No. 4 of 106 ·Statistical Analysis Software

gretl

Windows · Mac · Linux

Freedom report

Three barsScore 7.7

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely3 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

gretl is ranked #4 of 106 in statistical analysis software on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. There is a free plan.

gretl plans and pricing

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gretl Free Free, open-source software · redistribution and modification under the GNU GPL gretl.sourceforge.net · 3 Oct 2026

Compared on statistical analysis software

Free plan: Yes
Deployment: desktop
Statistical tests: Yes
Regression models: Yes
Scripting support: Yes
Bayesian analysis: Yes
Data import formats: XML, CSV, Excel, Gnumeric, OpenDocument, Stata, SPSS, EViews, JMulTi, RATS 4 and PC-Give

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The record

Purpose: gretl is a cross-platform software package for econometric analysis, written in C.
Estimators: It includes least squares, maximum likelihood, GMM, single-equation and system methods, and regularized least squares methods including LASSO, Ridge and elastic net.
Time series: Time-series methods include ARIMA, GARCH-type models, VARs and VECMs, unit-root and cointegration tests, and the Kalman filter.
Other models: It supports limited dependent-variable models and panel-data estimators, including instrumental variables, probit and dynamic panel models based on GMM.
Scripting and output: gretl has an integrated scripting language called hansl and can output models as LaTeX files in tabular or equation format.
Integrations: The site lists data and results exchange with GNU R, GNU Octave, Python, Julia, Ox and Stata, plus parallelization via MPI.
Data formats: Supported formats include CSV, Excel, Gnumeric, Open Document, Stata, SPSS, EViews, JMulTi, RATS 4 and PC-Give files, as well as gretl's own formats.
Machine learning: The site states that gretl supports machine learning via LIBSVM and mixed time-series frequencies via MIDAS.
Platforms: The download page links to packages for Windows and macOS, and Debian and Fedora packages for Linux; it also provides source packages for compiling.
macOS requirements: The macOS download page offers gretl for macOS 10.9 or higher, with separate packages listed for Apple Silicon on macOS 11 or higher and for Intel Macs.
Security and license: The maker describes gretl as free, open-source software that may be redistributed and modified under the GNU General Public License.
Support: Users can seek help through the gretl-users mailing list and submit bug reports and feature requests through the SourceForge Tracker system.
Intended users: The maker describes gretl as a free, user-friendly and sophisticated econometrics package, and notes that its statistical-method coverage is less comprehensive than GNU R's.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Statistical Analysis Software in 2026#4 of 106

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Sources

gretl.sourceforge.net· checked 3 Oct 2026
gretl.sourceforge.net/osx.html· checked 3 Oct 2026
gretl.sourceforge.net/gretl_and_R.html· checked 3 Oct 2026