SOFA Statistics

What SOFA Statistics is

SOFA Statistics is a free, open-source desktop application for statistical analysis and reporting. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and combines charts, report tables, descriptive measures, and statistical tests such as t-tests, ANOVA, chi-square, and correlations. You can bring in data from Excel, ODS, CSV, tab-separated files, or Google Docs spreadsheets, and export data to Excel. For database analysis, SOFA connects directly to MySQL, Microsoft Access, SQLite, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft SQL Server. Reporting workflows can use exported Python scripts to automate routine reports; tabular results are provided as HTML for sharing on websites or intranets.

The classic application is in stable maintenance, with releases mainly addressing bugs. The maker is also refreshing the project: its sofastats_lib Python library is ready to use, while a new web GUI is still under construction. SOFA concentrates on commonly used analyses, and its FAQ recommends R when a project needs analyses SOFA does not provide. It is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License version 3 or later, with no stated record or variable limits.

Who it suits

SOFA Statistics may suit researchers, students, data analysts, and others who want to explore data with common statistical tests and reporting tools. It is a fit for people who want a free desktop package with spreadsheet and database data sources across Linux, macOS, or Windows.

Limits

The free plan has no stated record or variable limits. SOFA focuses on commonly used analyses, and its FAQ recommends R for needs beyond that scope.

Getting started

1. Visit https://www.sofastatistics.com/.
2. Choose the desktop version for Linux, macOS, or Windows.
3. Import data from Excel, ODS, CSV, tab-separated files, or Google Docs spreadsheets, or connect to a supported database.
4. Use charts, report tables, descriptive measures, or statistical tests to analyze the data.
5. Export data to Excel, Python scripts for routine reporting, or tabular output as HTML.

Verdict

Choose SOFA Statistics if you want a free desktop tool for common statistical analyses, with multiple spreadsheet and database inputs and reporting outputs. Look elsewhere if your work needs analyses beyond its stated focus, or if you need the new web GUI now.