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IBM SPSS Statistics vs SAS Enterprise Miner 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 Mining
2nd
Ranking in Data Science Platforms
10th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
AI Data Analysis (12th), AI Research (2nd)
SAS Enterprise Miner
Ranking in Data Mining
7th
Ranking in Data Science Platforms
24th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Data Mining category, the mindshare of IBM SPSS Statistics is 18.3%, up from 16.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAS Enterprise Miner is 4.8%, up from 4.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Data Mining Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
IBM SPSS Statistics18.3%
SAS Enterprise Miner4.8%
Other76.9%
Data Mining
 

Featured Reviews

EzzAbdelfattah - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Professor Of Statistics at a university with 10,001+ employees
Advanced predictive analytics have supported my research and student projects across many methods
The only function I may need to be added or hope to be added to IBM SPSS Statistics is how to treat unstructured data. This mainly exists with IBM SPSS Modeler, but I do not think it is able to treat something like videos and similar content unless you are using languages like Python inside IBM SPSS Modeler or inside IBM SPSS Statistics. For the menu itself, for the selection, it does not exist. Thinking of the future, I believe that the owners of IBM SPSS Statistics should think about improving the package itself to be able to treat unstructured data.
reviewer1352853 - PeerSpot reviewer
Executive Head of analytics at a retailer with 5,001-10,000 employees
A stable product that is easy to deploy and can be used for structured and unstructured data mining
We use the solution for predictive analytics to do structured and unstructured data mining I like the way the product visually shows the data pipeline. The product must provide better integration with cloud-native technologies. I have been using the solution for 20 years. The product is very…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"SPSS is quite robust and quicker in terms of providing you the output."
"You can quickly build models because it does the work for you."
"The most valuable features are the small learning curve and its ability to hold a lot of data."
"The features that I have found most valuable are the Bayesian statistics and descriptive statistics."
"The most valuable feature is the user interface because you don't need to write code."
"The solution has numerous valuable features. We particularly like custom tabs. It's very useful. We end up analyzing a lot of software data, so features related to custom tabs are really helpful."
"The learning curve to using this product is not steep. The program is appropriate for those who do not have a lot of background in programming, yet have to perform basic statistical analysis."
"The most valuable feature is its robust statistical analysis capabilities."
"The most valuable feature is that you can use multiple algorithms for creating models and then you can compare the results between them."
"The solution is able to handle quite large amounts of data beautifully."
"Good data management and analytics."
"The technical support is very good."
"I found the ease of use of the solution the most valuable. Additionally, other valuable features include: the user interface, power to extract data, compatibility with other technologies (specifically with PS400), and automation of several tasks."
"he solution is scalable."
"The solution is very good for data mining or any mining issues."
"The setup is straightforward. Deployment doesn't take more than 30 minutes."
 

Cons

"There is a learning curve; it's not very steep, but there is one."
"Each algorithm could be more adaptable to some industry-specific areas, or, in some cases, adapted for maintenance."
"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."
"The reports could be better."
"In developing countries, it would be beneficial to provide certain features to users at no cost initially, while also customizing pricing options."
"SPSS is a tool that's been around since the late 60s, and it's the universal worldwide standard for quantitative social science data analysis. That said, it does seem a bit strange to me that the graphical output functions are so clunky after all these years. The output of charts and graphs that SPSS produces is hideous."
"Improvements are needed in the user interface, particularly in terms of user-friendliness."
"The design of the experience can be improved."
"The solution is much more complex than other options."
"While I don't personally need tutorials, I can't say that it wouldn't be helpful for others to have some to help them navigate and operate the system."
"The solution needs an easier interface for the user. The user experience isn't so easy for our clients."
"The product must provide better integration with cloud-native technologies."
"Virtualization could be much better."
"The visualization of the models is not very attractive, so the graphics should be improved."
"The solution is very stable, but we do have some problems with discrepancies involving SAS not matching with the latest Java versions. It's not stable in cases where SAS tries to run on a different version because SAS doesn't connect with the latest Java update. Once a month we need to restart systems from scratch."
"Technical support could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's quite expensive, but they do a special deal for universities."
"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."
"The pricing of the modeler is high and can reduce the utility of the product for those who can not afford to adopt it."
"More affordable training for new staff members."
"The price of IBM SPSS Statistics could improve."
"We think that IBM SPSS is expensive for this function."
"The price of this solution is a little bit high, which was a problem for my company."
"I rate the tool's pricing a five out of ten."
"This solution is for large corporations because not everybody can afford it."
"The solution must improve its licensing models."
"The solution is expensive for an individual, but for an enterprise/institution (purchasing bulk licenses), it is not a high price for the use that will come from it."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
University
7%
Financial Services Firm
21%
Educational Organization
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise20
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise7
 

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?
I think the price of the solution is very reasonable. The cost depends; you have the option for subscription or you can purchase the license. Most of our customers are paying every year for a type ...
What needs improvement with IBM SPSS Statistics?
The only function I may need to be added or hope to be added to IBM SPSS Statistics is how to treat unstructured data. This mainly exists with IBM SPSS Modeler, but I do not think it is able to tre...
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Also Known As

SPSS Statistics
Enterprise Miner
 

Overview

 

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
Generali Hellas, Gitanjali Group, Gloucestershire Constabulary, GS Home Shopping, HealthPartners, IAG New Zealand, iJET, Invacare
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM SPSS Statistics vs. SAS Enterprise Miner and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
883,760 professionals have used our research since 2012.