NCSS review
A broad Windows statistics package with extensive procedures, scripting, and data imports.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
NCSS is desktop statistical analysis and graphics software for researchers, consultants, professionals, engineers, scientists, academics, and business users. Its scope covers hypothesis testing, regression, survival analysis, data transformations, customizable graphics, output management, and macro scripting. The software is designed for Windows, with Mac use requiring a Windows emulator, so it fits organizations and individuals working primarily in a Windows environment.
Pricing offers several licensing paths. The 1-Year Single-User NCSS Subscription License costs $349 per user per year and includes the latest or a previous version, free upgrades during the subscription term, and email and phone technical support. The 2-Year Single-User NCSS Subscription License costs $649 per user for 2 years, while the 3-Year Single-User NCSS Subscription License costs $949 per user for 3 years; both include access to the latest or a previous version and free upgrades during the subscription term. The Single-User Non-Expiring NCSS 2026 License costs $1,195 per user and includes three years of technical support, but major upgrades are not included. A 30-day free trial is available.
NCSS stands out for the breadth of its statistical procedures and its compatibility with established analysis workflows. It includes chi-square, Fisher’s exact, McNemar, non-inferiority, superiority, and equivalence tests, along with linear, nonlinear, logistic, Cox, count-data, survival, and other regression procedures. Imports cover spreadsheet, database, and statistical-system formats including Access, Excel, JMP, Matlab, Minitab, R, SAS, SPSS, Stata, CSV, and TXT. Macro scripting supports repeatable workflows, while integrated documentation, training materials, filtering, transformations, and output comparison add practical depth. Choose NCSS when broad Windows-based statistical coverage matters; consider another option if cross-platform access is essential or major upgrades must remain included with a perpetual license.
NCSS pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Hundreds of statistical tests, graphics tools, and regression procedures
- Imports files from Excel, R, SAS, SPSS, Stata, and other systems
- Macro scripting, documentation, and output comparison support repeatable analysis
- Where it doesn't
- Windows-only; Mac use requires a Windows emulator
- Subscription pricing starts at $349 per user per year
- Major upgrades are not included with the non-expiring license
NCSS fact sheet, pricing and score →
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