IBM SPSS Modeler vs MathWorks Matlab comparison

IBM and MathWorks are both solutions in the Data Science Platforms category. IBM is ranked #16 with an average rating of 7.5, while MathWorks is ranked #15 with an average rating of 9.0. IBM holds a 3.9% mindshare in Data Science Platforms, compared to MathWorks’s 1.3% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of MathWorks users who would recommend it.

IBM SPSS Modeler

Read 40 IBM SPSS Modeler reviews

2,258 Views
1,558 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

MathWorks Matlab

Read 5 MathWorks Matlab reviews

569 Views
546 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM SPSS Modeler

MathWorks Matlab

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 5, 2024

IBM SPSS Modeler and MathWorks Matlab compete in the field of data analysis and predictive analytics. MathWorks Matlab usually has the advantage due to its comprehensive features, despite IBM SPSS Modeler being more competitively priced and supported.

Features: IBM SPSS Modeler is known for its intuitive workflow, ease of data preparation, and advanced statistical capabilities. MathWorks Matlab is recognized for its powerful computational engine, diverse toolboxes for various applications, and strong data visualization strengths. MathWorks Matlab's extensive features provide an edge in versatility and performance.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM SPSS Modeler offers a straightforward deployment process and strong customer support, ensuring efficient implementation. MathWorks Matlab, while having a steeper learning curve due to its comprehensive nature, provides extensive resources and support to assist in deployment. The decision may hinge on whether users prioritize expedited deployment or extensive computational capabilities.

Pricing and ROI: IBM SPSS Modeler generally has a lower initial setup cost and provides a solid return on investment for businesses with specific analytical needs. MathWorks Matlab may require a higher initial investment but offers substantial ROI through its extensive functionalities and adaptability across numerous fields. The choice between the two depends on budget flexibility and long-term analytical requirements.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM SPSS Modeler vs. MathWorks Matlab Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM SPSS Modeler vs. MathWorks Matlab

September 2025

Download the complete report

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

IBM SPSS Modeler

Ranking in Data Science Platforms

16th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Mining (3rd)

MathWorks Matlab

Ranking in Data Science Platforms

15th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Data Science Platforms category, the mindshare of IBM SPSS Modeler is 3.9%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MathWorks Matlab is 1.3%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Data Science Platforms Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IBM SPSS Modeler	3.9%
MathWorks Matlab	1.3%
Other	94.8%

Data Science Platforms

Featured Reviews

PeterHuo

Application Architect at Canada Border Services Agency

Good tool for extracting data from data warehouses, creating streams, and manipulating logic to extract final data

There are performance issues. Extracting data from many combined tables can take hours and occasionally crash the server due to memory leaks. This performance problem bothers people. The performance issue seems to be related to the server. We design streams on the client and submit them to the server, which generates a large SQL statement. There are two potential bottlenecks: one in the server and another in data extraction. I'm unsure about the exact mechanics of data splitting when fetching from the database. When streams become larger, performance bottlenecks may occur in the IBM SPSS Modeler server or the database. Sometimes the server crashes and needs to be restarted to release memory on both sides. I'm not sure exactly where the problem is caused, as I focus on stream design rather than server issues. The problem could be on the IBM SPSS Modeler server and database.

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Ioannis Kalathas

It Consultant/Administrator at International Hellenic University

Creating digital twins significantly reduces time for marine engine diagnostics

MathWorks Matlab has numerous libraries, making it challenging to have a holistic understanding of all of them. I can only speak about the libraries I have used. Additional GUIs and add-ons for MathWorks Matlab would help, especially for users who are not familiar with the software. The cost is a significant concern. While university pricing is reasonable, a cheaper version with fewer libraries would be beneficial. In Greece, we struggle to purchase licenses, and we also use Ansys. There are technical differences in simulation, but the price of MathWorks Matlab is too high for a Greek mechanic to use it. A license with fewer features would be more appropriate.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"We have full control of the data handling process."

"It's a very organized product. It's easy to use."

"New algorithms are added into every version of Modeler, e.g., SMOTE, random forest, etc. The Derive node is used for the syntax code to derive the data."

"We are creating models and putting them into production much faster than we would if we had just gone with a strict, code-based solution, like R or Python."

"You take two quarters and compare them and this tool is ideal because it gives you a lot of visibility on the before and after."

"We have a local representative who specializes in SPSS. He will help us do the PoC."

"It is a great product for running statistical analysis."

"In the solution, I like the virtualization of data flow since it shows what goes where, which is mostly the strength of the tool."

More IBM SPSS Modeler pros

"Personally for me, because I do a lot of development, I like that it is easy to test mathematical algorithms with several matrix calculations. It's perfect for that."

"What I appreciate about MathWorks Matlab is that it is the most versatile program system I know; there are so many toolboxes which I don't need, as I mostly work with statistics, but it's amazing how many functions there are."

"The platform's most valuable feature is its field-specific packages, which make it very easy to use."

"The tool's most valuable feature is the Simulink environment. This feature provides an incredible capability to visually represent the system behavior before creating the code. It allows you to see the flow and interactions of the system, which is extremely beneficial for software development. With this visual representation, you can better understand the system's behavior, make necessary adjustments, and ensure maintenance and updates. This capability is why I love working with the product."

Cons

"The integration with sources and visualisation needs some improvement. The scalability needs improvement."

"Dimension reduction should be classified separately."

"It would be beneficial if the tool would include more well-known machine learning algorithms."

"The standard package (personal) is not supported for database connection."

"If IBM could add some of the popular models into the SPSS for further analysis, like popular regression models, I think that would be a helpful improvement."

"When I used it in the office, back in the day, we did have some stability issues. Sometimes it just randomly crashed and we couldn't get good feedback. But when I use it for my own stuff now I don't have any problems."

"The challenge for the very technical data scientists: It is constraining for them."

"I think mapping for geographic data would also be a really great thing to be able to use."

More IBM SPSS Modeler cons

"In the area of improvement, sometimes there are issues with the speed of MathWorks Matlab, particularly in the Simulink environment. The tool's latest versions can be slow to open, taking significant time to load. Additionally, saving data and integrating models can also be time-consuming processes."

"One area where the product could improve is in the ease of learning."

"It is not out-of-the-box of course, and you have to program everything yourself."

"To make use of the GPU, you have to have an Nvidia card. What I would want it to do is to run in Next Generation with Intel or AMD, and not just with Nvidia."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This tool, being an IBM product, is pretty expensive."

"It is a huge increase to time savings."

"It got us a good amount of money with quick and efficient modeling."

"I am using the free version of IBM SPSS Modeler, it is the educational edition version."

"When you are close to end of quarter, IBM and its partners can get you 60% to 70% discounts, so literally wait for the last day of the quarter for the best prices. You may feel like you are getting robbed if you can't receive a good discount."

"The government has funds and a budget, it's hard to say if it's expensive or cheap. In Canada, they have a yearly budget. They used to encourage people to use the modeler for development. If ten users use the server with ten licenses, it runs faster. But if forty users use the same appliance, everything slows down. People then think it's not easy to do things and prefer using remote tools like Python to extract data from the database. It's not about being expensive or cheap, but about people's knowledge and experience in how to do the work."

"If you are in a university and the license is free then you can use the tool without any charges, which is good."

"The scalability was kind of limited by our ability to get other people licenses, and that was usually more of a financial constraint. It's expensive, but it's a good tool."

More IBM SPSS Modeler pricing and cost advice

"We have a single user license. Support and add-ons are an extra fee."

"The pricing for the software itself is reasonable, and I didn't encounter any additional costs beyond the initial purchase or license."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

11%

Educational Organization

10%

University

Computer Software Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	32

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	4

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM SPSS Modeler?

Compared to other tools, the product works much easier to analyze data without coding.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM SPSS Modeler?

The government has funds and a budget, it's hard to say if it's expensive or cheap. In Canada, they have a yearly budget. They used to encourage people to use the modeler for development. If ten us...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM SPSS Modeler?

The customer comes to you and says they want to deploy it and make a production out of this, which is very difficult and expensive with IBM SPSS Modeler. With MATLAB, there is no problem. I have a ...

See all answers

What do you like most about MathWorks Matlab?

The tool's most valuable feature is the Simulink environment. This feature provides an incredible capability to visually represent the system behavior before creating the code. It allows you to see...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MathWorks Matlab?

Regarding the pricing part and licensing cost for MathWorks Matlab, it is not cheap, but it depends on the functions you need. You don't need all of them; you may just require a few and then it's r...

See all answers

What needs improvement with MathWorks Matlab?

The application is pretty good, and I don't really complain. For my purposes, MathWorks Matlab is perfect because it's very versatile; it is not out-of-the-box of course, and you have to program ev...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM SPSS Modeler

October 2025

Download IBM SPSS Modeler product report

Buyer's Guide

MathWorks Matlab

October 2025

Download MathWorks Matlab product report

Also Known As

SPSS Modeler

No data available

Overview

IBM SPSS Modeler is an extensive predictive analytics platform that is designed to bring predictive intelligence to decisions made by individuals, groups, systems and the enterprise. By providing a range of advanced algorithms and techniques that include text analytics, entity analytics, decision management and optimization, SPSS Modeler can help you consistently make the right decisions from the desktop or within operational systems.

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https://www.ibm.com/products/spss-modeler/pricing

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https://www.ibm.com/account/reg/us-en/signup?formid=urx-19947

IBM

Information not available

MathWorks

Sample Customers

Reisebªro Idealtours GmbH, MedeAnalytics, Afni, Israel Electric Corporation, Nedbank Ltd., DigitalGlobe, Vodafone Hungary, Aegon Hungary, Bureau Veritas, Brammer Group, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, InSites Consulting, Fortis Turkey

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Buyer's Guide

IBM SPSS Modeler vs. MathWorks Matlab

September 2025

Free Report: IBM SPSS Modeler vs. MathWorks Matlab

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM SPSS Modeler vs. MathWorks Matlab and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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