Some of the free software packages are from governmental or [[NGO]] organizationsgovernments, suchfor asexample [[Epi Info]], which is from [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|CDC]]<ref name=epiinfo>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/epiinfo/index.htm|title=Epi Info|year=2008|publisher= CDC}}</ref> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Some other software packages are from smaller or independent organizations or universities, such as Instat<ref name=instat>{{cite web|url=http://www.ssc.rdg.ac.uk/software/instat/instat.html|title=Instat - an interactive statistical package|publisher=Statistical Services Centre - University of Reading|year=2009|access-date=2011-03-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907064031/http://www.ssc.rdg.ac.uk/software/instat/instat.html|archive-date=2011-09-07|url-status=dead}}</ref> or Irristat.<ref name=irristat>{{cite web|url=http://sirpabs.ilahas.com/ebooks/Computer%20&%20Technology/Irristat%20Tutorial.pdf|title= Irristat|publisher= International Rice Research Instititue, Biometrics and Bioinformatics Unit}}</ref> Two other packages, [[R (programming language)|R]],<ref name=r>{{cite web|url= https://cran.r-project.org/|title= The R Project}}</ref> and [[PSPP]] are being developed as part of the [[GNU Project]] by a large group of individuals, many of them volunteers, all over the world. These packages are notable in that it is not just [[Open-source software|open source]] but also [[free software]] in the same sense that material written on Wikipedia is free: others can edit, use, and redistribute at will.
At least one package, WinIDAMS, was developed for the purposes of making key technologies available to those who could not otherwise afford them, to empower development.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=17447&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html|publisher= UNESCO|date= 2004-03-11|title= In Focus: Communication and Information Sector's In Focus service. UNESCO and Software.}}</ref> OpenStat and Instat were developed as teaching aids.<ref name=instat/><ref name=openstat>{{cite web|url= http://www.statpages.org/miller/openstat/|title= OpenStat|author= Bill Miller|year= 2009}}</ref> Other packages were developed for specific purposes but can be more generally used. Examples are Irristat,<ref name=irristat/> developed for agricultural analysis, and Epi Info,<ref name=epiinfo/> developed for public health. Several of the packages, PSPP, R and Osiris don't appear to give any statements about why they were developed, other than just general use for statistical analysis.
