. Bayesian inference using Gibbs sampling, open source version of BUGS origianlly developed by Alastair Stevens, Cambridge University (and many other contributors). It is a widely used software package for the Bayesian analysis of complex statistical models using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods.
    The OpenBUGS project is opening out the BUGS project into versions that run on Windows and Linux, as well as inside the R statistical package (BRugs). They have released an open-source version of the core BUGS code for multiple versions of this program

  • Octave: a high-level mathematical programming language (free MATLAB clone) for numerical computations -- solving common numerical linear algebra problems, finding the roots of nonlinear equations, integrating ordinary functions, manipulating polynomials, and integrating ordinary differential and differential-algebraic equations. It is easily extensible and customizable via user-defined functions written in Matlab syntax, or using dynamically loaded modules written in C++, C, Fortran, or other languages. Available for Linux/Unix and Windows.

  • Free statistical Toolboxes for Matlab at the [ StatLib ] website.

  • Scilab: a scientific software package for numerical computations in a user-friendly environment. Available for Windows, Mac and Unix computers, this is a sophisticated programming language with a MatLab-like syntax, hundreds of built-in functions and libraries, 3-d graphics, and symbolic capabilities through a Maple interface.

  • PSPP, a free SPSS clone. PSPP is a program for statistical analysis of sampled data. It interprets commands in the SPSS language and produces tabular output in ASCII, HTML, or PostScript format. The name PSPP is not intended as an acronym, but it is easy to invent expansions for it. In previous releases, PSPP was known as Fiasco. PSPP development is ongoing. It already supports a large subset of SPSS's transformation language. Its statistical procedure support is limited but growing. A manual is available.

  • OpenStat (OS4):, formerly known as OS3 and OS2, is a general stats package for Windows and Linux, developed by Bill Miller of Iowa State University, with an SPSS-like user interface. A Manual in PDF-Format is available.
    OpenStat was originally written as an aid to students and teachers for introductory and advanced statistics courses, primarily in the social sciences. To insure that students and professionals, particularly in developing countries with very limited funding resources, have access to a package that completes nearly all of the analyses required in statistics courses, the package contains a wide variety of procedures for data analysis:

    • A spreadsheet-type of user interface in which variable labels are created (columns of a grid), and observed values are inserted into cells of rows for each case.
    • Descriptive statistics including central tendency and variability indexes, x-y plots, frequency distributions, etc.
    • Pearson product-moment correlations and partial correlations.
    • Analyses of variance including 1, 2 and 3 way ANOVAs, mixed design ANOVAs, Latin Square ANOVAs, Mulivariate ANOVA and Analysis of Covariance.
    • Multivariate analyses including Hierarchical, Factor Analysis, Canonical Correlation, and a least-squares General Linear Model procedure.
    • Non-Parametric analyses.
    • Measurement programs.
    • Financial programs.
    • Simulation programs.
    • A Neural Network program.
    • A matrix manipulation program.


  • JMulti, developed at the HU-Berlin by Alexander Benkwitz, Markus Krätzig and many contributors, is a graphical Java software for advanced econometric time series analysis.
    Incomplete list of Features:

    • Initial Analysis
      • various tools for creating, transforming, editing time series
      • Unit Root tests: ADF, HEGY (quarterly, monthly), Schmidt-Phillips, KPSS, Unit Root test with structural break
      • Cointegration tests: Johansen Cointegration test with response surfaces, Saikkonen & Lütkepohl test
    • VAR (can be used for univariate modelling as well)
      • VAR modelling (with arbitrary deterministic/exogenous variables)
      • Impulse Responses with bootstrapped confidence intervals also for accumulated responses, orthogonal and forecast error versions
      • Forecast Error Variance Decomposition
      • SVAR modelling: AB model, Blanchard-Qua Model with bootstrapped standard errors
      • SVAR Forecast Error Variance Decomposition
    • VECM
      • VECM modelling (with arbitrary deterministic/exogenous variables)
      • restrictions on cointegration space, Wald test for beta restrictions
      • automatic model selection (various strategies based on information criteria)
      • residual analysis with tests for nonnormality, autocorrelation, ARCH, spectrum, kernel density, autocorrelation plots, crosscorrelation
      • Impulse Responses with bootstrapped confidence intervals also for accumulated responses, orthogonal and forecast error versions
      • SVEC modelling with bootstrapped standard errors
    • GARCH Analysis
      • univariate ARCH, GARCH, T-GARCH estimation with different error distributions
      • multivariate GARCH(1,1) estimation, residual analysis, plotting of variance process together with univariate estimates, kernel density for residuals
    • Smooth Transition Regression
      • STR model specification with exogenous/deterministic variables
    • Nonparametric Analysis
      • lag selection for univariate models based on linear and nonlinear selection criteria
      • nonlinear estimation with configurable 3D plots
      • estimation of volatility process
    • ARIMA Analysis with fixed regressors (univariate)

    JMulti Binaries for Windows and Linux as well as the sourcecode and documentation are available for download under the GPL license.

  • fityk by Marcin Wojdyr is a free GPL-licensed peak fitting program for Linux, Windows and MacOS X. For optimization it has builtin algorithms for Levenberg-Marquard gradient-based method, Nelder-Mead downhill simplex method and Genetic Algorithms. Every of these methods has a set of adjustable parameters, for greater flexibility.

  • Dap: a statistics and graphics package developed by Susan Bassein for Unix and Linux systems, with commonly-needed data management, analysis, and graphics (univariate statistics, correlations and regression, ANOVA, categorical data analysis, logistic regression, and nonparametric analyses). Provides some of the core functionality of SAS, and is able to read and run many (but not all) SAS program files. Dap is freely distributed under a GNU-style license.
    [ source: http://StatPages.net ]

  • PINT is a program for Power analysis IN Two-level designs (for determination of standard errors and optimal sample sizes in multilevel designs with 2 levels). It was written by Tom Snijders, Roel Bosker, and Henk Guldemond. The newest (Windows) version is 2.11 (April 2003). This program calculates approximate standard errors for estimates of fixed effect parameters in hierarchical linear models with two levels.

  • DATAPLOT (2002)   Software for Scientific Visualization, Statistical Analysis, and Non-Linear Modeling. Freeware for Unix, VMS, Linux, Windows. 

  • Collection of Free SPSS Syntax Files by Raynald Levesque, provides hundereds of SPSS syntax files, macros, scripts and tutorials.



Packages distributed free of charge, not open source (or license model not yet classified)



For the following software, full source code availability has not been verified, although it is likely that some of the authors might provide the source upon request. Please contact the authors if you need the source code.

  • The Statistical Lab, developed by Members of Center for Digital Systems (CeDiS) at FU-Berlin is an easy to use Windows package designed primarily for teaching statistics. It uses the powerful R engine as its backend and is an explorative and interactive tool designed both to support education in statistics and provide a tool for the simulation and solution of statistical problems.
    The graphical user interface is designed to make complex statistical relations easy to understand. It connects and displays data frames, frequency tables, random numbers or matrixes in a user-friendly statistical worksheet allowing users to run calculations, conduct analyses and perform multiple simulations and manipulations.

  • MYSTAT 12, developed by SYSTAT is essentially a limited version of SYSTAT 12 for Windows, available free of charge for academic users (students and teachers). While some of the more advanced analysis capabilities of SYSTAT 12 are missing, it appears to be one of the best and most professionally designed free statistics software packages currently available. It comes with the full set of SYSTAT 12 PDF documentation. MYSTAT does at most accept 100 variables (Columns) with no limit on the cases (Rows). If you import a larger data file, only the first 100 variables will be read. Teachers who have Systat 12 installed can install a 'Mystat Theme' for Systat to make Systat look and behave exactly like Mystat.

  • BUGS/WinBUGS. Bayesian inference using Gibbs sampling, developed by Alastair Stevens, Cambridge University (and many other contributors), is a widely used software package for the Bayesian analysis of complex statistical models using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods.
    The stand-alone WinBUGS 1.4.1 package for Windows has a graphical user interface and on-line monitoring and convergence diagnostics. Users are asked to register to receive a `key' which provides full functionality (this is free).
    The OpenBUGS project is opening out the BUGS project into versions that run on Windows and Linux, as well as inside the R statistical package (BRugs). They have released an open-source version of the core BUGS code for multiple versions of this program

  • WinIDAMS is a software package for the validation, manipulation and statistical analysis of data, developed by the UNESCO Secretariat in co-operation with experts from various countries. It is distributed free-of-charge upon request.
    It offers:

    • modern graphical user interface and on-line Reference Manual,
    • possibility to customize the environment for an application,
    • facilities for editing/creating data files and data description files,
    • interactive data import/export,
    • editor for creating/updating files with instructions for program execution,
    • viewer for displaying and quick navigation through results,
    • advanced text editing facilities,
    • facilities for sorting and merging files, data editing, checking of codes and consistencies, correcting, listing, subsetting, aggregating, merging and transforming data, including construction of new variables,
    • wide range of data analysis techniques such as: table building, regression analysis, one-way analysis of variance, discriminant analysis, cluster analysis, principal components factor analysis and analysis of correspondences, partial order scoring, rank ordering of alternatives, segmentation and iterative typology,
    • interactive components for construction of multidimensional tables and their graphical presentation, for graphical exploration of data and for times series analysis.
    To get an Impression of WinIDAMS, please see the
    [ Getting Started ]
    document and the
    [ WinIDAMS Reference Manual ]

  • RegressIt: RegressIt© is a free Excel add-in for statistical analysis that was developed at the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, by Professor Robert Nau in collaboration with Professor John Butler at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas. It performs multivariate descriptive data analysis and multiple linear regression analysis with presentation-quality output in native Excel format.
    RegressIt is offered free of charge. The RegressIt program file is an Excel macro (xlam) file that is less than 500K in size. It runs on PC’s in Excel 2007, 2010 and 2013, and it can perform analyses and fit models with up to 50 variables at one time and up to 32500 rows of data.

  • CSPro: Census and Survey Processing System (CSPro) is a questionnaire-oriented statistical package for Windows. CSPro is developed by MEASURE partners, the U.S. Bureau of the Census, ORC Macro's MEASURE DHS+ project, and SerPro S.A.. and has been funded by the Center for Population, Health & Nutrition of the United States Agency for International Development. The software combines and expands upon the capabilities of both ISSA and IMPS. It takes advantage of the power and flexibility of both of these programs, but adds the friendliness, ease of use, and intuitive nature of Windows. CSPro provides a more visual approach to the creation and manipulation of data and reduces the programming needs. This easy to use package facilitates defining data structures, developing applications, entering and checking data, generating reports, and producing tabulations. More advanced users, including computer programmers, can access the full CSPro language to perform complicated tasks.
    CSPro consists of modules for Data Entry, Batch Editing and Processing, and Cross Tabulation, as well as Designer modules for creating Data Dictionaries and Data Entry Forms, and for writing applications. It also includes a set of tools, including Text Viewer, Table Viewer, Map Viewer, Table Retrieval, Tabulate Frequencies, Sort Data, Export Data, Reformat Data, Compare Data, Convert Dictionary, and Convert Shape to Map.
    The package supports easy creation of questionnaire forms and spatial representation of Data.
    A detailed list of capabilities is included in the Getting Started Guide
    Free registration is required for download access.

  • VisiCube: a graphical tool for manual explorative data analysis. Freeware available for Windows.

    Features:

    • Exploration paradigm which facilitates the actual activity of exploration.
    • High-quality graphic images.
    • Powerful subsetting capabilities.
    • Multi-plot visuals for direct side-by-side comparisons.
    • Continuous and instant visual feedback.
    • Simplified interface for ease of use.
    • Appropriate visualization techniques only.
    • Collaboration through completely portable and independent analysis projects.
    • Multi-dimensional data model for accurate modeling of your phenomena.
    • No mathematical expertise required.
    • It's free.


  • IRRISTAT: developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), is a computer program for data management and basic statistical analysis of experimental data. It can be run in any 32-bit Windows operating system.

    IRRISTAT has been developed primarily for the analysis of data from agricultural field trials, but many of the features can be used for analysis of data from other sources.

    The main modules and facilities are:

    1. Data management with a spreadsheet
    2. Text editor
    3. Summary Statistics and Scatterplot Graphics
    4. Analysis of Variance
    5. Regression and Correlation
    6. Single Site Analysis of Plant Breeding Variety Trials
    7. Cross site and AMMI anaysis
    8. Pattern analysis of GxE Interaction
    9. Quantitative trait loci analysis
    10. Randomization and layout of experimental designs
    11. Display of linear forms for general factorial EMS
    12. Generation of coefficients for orthogonal polynomials

    IRRISTAT is available for free download  or by purchasing a CD at minimal cost.

  • Mac Diff, developed by Rainer Petschick, is a free peak-fitting program for analysis and display of X-ray powder diffractogrammes on Apple Macintosh platforms. It is designed as a complement to the XRD applications distributed by Philips or Siemens and it is equipped with a GUI to facilitate user-friendly and interactive processing of XRD profiles. It offers conventional XRD profile-correction processes (e.g. outliers, smoothing, divergence, alpha2-stripping) and supports qualtiative and quantitative phase analysis. Moreover, by its programmable peak analysis (recording of intensities, peak areas, half widths, etc.) it offers an automated analysis of entire series of diffractogrammes. By means of peak fits the contributions of coinciding lines can be calculated. The user has at his disposal the capability of continuous measurement checks and the possibility to perform corrections as well (e.g. by manual or computed background adaptations). For peak indication the user has the option to employ variable peak data sets. High resolution hardcopies of the diffractogrammes can be produced. The standard single-scan formats (Philips-ADP or some Siemens-RAW, ASCII) are identified automatically. Data and plots can be exported to most of the available table-processing or vector-graphics programmes. The applications of MacDiff range from routine analysis in sedimentology, especially clay minerals, over analysis of X-ray diffractogrammes of all types of rocks and minerals all the way to phase analysis of various crystalline substances.

  • Instat+: a visual general statistics package for Windows, developed by the Statistical Services Centre at the University of Reading. The full version of Instat+ may be downloaded and used for non-commercial purposes by any individual free of charge. Instat+ has a familiar interface, similar to other statistics packages. It includes many special facilities for the processing of climatic data.

  • SSC-Stat: a statistical add-in for Excel , developed by the Statistical Services Centre at the University of Reading. The full version of SSC-Stat may be downloaded and used for non-commercial purposes by any individual free of charge. SSC-Stat is designed to strengthen those areas where the spreadsheet package is already strong, principally in the areas of data management, graphics and descriptive statistics.

  • AM: a Windows stats package developed by the American Institutes for Research, Washington/DC.
    AM is a statistical software package for analyzing data from complex samples, especially largescale assessments such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the Third International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS).

    From its origin as a specialized tool for analyzing large-scale assessment data, AM has evolved into a more generalized and growing tool for analyzing data from complex samples in general. Originally, AM was developed to estimate regression models through marginal maximum likelihood (MML). Because large-scale assessments are often low-stakes assessments for students, students are usually asked to respond to only a few items; each student sees only part of the whole test. Otherwise, they would be unlikely to expend real effort on any items. As a result, individual test scores are subject to substantial measurement error, which would bias many statistical estimates. Rather than assign each student an error-filled score, MML procedures represent each students proficiency as a probability distribution over all possible scores. MML procedures use these probability distributions in the estimation process.

    Another characteristic of large-scale assessments has led to a wider applicability of AM?they almost always draw a sample from a complex design. AM automatically provides appropriate standard errors for complex samples using a Taylor-series approximation. This happens automatically even when new procedures are added to the software. Over time, the software has grown to offer a set of non-MML statistics, including regression, probit, logit, cross-tabs, and other statistics that are useful for survey data in general.

  • Epi Info™ : a very large Windows package designed by CDC, Department of Health and Human Service (Atlanta/Georgia/USA), primarily for epidemiological research. It offers basic general statistics and spatial statistics/mapping capabilities.
    With Epi Info™ and a personal computer, epidemiologists and other public health and medical professionals can rapidly develop a questionnaire or form, customize the data entry process, and enter and analyze data. Epidemiologic statistics, tables, graphs, and maps are produced with simple commands such as READ, FREQ, LIST, TABLES, GRAPH, and MAP. Epi Map displays geographic maps with data from Epi Info™.

    A new version, Epi Info™ for Windows retains many features of the familiar Epi Info™ for DOS, while offering Windows ease of use strengths such as point-and-click commands, graphics, fonts, and printing.

    Key Features of Epi Info™
    • Maximum compatibility with industry standards, including:
      • Microsoft Access and other SQL and ODBC databases
      • Visual Basic, Version 6
      • World Wide Web browsers and HTML
    • Extensibility, so that organizations outside CDC can produce additional modules
    • Epi Report, a tool that allows the user to combine Analysis output, Enter data and any data contained in Access or SQL Server and present it in a professional format. The generated reports can be saved as HTML files for easy distribution or web publishing.
    • Epi Map, an ArcView®-compatible GIS
    • NutStat, a nutrition anthropometry program that calculates percentiles and z-scores using either the 2000 CDC or the 1978 CDC/WHO growth reference
    • Logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis
    • Data Compare does double data entry comparison
    • Epi Lock password protects, encrypts, and compresses Epi Info™ data
    • Teaching exercises
    • Entirely new, not just a “port“of Epi Info™ for DOS
    • Allows analysis and import of other file types
    System Requirements
    • Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, or XP is required.
    • 32 MB of Random Access Memory. More RAM: 64 MB for Windows 4.0 and 2000, 128 MB for Windows XP.
    • 200 megahertz processor is recommended - 300 for Windows XP.
    • At least 260 megabytes of free hard disk space (Drive C) to install; 130 megabytes after installation.


  • ADE-4 (2004) Statistical Software for Multivariate Analysis and Graphical Display.  Freeware download for Mac and Windows

  • EasyReg, written by Herman J. Bierens, Professor of econometrics at Penn State University, conducts various econometric estimation and testing tasks on all 32bit Windows platforms (95/98/2000/ME/NT4/XP). EasyReg is designed for use in empirical research, and for teaching econometrics. In the latter case the user can choose his or her own econometrics level. EasyReg is almost self-explanatory: there should be no need for a manual, provided that the user chooses the appropriate econometrics level. It is free for non-commercial purposes. EasyReg does most of the econometrics tasks available in competing commercial software, in particular:

    • E-Views 3.1. This is the closest competitor of EasyReg.
    • GiveWin-PcGive-PcFiml
    • Microfit
    • Minitab
    • RATS
    • Shazam
    • Stata
    • TSP
    and even more. Some of the listed software have additional features, though. EasyReg is a point-and-click program, whereas some of the listed commercial software packages (in particular RATS and TSP) are programmable.



  • Regress+: a free nonlinear estimation / curve fitting / modeling program for Macintosh Computers, developed by Michael P.McLaughlin. It has many built in deterministic and stochastic models and allows user defined models with up to 10 parameters.
    It has many advanced features such as

    • choice of optimization criterion,
    • robust goodness-of-fit testing
    • bootstrap confidence intervals
    Extensive documentation is available in PDF format.

  • Smith's Statistical Package (SSP) Smith's Statistical Package (SSP) is a user-friendly statistics program, developed by Prof. Gary N. Smith, Department of Economics, Pomona College Claremont/California. SSP is available for Mac OSX/OS9 and Windows.

  • Ox : is an object-oriented matrix programming language with a comprehensive mathematical and statistical function library, developed by Jurgen A. Doornik. The Console (command line) versions may be used freely for academic research and teaching purposes . Matrices can be used directly in expressions, for example to multiply two matrices, or to invert a matrix. The major features of Ox are its speed, extensive library, and well-designed syntax, which leads to programs which are easier to maintain. For a first impression of the matrix and statistical function library see the Function summary. Versions of Ox are available for Windows, Linux, several Unixes, and Mac OS-X.

  • Mx, developed by M. C. Neale (Department of Psychiatry, MCV Virginia Commonwealth University), is a combination of a matrix algebra interpreter and a numerical optimizer. It enables exploration of matrix algebra through a variety of operations and functions. There are many built-in fit fuctions to enable structural equation modelingand other types of statistical modeling of data. It offers the fitting fuctions found in commercial software such as LISREL, LISCOMP, EQS and CALIS, along with facilities for maximum likelihood estimation of parameters from missing data structures, under normal theory. Complex 'nonstandard' models are easy to specify. For further general applicability, it allows the user to define their own fit functions, and optimization may be performed subject to linear and nonlinear equality or boundary constraints. It is freely available with a graphical user interface for Windows platforms or as a commandline/server version for Unix/Linux.

  • Mondrian, developed by Martin Theus, is a statistical data-visualization system written in JAVA, running on Mac/Windows/Linux. The main emphasis of Mondrian is on visualization techniques for Categorical Data , Geographical Data and LARGE Data.
    All plots in Mondrian are fully linked, and offer various interactions and queries. Any case selected in a plot in Mondrian is highlighted in all other plots.

  • PAST, developed by Øyvind Hammer of University of Oslo and Co-Workers David A.T. Harper and P.D. Ryan, is a free, easy-to-use data analysis package aimed at paleontology. Inspired by PALSTAT, it includes common statistical, plotting and modelling functions:

    • A spreadsheet-type data entry form
    • Graph, scatter, 3D scatter, histogram, box, ternary, survivorship, spindle, matrix and normal probability plots
    • Curve fitting: Linear (Standard and Reduced Major Axis) with bootstrapping, lin-log (exponential), log-log (allometric), logistic, von Bertalanffy, sum-of-sines, B-splines.
    • F, t, permutation t, Chi-squared w. permutation test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney, Shapiro-Wilk, Spearman's Rho and Kendall's Tau tests, correlation, covariance, contingency tables, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, mixture analysis.
    • Diversity indices with bootstrapping and permutation, rarefaction. Capture-recapture richness estimators. Dice, Jaccard, Simpson and Raup-Crick similarity indices, Renyi diversity profiles.
    • Abundance model fitting: Geometric, log-series and log-normal.
    • Multivariate statistics: Principal Components (with Minimal Spanning Tree), Principal Coordinates (14 distance measures), Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (14 distance measures), Detrended Correspondence Analysis, Cluster analysis (three algorithms, 13 distance measures, two-way clustering), k-means clustering, seriation, discriminant analysis, one-way MANOVA, one-way ANOSIM, one-way NPMANOVA, Hotelling's T2, paired Hotelling's T2, Mahalanobis-distance permutation, Box's M, Canonical Variates Analysis, multivariate allometry with bootstrapping.
    • Time series analysis: Spectral analysis, autocorrelation, cross-correlation, wavelet transform, Walsh transform, runs test.
    • Geometrical analysis: Directional statistics, rose plots, point distribution statistics, Fourier shape analysis, elliptic Fourier shape analysis, eigenshapes, landmark analysis with Procrustes fitting (2D and 3D), thin-plate spline transformation grids with expansions and principal strains, partial warps and scores, relative warps and scores, centroid size from landmarks, size removal by Burnaby's method.
    • Parsimony analysis (cladistics): Exhaustive, branch-and-bound and heuristic algorithms, Wagner, Fitch and Dollo characters. Bootstrap, strict and majority rule consensus trees. Consistency and retention indices. Three stratigraphic congruency indices with permutation tests.
    • Biostratigraphy with the methods of Unitary Associations, Ranking-Scaling (RASC) and Constrained Optimization (CONOP). Confidence intervals on stratigraphic ranges.
    • Gridding (spatial interpolation): Moving average, thin-plate spline and kriging with three semivariogram models.

    Included in the distribution are real data sets for educational use, together with extensive documentation and case studies.

    PAST has been tested under Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT 4 and XP.

  • Calcugator:
    The Calcugator is a calculator, a plotting engine, and a programming environment. It's also a computer program you may download and use for free. An online applet with a restricted user interface is available too.

    1. As a calculator it excels in simplicity of use and rivals programs like MATLAB. It is equally suited for engineers as well as for high school students. It offers close to 200 functions/operators to perform real, integer, rational, complex, boolean, statistical, vector, array and matrix computations. Both the input and output of the program are displayed on standard windows which can be further edited, saved, merged, print-previewed and printed.
    2. As a plotting engine it allows rapid creation of 2D plots of functions as well as polar and parametric displays. It also allows creating 3D plots of functions, contour plots and 3D parametric displays. The Calcugator has also functions to create bar, pie, pareto and xy charts. All plots can be configured using the mouse (zooming, panning, selecting). Titles and labels are supported. However, the most useful characteristic is that all figures created by the Calcugator can be exported into popular file formats or pasted into an editable window.
    3. As a programming environment it offers a computer language with identical syntax as that of Java/C/C++. However, the user does not need to compile his/her programs. The language is simple, compact and the error control is intelligent when displaying messages. The creation of user-defined functions is natural and mimics the syntax used by a teacher on the blackboard.
    [source: Calgugator Website ]
    Download from
    [ this site ]

  • MicrOsiris: is a comprehensive statistical and data management package for Windows developed and marketed by Van Eck Computer Consulting. It is derived from OSIRIS IV, a statistical and data management package developed and used at the University of Michigan and includes special techniques for data mining and analysis of nominal- and ordinal-scaled data (MNA, MCA). MicrOsiris can readily accept data from SPSS, SAS, and Excel as well as from other sources..
    Of special interest is SEARCH, a binary segmentation command used to develop predictive models for dependent variables. It is an elaboration of the programs developed at the Institute for Social Research. SEARCH divides a sample, through a series of binary splits, into mutually exclusive series of subgroups. The groups are chosen so that at each step the two new groups account for more of the variance or distribution than any other pair of subgroups.

  • NORM, written by Joe Schafer and Maren Olsen of the Department of Statistics, The Pennsylvania State University, is a Windows Software for multiple imputation of multivariate continuous data under a normal model.

  • Xtremes, written by a Prof. R.D. Reiss (University of Siegen/Germany) and a large team of contributors, is an interactive software for general statistics and risk analysis.
    Xtremes possesses graphics facilities, a facility to generate and load data, an arsenal of diagnostic tools and statistical procedures, and a numerical part for Monte-Carlo simulations. Xtremes is first of all designed especially for use with a mouse, yet it can also perform excellently with just the keyboard.
    The experienced user can employ the integrated Pascal-like programming language StatPascal to implement simulation or estimation procedures not covered by the menu system. Moreover, the UserFormula facility may be utilized when a single formula is required to plot a curve or to generate or transform a data set.
    The free academic Windows edition, included in the Statistical Analysis book, only allows a certain limited number of rows in a data set.
    It consists of Windows (95, 98, 2000, NT) applications

    • a rich menu system
    • the integrated StatPascal programming language
    • a Windows help system
    • a HTML help system
    • additional statistical procedures - e.g., for sum-stable distributions - utilizing recent system DLLs.
    Facilities to download the academic edition may be found in the download area.

    Xtremes is documented in the Statistical Analysis book and the pertaining online help. The StatPascal Manual can be read online and is also provided in the file spdoc.ps in the sp subdirectory of the Xtremes installation.


    Major enhancements of Xtremes 3.0:

    The menu system
    • Plotting facilites and estimators for multivariate
      • extreme value
      • and POT models,
      • in conjunction with facilities to compare parametric and empirical curves such as contour plots
    • New time series tools
    • Bayes and L-Moment estimators for univariate POT models
    • Statistics for sum-stable distributions (using STABLE by DLL)
    • Statistics in further parametric models (e.g. Student)
    • Estimators for ARMA series
    • Moving estimators in conjunction with VaR considerations
    • Animation facilities for generating discrete and continuous data
    • Improved support for printing
    • Direct generation of EPS files


    Xtremes is driven by StatPascal, a statistical programming language based on the Pascal language. StatPascal can be executed within the Xtremes package using the SP button in the menu toolbar. StatPascal supports
    • most operations of standard Pascal
    • use of most Xtremes menu options as functions
    • graphics
    • vector and matrix extensions


  • IVEware Imputation and Variance Estimation Software by T. E. Raghunathan, Peter W. Solenberger and John Van Hoewyk, Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, is a set of C and FORTRAN routines that can be launched from SAS or run independently as a commandline program using data from many sources. IVEware is currently available for personal computers using the Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems and for UNIX workstations using the Sun Solaris operating system. The SAS implementation requires SAS 6.12 or higher.
    IVEware can:

    1. Perform single or multiple imputations of missing values using the Sequential Regression Imputation Method described in the article "A multivariate technique for multiply imputing missing values using a sequence of regression models" by Raghunathan, Lepkowski, Van Hoewyk and Solenberger (Survey Methodology, June 2001).
    2. Perform a variety of descriptive and model based analyses accounting for such complex design features as clustering, stratification and weighting.
    3. Perform multiple imputation analyses for both descriptive and model-based survey statistics.


  • BrightStat, developed by Dr. Daniel Stricker, University of Bern, is a comprehensive Java-based statistics package running on the net. The aim was to provide a freely accessible statistic tool with many capabilities, yet easy to use. BrightStat is expanded continually.

    Tests running on BrightStat so far:

    Non-parametric Tests:
    • Binomial Test,
    • kxl Chi-Square (likelihood Ratio, Phi, Cramer's V, Symmetric Measures),
    • McNemar (McNemar exact, likelihood Ratio, Phi, Cramer's V, Symmetric Measures),
    • Fisher's Exact Test,
    • Cochran,
    • Mann-Whitney U,
    • Kruskal-Wallis (paired comparisons for post-hoc analysis),
    • Wilcoxon,
    • Sign,
    • Friedman (Conover Statistic and paired comparison for post-hoc analysis),
    • Kolmogorov-Smirnov one sample (Uniform, Normal and Exponential, Lilliefors correction for test against normality).

    Parametric Tests:
    • One-Sample T-test,
    • Two independent Samples T-test (Levene test for homogeneity of variances),
    • Two dependent Samples T-test (paired correlations),
    • One-Way ANOVA (Duncan, Tukey HSD, Scheffe, Games-Howell),
    • Repeated One-Way ANOVA (estimation of Epsilon, LowerBound, Greenhouse-Geisser, Huynh-Feldt),
    • Pearson Bivariate Correlations,
    • Spearman Rankcorrelations,
    • Multiple Linear Regression (Correlationmatrix, Model-Fit, ANOVA-Table and Parameter Estimates, Part and Partial Correlations, Collinearity Diagnostic, Change Statistics, Methods: Enter, Forward, Backward and Step),
    • One-Sample Variance Test,
    • k-Sample Variance Test (Levene's Test for homogeneity of Variances).


    BrightStat already comes along with many useful features for data handling and manipulation, statistics and data managing, all packed in an easy to use interface. XML based data and output structures simplify the future development of external viewers.





More lists of free statistical software




Reviews of free statistical software

  • Xiaoping Zhu and Ognjen Kuljaca 2005: A Short Preview of Free Statistical Software Packages for Teaching Statistics to Industrial Technology Majors. Journal of Industrial Technology 21, 2, April 2005.

  • Detailed Review of WinBugs 1.4 by Harvey Goldstein, University of London

  • Comparison chart of Statistical Packages, comparing capabilities of several free and commercial packages.

  • R for SAS and SPSS Users, a Book by Robert A. Muenchen, Statistical Consulting Center at the University of Tennessee, is a guide primarily for experienced SAS and SPSS users who want to migrate to the free R package. It covers detailed syntax comparison of the free R package with the SAS and SPSS packages. An outdated free PDF-version can be downloaded from the site, where book example programs, articles and comparison charts are also provided.

  • Quick-R for SAS/SPSS/Stata Users, a Website by Rob Kabacoff, is a guide to R with focus on migration from SAS, SPSS, STATA and SYSTAT to R syntax




List of free statistical handbooks & online tools






©2006-2011 Tobias Gabele, STATCON and Bierwirth & Gabele GbR