Plotara alternatives
An SPSS alternative that also makes the figure
If you have used SPSS, you already know the shape of this problem. The statistics are solid. Then you export the chart, and it looks like SPSS.
What SPSS is good at
- A very broad and mature statistical procedure library.
- The standard in psychology, education and the social sciences, so methods sections written around it are immediately understood by reviewers.
- Syntax files make an analysis genuinely reproducible, and they have worked the same way for decades.
- Excellent handling of survey data, weighting and complex sampling designs.
Where Plotara differs
The figure is the point, not an afterthought. Plotara is built to produce the thing you actually submit. 22 graph types, 15 built-in journal styles, multi-panel layout at 90 mm and 180 mm column widths, 300 DPI raster and true vector SVG and PDF.
No round trip. In a typical SPSS workflow the numbers come out, then the figure gets rebuilt somewhere else, and the two drift apart. Here the test result goes straight onto the plot as significance bars.
Python instead of syntax. You get the same reproducibility, in a language your collaborators can run without a licence.
Priced for a person. £10 a month student, £20 a month professional, or £84 and £180 a year. Pause the subscription whenever you are not using it.
Side by side
| Plotara | SPSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows 10+, Mac (Apple Silicon and Intel) | Windows, macOS and Linux |
| Licence | Monthly or annual subscription | Subscription, sold in several editions |
| Price, monthly | £10 Student, £20 Professional | Base subscription from $105 |
| Price, annual | £84 Student, £180 Professional | Base subscription $1,188. IBM states pricing is indicative and varies by region, edition and taxes |
| Pausing | Unlimited, pay only for the months you use | Not offered |
| Statistical tests | 50+ across 12 categories | Broad and mature procedure library |
| Graph types | 22 | Charting is included but is not the product's focus |
| Publication figure layout | Multi-panel, journal column widths, panel labels | Not a built-in feature |
| Vector export | SVG and PDF | Yes |
| Reproducible script | Python | Syntax files |
*SPSS pricing, licence model and platform support as published on [IBM's SPSS Statistics product pages](https://www.ibm.com/products/spss-statistics), checked 20 August 2026. IBM states its prices are indicative and vary by region, edition and taxes.*
Who should pick which
Stay with SPSS if you work with complex survey designs and weighting, if your department teaches it and your students need to follow along, or if your existing syntax files represent years of work.
Try Plotara if the statistics are the easy part and the figure is what takes the afternoon, or if you want a script your collaborators can run without buying anything.
Ready to put this into practice?
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Last reviewed: 20 August 2026