SPSS for iPad: What Actually Works in 2026

IBM SPSS Statistics does not run on an iPad: IBM ships the desktop client for Windows and macOS only, and there is no iPadOS version. If you need to open a .sav file and run real analyses on an iPad, you have three routes: a native iPad app that reads SPSS files, a remote desktop session to a computer that has SPSS, or a browser-based tool.

Before you read on: the 100-case limit. TRTT, the native app we make and describe below, is free to download and every feature works in the free version, but only on datasets of up to 100 cases. Bigger files need the optional TRTT Pro in-app purchase (weekly or monthly subscription, or a one-time lifetime unlock). Prices are shown in the app. The built-in 400-case sample dataset is exempt from the limit, so you can try everything first.

Short answer

Route	Opens .sav on the iPad	Full SPSS	Works offline	Main catch
Native app (TRTT)	Yes	No, an SPSS-style clone	Yes	100 cases free; not every SPSS procedure
Remote desktop to campus SPSS	The file stays on the remote PC	Yes	No	Needs a licence and a stable connection; awkward with touch
Browser tools (e.g. jamovi Cloud, Number Analytics)	Depends on the tool	No	No	Data goes to their servers; session or plan limits

If your course uses SPSS menus or syntax and you mostly work on the iPad, the native app is the closest match. If you need a procedure that only SPSS has, remote desktop is the only way to run the real thing.

Why SPSS isn't on iPad

SPSS Statistics is a desktop application. IBM's download page for version 31 lists clients for 64-bit Windows and for macOS, plus server editions for Linux; it says nothing about iPadOS, iOS or Android (checked October 2026). Apple Silicon Macs can run some iPad apps, but that doesn't work the other way round: an iPad cannot install a macOS program.

That gap is why searching the App Store for "SPSS" mostly returns guides. SPSS Software Guide is a paid tutorial app, not statistics software. StatPro: IBM SPSS Statistics is a paid download whose own description says all features require an in-app subscription; despite the name, it is not an IBM product. Read the description and screenshots before paying for anything with "SPSS" in its name.

Option 1: a native app (TRTT)

TRTT is a statistics app that copies the way SPSS works: Data View and Variable View, the same Analyze menu layout as SPSS 32, dialogs with a Paste button, and a syntax editor. It is an independent product with its own engine, tested against PSPP and published SPSS algorithms. We don't claim identical results to SPSS in every case.

What it does on an iPad:

Opens .sav files from the Files app, iCloud Drive, other cloud drives that appear in Files, and Mail attachments. Variable labels, value labels, missing-value definitions, formats and multiple-response sets come across with the data.
Imports CSV and Excel (XLSX) through an import wizard, and exports data back to CSV or XLSX.
Runs the analyses students meet most: Frequencies, Descriptives, Explore, Crosstabs with chi-square, Means, t tests, One-Way ANOVA, GLM Univariate, correlations, linear and ordinal regression, factor analysis, Reliability (Cronbach's alpha), cluster analysis, discriminant analysis and the legacy nonparametric tests. Weighting, Select Cases and Split File work as you'd expect.
Charts from a Chart Builder and the legacy chart dialogs.
Syntax: a real editor for SPSS-style commands. Paste in any dialog also shows equivalent R and Python code.
Output you can hand in: export the whole Output as PDF or as an SPSS Viewer .spv file; long-press a table to copy it or share it as an image plus CSV.
Everything is computed on the iPad. There is no account, your files are not uploaded, and the iOS app sends no usage data. It works offline.

What it doesn't do: some SPSS procedures and commands aren't there yet, including logistic regression, Custom Tables (CTABLES), mixed models, repeated-measures GLM, DO IF and LOOP blocks, AGGREGATE and file merging. If your assignment depends on one of these, see Option 2. The app needs iPadOS 17 or later.

Free vs Pro: the 100-case limit explained

The free version is not a trial and nothing is hidden behind a feature list. The only thing Pro changes is how many cases (rows) you can open.

Open a file with 100 cases or fewer: everything works, free, for as long as you like.
Open a larger file: TRTT asks what you want to do. Load first 100 cases opens the first 100 rows so you can explore the file and test your analysis steps. Unlock TRTT Pro opens the whole file.
If you loaded only the first 100 cases, TRTT refuses to save over your original file and asks you to use Save As instead, so a shortened copy never replaces your full dataset.
TRTT Pro comes as a weekly subscription, a monthly subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. Family Sharing applies to the lifetime purchase only. Prices depend on your country and are shown in the app.

For a 400-response thesis survey, the honest summary is: you can learn the workflow and check your syntax for free, but you'll need Pro (or a computer, see the end of this article) for the final numbers.

Option 2: remote desktop to a campus SPSS

Many universities licence SPSS for students and publish it through a virtual lab: Citrix Workspace, Omnissa Horizon (formerly VMware Horizon) or Azure Virtual Desktop. These have iPad clients, so you can run the genuine SPSS on a university server and see it on your tablet.

It works, with trade-offs:

You need a university account, often a VPN, and a reliable connection the whole time.
SPSS is built for a mouse and a large screen. Small dialog controls are hard to hit with a finger, and some IT departments say so directly: Valdosta State University's virtual lab page, for example, states that it is not recommended to use iPads and iPhones to connect. A keyboard and trackpad case helps a lot.
Files live on the remote machine or your university storage, so moving a .sav from your iPad takes an extra step.

Check your university's IT pages for "virtual desktop" or "virtual lab" before buying anything. If SPSS is on the list, this is the only way to use the full product on an iPad.

Option 3: browser tools

Several statistics services run in Safari:

jamovi Cloud runs jamovi in the browser and lists tablets among supported devices. The free Guest plan has a limited session length and idle timeout, and the calculations happen on jamovi's servers, so your data is uploaded. jamovi's interface differs from SPSS, but it is free and well regarded.
Number Analytics is a cloud service that accepts SPSS files, with a paid plan. It also has an iPad app.
TRTT on the web (trtt.app) is free and computes in the browser without uploading data, but it is built for desktop browsers. The web version also opens on iPad, but the native app is the one built for touch.

A note on other iPad statistics apps: StatPlus for iOS does real analyses, but its App Store description lists Excel, ODS, CSV and text files as import formats, not .sav, and its last update was in 2021. If you have a .sav file, convert it first or pick a tool that reads it directly.

Opening a .sav from Files, Mail or iCloud

With TRTT installed:

From Mail: tap and hold the .sav attachment, tap Share, then choose TRTT.
From Files or iCloud Drive: open the Files app, find the .sav and tap it, or open TRTT, tap Open Data… and pick the file. Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive work the same way if their apps are set up to show in Files.
Check the import: switch to Variable View to confirm the labels and missing values came through.
Run something small first, such as Analyze ▸ Descriptive Statistics ▸ Frequencies on one variable.

TRTT saves changes back to the original file in place, the way other iPad document apps do. A step-by-step guide with screenshots is in How to open an SPSS .sav file on iPhone or iPad.

Get TRTT for iPhone & iPad

Working on a laptop as well? The web version is free in your desktop browser, with nothing to install and no paid plan: Open TRTT in your browser – free.

FAQ

Is there an official SPSS app for iPad?

No. IBM offers SPSS Statistics for Windows and macOS. App Store apps with "SPSS" in the name are made by other developers; several are tutorials rather than analysis software.

Can I open a .sav file on an iPad for free?

Yes. TRTT opens .sav files for free and shows the data, variables and labels. Analyses are free on datasets of up to 100 cases; larger files can be opened as their first 100 cases for free, or in full with TRTT Pro.

What happens if my dataset has more than 100 cases?

TRTT offers two choices when you open it: load the first 100 cases (free) or unlock TRTT Pro to open the whole file. If you load the first 100, you can still save the shortened copy with Save As, but TRTT won't overwrite your original file with it.

Does TRTT upload my data?

No. The iPad app computes everything on the device, needs no account and sends no usage data. It works without an internet connection.

Can I run SPSS syntax on an iPad?

In TRTT, yes, for the supported commands: FREQUENCIES, CROSSTABS, T-TEST, REGRESSION, COMPUTE, RECODE and many more. Some commands, such as DO IF, AGGREGATE and LOGISTIC REGRESSION, are not supported. The full list is in Run SPSS syntax online.

TRTT is an independent product. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by IBM. IBM and SPSS are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.