Free SPSS Alternatives: jamovi, JASP, PSPP and TRTT Compared Honestly
Yes, there are good free alternatives to SPSS. For most coursework, jamovi or JASP is the easiest switch; PSPP is the one to pick if you need SPSS syntax on a desktop; and TRTT gives you SPSS-style menus and .sav files in a browser at no cost, with a free (100-case) tier on iPhone and iPad.
All four open SPSS .sav files with their labels. They differ in how much of SPSS they keep (menus, syntax, file round-trips) and in what "free" actually means for each. This comparison is written by the team behind TRTT; facts about the other tools were checked on their official sites in October 2026.
What "free" means here
"Free" covers three different deals, and it's worth knowing which one you're getting:
- Free and open source: jamovi, JASP, PSPP, R and Python. No price, no time limit, and the source code is public, so the tool can't suddenly become paid for the version you already have.
- Free web app: TRTT in a desktop browser. No price, no account and no paid plan, but it isn't open source.
- Freemium: the TRTT app for iPhone and iPad. Every feature works on data sets of up to 100 cases; larger files need TRTT Pro (a weekly or monthly subscription, or a one-time purchase; prices are shown in the app).
And one thing that isn't free: SPSS itself. IBM offers a 14-day trial, and many universities give students a licence at no cost, which is worth checking before you switch. See is SPSS free for students?
jamovi
jamovi is a free, open-source "statistical spreadsheet" built on R (AGPL3 licence). Its interface is different from SPSS on purpose: there's no OK button, you tick options and the results table updates as you go. It covers descriptives, t tests, ANOVA including repeated measures and ANCOVA, correlation, linear and logistic regression, contingency tables, reliability and factor analysis, and the project says its library has more than 70 add-on modules, including mixed models and Bayesian methods.
Files: opens .sav, SAS, Stata, CSV and Excel files; saves its own .omv file (data, analyses and results together); can export data back to .sav.
Syntax: syntax mode shows the R code behind each analysis. It doesn't run SPSS syntax.
Where it runs: Windows, macOS and Linux, plus jamovi Cloud in the browser (free Guest plan with time-limited sessions; data processed on jamovi's servers).
Weak spot: if your course teaches SPSS menu paths and syntax, you'll be translating instructions as you go. More in jamovi vs SPSS.
JASP
JASP comes from the University of Amsterdam and is free and open source (AGPLv3 for the program, GPLv2 for its engine). Its signature is that most standard analyses come in both a classical and a Bayesian version, and its 30-plus modules reach well beyond the basics: SEM, meta-analysis, machine learning, mixed models, network analysis and more. Output tables follow APA style and can be copied straight into Word; results export to HTML or PDF.
Files: opens .sav, .zsav and .por (and many other formats). Data can be exported as CSV or other text files, not as .sav; a request for .sav export has been open on its issue tracker since 2020.
Syntax: an R syntax mode since version 0.17. It doesn't run SPSS syntax.
Where it runs: Windows, macOS, Linux (Flatpak) and ChromeOS. It needs about 4 GB of disk space and 4 GB of RAM.
Weak spot: no way back to .sav, and no SPSS syntax. More in JASP vs SPSS.
PSPP
PSPP is the GNU project's free replacement for SPSS (GPLv3, no fees, no expiry). Of the free tools, it's the closest to the SPSS command language: version 2.1.2, released in September 2026, runs DO IF, LOOP, DO REPEAT, macros, AGGREGATE, MATCH FILES, logistic regression and custom tables (CTABLES). It reads and writes .sav, .zsav and .por files.
Weak spots: a narrower set of procedures. PSPP's own manual lists hierarchical and TwoStep clustering, discriminant analysis, ordinal regression (PLUM), Ratio statistics, multiple response and mixed models as not implemented. Charts are limited to scatterplots, histograms and bar charts, and spreadsheet import covers Gnumeric and OpenDocument files rather than .xlsx. Installing on a Mac takes a little more effort than on Linux or Windows. More in PSPP vs SPSS.
TRTT: free on the web, freemium on iOS
TRTT is an independent program that follows SPSS menus, syntax and .sav files. The Analyze menu copies the SPSS 32 layout, so course instructions written for SPSS usually work click for click.
On the web: free, no account, nothing to install. The calculations run inside your browser (a Rust engine compiled to WebAssembly), so the data set isn't uploaded. The web version does send anonymous feature-usage counters, which contain nothing from your file and are switched off by Global Privacy Control or Do Not Track.
Files: opens and saves .sav with variable and value labels, missing values, measurement levels and multiple-response sets; imports CSV, TSV and XLSX; exports CSV and XLSX with codes or labels. It doesn't open .por files, and the web file picker accepts .sav only.
Syntax: runs procedures, transformations and labels from .sps files. Not supported yet: DO IF, IF, LOOP, variable ranges with TO, AGGREGATE, MATCH FILES, GET FILE, SAVE OUTFILE, logistic regression and CTABLES, among others.
Procedures PSPP doesn't have: TwoStep and hierarchical clustering, discriminant analysis, nearest neighbour, ordinal regression, Ratio, multiple response and the Chart Builder.
Weak spots: built for desktop browsers, not phone screens; no PDF export on the web (use .spv export, copy tables into Word, or save charts as images); saving into the same file works only in Chrome and Edge; no Android app; not open source. On iPhone and iPad, the free tier covers data sets of up to 100 cases. Try it at SPSS alternative online.
R and Python
R and Python are free, open source and more powerful than any of the point-and-click tools above. Both read .sav files with labels: R through haven::read_sav(), Python through pyreadstat.read_sav(). The cost is the learning curve. If you want to start, TRTT's Paste button shows the R and Python code that matches what you clicked in a dialog. See R vs SPSS.
Side-by-side table
| jamovi | JASP | PSPP | TRTT | R / Python | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Web free; iOS free up to 100 cases | Free |
| Open source | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Interface | Live results, own layout | Own layout, APA tables | SPSS-like data editor | SPSS 32 menus and dialogs | Code |
| Runs SPSS syntax | No | No | Yes, broad | Yes, core subset | No |
| Opens .sav with labels | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Saves .sav | Via export | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bayesian analyses | Via modules | Built in | No | No | Via packages |
| Browser option | jamovi Cloud (server) | No | No | Yes (local) | No |
| iPhone / iPad app | No | No | No | Yes | No |
What the community recommends
We wanted to summarise Reddit threads here, but we couldn't retrieve them reliably, and we won't paraphrase discussions we haven't read. What we can point to is AlternativeTo, where users vote for alternatives: with the "free" filter on, its SPSS page ranks R and RStudio first, followed by PSPP and JASP, with jamovi further down the list (checked October 2026). That ordering fits a familiar pattern: people who already code recommend R, and people who want point-and-click recommend PSPP, JASP or jamovi.
Votes measure popularity among the people who vote, not fit for your course. The questions below matter more.
How to choose
- Does your course or supervisor expect SPSS menus or syntax? If yes, pick a tool that keeps them: PSPP for broad syntax, TRTT for SPSS 32 menus in a browser. If not, jamovi or JASP will feel friendlier.
- Do you need to send a .sav back? jamovi (export), PSPP and TRTT write .sav; JASP doesn't.
- Do you want Bayesian statistics? JASP.
- Can you install software? If not (shared or locked-down computer, Chromebook), the browser options are TRTT and jamovi Cloud. The difference: TRTT computes on your machine, jamovi Cloud on jamovi's servers. More in is there an online version of SPSS?
- Do you work on an iPad or iPhone? TRTT is the only one of the four with an app. See SPSS for iPad.
- Is open source a requirement? Then jamovi, JASP, PSPP, R or Python.
For a three-way look at the open-source desktop tools, read JASP vs jamovi vs PSPP. For paid tools and the wider field, see SPSS alternatives compared.
Open TRTT in your browser – free
FAQ
Is there a free alternative to SPSS?
Yes, several. jamovi, JASP and PSPP are free and open source; TRTT is free in a desktop browser; R and Python are free if you're comfortable with code. All of them open SPSS .sav files.
What is the best free SPSS alternative for students?
If your course doesn't depend on SPSS menus, jamovi or JASP. If it does, PSPP (for syntax) or TRTT (for SPSS 32 menu paths in a browser). Check first whether your university gives you SPSS for free.
Which free SPSS alternative is open source?
jamovi, JASP and PSPP, as well as R and Python. TRTT is free on the web but not open source.
Which free alternative can run my SPSS syntax?
PSPP has the broadest coverage, including DO IF, AGGREGATE and MATCH FILES. TRTT runs procedures, transformations and labels from .sps files in the browser, but not control-flow or file-merging commands yet. jamovi and JASP don't run SPSS syntax.
Can I use a free SPSS alternative on an iPad?
TRTT has a native iPad and iPhone app, free for data sets up to 100 cases. jamovi Cloud can be used in a tablet browser. JASP and PSPP have no iPad version.
TRTT is an independent product. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by IBM. IBM and SPSS are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.