R in a Nutshell

R License Terms

R is an open source software package, licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL).^[1] This means that you can install R for free on most desktop and server machines. (Comparable commercial software packages sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars.) If R were a poor substitute for the commercial software packages, this might have limited appeal. However, I think R is better than its commercial counterparts in many respects.

Capability

You can find implementations for hundreds (maybe thousands) of statistical and data analysis algorithms in R. No commercial package offers anywhere near the scope of functionality available through the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN).

Community

There are now hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of R users worldwide. By using R, you can be sure that you’re using the same software that your colleagues are using.

Performance

R’s performance is comparable, or superior, to most commercial analysis packages. R requires you to load data sets into memory before processing. If you have enough memory to hold the data, R can run very quickly. Luckily, memory is cheap. You can buy 32 GB of server RAM for less than the cost of a single desktop license of a comparable piece of commercial statistical software.

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^[1] There is some controversy about GPL licensed software, and what it means to you as a corporate user. Some users are afraid that any code that they write in R will be bound by the GPL. If you are not writing extensions to R, you do not need to worry about this issue. R is an interpreter, and the GPL does not apply to a program just because it is executed on a GPL licensed interpreter.

If you are writing extensions to R, they might be bound by the GPL. For more information, see the GNU foundation’s FAQ on the GPL: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gplfaq. However, for a definite answer, see an attorney. If you are worried about a specific application, see an attorney.