Which Stata is right for me

Stata 15 is a complete, integrated statistical package that provides everything you need for data analysis, data management, and graphics. Stata is not sold in modules, which means you get everything you need in one package. And, you can choose a perpetual licence, with nothing more to buy ever. Annual licences are also available.

Whether you're a student or a seasoned research professional, a range of Stata packages are available and designed to suit all needs.

All of the following versions of Stata have the same complete set of commands and features, with PDF document manuals included with the software.

• Stata/MP: The fastest version of Stata (for dual-core and multicore/multiprocessor computers);
• Stata/SE: Stata for large datasets;
• Stata/IC: Stata for mid-sized datasets;
• Comparison of features

Stata/MP is the fastest and largest version of Stata. Most computers purchased since mid 2006 can take advantage of the advanced multiprocessing of Stata/MP. This includes the Intel Core™ 2 Duo, i3, i5, i7, and the AMD X2 dual-core chips. On dual-core chips, Stata/MP runs 40% faster overall and 72% faster where it matters - on the time-consuming estimation commands. With more than two cores or processors, Stata/MP is even faster.

Stata/MP provides the most extensive support for multiprocessor computers and multicore computers of any statistics and data-management package.

The exciting thing about Stata/MP is that it runs faster—much faster. Stata/MP lets you analyse data in one-half to two-thirds of the time compared with Stata/SE on inexpensive dual-core desktops and laptops and in one-quarter to one-half the time on quad-core desktops. Stata/MP runs even faster on multiprocessor servers. Stata/MP supports up to 64 processors/cores

In a perfect world, software would run twice as fast on two cores, four times as fast on four cores, eight times as fast on eight cores, and so on. Across all commands, Stata/MP runs 1.7 times faster on two cores, 2.4 times faster on four cores, and 3.2 times faster on eight cores. These values are median speed improvements. Half the commands run even faster.

On the other side of the distribution, a few commands do not run faster, often because they are inherently sequential, such as time-series commands.

Stata worked hard to make sure that the performance gains for commands that take longer to run would be greater. Across all estimation commands, Stata/MP runs 1.9 times faster on two cores, 3.1 times faster on four cores, and 4.1 times faster on computers with eight cores.

Stata/MP is 100% compatible other versions of with Stata. Analyses do not have to be reformulated or modified in any way to obtain Stata/MP’s speed improvements.

Stata/MP is available for the following operating systems:

• Windows (32- and 64-bit processors);
• macOS (64-bit Intel processors);
• Linux (32- and 64-bit processors);
• Solaris (64-bit SPARC and x86-64).

To run Stata/MP, you can use a desktop computer with a dual-core or quad-core processor, or you can use a server with multiple processors. Whether a computer has separate processors or one processor with multiple cores makes no difference. More processors or cores makes Stata/MP run faster.

For more advice on purchasing/upgrading to Stata/MP or for hardware queries, please contact our sales team.

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Stata/SE and Stata/IC differ only in the dataset size that each can analyse. Stata/SE and Stata/MP can fit models with more independent variables than Stata/IC (up to 10,998).

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Stata/IC allows datasets with as many as 2,048 variables. The maximum number of observations is 2.14 billion. Stata/IC can have at most 798 independent variables in a model.

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Comparison of features

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