IBM SPSS
What it is: Point-and-click statistical software from IBM. Survey analysis, social science research, academic statistics.
What It Does Best
No coding required. Click menus, check boxes, run analyses. Perfect for researchers who don't program.
Survey analysis. Built for questionnaire data. Crosstabs, chi-square, factor analysis—all pre-packaged.
Academic standard. Standard in psychology, education, social sciences. Taught in universities worldwide.
Key Features
GUI interface: Point-and-click statistical tests, no coding
Syntax editor: Optional scripting for reproducibility
Survey tools: Crosstabs, weighting, complex samples
Missing data: Multiple imputation, pattern analysis
Output viewer: Formatted tables ready for publication
Pricing
Subscription: $99/month individual, $1,390/year
Perpetual: $1,390+ one-time (plus annual maintenance)
Academic: Discounted pricing for students/faculty
When to Use It
✅ Social science or psychology research
✅ Don't want to learn programming
✅ Survey data analysis
✅ Academic environment (standard tool)
✅ Need publication-ready output tables
When NOT to Use It
❌ Machine learning or AI
❌ Large datasets (performance issues)
❌ Budget-conscious (R is free)
❌ Custom analysis (limited flexibility)
❌ Production pipelines (not designed for automation)
Common Use Cases
Survey research: Customer satisfaction, market research, polls
Psychology: T-tests, ANOVA, regression for experiments
Education research: Student outcomes, program evaluation
Healthcare: Clinical outcomes, patient surveys
Social sciences: Demographic analysis, policy research
SPSS vs Alternatives
vs R: SPSS easier no-code, R more powerful and free
vs SAS: SAS more enterprise-focused, SPSS more academic
vs Stata: Similar markets, Stata preferred in economics
Unique Strengths
No coding: Truly point-and-click statistical analysis
Academic standard: Widely taught and used in universities
Survey focus: Best tools for questionnaire data
Output tables: Publication-ready formatted results
Bottom line: If you're in social sciences and don't code, SPSS is your tool. Expensive but easier than R. Consider R if budget is tight—learning curve worth it.