SmartPLS 4 vs JASP
Beyond Basic SEM
Overview
JASP offers accessible statistics with a SEM module powered by lavaan.
SmartPLS 4 is a dedicated SEM environment with CB‑SEM & PLS‑SEM, deeper diagnostics, and advanced model comparison.
SmartPLS 4 is a dedicated SEM environment with CB‑SEM & PLS‑SEM, deeper diagnostics, and advanced model comparison.
Why Institutions Choose SmartPLS
SmartPLS upgrades from general-stats SEM to a dedicated SEM platform with CB-SEM + PLS-SEM, supporting deeper models and methods.
Publication-ready diagrams and tables and a visual workflow reduce faculty rework and speed student progression.
Publication-ready diagrams and tables and a visual workflow reduce faculty rework and speed student progression.
Key Differences
| Feature | SmartPLS 4 | Jasp |
|---|---|---|
| Method Coverage | CB-SEM and PLS-SEM (incl. PROCESS, GSCA, Regression, NCA) | CB-SEM (module) |
| Interface | GUI based | GUI based |
| Usability | Modern GUI. Drag-and-drop modeling. | General-purpose GUI |
| Learning Curve | Low | Low |
| Platform & OS Support | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Licensing Model | Commercial license (academic/site options) | Open-source |
Sources (short)
- SmartPLS: https://www.smartpls.com
- Jasp: https://jasp-stats.org
Note on comparability and sources
This comparison reflects SmartPLS 4.1.1.5 versus JASP 0.95 (Aug 2025), as of 11 Oct 2025. The information is based on publicly available vendor/user documentation, release notes, and hands‑on use. Please include concrete version numbers and this as‑of date when citing. Product and brand names belong to their respective owners and are used for identification only.
