Statistical Software

Abstract

This article discusses selected statistical software, aiming to help readers find the right tool for their needs. We categorize software into three classes: Statistical Packages, Analysis Packages with Statistical Libraries, and General Programming Languages with Statistical Libraries. Statistical and analysis packages often provide interactive, easy‐to‐use workflows while general programming languages are built for speed and optimization. We emphasize each software’s defining characteristics and discuss trends in popularity. The concluding sections muse on the future of statistical software including the impact of Big Data and the advantages of open‐source languages.