So, you want to use SPSS, IBM’s statistical software package, and you’re wondering whether you can download it for free? IBM offers a free 30-day trial of SPSS but, beyond that, you will normally have to pay for your license.
Some academic institutions offer students, faculty and researchers free access to SPSS either via a site-wide license for the software, or on computers at the institution’s computing center. In addition, students and faculty at some academic institutions may be able to purchase heavily discounted licenses for SPSS.
30-Day Free Trial
You can down download a 30-day free trial of SPSS for Windows or Mac from IBM’s website – just scroll down the page until you get to the Try It Now button illustrated below. Then click the button to get started with your free trial. Once this trial has ended, most users will need to pay if they want to continue to access SPSS. However, there are some options to use SPSS for free, or at a discounted price, as explained below.
Free Access to SPSS at Some Academic Institutions
Some academic institutions offer students, faculty and researchers free access to SPSS either via a site-wide license for the software, or on dedicated workstations at the institution’s computing center. We recommend checking with your institution to determine whether either of these options is available to you. If you are a student enrolled in a course that requires the use of SPSS, we recommend checking with your course instructor.
Discounted Licenses for Students and Faculty
If your institution does not offer free access to SPSS, you may, nevertheless, be able get a heavily discounted license if you are a student or faculty member at an academic institution. IBM provides a list of vendors offering discounted SPSS licenses to students and faculty on their website.
Minimizing Your Costs When Purchasing Full Price SPSS
If you aren’t an eligible member of an academic institution, and you need, therefore, to pay the full price for an SPSS license, it is worth noting that you can purchase this license for one month at a time. If it is feasible for you, consider batching your SPSS-related work so that you can maximize the value you get from purchasing a license for one month.
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That’s it for now. You should now have an overview of your options for purchasing and using SPSS at free or discounted rates.
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