Language and environment for statistics and data graphics
R is a free programming language built for statistical analysis and data visualisation. Thousands of add-on packages on CRAN cover everything from regression and survival analysis to machine learning and publication-quality charts.
It is a standard tool in universities and research. It runs through a basic console, so most people install RStudio alongside it for a more comfortable workspace.
Pros
- Thousands of statistics packages
- Excellent charts
- Free and widely taught
Cons
- Basic interface on its own
- Takes time to learn