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IBM SPSS Statistics vs MathWorks Matlab comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 5, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

IBM SPSS Statistics
Ranking in Data Science Platforms
8th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
Data Mining (3rd)
MathWorks Matlab
Ranking in Data Science Platforms
17th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Data Science Platforms category, the mindshare of IBM SPSS Statistics is 2.7%, down from 2.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MathWorks Matlab is 0.8%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Data Science Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

Laurence Moseley - PeerSpot reviewer
Delivers reliable results for academic research and keeps you close to your data.
SPSS is perfectly adequate if all you want are some results. If you only need the results, you do not require the trail of evidence on how you obtained those results. I mainly used it for cross tabs, correlation, regression, chi-squared tests, and similar analyses often seen in published papers; I used it for my papers as well. For wider uses I find Knime keeps me in touch with my data, however much I transform them.
Neha Wanjari - PeerSpot reviewer
Has Simulink feature which helps with visual representations
The tool's most valuable feature is the Simulink environment. This feature provides an incredible capability to visually represent the system behavior before creating the code. It allows you to see the flow and interactions of the system, which is extremely beneficial for software development. With this visual representation, you can better understand the system's behavior, make necessary adjustments, and ensure maintenance and updates. This capability is why I love working with the product. The solution's UI has greatly supported my development process. I would rate it an eight point five out of ten for its user interface. It's easy to explain how a system works, especially if I've created a model in the Simulink environment. Integrating it with other languages or tools has always benefited my projects. Even though I've only used two languages, it has been advantageous overall.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"You can find a complete algorithm in the solution and use it. You don't need to write your own algorithms for predictive analytics. That's the most valuable feature and the main one we use."
"Since we are using the software as a statistical tool, I would say the best aspects of it are the regression and segmentation capabilities. That said, I've used it for all sorts of things."
"It is perfectly adequate if all you need are the results and not the trail of evidence."
"Some of the most valuable features that we are using with some business models are machine learning algorithms, statistical models given to us by the business, and getting data from the database or text files."
"IBM SPSS Statistics depends on AI."
"It is a modeling tool with helpful automation."
"SPSS is quite robust and quicker in terms of providing you the output."
"The features that I have found most valuable are the Bayesian statistics and descriptive statistics."
"The tool's most valuable feature is the Simulink environment. This feature provides an incredible capability to visually represent the system behavior before creating the code. It allows you to see the flow and interactions of the system, which is extremely beneficial for software development. With this visual representation, you can better understand the system's behavior, make necessary adjustments, and ensure maintenance and updates. This capability is why I love working with the product."
"Personally for me, because I do a lot of development, I like that it is easy to test mathematical algorithms with several matrix calculations. It's perfect for that."
"The platform's most valuable feature is its field-specific packages, which make it very easy to use."
 

Cons

"The product should provide more ways to import data and export results that are user-friendly for high-level executives."
"I'd like to see them use more artificial intelligence. It should be smart enough to do predictions and everything based on what you input."
"It would be helpful if there was better documentation on how to properly use the solution. A beginner's guide on how to use the various programming functions within the product would be so useful to a lot of people. I found that everything was very confusing at first. Having clear documentation would help alleviate that."
"If there is any self-generation data collection plan (DCP), it would be helpful in gathering data. It would also be useful if there is a function to scale it up to, let's say, UiPath and have it consolidate and integrate into a UiPath solution."
"Better documentation on how to use macros."
"Technical support needs some improvement, as they do not respond as quickly as we would like."
"I'm unsure if SPSS has a commercial offering for big servers, unlike KNIME, which does."
"Most of the package will give you the fixed value, or the p-value, without an explanation as to whether it it significant or not. Some beginners might need not just the results, but also some explanation for them."
"To make use of the GPU, you have to have an Nvidia card. What I would want it to do is to run in Next Generation with Intel or AMD, and not just with Nvidia."
"One area where the product could improve is in the ease of learning."
"In the area of improvement, sometimes there are issues with the speed of MathWorks Matlab, particularly in the Simulink environment. The tool's latest versions can be slow to open, taking significant time to load. Additionally, saving data and integrating models can also be time-consuming processes."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing of the modeler is high and can reduce the utility of the product for those who can not afford to adopt it."
"Our licence is on a yearly renewal basis. While pricing is not the primary concern in our evaluation, as products are assessed by whether they can meet our user needs and expertise, the cost can be a limiting factor in the number of licences we procure."
"While the pricing of the product may be higher, the accompanying service and features justify the investment."
"We think that IBM SPSS is expensive for this function."
"SPSS is an expensive piece of software because it's incredibly complex and has been refined over decades, but I would say it's fairly priced."
"If it requires lot of data processing, maybe switching to IBM SPSS Clementine would be better for the buyer."
"The price of this solution is a little bit high, which was a problem for my company."
"The price of IBM SPSS Statistics could improve."
"The pricing for the software itself is reasonable, and I didn't encounter any additional costs beyond the initial purchase or license."
"We have a single user license. Support and add-ons are an extra fee."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
9%
University
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
12%
University
11%
Energy/Utilities Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM SPSS Statistics?
The software offers consistency across multiple research projects helping us with predictive analytics capabilities.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM SPSS Statistics?
SPSS is horrendously expensiver. On a laptop Knime is free of charge (Windows, Mac, Linux)
What needs improvement with IBM SPSS Statistics?
Better guidance both in producing programs and interpreting their output.
What do you like most about MathWorks Matlab?
The tool's most valuable feature is the Simulink environment. This feature provides an incredible capability to visually represent the system behavior before creating the code. It allows you to see...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MathWorks Matlab?
The pricing for the software itself is reasonable, and I didn't encounter any additional costs beyond the initial purchase or license.
What needs improvement with MathWorks Matlab?
One area where the product could improve is in the ease of learning. The syntax can be challenging for first-time programmers or those unfamiliar with specialized languages. Also, while the communi...
 

Also Known As

SPSS Statistics
No data available
 

Overview

Information not available
 

Sample Customers

LDB Group, RightShip, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Capgemini Consulting, TEAC Corporation, Ironside, nViso SA, Razorsight, Si.mobil, University Hospitals of Leicester, CROOZ Inc., GFS Fundraising Solutions, Nedbank Ltd., IDS-TILDA
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM SPSS Statistics vs. MathWorks Matlab and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.