Free Statistical Software for Research: R, jamovi, JASP and gretl by Task

Free statistical software for research falls into four families that the tools below represent: a scripting language (R), two point-and-click programs (jamovi and JASP) and an econometrics package (gretl). All four can be used without a licence fee. They differ in how you work with them, which platforms they run on and which licence their own sites state, and those are the differences this guide compares, by task.

What it is used for in research

Each tool answers a different working style. R describes itself as “a language and environment for statistical computing and graphics”. jamovi is “a free and open statistical spreadsheet, designed to be easy to use”. JASP is “a free cross-platform software program with a state-of-the-art graphical user interface” that offers standard analysis procedures “in both their classical and Bayesian form”. gretl is “a cross-platform software package for econometric analysis”, covering least squares, maximum likelihood and GMM estimation, time series models such as ARIMA and GARCH-type models, and logit, probit and tobit models.

The tools are not independent of each other. jamovi’s about page says it is “powered by the R statistical language” and lists a jmv R package among its resources, so it sits close to R even though you work in a spreadsheet.

Install or access (official source only)

R

R is distributed from CRAN, the Comprehensive R Archive Network. The Windows page at cloud.r-project.org/bin/windows/base offers a 64-bit installer, and the R project states that R runs on UNIX-like systems, Windows and macOS. The Windows build requires UCRT, which is part of Windows since Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016.

jamovi

The jamovi download page offers two routes: Desktop, which is installed once and works offline with data staying on your own computer, and Cloud, which runs in the browser with nothing to install. The page states that Desktop is always free and that the Cloud Guest plan is free too, with no credit card.

JASP

The JASP download page lists Windows (Microsoft Store, an MSIX installer, an MSI installer, a pre-installed zip, or the WinGet command winget install JASP.JASP), macOS builds for Apple Silicon and Intel, a Linux Flatpak through Flathub, and a ChromeOS guide. It states that JASP is released under the GNU Affero GPL v3 licence.

gretl

The gretl site provides downloads for Microsoft Windows and macOS, and packages or source for Linux. gretl is released under the GNU GPL and has its own scripting language, hansl.

Step-by-step: pick a tool and run a first analysis

1. Match the tool to the task. Use the table below: scripting and reproducible code point to R; a spreadsheet-style interface points to jamovi; a graphical interface with classical and Bayesian procedures points to JASP; econometric and time-series models point to gretl.
2. Install from the official source listed in the previous section, and check the system requirements there first (JASP, for example, lists a 4 GB minimum of memory and about 4 GB of free disk space).
3. In R: start R, type x <- c(2, 4, 6, 8) and press Enter to store four numbers, then type summary(x) to print their minimum, quartiles, median and maximum. This confirms the installation works before you load real data.
4. In jamovi: open Desktop or sign in to Cloud, enter or open your data in the spreadsheet, drag variables into an analysis and set its options.
5. In JASP: open your data, choose a procedure from the graphical interface, and select the classical or Bayesian form of the procedure where offered.
6. In gretl: open your dataset and choose an econometric model from the program, or write the same steps as a hansl script so they can be repeated.

Output and how to read it

R prints results in its console and returns objects you can reuse in later code, so the written commands are themselves a record of what was done. In jamovi the output sits beside the spreadsheet. JASP reports procedures in classical and Bayesian form, so decide before you run an analysis which form your protocol or pre-registration calls for. For help interpreting the statistics themselves, start with what statistics is and the tool-specific guides linked below.

Troubleshooting

• R will not install on an older Windows version. The current Windows build needs UCRT. On systems older than Windows 10 it has to be installed manually from the link on the CRAN Windows page.
• JASP will not install on macOS. The JASP download page points to an installation guide for this case, and explains how to tell an Intel Mac from an Apple Silicon Mac: open the Apple menu, choose About This Mac, and read the chip type.
• JASP on an unsupported system. JASP states that 32-bit operating systems and processors are not supported, that iPadOS and iOS devices are not supported, and that Windows devices with ARM processors could work but are not yet supported. If you cannot upgrade your operating system, the page suggests an older JASP version.
• No local install allowed. jamovi Cloud runs in the browser, and the jamovi page lists use on Chromebooks and tablets.

Free alternatives (table)

The table lists what each tool’s own site states. It is a map of what each tool is for, not a ranking.

Tool	What it is, per its site	Licence as stated	Platforms as stated
R	A language and environment for statistical computing and graphics	GNU General Public License	UNIX platforms and similar systems, Windows, macOS
jamovi	A free and open statistical spreadsheet, powered by R	Described as “free and open”; the about page does not name a licence	Desktop, plus Cloud in the browser
JASP	Graphical interface with classical and Bayesian procedures	GNU Affero GPL v3 (download page)	Windows, macOS, Linux (Flatpak), ChromeOS
gretl	Cross-platform package for econometric analysis	GNU GPL	Windows, macOS, Linux

If your institution has rules on software licences, read the licence text on each project’s site before adopting a tool for shared use. For deeper reading, see how to use RStudio, JASP statistical software, jamovi vs JASP, the jamovi dictionary entry, and the comparison of SPSS and R. The wider research tools hub covers related software.

FAQ

What is the best statistical software?

No single tool is best for every task. These four tools do four different jobs: R for scripted analysis, jamovi for a spreadsheet interface, JASP for a graphical interface with classical and Bayesian procedures, and gretl for econometrics. Pick the one whose job matches yours.

What is open source statistical software?

Software whose source code is released under a licence that lets others use and modify it. R and gretl state the GNU GPL, JASP states the GNU Affero GPL v3, and jamovi describes itself as “free and open”.

Is free statistical software acceptable for published research?

Cite the software and its version in your methods, and keep your analysis steps (R scripts, gretl hansl scripts, saved project files) with your data so the work can be repeated. Journal and funder requirements vary, so check those of the venue you are submitting to.

Sources (official docs)

Official pages checked on 2026-10-29.

• R Project, About R: https://www.r-project.org/about.html
• CRAN, R for Windows: https://cloud.r-project.org/bin/windows/base/
• jamovi, About: https://www.jamovi.org/about.html
• jamovi, Download: https://www.jamovi.org/download.html
• JASP, home: https://jasp-stats.org/
• JASP, Download: https://jasp-stats.org/download/
• gretl: https://gretl.sourceforge.net/